Pretty in Primal

Beauty and Personal Care: My Favorites

2012-01-29T10:30:00.005-06:00

Today, I'm going to write about one of my favorite things: SKIN CARE (Men, don't be scared off by the somewhat girly nature of this post- you might find some useful products.)

I have to admit I'm a skin care junkie. My guilty pleasure is reading beauty forums and blogs and learning about the latest products and gadgets that people are using to keep themselves looking good. I have a "wandering eye" when it comes to new products (maybe I should've been a beauty blogger instead!)

Beauty junky tendencies aside, my somewhat frugal nature reigns me in and keeps me from blowing all my cash on skin care. I'll still spend money on a good product, but I like to balance it out with things that work and don't cost a lot. I also concoct some of my skin care myself. I like a "high/low" mix of skin care. Now that I've settled into a consistent product routine and am getting results that I like, I'm going to go ahead and share my favorites.

Preface: My skin has always had issues. When I was younger, it was oily and congested and I'd get cysts that left purple marks that took forever to fade. Now that I'm in my mid 30's, it's not as oily and I'm not getting cysts anymore (thank you, Primal diet!) but I've seen changes in texture and some fine lines are showing up, so my main issues now are the first signs of aging and dehydration and I still deal with congested skin.
I do occasionally get very minor breakouts, but they're so much easier to deal with and heal much faster. Overall, I'm way happier with my skin than I've ever been and I can get away with less makeup than ever.
I have pretty strict criteria as far as ingredients go. I don't like synthetic crap and I don't like artificial perfumes. So, here are my favorite natural and effective products:

Cleanser:
Even though I have slightly combo skin that gets congested, it also gets very dehydrated, so I can't stand it getting dried out when I wash it. Red Flower Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser and Mask solved that problem! This stuff rocks when your skin is all dried out in the winter (or when you have over-chlorinated water like I do!) You can use it as a cleanser or a moisturizing mask. It's pricey, but it's also a huge bottle, so, per ounce, the price is actually reasonable for such a great product.

I used to despise bar soap for my face until I tried NCN Pro Rhassoul Cleansing Bar. It was getting rave reviews on my favorite forum. It's very gentle and leaves skin feeling soft and not dry, yet it also helps clear breakouts. I buy a couple and keep one in the shower to use for my whole body.

A few times a week, I like to do a deep cleanse using a variation on the Oil Cleansing Method. I first learned about the OCM from a friend who found that massaging her face with oil and then steaming it with a hot wash cloth cleared her skin up like nothing else could.
My variation, which is less drying and more skin softening, consists of a mix of raw honey (I like the solid, opaque kind) and castor oil (about a 1:4 ratio of honey to castor oil). It sounds odd, but it'll take makeup off (remove any eye makeup first, though) and pull gunk out of your pores. Massage the mix into your skin and use a tapping motion to help draw out impurities, then steam with a hot wash cloth and wipe clean.

Toner:
I'm old fashioned when it comes to toner. I like Humphrey's Witch Hazel. It's very soothing and super cheap. I like Humphrey's much better than Thayer's (the other classic witch hazel brand), which has an odd foamy quality to it.
I like to add a little rosewater to it and if you have very dry skin, a few drops of glycerin can adjust the astringency. You can also add a few drops of essential oils if you like, especially if you don't care for the refreshing/medicinal smell of witch hazel (which I happen to like). Guys, this is great as an aftershave to soothe razor burn.

Teas like green tea or chamomile tea also make great toners for sensitive skin.

Moisturizer:
For my moisturizer, I like extra virgin avocado oil. There are lots of great oils and different oils work for different skin types but avocado really stands out for me. Once it sinks in, it's not greasy and it does a wonderful job of hydrating and plumping fine lines while preventing oiliness (so, it's good for dry, combo AND oily/acne prone skin), it calms redness and it's very rich in collagen promoting nutrients. It also has a certain degree of natural sunscreen properties. You can read about the unique and wonderful benefits of avocado oil HERE.
Olivado is my favorite brand by far (it has the finest texture). The key to using oils as facial moisturizers is to make an emulsion: put a few drops of oil in your palm and add a little water (or toner) and mix. Then, massage into damp skin. This makes all the difference in oil absorption and helps skin to retain moisture.

If you want a more luxurious face oil option, Red Flower Essential Omega Fresh Berry Oil is great. It smells divine and is loaded with antioxidants (it also contains my beloved avocado oil). A little goes a long way, so again, it's pricey but it's going to last you forever (I end up using it on my neck, arms and décolletage just to use it all up!)

Several nights a week, I use NCN Pro All Trans-Retinol (I use the 2%). This is the main anti-aging component of my skin care routine. Retinol, a Vitamin A derivative, is one of those great, proven ingredients that builds collagen over time and it can really help keep the skin clear, but it can also cause dryness and flaking and it realistically takes at least 6 months to start seeing major benefits.
It's not as potent as the stronger retinoid class of products like Retin-A/Tretinoin, but that's fine with me, since I get flaky enough with retinol. This formula, however, is magical. I don't get flaky, it seems to calm my skin and heal any little breakouts in record time (as well as the marks they leave behind) and it is gentle enough to use around my eyes. It has also faded an annoying patch of melasma on my forehead and my forehead lines are lessened. My skin has vastly improved since I added this product a few months ago.

For my eye cream, I like something to help with puffiness (my upper lids get puffy overnight) and I'm really liking Skin Apotheke's Rejuvenating Eye Creme. It's light and really does help prevent overnight puffiness. I only recently started using it, so it's too early to tell if it will do anything for the dark under eye circles I'm blessed with (one of the side effects of having fair, thin skin).

Exfoliation/Masks/Treatments:
I try not to over exfoliate, since, for me, it leads to overly sensitive skin. I use my Clarisonic Mia about every other day when I'm cleansing at night. It really is a nifty gadget and worth asking for if you have a birthday coming up;)
Microfiber washcloths are also great for exfoliating. Just don't get too rough with them.

Once a week, I like to smear canned pumpkin on my face and let it sit about 10 minutes. Pumpkin enzyme are wonderful exfoliants and will leave your skin looking healthy and glowing. I think it helps if you keep the pumpkin moist as it's on your face. If you have very sensitive skin, start with only a few minutes to test it out.

Raw Honey makes a good healing/soothing mask or spot treatment if you have a blemish you've picked at (naughty!) or irritated area.

My favorite clay mask is a 50/50 mix of matcha (green tea powder) and illite (sea clay). It's actually the same recipe as a rather expensive organic skin care brand's clay mask, which I won't name. Mix with water and rinse it off once it's dry. It's anti-inflammatory, cleans the pores, heals blemishes and irritation, stimulates circulation and mildly exfoliates. It's much less drying than straight clay masks are. I promise you will love it!

For the occasional blemish (also razor bumps) I love Nelson Bach Pure And Clear Acne Gel. It's effective and non-drying and smells good (like tea tree oil but without the drying side effects).

Sunscreen:
I'm not afraid of the sun, but I also acknowledge that sun exposure accelerates skin aging and pigmentation and I want to keep my face as young and un-sun spotty as possible. Sunscreen is also required if you're using retinol/retinoids. I don't use it on my body unless I'm going to be outside for a long time- even though diet and Vitamin D supplementation has helped my skin to tolerate a LOT more sun, I'm still fair and can still burn.
It's taken me years to find a natural zinc sunscreen that didn't feel greasy on my face or break me out and wasn't ghostly white. I finally found some that I'm very happy with. I'm a big fan of Eco Logical sunscreens.
They make a facial formula that is light and totally not greasy (great for oily skin!) and even the more moisturizing body version doesn't break me out. If you have darker tone of skin, you might want to add a drop of foundation to these because they might be a just a little white on dark skin.

I'm also a fan of Pratima Neem Vetiver Sunscreen for my face, especially in the winter, when I want something moisturizing but light and not greasy. It smells lovely- like woodsy vetiver. Pratima makes a rose facial sunscreen, but it contains wheat germ oil (I'm gluten intolerant) and the neem vetiver is a much better price/ounce.

Body/Hand Moisturizer:
Again, avocado oil is my main staple here because of its great moisture retention properties (it makes skin very silky). But when I want to splurge, I like John Masters Blood Orange Vanilla Body Milk. It smells ridiculously yummy.

For hand cream, I like Weleda Pomegranate Hand Cream. It smells like sangria (people always ask me what that good smell is when I put it on) and it has the perfect texture that really stays on for awhile.

Hair Care:
I'm very low maintenance (i.e. lazy) when it comes to my hair. I wash my medium/fine oily hair every other day and I usually don't use styling products. For shampoo, my two favorites are Biotene H-24 (it makes my hair super shiny and isn't drying) and Max Green Alchemy shampoo (great for scalp conditions and also makes my hair shiny).

I usually wash only my oily roots to avoid over drying my ends, but when I do condition, I love Max Green Alchemy conditioner. It's so helpful for winter dry scalp and it doesn't make my hair go flat.

About every other week, I like to do an apple cider vinegar rinse. I combine 1 part ACV to 3 parts water and use it after shapooing (I let it sine in my hair a few minutes before rinsing). Make sure to use raw, unfiltered vinegar. The regular grocery store kind is too harsh.

To keep my scalp less oily between washings, I use some pure silk powder on it after it first dries (I also use this as my face powder). It really works! I do have to rub it in well, since I have dark hair and the powder is white.

Deodorant:
This is another one of those things that took me years to find a decent natural version. Trust me- I've tried them all (I worked in a health food store for a decade, after all;) The MOTHER of all natural deodorants is Dr. Mist. I shower every other day and I STILL smell good on day 2 with this stuff! [Edit: Seriously, this stuff works. Check out the testimonials- it's popular with the body odor support group crowd. If it works for them, I promise it'll work for you! It also heals skin issues.]
But, because I have to order Dr. Mist, I usually use my number 2 favorite: fresh lemon juice. Yes, you heard me right. It doesn't have quite the 2 day lasting power of Dr. Mist, but it lasts all day, even on hot days and through workouts. And it's cheap! So, if you've given up on natural deodorants, give these a try.

Dental Care:
I use Trader Joe's fluoride-free fennel toothpaste, which is sodium laurel sulfate free (SLS can contribute to canker sores and mouth ulcers).
I also like food grade diatomaceous earth as a tooth powder. It gets your teeth super clean. You can find it at garden and animal feed stores (just make sure it's "food grade").

Once a week or so, to whiten my teeth (I drink a lot of tea, which stains), I use Eco-Dent Extra Bright tooth powder mixed with hydrogen peroxide. I brush and then leave it in my mouth for a few minutes to do its thing. Totally works.

Lip Care:
My long-time staple lip balm is Weleda Everon. I love the rose vanilla scent. In the winter when my lips get chapped, I've found that Honey Gardens Propolis Salve is great. It has a very different texture than typical greasy salves. I also use it on my cuticles.

I've recently become a fan of Burt's Bees new(ish) tinted lip balms. Though they're not as moisturizing as I'd like, the colors are super pretty and low-key. I like Rose, which is a happy, sheer rosy pink, and Red Dahlia, which is a "your lips but better" sheer dark rose.

So, there you have it: my favorite products.
If you noticed a lot of links to iherb.com it's because I do a lot of my shopping there (such great prices and shipping rates!) and it's also great for international shipping and my blog gets a lot of international traffic. If you've never shopped at iherb before and are inclined to do so, use my referral code to save $5 off your first order: HAZ439.

I hope you enjoyed this information. Maybe you'll find some new favorites of your own:)

-Erin

Salmon Cakes For Lazy Cooks

2011-12-31T09:30:00.003-06:00

I try to eat fish a few times a week and, a lot of the time, that fish is salmon. Sometimes I get tired of salmon. I like it but it can get old pretty fast. We all know that everything tastes better fried, right? That definitely includes salmon.

I also get really lazy about cooking. Just because I can cook doesn't mean I feel like actually doing it. Right now, I'm going through a lazy period when it comes to preparing food. It was a relief to know exactly what I was going to make for dinner tonight and to know that I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. It was also great to use the new splatter screen I got for Christmas to keep the frying grease from getting all over the stove. Everyone needs one of these!!

So, this recipe addresses both issues: laziness in the kitchen and making salmon appealing when you're kind of tired of it. It also addresses eating fish with the nutritious bones still in it (I promise that you won't notice the bones.)
AND, it also addresses using an ingredient that I always keep in my pantry (I stock up on canned fish. If some disaster hits and I have to live off the non-perishables in my stash, my serum omega 3 levels are going to exponentially increase;)

So, are you ready for an easy, tasty, inexpensive, nutrient dense (one of these has about 16 grams of protein + omega 3 and calcium) entree? Here you go! You're welcome:)

Salmon Cakes (makes 6 3.5" patties)

1 15 oz. can wild Alaskan salmon with bones, drained (I love Trader Joe's).
2 eggs
2 TB minced fresh parsley
2 TB finely sliced green onions
1/2 tsp. sea salt
A sprinkle of granulated garlic to taste
Other herbs/seasonings to taste (I like Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute)
Optional: if the mixture is too wet, a spoonful or two of almond flour can be added.

Fat/oil for frying (I use Spectrum Organics Shortening made from sustainably grown palm oil. Don't you dare use polyunsaturated veggie oil!!)

Mix all the ingredients well and form into 6 patties (or 8 small ones) and fry in a generous amount of oil until golden and crispy on each side.

Serving Suggestions

Top with:
-sour cream mixed with horseradish
-diced avocado
-homemade aioli

Enjoy! I'll see you all in the NEW YEAR!!

-Erin

Winter Wellness

2011-11-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

Kiyoshi Saito "Winter in Aizu" (2), 1970 woodcut
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts collection

It's a little ironic that I've been procrastinating on this post because I've been sick, but there you have it.
I've figured out how to prevent colds and flus, but not adenovirus. I had the exact same strep-like symptoms and sickness after my stress-filled summer vacation/adrenal fatigue extravaganza and the measures I took then also didn't work, just like this time, so I haven't yet cracked that code (believe me, if I do, I'll be letting everyone in the world know.)

On to the things that DO work consistently for me...

Prevention:

Ideally, you want to get your immune system to be strong enough to resist pathogens in the first place and one of the best herbs for accomplishing that is:

Astragalus

In my supplement retail days, when staying well was an uphill battle due to the sheer volume of contact with sick people coming in to get supplements for their colds/flus, I learned the value of astragalus. It drastically cut down on how much I got sick.

Astragalus is a major herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is well researched with known antiviral and immunostimulatory properties. It can be used continuously to help build the immune system (although it's good to give any long-term herb use a short break periodically for a week after about 6 weeks of continuous use. Some herbalists recommend 6 days on/1 day off.)
I like Gaia Herbs liquid astragalus, but there are many quality brands on the market. Just don't get your herbs from a drugstore or grocery store (most of those brands use cheap ingredients)

When using astragalus, if you do get sick, it's best to temporarily discontinue taking it during the acute stage of an illness.

Caution: those with autoimmune diseases may want to avoid astragalus (I no longer use it after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's).

Influenzinum

Ok, any homeopathy skeptics can skip this one. It's homeopathically prepared influenza virus. However, I'm including Influenzinum because, since taking it prophylactically, I haven't had the flu in close to a decade. Not even a chill. I don't think that's due to a placebo effect (the flu is no respector of placebo affects and I'm not very susceptible to placebos anyway). My husband also has not had a flu in years since he started taking it. Two for two!
Consider it a natural alternative to the flu shot (note on flu shots: the virus often mutates by the time the shots are available, rendering them useless. Another issue with flu shots is potential flu-like symptoms).

You can use Influenzinum by itself, but I've found it also works fine in combination flu formulas. Most homeopathic flu combo formulas include it (just read the ingredients list). I take it once a week for the duration of the season.

Acute Symptoms:

Gaia Quick Defense

This is probably the mother of all echinacea products. You may have heard about the mixed results echinacea studies have produced and there's a good reason for that. Specific parts of the plant must be used and specific varieties of the plant are more active than others. So, the KIND of echinacea absolutely makes all the difference. In fact, I used to think that echinacea didn't work well for me until I tried Gaia's.
Gaia knows their echinacea and has been involved in echinacea research and received a grant to study it from the National Institutes of Health.
Quick Defense has been very reliable in keeping me from getting colds when I get that first tingling in my nose that I know will turn into a head cold if I leave it untreated. It's meant to be taken every few hours for the first couple of days. It's important to take it according to directions- frequent dosing is key (really, with any remedy during the early stage).

Yin Chiao

Yin Chiao is a classic Chinese herbal formula for when you feel the first signs of a cold or flu coming on. It's appropriate for symptoms like that first tickle in the throat, the stiff neck when you're coming down with something or that first weird sneeze where you know something's up (I've found that it's really good to learn to identify early illness symptoms because the sooner you treat it, the better off you'll be!)
Yin Chiao is also great for seasonal and weather changes that trigger colds. I've noticed that I'm more susceptible to getting sick after sudden temperature changes and especially after being out in damp, windy weather (Chinese medicine calls these "invading evils";-) You can take Yin Chiao to lessen the severity of and get over a cold or flu faster.

I like Planetary Formulas Yin Chiao.
Another option that is similar to Yin Chiao is Cold Snap.

Ferrum Phos. 6X

Again, homeopathy skeptics move along! Ferrum Phos.6X is a handy remedy to have on hand for any early inflammatory symptoms such as fevers, inflamed/tingly sinuses and mild aches. It's very safe for children, including babies and toddlers. I keep it in my purse (it's very portable!) in case I start to feel something when I'm out and don't have access to my arsenal.

Elderberry

Elderberry syrup is a popular flu remedy (and elderberry has a lot of research behind it). In my experience, the best elderberry product on the market is New Chapter Immunity Take Care lozenges. Influenza is an "envelope virus" and this particular elderberry product has been proven effective against influenza and envelope viruses. I can't find the data sheet on it, but I have actually seen the study data with my own eyes.
Here's a product PDF with a little more info.

To Ease Your Suffering:

Honey Loquat Syrup

Honey Loquat Syrup is a godsend when you have a sore throat or a nasty cough (in fact, it's really helped me get through this adenovirus). I like that you can take it by the spoonful or add hot water to make a tea. Unlike over the counter cough syrups from the drugstore, it has a pleasant flavor and no artificial flavors or colors.

Enzymedica Mucostop

Mucostop is a systemic enzyme that breaks down mucus when taken on an empty stomach. I don't usually have it on hand, but when I've taken it, it's definitely made a difference with the amount of sinus drainage during head colds.

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I've included product links to iHerb.com because I do most of my supplement shopping there. They have a great selection and good prices (as well as cheap international shipping). If you're interested in placing an order with them, here's a little treat for you: you can use my referral code HAZ439 for $5 off your first order!

Other useful things...

Earth Clinic is a great resource for home remedies, with feedback on each remedy. Maybe that apple cider vinegar will do the trick for your sore throat. Or maybe hydrogen peroxide will ward off the sniffles when dropped in your ears (I swear this seems to work!)

Get your sleep! Lack of sleep is one thing that totally sends my immune system downhill fast.

Wear that hat and scarf. Your mom (or grandma) was right. Keeping your head and ears covered helps keep you well. And keep that neck covered too. Protect yourself from those "invading evils".

Lay off the sugar. It may be suppressing your immune system.

I hope you all have a healthy, sickness-free winter!

-Erin

Exciting Changes and New Horizons!

2011-11-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

What a great autumn it's been! I've been enjoying the gorgeous, clear weather and bright colors here Nashville. Now that I have more energy since I started working on my adrenal health, I've been outside walking and hiking a lot, including up in the Blue Ridge Mountains during a trip to Asheville, NC a few weekends ago (that's where I took the above picture). Asheville is the easiest place to find gluten-free/organic/local/Primal/Paleo food. I had a ball eating out! The highlight was Zambra, where hubby, friend and I stuffed our faces with wonderful tapas. I returned from Asheville feeling renewed and inspired.

I don't usually blog about my personal life, but I have something exciting to announce. After two and a half years, as of this week I am no longer a neurofeedback technician. I am transitioning into a full-time perfumer/aromatics consultant! I'll be working from home and I'm already working on several projects that I've been commissioned to do. I plan on developing retail products in the future and I will definitely let you know when that happens.

It's quite a change, going from pasting EEG electrodes to client's scalps, sitting in front of a computer, running neurofeedback brain-training programs and looking at brainwave graphs, to sitting at home, surrounded by perfume materials. It was a great experience working with people's brainwaves for the last few years but I'm ready for a change.

A number of years ago, I became interested in perfume making. I have a very sensitive nose and it occurred to me to take advantage my olfactory prowess and so I studied natural classical perfumery. I mostly stuck to making perfumes for myself and sometimes for others, but I've wanted to utilize these skills professionally. As a long-time frustrated creative type, I'm really enthused to be doing something creative and right-brained and not health/wellness related for a living (this blog fulfills that need;-)

I'm already taking advantage of my new found routine by getting outside more, walking a lot more (several times/day) and doing longer qigong sessions. It's also nice to be able to listen to music while I work. It really feels like a whole new life is beginning!

I'll be doing a proper post soon. I promise.

-Erin

Adrenal Fatigue

2011-10-09T19:40:00.001-05:00

This is a subject that I wish I knew nothing about. Unfortunately, I know a whole lot about it, having experienced varying degrees of adrenal fatigue over the years- from mild to I-can-barely-function severe. This is something that so many people are dealing with and, having recently suffered a bout of it, I thought I'd give it a proper post.

Adrenal fatigue creeps into our lives via so many different avenues. Stress, over-work, trauma, lack of sleep, major life changes, surgeries, infections, autoimmune disease, over-training, blood sugar fluctuations (these stress the adrenals), vegetarian/vegan diets (high in copper/low in zinc, as well as high in carbs that can cause blood sugar swings), Leaky Gut Syndrome, pregnancy... the list of contributing factors just goes on and on.

My own adventures in adrenal fatigue began with major knee surgery when I was 14, followed by years of poor sleep habits and hypoglycemia, coupled with a high-carb vegetarian diet, which made the hypoglycemia worse. I treated myself with vitamins and herbs with varying degrees of success (I never really corrected my poor sleep habits, which is CRITICAL. I can't stress this enough!)
By the time I was 31, I had a pretty severe case of adrenal fatigue going on. As a result, my reproductive hormones and cortisol had taken a major nosedive (as well as my fertility!) I had to quit my stressful job, do a lot of lifestyle and diet changes, as well as alternative therapies (acupuncture and medical qigong) to get back on my feet.

To illustrate how easy it can be to end up with adrenal fatigue, let me tell you a little story: back in August, I went on vacation to my hometown. Though fun, while I was there, I got little sleep, ate more sugar than usual and had a stressful family situation occur. By the time I got back home, after the 11 hour drive, I was the most exhausted that I've been in years. I had scheduled an extra day to recover from my drive but then a coworker got sick and I had to immediately rush back to work and work several extra long days in a row while already feeling exhausted from my trip. By the weekend, I was fighting off a summer cold. About a month later, I got a nasty respiratory thing that was making the rounds and it really took the wind out of my sails and it felt like it took FOREVER to fully recover! Through all of this, I had really slacked off on my qigong practice, which didn't help matters!
All of that left me feeling fatigued and draggy and flabby (6+ weeks of not being able to work out due to fatigue/illness, coupled with whacked out adrenal hormones= a noticeable increase in belly fat!) I also had a very short and extremely painful menstrual cycle that month.

I went to my holistic doc and did an Adrenal Stress Index and it came back showing that my morning cortisol was very low, my progesterone was low and my DHEA was borderline low. My doc gave me an herbal formula to take in the morning and at noon to raise cortisol levels and he put me on a low dose of pregnenolone- the hormone precursor to progesterone and DHEA. I took coenzymated B vitamins with extra B5 as well as extra vitamin C.
I'm happy to report that my energy levels are really bouncing back. Also, my last menstrual cycle was longer and much more comfortable than the previous one.

We always hear about stress-induced high cortisol, which does all kinds of not-fun things like increasing belly fat and killing brain cells! But what happens when you've cranked out the stress hormones for so long that you've exhausted your adrenals? You start experiencing hormone cascade disruption in the form of "pregenolone steal":

What happens is that, instead of converting pregenolone into DHEA and then into sex hormones, it gets shifted toward cortisol production (cortisol is more vital to our existence than sex hormones are and so it gets prioritized. Cortisol is a major steroid hormone and too little of it really drives up inflammation).

Here's a little video discussing pregnenolone steal:

Effects of Stress - Pregnenolone Steal from Dr. Bryan Walsh on Vimeo.

There are 4 stages of adrenal fatigue:

Stage 1: Alarm Response/Fight-or-Flight (Increase in cortisol is still within the body's output capacity.)

Stage 2: Resistance Response/chronic stress (The adrenals are not able to keep up with cortisol demand. Fatigue is present. Ability to handle stress is decreased. Sleep disruption occurs. Thyroid hormone conversion is affected.)

Stage 3: Adrenal Exhaustion (Low cortisol. Hormone production suffers and clinical symptoms appear. Muscle breakdown. Chronic fatigue. Increased pain)

Stage 4: Adrenal crash/failure

For a more detailed look at the stages of adrenal fatigue, please read Dr. Lam's informative article.

So, what are the symptoms of adrenal fatigue? Could I have it?

Fatigue Morning fatigue/morning headache.
Not really feeling awake until around 10 a.m.
Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
A burst of energy at 6 p.m. when you finally feel better from your afternoon lull
Sleepiness around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. However, you resist going to sleep
A “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m.
Never feeling rested, no matter how much sleep you get
Cravings for foods high in salt and fats
Increased thirst/frequent urination (water goes right through you)
Chronic low blood pressure
Sensitivity to cold and feeling chilled
Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
Mild depression
Mood swings
Mental fog
Memory problems
A decreased ability to handle stress
A decreased ability to recover from illness/injury
Heat intolerance
Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position
Decreased sex drive
Frequent sighing
Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein
Sugar cravings
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Increased food/seasonal allergies
Increased sensitivity to sunlight
Low progesterone/DHEA and possibly estrogen
Hot flashes
General inflammation
Achiness or joint pain
Poor exercise recovery
Difficulty losing weight/belly fat
Difficulty in changing body composition/hard gainer
Muscular weakness
Purple or blue under-eye circles
Vertical lines in the fingertips
Ringing in the ears
Heart palpitations or tachycardia
Thyroid hormone (T3) conversion impairment

You can fill out this questionnaire if you suspect adrenal fatigue.

A lot of these are symptoms of other health issues (and there's a lot of overlap between adrenal fatigue and other issues, as well) but if you score high on the questionnaire I recommend getting an Adrenal Stress Index. You don't need a doctor's prescription, although it's preferable to work with a doc or practitioner who is familiar with saliva tests and adrenal fatigue.
NOTE: Many conventional doctors do not recognize adrenal fatigue as a medical condition, nor utilize saliva hormone panels. They are trained to only recognize full-blown Addison's Disease. If your doctor falls into this category, you're going to have to find another practitioner to help you.

Once you know that you have adrenal fatigue, you have to be willing to commit to lifestyle changes in order to heal. If you have mild adrenal fatigue, you can recovery quickly with the right tools and changes. If it's more severe, realistically it will take a minimum of several months and it's highly recommended to seek the care of a good practitioner (someone who practices Functional Medicine/FunctionalEndocrinology or even a skilled acupuncturist/OMD). There may be underlying factors that need addressing that are beyond your ability to identify or address.

Be aware that for more advanced adrenal fatigue, the healing process is not a linear one. You might start to feel good and then feel not so great again for a little while. Be patient!

Some helpful things for healing adrenal fatigue:

-SLEEP! As much as possible, get 9+ hours. Yes, this is a lot, but you need that much to heal. Don't make the mistake I did by skimping on sleep!

-Get to bed early! Getting to bed before 10 is preferable. You want to go to sleep in that window of sleepiness before your second wind hits. That second wind is a surge of cortisol (not good!) and will work against your progress.

-Eat a diet (preferably Paleo/Primal!) that's easy on your blood sugar. Lots of protein and fat and keep the carbs lower (you can up them later, but you need to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.) The cold, hard truth (that I learned the cold, hard way) is that it's a lot harder to heal adrenal fatigue on vegetarian/vegan diets (as per Dr. James Wilson, one of the most experienced in his field).

-Don't exercise too hard. You'll only set back your progress. Learn to gauge what you can actually handle. If you can't recover quickly or feel worse the next day, it's too much. I recommend sticking to short walks, gentle yoga and esp. tai chi or qigong (qigong really helped my healing!) Now is not the time to be trying to get buff (you won't be able get buff anyway until your cortisol/sex hormone levels are healthy!)

-Add 1/4-1/2 tsp. unrefined salt (any salt with color like Redmond Real Salt or Pink Himalayan) to your water. This sounds odd, but when you're in a state of pregnenolone steal, you're not making much aldosterone (see the chart), the hormone that regulates sodium/potassium levels and the balance of these minerals is upset, causing sodium loss, which is made worse by drinking large amounts of water, which further dilutes blood sodium levels (hence the low blood pressure/dizziness upon standing/muscle weakness/heat intolerance.) The salt will quickly correct those symptoms.

-Read "Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Syndrome" by James Wilson. This is a fantastic book and it covers ALL aspects of healing adrenal fatigue.

-Be kind and patient with yourself. Give yourself permission to not get stuff done if it's not immediately pressing. Let go of perfectionism. Get help from others when possible.

-To help with mental stress, try L-Theanine. Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea and it helps the brain make alpha waves, which will put you into a calmer, more focused state. 100-400 mgs at a time is the dose. It can be a sanity saver!

-Deep breathing. Such a fundamental thing, but most of us don't even know HOW to breathe properly! Get yourself into the habit of doing a few minutes of deep breathing upon waking, before meals and before bed. I promise you will feel a difference!

Here's my favorite video illustrating proper breathing (qigong style!):

-Meditation. Meditation doesn't have to be complicated and you don't have to do it for an hour to reap the benefits. I like to do a meditation called the "5-8 Meditation", which is a simple breath awareness technique. All you have to do is sit in a comfortable position and breath into your relaxed belly through your nose for 5 counts, pause, and exhale slowly through your nose for 8 counts. Just be aware of how your breath feels and allow any thoughts to pass through you.
If you'd like to add a visualization, you can imagine cool, white light or water flowing down through the center of the top of your head and washing through you, taking any tension and stress with it. You can start with 5 minutes. Doing this in the morning before you start your day can have a profound effect on your whole day. It's also a great way to end the day.

For those who suspect mild adrenal fatigue or just need a little extra help with handling stress:

Besides taking advantage of the suggestions above, you can use supplements for a little extra help:

-Himalaya Stress Care is one of my favorite adaptogenic, adrenal supplements. It's been extensively researched over the decades (see Geriforte research papers) and is proven to reduce cortisol and boost adrenal function (it's also a great antioxidant!) You can take the recommended dose for maintenance or take a higher dose during periods of stress and/or fatigue.

I truly hope this info will help those that are feeling less than good due to the effects of adrenal fatigue!

-Erin

My Story

2011-09-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

I love reading people's stories (especially success stories!) They give me hope and encouragement. They motivate me. They give me ideas. It recently occurred to me that I've never told my own story and one of my Facebook friends asked to hear it. It's something I've been meaning to write about for a long time but it just kept slipping my mind. So, here is my story.

In The Beginning...

I was born in 1977 near Detroit, Michigan. My parents had the good sense to move out of the Detroit suburbs and up to the north woods of northern Lower Michigan (Michigan is comprised of two peninsulas, in case you're confused: the Upper and Lower peninsulas.) We moved near the little finger area of the mitten.

I spent the first eleven years of my life in the woods, in a little house with a woodstove next to a river. My mom was fairly "health conscious", so my family ate a lot of whole wheat bread, brown rice, hot cereal, whole grain cold cereal (and no sugary cereal), alfalfa sprouts, yogurt, honey, dried fruit and mostly whole foods (including venison and fish that my dad hunted and fished). How many people's moms served barley as a frequent side dish? Mine did! I will say that I was probably exposed to a much wider variety of foods than my friends were. Who else, outside of California, in the early 80's was eating steamed artichoke?
Other than recurring ear infections (the bane of my childhood existence!), I wasn't sick much. I had lots of energy and spent most of my time in the woods with my younger brother (our property was adjacent to state forest land) building forts and exploring in all seasons.

After my parents divorced and my mom remarried, I moved a few hours south to the shores of Lake Michigan where I spent my adolescence. When I was 12, I had started to have a lot of issues with my left leg (esp. my knee), which has a large birthmark running the outside length of it (it looks like spider veins and faint, blue veins). It would slightly swell and become so painful that I couldn't walk.

By the time I was 13, it was bothering me frequently, so I had tests done and vein abnormalities were found. I had major knee surgery right before my 14th birthday to remove the offending veins. My surgeon at the time had never seen my condition before and it would be another 12 years or so before my condition was diagnosed as Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, a rare congenital vascular deformity. I basically have twice as many veins in my left leg and internal (in the muscle) varicose veins that can pool with blood, causing the muscle to stiffen and the tissue to swell. In normal veins, blood flows in one direction. In my veins, it's a free for all; a vascular clusterf*ck.

I recovered from the surgery well and it did help to greatly reduce my discomfort, but in retrospect, I think it was the beginning of adrenal fatigue for me. I lost a lot of blood and it was a pretty invasive surgery, with my knee being taken apart to get at all the veins and then put back together. My health never quite felt the same after that.

The Problems Begin...

In the years following, I developed hypoglycemia, low blood pressure (I'd often see stars or start to black out if I stood up too quickly) menstrual problems (horrible cramps and simultaneous IBS), and general feelings of fatigue. I had bad bronchitis every winter. I just didn't feel good anymore. I discovered my mom's stash of old nutrition books from the 70's and 80's, including titles like "Are You Confused?", "The Vegetarian Guide to Diet and Salad", "Fit For Life" and Adelle Davis books.

I began to experiment with nutrition and herbs, eventually dropping meat from my diet when I was 15, after reading an Utne Reader article on factory farming. I still ate a little fish once in awhile, but for the next 16 years or so, I would eat a largely vegetarian (and at times, vegan) diet. I even got a part-time job at the little health food store in my town. I became one of those health-nut types.

I ate lots and lots of "healthy" whole grains in the form of sprouted Ezekiel Bread veggie sandwiches, oatmeal (nearly every morning!), brown rice, tortilla chips, etc. Lots of salads. Lots of rice milk (because dairy was bad, of course!) And lots of Soya Kaas, though not a lot of fake meat, because those were the days when fake meat was really awful and variety was limited.
Being vegetarian wasn't cool or mainstream yet (I was the only vegetarian I knew!) Those were the days before T. Colin Campbell and "Skinny Bitch". The days when Dean Ornish was just getting started and Dr. McDougall still ruled the (low-fat/low protein) vegetarian roost.

I went through phases of being dairy free and then wheat (but not gluten) free in hopes of curing my wicked menstrual cramps (to no avail). My mom worried about me being too legalistic about my diet, every time I decided to drop a food for awhile. I was hungry all the time and had frequent low blood sugar, so I took chromium (it didn't help that much). I got lovely cysts on my chin that took forever to heal. I felt spacey and frequently unfocused. As I got closer to 18, I suddenly started to gain some weight. It was such a bummer, as I had formerly always been skinny and never had to think twice about what I ate.

Into The South (where things went further south)...

When I was 19, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee along with my mom and sister. I had decided to move here and my mom, in the midst of a divorce and wanting a change of scenery, decided to also move, so we all moved together. That was the summer that my hair started falling out.

Hair sheds in cycles, but when your hair really starts to shed excessively, you know that something is wrong. The shedding eventually abated, but in the following year, I developed some fairly severe fatigue. I was working in the kitchen of a macrobiotic vegan restaurant at the time and I'd come home and have to lay down and nap for an hour to even be functional. It didn't help that I had to work at 7 am and that I was a night owl and therefore never seemed to get 8 hours of sleep.
It also didn't help that my free lunch (and lots of take-home leftovers) consisted of soy, grains and beans galore. I was SO tired (and scared that someone so young could be so tired!) and in the winter my hands and feet were freezing all the time! I'd be at work, prepping lettuce for the salad bar and my hands would just ache every time I had to put them in the sink of cold water. They'd ache to the point of making me grouchy.

In my search for health, I discovered that I had a whole lot of hypothyroid symptoms. The hair loss, fatigue, weight gain, cold hands and feet all fit the bill, so I went to the health food store and got a thyroid supplement. It did help with somewhat with the fatigue, hair loss, and body temp issues, but it didn't cure me of all my ills.

After the restaurant job, I got into supplement retail and stayed there for the next nine years. In those nine years, I learned a whole lot about and experimented with tons of vitamins and herbs (I also met my lovely husband and got married right before I turned 26). I read a lot of nutrition books, but I was pretty much only reading things that supported my veg-centric philosophies.

It never occurred to me that my "healthy" diet could be the root of my still persistent health issues (by this time I had developed hay fever. Great.) I had insomnia (thank you acupuncture and understanding hubby for helping me get through that!) My short-term memory was like a sieve. I also had a lot of fatigue and no matter which herbs or vitamins I took, I didn't have energy. I had barely enough energy for work- it was challenging being on my feet all day- and then none left over when my workday was done. I sometimes felt vaguely achy. I had a nagging feeling that I was teetering on the edge of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or something along those lines.

Raw Food: Lessons Learned...

Somehow or other I got into raw food. I didn't jump all in at first. I experimented, I did little bouts of raw and when green smoothies became all the rage, I drank a blender full every day. Eventually I decided to go all-in to see if I could heal myself. I began seeing my acupuncturist shortly after going raw and she was very frank with me. She told me that I was infertile (I had already been diagnosed with Luteal Phase Defect and low progesterone by my gynecologist) and so depleted of energy that it could take several years to heal. Crap!!! I realized that the stress of my job was working against my healing, so I decided that I had no choice but to quit my job (I had SO wanted to quit it, but it took a real wake-up call to give me a reason). My husband was extremely understanding and his career was now solidly on track, so we could afford for me to quit.

I really thought that acupuncture + raw food would heal me in record time. Imagine my disappointment when I didn't improve. Where was the "raw" energy and the glow I was supposed to have? Why wasn't my skin clear and why did my periods still hurt? Why did my skin suddenly seem to age (I was 30 at the time).
I was eating so many green smoothies, salads, superfoods, veggies, nuts, fruit, fermented foods, sprouted raw bread and hemp protein. My acupuncturist would take my pulse after a treatment and shake her head in confusion. No improvement. No energy. Weak digestion (food was going right through me!) In fact, I had started to lose muscle (and I didn't have a lot to begin with). Not cool.

I diligently read my favorite raw food forum, looking for tips on tweaking my diet to make it more successful. I met a lot of great people on the forum (many of whom I'm still friends with and most of whom now eat animal products;) One day, one of them who suffered from similar health issues as me confided that her new acupuncturist told her that she absolutely had to eat meat in order to heal and that she was going to try it. She was one of the most experienced members of the forum and the most knowledgeable and had tried every raw diet out there. I think her being brave enough to change planted the seed for me to change. I started reading the stories of failed vegetarian/raw diets on a site called Beyond Vegetarianism. I was realizing that raw and vegan diets seemed to be problematic for a lot of people. Could my own diet be keeping me from healing?

Then the dreams started. In the first dream, I was getting an acupuncture treatment and the doc said, in a stern voice, "Are you REALLY willing to do whatever it takes to get better?" When I woke, I had a sinking feeling that he was referring to eating meat (I was still raw vegan and hesitant to eat meat at that point). In the second dream, I was eavesdropping on two Chinese medicine doctors talking about me and one said to the other, while shaking her head in frustration "She NEEDS to eat meat!!". Ok, ok, subconscious! I was starting to get the picture!
In the final dream, I was outdoors and before me was a large table piled high with slabs of meat, fish, veggies and tubers (I can't remember if there was fruit). Sound familiar? It was the food eaten by a very tall, strapping, fit man and I was supposed to write it all down and analyze it. It was Paleo food. I didn't even know much about Paleo diets at the time.

The Home Stretch...

I was still keeping in touch with my now meat-eating former raw foodist friend and she had begun to tell me more about Paleo and Primal diets. She was healing and doing much better, so I decided I'd take the plunge into meat eating. I decided to go big- big as in BISON! My reasoning was this: what kind of animal embodies the strength and vitality that I'm so lacking in? Bison! So, I had my hubby cook me a bison patty and I was so nervous about taking the first bite. Would I gag? Would I get a stomach ache?
None of those happened. I took a bite, it was awesome, I ate the whole thing and then had to restrain myself from eating a second (I didn't want to push my luck with the stomach ache thing!) I didn't look back.

I went a few months eating an omnivorous diet, feeling a bit better and gaining back the muscle that I had lost. Little warts that I had on my fingers for nearly 2 years magically vanished. I decided to give acupuncture a break and try Medical Qigong treatments (of which I had heard great things) for my adrenal fatigue. Wow. They truly got me over the hump, so to speak. I had some energy again! That was also the beginning of my fascination with (and eventual training) in Medical Qigong, but that's a story for another time.

It was sometime shortly after that that I read "Primal Body, Primal Mind", at the suggestion of my friend. A thousand light bulbs went on in my head! It all clicked! OF COURSE I hadn't been able to heal my adrenal fatigue while eating so many blood sugar spiking grains! I decided to drop grains and immediately. I had big improvements in my energy and mental function (at least for a time). It was wonderful.
I fell in love with cooking again (partly because I had enough energy to even want to cook!) I also discovered a whole host of Primal/Paleo blogs (see my blog roll). What a fun time that was! My skin really improved. It stopped breaking out so much (I can't remember the last time I had a cyst on my chin) and it also started to look younger. I lost a little weight without trying (I had gotten skinny when I was raw but quickly gained some extra weight back in my omnivore phase). My menstrual problems also really improved. My digestion improved tremendously, too.

I was feeling much better, although I still had symptoms of hypothyroidism and hormone imbalances (you can't have balanced hormones if your thyroid is messed up.) There were still some missing puzzle pieces. I had finally figured out that thyroid issues are complicated and not something that you can treat on your own. I think it was my aforementioned friend who turned me on to the book "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal?".
Reading the book was so eye-opening! It rocked my world. I'd read so many books and articles about hypothyroidism over the years and this book was telling me things I'd NEVER heard! I learned that the majority of thyroid problems are autoimmune in nature (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) with GLUTEN being a main culprit (I was eating Primal but still "cheating" by eating bread once in awhile, like while on vacation). Could this be why I was still having issues? Why my brain function had devolved back into brain fog after initial improvements? Could I have an autoimmune disease??

I decide to steer clear of the gluten from then on. By sheer coincidence, I happened to find a functional health practitioner in Nashville who was using the protocols outlined in the book and so I went and got a thyroid antibodies panel. It came back positive. No more guessing; my immune system was attacking my thyroid (and probably other things as well!) So, we determined which part of my immune system was being overactive through a supplement challenge and I was put on a regimen to dampen the overactive side (by avoiding substances which stimulate cellular immunity) and stimulating the underactive side with specific supplements. More info on how this works HERE.

I started to feel better within a few weeks. I started to feel normal again. That was nearly a year ago. I've had minor setbacks (always after a virus- it seems to throw my immune system out of whack) but I've gotten back on track every time. I've had more periods of "normal" in the last year than in my entire adult life. I keep discovering more little pieces of the puzzle (like a neurotransmitter deficiency) and I keep improving. I keep on healing. Even though it's felt at times like my progress was happening at a snail's pace, it still happened. When I run into people I haven't seen in years, they ask me what I'm doing differently and tell me I look so much healthier and alive than I used to. It's nice to finally be walking among the living.

-Erin

Almond Flour Breaded Mahi Mahi

2011-08-26T15:18:00.001-05:00

I got home from a fun but less than relaxing vacation to Traverse City, MI (the most awesome place that you didn't know existed) a little over a week ago. I've been feeling a bit under the weather ever since, due to a week of lack of sleep (aren't vacations supposed to be restful??) and having to work some extra long days immediately after getting home. I'm not sure if I've just fried my adrenals, if I've been fighting something off or if it's allergies which, for me, manifests mainly as intense fatigue and a vague sore throat (my allergies were non-existent last spring and fall). Adrenal fatigue exacerbates allergies.

Anyway, I haven't had much inclination to post, but I'm on the upswing now, thanks to lots of sleep and some big doses of Himalaya Stress Care (even if my adrenals aren't the main issue here, it won't hurt to give them a boost after all that lack of sleep!)

I've noticed that my food posts seem to be the most popular type of post so I thought I'd start doing more of them (my readers obviously like to eat;) Here's my latest and greatest kitchen adventure:

I was shopping at Trader Joe's (my home away from home) recently and I discovered some frozen mahi mahi chunks and hubby decided he wanted fish tacos and I thought they looked perfect for making fish sticks with. So, I did a little internet sleuthing to see how people were breading their fish with almond flour, since my own attempts had been yummy but not crispy/crunchy like I had wanted.

I noticed that a lot of people were including grated parmesan in their breading mixture, so, I tested it out and I'm happy to report that I achieved stellar crispy/crunchiness! I used Spectrum shortening, which is made from organic, sustainably harvested palm kernel oil and, being a saturated fat, stands up to heat, yet has a neutral flavor.
This breading would work well on other fish and it would make some great fried chicken, too!

Almond Flour Breaded Mahi Mahi Sticks

Breading:
-Almond flour
-Grated parmesan
-One beaten egg

-Palm shortening for frying

Combine in a ratio of between 4:1 and 3:1 almond flour to parmesan (I didn't measure, so play around with it.)
You can add a bit of garlic granules, black pepper and other seasonings (taco seasoning is good if you're making fish tacos). Get creative!

Dip the fish in the egg and then dredge in the breading mixture. Fry in a generous amount of palm shortening, making sure not to let the oil get too hot (almond flour will burn quickly!)
Drain on paper towels

If you're anything like me, you're kitchen will be a mess when you're done and you will be disinclined to clean up. Some loud music is the answer to help get you going. Tame Impala is my latest favorite doing-the-dishes soundtrack:

Enjoy!
-Erin

Attempting Mindfulness

2011-07-24T11:38:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I woke up, had a cup of tea and instead of checking emails/facebook/news etc. first thing like I usually do, I decided to go for a walk before it got hot out. It's been really hot here in Nashville lately and, not being a huge fan of sweltering heat, if I don't walk early, which I nearly never do, I don't walk until around sunset.

First, I walked a block over to my mom's to feed her cat, who I'm taking care of while she's out of town. And then, instead of planning a course to walk, I just started walking. Walking with no particular destination or goal other than to be walking and noticing my surroundings, rather than being stuck inside my head while the world flies on by like I so often can be.

I noticed things I've never noticed before: a little stand of pine trees (which I had to take a detour and explore;) and the lovely smell of the hot pink crepe myrtles. I never realized that they even had a scent. The thing I noticed most of all was how clear my mind was and how it set the tone for the rest of the day. I felt mentally and spiritually better than I have in awhile and I realized that this feeling of clarity and centeredness is something that has been vitally missing for me recently. My mind was aware of and part of my surroundings, rather than somewhere else.

As I was in this relaxed state of mind (or the Zen term "no mind", as a friend referred to it) just experiencing my surroundings, the elusive topic of my long overdue blog post that I had been struggling to feel inspired to write suddenly became clear: I will write about mindfulness.

In the search for health and wellness, it's so easy to get caught up in the cycle of food choices, macronutrients, exercise, etc. and when we pile these things onto an already busy life, it's easy to plow through the day without really taking in our surroundings and pausing to breathe. Pay attention to your breath for a second. Are you subconsciously holding it or breathing shallowly?
It's easy to forget that collapsing on the couch and watching TV is entertaining, but entertainment isn't the same as pleasure. Are you cultivating any true pleasure in your life- not just passive entertainment?
You might be making a healthy meal for yourself, but are you sitting down to eat it in manner that allows you to really appreciate it or are you multitasking as you eat? Are you nurturing yourself with your food choices or just trying to be thinner/cleaner/better but forgetting to be loving and kind toward yourself?

All of those questions help illuminate a few of the many moments that we can miss out on being mindful about what we're doing. Without mindfulness, we make choices that are less conscious and we miss opportunities to experience more joy and pleasure.

As a neurofeedback technician, it concerns me that the majority of my clients (and myself) have at least low level attention issues. Our minds are restless and if we're not multitasking, we get antsy. But if we're always multitasking, we're also not truly ever experiencing a moment fully.

Unfortunately, this kind of behavior actually alters our brain over time and rewires our brains to be impatient- looking for the next thing, whether it be the next comment on our facebook page, the next text, the next whatever. We skim everything, not going very deep. There is no mindfulness going on. When I read the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", I recognized what had happened to my brain. I used to be the kind of person who could immerse myself in a book for hours. I could read an article all the way through without feeling restless and flipping or clicking to another. I've rewired my brain to have an impatient attention span and I want to rewire it back.

So, how am I going to rewire my mind to take in more of life in each moment and not to be chomping at the bit for the next thing? Here's how:

-I've realized that postponing opening my laptop and starting my day with a walk is one of the best things for my mind. It sets the tone for the whole day. If I can't walk, I can drink my tea and listen to music. I can do something OTHER than reaching for my computer, first thing.
-I can do my qigong in the morning instead of the evening.
-In the evening, instead of just watching TV, I could read or look up recipes to make for the week or even lay on my hammock and enjoy the quiet.
-I can do a few minutes of deep breathing when I wake, before each meal and before I go to sleep.
-Instead of washing the dishes mindlessly (I hate washing dishes) or putting off washing them, I can put on some music to make the task more enjoyable. For me, a clean house makes a huge difference in my amount of mental clutter, but I often don't take small opportunities to pick things up or clean and then everything gets so messy that it makes my mind feel cluttered and unfocused.

All of these are small things that make a huge difference in how I feel and experience my life.

There are so many ways I can engage my life more mindfully. I want to take advantage and not only get more out of life, but find greater presence of mind and balance. How will you practice mindfulness?

-Erin

Perfect Vanilla Cake (grain-free/gluten-free)

2011-06-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

This is the story of how I stumbled onto a recipe for THE PERFECT CAKE!

It happened one Saturday night when I was home alone and bored. Husband was out of town on a film shoot and friends were all busy. I was browsing recipes online and was seized with a sudden mania for something sweet. I happened to be on Elana's Pantry and her recipe for Chocolate Almond Joy Bars screamed out to me.

I was doomed since, for once, I had all the ingredients on hand (that almost NEVER happens!) I didn't have chocolate chips, but I had unsweetened dark chocolate, which I like better anyway, so I just chopped that up and used it instead. I also reduced the sweetener by about 1/3 and subbed some stevia. I cranked up some Bowie and started baking! The bars turned out fabulous, but much more cake-like that I expected, with a soft, moist, light crumb texture (it reminded me of a cross between fluffy yellow cake and tender, buttery bundt cake) and a thought occurred to me: I could totally tweak this batter into a number of amazing cakes!

So, of course I HAD to make a few cakes to test out my hypothesis (all in the name of culinary science, right?) I made a blueberry breakfast cake and a vanilla cake to use for strawberry shortcake. I had my mom taste both (she gave a big thumbs up) and I brought the vanilla cake over to some friends' for dessert. Again, big huge hit. My friend's husband, who is a little leery of gluten free (not to mention grain free) food even wanted seconds (actually, we all did!)

So, without further adieu, here is my super simple, grain-free cake recipe that can be tweaked into so many possibilities. It makes a light, moist cake (or cupcakes) that would be perfect for making a layer cake with (make 2 batches for that) you could double the recipe to make a taller cake, as this one is on the shorter side (just bake a little longer).

Here's a little music to make your cake baking even more rad:

Perfect Vanilla Cake:
Sorry I didn't post a picture. I didn't happen to take any and I don't dare make a cake right now or I will most certainly eat all of it!

Preheat oven to 350º
4 eggs
3/4 cup coconut milk (canned) or cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( you can use l tsp. if you want less vanilla flavor)
1/2 cup palm sugar (or other sugar)
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
Scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Stevia (I like NuNaturals NoCarbs Blend) to further sweeten- judge by tasting the batter. I always make sure the batter is slightly sweeter than I want the final product to be. Some of the sweetness bakes out.

Note on sweetener amount: you can further reduce the sugar and use more stevia, but I recommend using at least a little of some type of real sugar, since sugar contributes to a good crumb texture.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, vanilla extract and palm sugar.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Mix dry ingredients into wet with a handheld mixer. Add stevia to taste.
4. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and pour in batter.

Bake for 30 minutes
Cool for 1 hour

Variations:

-Blueberry cake: use almond extract instead of vanilla and add thawed frozen blueberries (I probably used 2/3 cup.) You can use only 1/3 cup sugar.
-Cinnamon cake: add a generous amount of cinnamon to the basic batter.
-Lemon poppyseed cake: add lemon juice + zest and poppyseeds.
-Apple cake: layer thinly sliced peeled apples on top of cinnamon cake batter.
-Strawberry cake: add fresh or thawed frozen strawberries + a little strawberry juice for a pink cake and frost with strawberry cream cheese frosting.

I haven't made any frostings but it would be really good with chocolate or coconut frosting. I'll leave you with the frosting recipes from Elana's Pantry.

There are just so many things you can do with it! I'm sure it would be great for chocolate (or German chocolate) cake, but that will take more experimenting, since cocoa powder absorbs a lot of liquid. I'm also going to experiment with zucchini bread and banana bread/cake.

If you come up with a fabulous variation, let me know!

Enjoy!
-Erin

These Are a Few of My Favorite Herbs

2011-06-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

If I were to rewrite the lyrics to "My Favorite Things", herbal medicine would be in there somewhere (along with Arrested Development, yorkshire pudding, Agatha Christie adaptations, Neil Young and 1960's Danish furniture;) Studying herbal medicine is a longtime hobby of mine. It started 20 years ago with the discovery of my mom's 1970's copy of the classic The Herb Book by John Lust, when I was about 13. I'm endlessly fascinated with the materia medica of herbal medicine.

I love making infusions and decoctions and trying new tablets and tinctures (my latest being a mystery brew recreated from a centuries old formula passed down through the family of Master Duan Zhi Liang, (now over a hundred years old and still doing healing work and teaching kung fu!) who is one of my qigong teacher's teachers.

I've dabbled in Chinese herbalism, western herbalism and even Ayurvedic herbalism and I've come to love certain herbs used in each of these systems and that's what this post will be about: my favorite herbs. I used to work in supplement retail for nearly a decade and thanks to employee discounts and freebies I've been able to try out far more herbs than the average person. I'm going to go over some of my all-time tried and true favorites that have given me consistently good results.

First, let me go over some herbal medicine basics. Herbal medicine is divided into different classes of action. There are tonic herbs, which have general health promoting and strengthening qualities, adaptogens, which help the body, nervous system and brain better adapt to and withstand stressors and then there are herbs that are action and symtom specific. I'll be discussing several tonic and adaptogenic herbs that are suitable for most people. These are herbs that I've had consistently good results from. I must stress that when it comes to getting results from herbal medicine, quality is key, so I'll be divulging brands and sources that I know to make high quality, potent products.

Glossary of terms:
Infusion:
A tea made by steeping herbs in boiling or hot water (usually between 5-15 min.) Used for leaf and flower materials.

Decoction:
A tea made by simmering herbs (between 5-20 min.) This method is used for hard and woody substances like root and bark materials.

Extract:
Any preparation of an herb that extracts the active components with a solvent. Extracts are much more concentrated than dried herbs. An alcohol/water mixture is the most common medium for extraction. Herbs containing volatile oils can also be extracted using hexane (not preferable) or with liquid carbon dioxide (a.k.a. Supercritical CO2 extraction). Extracts are sold as liquid or the extract is freeze dried and tableted or encapsulated.

Tincture:
A liquid extract that's usually made using the alcohol/water (menstruum) extraction method. The tincture strength is indicated by listing the herb-to-menstruum ratio, usually ranging from 1:1- 1:5 (example- 1:5 indicates one part herb to 5 parts menstruum).

And now, for the good stuff:

MY TOP FIVE HERBS

Astragalus Root/ Huang Qi (Astragalus Membranaceus)

Astragalus root is one of the major tonic herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It's considered a major energy tonic (like ginseng, but more gentle- the two are often combined)and is used to rebuild and preserve strength and energy. Astragalus has many benefits, including strengthening digestion, helping to improve nutrient absorption and it's used in TCM to warm the body and improve muscle weakness/flaccidity, general weakness, wasting and internal organ prolapse. It also improves insulin resistance.
Astragalus really shines as an immune system tonic. It contains immune stimulating polysaccharides. I got to experience this first hand in my retail days when, during cold and flu season, multitudes of sick customers would come looking for remedies and I'd be exposed to a lot of contagions. It was really hard NOT to catch things from them until I started taking astragalus faithfully. It made a dramatic difference and often I'd be the only non-sick person on staff in my department (and it wasn't because I had such an awesome immune system- I used to get sick frequently).

Astragalus has been extensively studied and found to increase general immune response as well as macrophage, leukocyte and interleukin-2 levels and activity. For this reason, those with autoimmune conditions should not take astragalus unless they know that their condition is TH2 (humoral) dominant, as astragalus increases the TH1 cell-mediated immune response and can worsen some conditions. For more on TH1/TH2 immunity and the substances that affect them, check out this article.

Astragalus is best taken as a liquid extract (it's mild and sweet tasting) or in an encapsulated/tableted standardized extract. I recommend these over the plain dried herb in capsules, as they're more potent. Tonic herbs are safe for long term use and if you're using astragalus to ward off winter illness, it's good to start taking it well BEFORE winter starts.. If you do get sick, discontinue astragalus temporarily until you feel better and then resume taking it.

Chyawanprash

Chyawanprash (also spelled chyavanprash) isn't a single herb, but rather a thick, spicy jam-like mixture of many Indian Ayurvedic herbs cooked in raw sugar and ghee. Some of the principal herbs are amla, a.k.a Indian gooseberry (one of the richest sources of vitamin c and a powerhouse of benefits, including antiradiation effects) and ashwanganda, a.k.a. winter cherry (adaptogenic, cortisol inhibiting and neuroprotective) along with many digestion enhancing herbs (cardamon, long pepper) and blood sugar balancing herbs (cinnamon and gymnema sylvestre). Chyawanrash has also been shown to posses immunomodulatory actions.

Chyawanprash is used as a general energy/rejuvenation and digestive tonic and has strong antioxidant and anti-stress properties. I notice a general feeling of more energy and overall wellbeing when I take it. With so many beneficial properties, it's something that most people could benefit from.
There are many good brands of Chyawanprash on the market and it can be found in capsule form for those who don't want the sugar it contains.

He Shou Wu/Fo Ti (Polygonum Multiflorum)

He Shou Wu (I'll call it shou wu for short) is one of the principle longevity herbs in Taoist and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's considered an anti-aging and rejuvenation tonic. The name "He Shou Wu" translates to "Black-haired Mr. He" in reference to a legend of en elderly man who was given the herb by a monk. In the story, Mr. He was able to regain his fertility, strength and his hair color. Indeed, shou wu is renowned for reversing gray hair and hair loss with long term use. I had a number of elderly customers who experienced some of their gray hair growing in darker after taking shou wu for a number of months.
I have found that it really delivers in halting and reversing hair shedding related to hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I've had periods of excessive hair shedding due to Hashimoto's over the years and I've always been able to halt and reverse the hair loss with shou wu, so it's no wonder it's a favorite herb of mine!

Beyond hair benefits, shou wu has anti-aging benefits. It's a good source of resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine and giant knotweed (which is in the same botanical family). Resveratrol from shou wu has been shown to inhibit AGE's (Advanced Glycation End Products) which are compounds that damage cells and are thought to be one of the main factors in cellular aging.

Nettle Leaf (Urtica Dioica)

Nettle leaf is a powerhouse of medicinal properties and no fun to accidentally walk through in the woods- it definitely deserves the "stinging" nettle moniker! My dad and I still reminisce about a grueling family summer hike (we refer to it as "The Death March) that culminated in us walking unawares through a large stand of nettles. We figured out pretty quickly what it was we had walked through! If you doubt the massive sting of nettles, check out the numerous "nettle jump" videos like this one (warning: strong language!) You can see her nettle rash at the end!

Nettle leaves are an excellent source of minerals (esp. silica, calcium and potassium) and have general tonic properties, as well as diuretic properties, making them good choice for urinary tract infections (or plain old water retention). Nettle leaf is also a popular allergy remedy (meant to be started before the allergy season begins). In vitro and ex vivo studies, nettle leaf extract has been found to inhibit prostaglandins and leukotriene synthesis, as well as suppress proinflammatory cytokine production.

I consume nettle in tea form on a regular basis for its tonic properties and mineral content. I also find that it can sometimes help a mild headache.
I like to make a decoction of dried nettle leaves in my french press and I usually add some mint for flavor. Nettle has a mild grassy taste that's easy to dress up with other flavors. I use about 1-2 TB of dried nettle to 8 oz. of water to make a strong infusion and I let it steep 5-10 minutes.

Nettles grow in many places and are easy to pick and dry for tea, as this video shows, or to eat as steamed greens (they lose the sting when they're cooked).

Rhodiola/Arctic Root (Rhodiola Rosea)

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that grows in Siberia and has been extensively studied by Russian scientists. There is also a form that grows in Tibet (Rhodiola Crenulata) but I won't be discussing that form. Rhodiola is one of my all time favorite herbs because it's fabulous not only for its stress-adaptive and energy enhancing effects, but also for its cognitive enhancing effects. If you feel draggy and out of it, it can do wonders. If you have a lot of studying to do, rhodiola is your friend. In fact, studies have been performed that showed subjects taking rhodiola had increased learning capacity, better recall, faster language learning and better test scores. I notice that it really increases my alertness and focus.

Traditionally, rhodiola rosea was used by Russians, Siberians and Scandinavians to improve vitality in harsh conditions presented by bitter cold climates and high altitude areas (it helps with altitude sickness). This golden root later developed a rather mysterious reputation as Soviet KGB agents relied on rhodiola rosea to improve physical and mental endurance while persevering stressful conditions and situations. It is known to inhibit excess stress hormones like cortisol.

Rhodiola is also known to have cardioprotective benefits, as well as antidepressant properties. Indeed, back in my supplement selling days, I had a number of customers who reported that it was a very effective antidepressant when other herbal/nutrient antidepressants had not worked for them.

Most rhodiola is sold as a standardized extract, standardized for 2-3% Rosavins and .8-1% Salidrosides. Doses range from 100-600 mg/day with lower doses being more stimulating (you might not want to take it at night) and higher doses being more calming. A minority of people are sensitive to rhodiola and experience anxiety or a wired feeling when taking it. This has never been my experience, though.

I've tried many brands and had great results with New Chapter and Gaia rhodiola capsules as well as Herb Pharm and Nature's Answer rhodiola tinctures (non-standardized). I rather enjoy the flavor of rhodiola, which is rosy tasting.

HERBAL EDUCATION

I've noticed that a lot of people are afraid of medicinal herbs, as if they're some sort of poisonous voodoo substances. I've even heard comments to the effect of "I'm afraid of herbs because they haven't been studied!"
I want to dispel the myth that herbs are "unstudied" or "unproven". Whenever I see this mentioned in some article, I know that it's an example of lazy journalism. Herbs are beginning to be studied a lot more in the U.S. at major medical centers, while serious herbal research has been taking place for decades in India, the U.K. and especially Germany, where they have published official monographs on the therapeutic actions of herbs (they treat them much like pharmaceuticals, there).

For sure, herbs can have side effects (they're MEDICINAL, after all) and can interfere with medications. Just like any sort of medicine, it's up to us to do our due diligence and learn about the substances we're taking. I'd like to encourage people to research and dig up information on herbs (because it's out there!)

Here is a list of herbal books and resources that I have found to be very informative:

Resources:

The American Botanical Council's Herbal Library

The American Herbalist Guild

Herb Pharm's Education Links

GreenMedInfo.com (I could get happily lost looking at the database of studies!)

Gaia Herbs Professional Site

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Herbal Database

Books:
There are many more excellent herb books out there (including how-to books) that I could list, but these are a good place to start.

The Little Herb Encyclopedia by Jack Ritchason
A good general herbal guide.

The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra
Michael Tierra is one of my favorite herbalists, with a broad education in several modalities of herbal medicine.

Planetary Herbology by Michael Tierra
This covers more of the Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs alongside western herbs.

The Book of Herbal Wisdom by Matthew Wood
This book my be a little esoteric for some people's tastes but I find it fascinating!

The Herb Book by John Lust
This is by no means the most up to date book, but I love the illustrations and the inclusion of old fashioned, lesser-used herbs, as well as the alternate names index.

A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions
It's important to know how herbs can interact with prescription medications.

Manufacturers and Suppliers:
Like I mentioned before, quality is of paramount importance if you want effective herbal products. Here are my favorite suppliers and brands:

Dragon Herbs (Chinese tonic herbs, free phone consultations)

Eclectic Institute (tinctures and capsules, classic western formulas)

Gaia Herbs (tinctures, liqucaps and research)

Herb Pharm (tinctures)

Himalaya USA (clinically researched Ayurvedic formulas and herbal capsules)

Planetary Herbals (Chinese and western formulas)

New Chapter (supercritical extracts, research)

Mountain Rose Herbs (bulk herbs)

I hope you've enjoyed this post and I hope more people will be curious about utilizing our "herbal allies" in the march toward greater wellness. I'd love to hear about your favorite herbs!

-Erin

Epigenetic Orthodontics: Building Better Bites, Faces and Health?

2011-05-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, I didn't mean for so much time to elapse since the last post, but I've been putting a lot of time and effort into this one and I'm really enthused to bring you this information. This is a bit of a continuation of the theme presented in my last post. In it, I touched on how pre- and postnatal nutrition affects our dental and facial development.
I've recently done some research into the surprising and far-reaching effects of poor jaw development, as well as what can be done once you already have poorly formed facial bone and jaw/dental structure and it's been fascinating. I've included the interviews that I listened to so you can also listen to the pioneers in this innovative field.
I'm not going to get into the nutritional aspects of what creates poor development because so many others have already covered that subject. In this post, we will deal with the side effects of poor bone structure and how we can correct it.

For a really thorough look into the effects of nutrition on our teeth and facial structure, check out Stephan at Whole Health Source's excellent 9 part series.

You can also read Weston Price's classic "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" online for free.

Far-reaching effects:

While it might seem like a chiefly cosmetic concern to have crowded teeth or an overbite, it goes so much deeper: a poorly formed maxilla (upper jaw) also affects the eye sockets that support and shape the eyeball (leading to things like astigmatism and near-sighteness), it supports the nasal airways, leading to deviated septums, asymmetrical noses, snoring and sleep apnea (a contributing factor in childhood ADHD, by the way). What if so many sleep issues are really due to our poorly formed airways? The implications are sort of staggering.

Here's a picture of the facial bone structure. Note how the maxilla (in green) supports the underside of the eye sockets, as well as the floor of the nasal passages. It also forms a good portion of the cheekbones. Do you know anyone with droopy lower eyelids and visible whites under their irises? They have an underdeveloped maxilla. Someone with a nose that leans to one side? One side of their maxilla is less developed than the other. Someone with flat, saggy cheeks? Again, an underdeveloped maxilla.

So, what about an underdeveloped lower jaw? Compromised airways and/or a tongue that rests too far back in the mouth from an underdeveloped lower jaw can lead to a forward head posture, which helps to open the airways. However, this can throw off the alignment of the spine (and whole body), leading to headaches, bruxism (teeth grinding), neck/shoulder tension, lower back pain and fatigue, to name just a few things. Also, when your bite doesn't line up properly, the teeth can be subject to uneven patterns of wear.

The forward head posture also causes a tendency of the Sympathetic Nervous System to be overactive. You've probably heard of "Fight or Flight"- the state in which you're on high alert and are secreting stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. The posture of your neck can keep you in this state (here's an article detailing Fight or Flight and how to deal with it).

In an interview I listened to with Dr. Richard Quinttus, who practices Oral Systemic Balance (OSB) therapy, Dr. Quinntus talked about how blocked airways and poor tongue posture can trigger excess adrenaline. He says that many people who feel the need to run to get the famed "runner's high" may actually have high adrenaline and airway issues (the running helps to open their airways and forces them to intake more oxygen), as well as poor sleep quality.

When the mandible (lower law) is underdeveloped, TMD can be an issue, as well as headaches. The development of the facial support structure also affects hearing. One of the most striking examples of how a malpositioned temporomandibular joint can affect someone is demonstrated in the work of Dr. Brendan Stack, D.D.S. who has found a remarkable way to treat Tourette's Syndrome by repositioning the jaw!

As you can see, it goes so far beyond just the aesthetic aspects. So, what can we do if we have facial structure that didn't exactly develop to its full genetic potential? This is where Epigenetic Orthodontics comes in.

Epigenetic and Functional Orthodontics

Epigenetics: In biology, epigenetics is the study of changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence, hence the name epi- (Greek: επί- over, above) -genetics.

Epigenetic Orthodontics (also called Functional Orthodontics) is a specialized field in dentistry dealing with correcting the narrow palates, poorly aligned bites, facial asymmetries and small jaws that so many of us are afflicted with (it can also deal with crooked teeth). It takes a look at where our development went wrong and looks at the dental structure in the context of the whole face and how it all functions, rather than just looking at whether or not the teeth are straight.
The objective is to allow the craniofacial structure to develop in the way they would have, had our gene expression been optimized. Epigenetic Orthodontics stimulates a person’s genes to correct and straighten the teeth without the use of force brackets, affecting craniofacial, dental, and airway structures so that natural developmental processes are evoked by the use of orthodontic appliances. In simpler terms, the appliance makes room by causing new palate and jaw growth and the teeth naturally move into a healthy position.

Unlike traditional orthodontics, where the main objective is to simply straighten the teeth at all costs, (how many of you had teeth yanked before you got your braces?), it addresses the foundational issues. It's like the difference between "flipping" a house by doing cosmetic fixes and doing a real renovation, addressing the structural issues. Other issues with traditional orthodontics are that the teeth often shift and somewhat revert back to their original positions, unless a retainer is worn and the shape of the face and profile can be negatively affected due to extractions and pulling the upper row of teeth back, creating a pinched appearance or a receded chin.

Epigenetic Orthodontics uses removable palate expanding retainers, usually worn at night, that use light biological force, making it a much more comfortable process. It's not only more comfortable, it's also safer, as high forces from traditional orthodontic palate wideners can exert unhealthy pressure on the cranial bones (even affecting mental function in children.) There's no way you can put s much pressure on the cranial bones and NOT affect brain signaling.

The result of treatment is horizontal bone tissue growth resulting in better facial symmetry, nicer bone structure, healthy orthodontic alignment, better airways and better TMJ alignment.

Identical twins. The one on the right received palate expanding treatment and the other did not. Note the drastic difference in facial structure! The twin on the right has a much wider face- an example of proper horizontal growth, rather than the vertical facial growth that is so common these days.

Getting Treatment
[Edit: you can find lists of practitioners on each of the treatment option sites listed below.]

It used to be thought that you could only change the palate during childhood, but it's now been demonstrated that the palate can be expanded in adults even into their 70's, so there's hope for all of us. There are a number of different orthodontic appliances being used to accomplish adult palate expansion:

The pioneer in this still relatively obscure (at least in the U.S.) field is Dr. G. Dave Singh, DDS, creator of the DNA Appliance. You can listen to an interview with Dr. Singh. The DNA Appliance is worn while sleeping and works with the circadian rhythms (night is when most of the body's repair goes on).

Another appliance also worn only at night is the Homeoblock appliance, developed by Dr. Theodore Belfor, DDS. This was used in the treatment of the young man pictured at the top of this article (this change is after only 6 months of treatment). You can see that his facial structure became wider- that's what horizontal growth looks like. There are some fascinating videos on the website of people's faces morphing from "before" to "after" and some of the facial changes are absolutely amazing. Definitely check them out!

Here's a woman after 6 months of treatment. You can see the improvement in symmetry- the right side of her face is now less drooping and she almost looks like she's had a subtle lower face lift. Her cheekbones are slightly more prominent and less flat (and no, it's not just because she's wearing makeup in the second shot):

More effects on symmetry:

After 4 months of treatment:

There are many skeptics in the dental community claiming that Functional Orthodontics don't actually change the bone structure, but when you look at the cases presented in the Facial Development Newsletter, complete with computer imaging of areas of bone growth and expansion, it's pretty clear that they do indeed change bone structure and increase bone growth.

A slightly different type of orthodontic appliance that is less bulky, but worn continuously is Advanced Lightwire Functionals (ALF), developed by Dr. Darick Nordstrom.
Dr. Raymond Silkmanm, DDS, who uses ALF appliances, did a fantastic 2 part interview that I highly recommend listening to. Here's Part 1 and Part 2.

What about treating children?

Early Orthotropic growth guiding treatment during childhood, when development issues first surface, is ideal, but treatment can be done at any point during childhood, usually avoiding the need for braces. There are early signs that parents can look for to determine if their child's jaw and bite are developing improperly.

Here's an example of Orthotropic-guided growth:

So, I've given you an overview of the effects of poor jaw development and some of the treatment options. I hope to try this technology out for myself one day, as I could definitely benefit from bite correction and better airway development (and, let's be honest, more sculpted cheekbones sound pretty good, too!)
There's no one currently in my area (I'd have to go to Memphis or Knoxville) but in a few days, Dr. Belfor is speaking at the Sacro Occipital Technique Organization's annual conference, right here in Nashville. Fingers crossed that some local dentists attend his lecture:-)

-Erin

Building Better Babies (or, Things I Wish My Mom Had Known)

2011-04-23T20:11:00.005-05:00

This is a really atypical post for me since I usually have my posts (sort of) planned, but I just finished reading this excellent article from The Healthy Skeptic (one of my favorite websites!) called Health Begins In The Womb And Before. I couldn't resist doing a post on the topic since I find it so fascinating! I'm loving reading articles about nutrition and gene expression, esp. relating to fertility and pre/post natal nutrition. Plus, I have a lot of friends who have recently had babies, so it's sort of been in my face, lately.
The Healthy Skeptic also did a great podcast on pre/postnatal and breastfeeding nutrition recently.

I'm not planning on having children yet, but if/when I do, I want to be as prepared as possible and I'm relieved to have this info BEFORE the fact since I feel like I need all the help I can get. I feel like I got the short end of the stick, genetically speaking, and I hope to do better for my offspring.

Let me tell you a little more about why I'm so obsessed with fertility/prenatal nutrition:

I was born right outside of Detroit (not the most pristine area) and both of my parents worked in the auto industry at the time (can you say "chemical exposure"!?) My mom was a smoker when I was conceived. Thank goodness she stopped as soon as she found out she was pregnant with me! She also worked at a factory installing kitchens in custom vans up until her sixth month of pregnancy (can you say carpet glue and particle board fumes? Lots of healthy formaldehyde and maybe some flame retardants there!) My dad worked on the line at Chrysler and he smoked, too. So, both of them were probably fairly toxic at the time. Not ideal for making a super healthy baby.

I was born very jaundiced and spent the first few days of my life in an incubator. I'm pretty sure the jaundice was due to low vit. D levels (fairly common in newborns) but I suspect that the low D was likely due to Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphism, which is linked to Hashimoto's (which I, as well as my mom and sis, have) and plays a big role in the body's ability to manufacture and absorb vit. D and use it to modulate the immune system via Regulatory T Cell production.

I was also born with a rare congenital vascular disorder called Klippel-Trenauany Syndrome (KTS). In most cases, KTS is not thought to be genetic. I'm the only one in my family with it.
In my case, my left leg has twice as many veins as my right and has a "birthmark" of spider veins running the outer length. As far as severity goes, I'm on the low end of the spectrum, thank goodness, because KTS can be debilitating, resulting in amputations in the worst cases. That's not to say that it's been a walk in the park- I had to have major knee surgery when I was 14 to remove large vascular clusters that were backing up with blood and causing my leg so much pain that I couldn't walk.

It puts me at higher risk for blood clots/embolisms and also puts me into the "high risk pregnancy" category. Hormone surges like those during pregnancy and puberty increase symptoms for some reason. My symptoms were the absolute worst from age 11-14 when I went through my major growth spurts (I pretty much maxed out, height-wise by age 14) and then again at 26 when I freakishly grew an inch (I was already 5'8"! WTF?) and my leg flared up severely for a week. In fact, I'm having a minor flare up of symptoms right now and when I wake up in the morning, I have to gingerly hoist my leg out of the bed to get on my feet. It will pass probably within a week, though I have no idea what triggers the smaller flare-ups. I better not be growing again;-)

So, you can see why I'm fascinated with gene expression. Why did mine go so wrong? What can I do to help prevent whacked out gene expression in my offspring? What I can do is eat as conscientiously as possible, consuming foods that support fertility and fetal development. Even if I choose not to have children, these foods are going to promote health. Another thing: my mom didn't plan me, so she wasn't prepared. A surprisingly high number of pregnancies, even among married couples, are not planned, which is even more reason to have your diet dialed in, just in case (I know a girl who happened to be in that teeny failure rate sliver for the Pill and now she has a lovely kindergartener!)

I recently listened to a couple of podcast interviews with my new hero, Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of Deep Nutrition (which is the next book I'm getting). Dr. Cate studied epigenetics, as well as ethnobotanical medicine (a woman after my own heart!) and traditional diets. She talks about what she calls genetic momentum and genetic wealth. George Burns is a good example of genetic momentum- someone whose strong genetics let them live to a ripe old age despite some, um, less than healthy habits. George may also have possessed some of the longevity genes that have been identified among certain European Jewish populations.

Genetic wealth is proper physical development: things like facial symmetry, good fertility, delayed aging, proportional limbs, good dental development, etc. Grace Kelly and Daniel Dae Kim (of Lost), with their symmetrical, well developed bone structure, are good examples of genetic wealth (or should I say, genetic jackpots?)

Dr. Cate subscribes to Weston Price's observations about human development. She even talks about how having children close together can shortchange the second child genetically, because it takes the mother's body several years to fully rebuild nutrient stores after pregnancy. How interesting is that?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the first month after giving birth (the "postnatal confinement") is considered a very important time to actively rebuild strength, blood quality, qi and nutrient stores by feeding the new mother special foods. Black Chicken soup is one of those foods. I recently made a friend of mine a big batch with extra herbs like nettles, goji, dong quai and fennel to eat after giving birth.

Here are Dr. Cate's podcasts with Underground Wellness:
#1
#2

Even though we don't have complete control of everything that goes on with our bodies and genes or how our children turn out, it's cool to think that if I eat right, maybe my kid won't get my overbite and need braces. Maybe they will have a more symmetrical (and thus more photogenic) face than me. Maybe they won't have to spend the first three days of their life in an incubator. They're likely to be tall (my siblings and I all have the "tall" gene from our Dutch side and my husband is also tall) and I'm pretty sure they'll have my chin dimple, because NO ONE in my family escapes that trait (and I wouldn't want them to!)

-Erin

Trout with Bacon Green Beans and Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

2011-04-03T15:46:00.001-05:00

Here's a little something I made the other night. It was easy but I felt like a chef after I had plated it. That's a fun feeling;) It was a big hit with my husband and the picture I posted on PIP's Facebook page sure generated a lot of comments, so I thought I'd better share the recipe. I cooked most of it in my big cast iron pan, so there wasn't much cleanup. Score!

Ingredients:
trout fillets with skins (descaled)
cauliflower
green beans
bacon
cream
sour cream (optional)
garlic granules (not powder)

For the green beans/bacon (steam cauliflower until tender at the same time):
I cooked the bacon and green beans simultaneously in the same pan. I think haricots are especially fun to use (and they cook faster). Cook green beans until a little crispy and sprinkle them with a bit of garlic granules before they finish cooking. Chop the cooked bacon. Set aside.

For the trout:
Sprinkle the trout with salt, pepper and a little garlic granules. Smoked paprika would be good, too. Fry in the bacon grease until cooked and edges are crisped.

For the cauliflower:
While trout is cooking, put steamed cauliflower in a food processor or high speed blender, add just a little drizzle of cream and a dollop of sour cream (Wallaby Organics is heavenly and has no fillers). Don't add too much liquid. Blend until thick and creamy. Add salt to taste.

Put some cauliflower "mashed potatoes" on plate, place trout on it and top with a stack of green beans and a sprinkle of bacon.

This recipe would also work nicely with salmon or mild white fish.

Enjoy!
-Erin

Hello, Spring! Hello, Pollen!

2011-03-19T19:08:00.001-05:00

The real title of this post is "Hello, Spring! Screw You, Allergies!!"

Spring is by far my favorite season in Nashville. It's not oppressively hot yet, the bugs are minimal and, unlike the Michigan springs of my childhood, it's blooming and vibrant rather than cold and muddy. The dogwoods, forsythia, redbuds and saucer magnolias are exploding into bloom right now. I love it!

However, there's a huge downside to Spring in Nashville: the allergies. Nashville is legendary for inducing allergies even in people who have not previously suffered from them. I was warned when I moved here 13 years ago- "Just wait a few years and you'll develop allergies!" I didn't believe it, but it happened. First, it was in the autumn (ragweed) and then over the years, I also started suffering in the spring (tree pollen). See that lovely picture above? Well, that's my archenemy, the Bradford Pear tree.

Anyone who has pollen allergies knows that they're no picnic. My variety of symptoms are downright miserable. Yes, there's some sneezing and some itchy nose (no itchy eyes or sinus infections, thank goodness!) but then there's the sore throat and the intense full body fatigue and heavy head that makes me feel like I've been drugged and makes it almost impossible to think clearly. When I first developed them, I went for a few acupuncture treatments and they cleared up for a number of years. Later, I no longer had group health insurance that payed for acupuncture so I turned to natural allergy supplements. I would still recommend acupuncture in a heartbeat, but I know that not everyone has access to or can afford it.

Not wanting to resort to Benedryl, which DOES make me so drugged up I can't think straight (not to mention it blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for memory function, among other things) and not wanting to use over the counter or prescription allergy meds, I've tried many natural remedies over the years.

I tried a variety of herbal, homeopathic and nutrient formulas, such as nettles, eyebright and quercetin (I worked in the supplement dept. of Whole Foods, so I had access to so many things). I didn't try the famed neti pot because I don't have the kind of symptoms a neti pot is used for (although they are supposed to be great and I know multitudes of people who love their neti pots!)
The only thing that worked for my set of symptoms were the Bioallers Formulas, which are homeopathic formulas containing minute amounts of specific allergens. People love to bash homeopathy or chalk it up to a placebo effect. Well, I think that's a load of BS. If that were the case, I doubt Bioallers would have worked better for me than the other formulas I tried (many of which worked great for my coworkers), but they work very well and I have a number of friends who also swear by them. I love that they have no side effects or contraindications.

I use the Tree Pollen formula in Spring and the Pollen Hayfever formula (for weeds and ragweed) in autumn. Thankfully, I don't need any of the other formulas for grass pollen (summer) pet dander or mold. The first day I take it, I dose every hour until I feel better. From there on out, I dose first thing in the morning, before pollen exposure so I'm one step ahead. It's easier to prevent than to reverse a reaction.

I've had people tell me that using these formulas will over time desensitize you to your allergens. There may be some truth to that- mine did seem to get less severe over the years and last autumn, I had none at all! That could be in part because of my diet (although I still had allergies my first year of Primal eating).

I actually think I had no allergies last fall because of some allergy clearing treatments my holistic chiropractor did on me around that time, because, lo and behold, I've had NO ALLERGIES so far this spring (and this is the time of year I really suffer!)

So, what were these magical allergy clearing treatments? I went through a series of NAET treatments. I wasn't doing them for seasonal allergies, per se, but rather as part of my autoimmune treatment protocol, to resolve leaky-gut induced food sensitivities. They seem wacky and out-there, but they work. They have a great track record even for serious (and extensive) food allergies.

Balancing the immune system, in and of itself, addresses allergies, since allergies are an autoimmune inflammatory reaction.

Anyway, I'm really jazzed not to need my allergy formula this time of year. Now I can be fully present and fully enjoying the beautiful Nashville blooms:)

-Erin

Dopamine Deficiency (or, I'm Not Lazy After All!) and March Updates

2011-03-07T13:53:00.001-06:00

I usually try to pick a theme for my posts, but I couldn't decide on just one today, so I figured I would do a quick little check-in post before my main post.

Garden Update:

It's suddenly turned cold again here in Nashville (booooo, hisssss!), just when I thought it was safe to start leaving my potted kumquat trees and valencia orange tree on the porch. I have a grand total of four kumquats and one orange growing right now.

My seed trays are sitting in my big south-facing living room window and are full of sprouting seeds waiting to be transplanted into the garden boxes soon. We still have to build said boxes, though! That's been on the back burners due to some bad weather. The rainstorms seem to have come early this year and we had a tornado that did some real damage the other week (definitely not the norm for March in Tennessee!)

Sleep Challenge Update:

Wow, I am so failing my sleep challenge! I swear, this is my biggest stumbling block. Sigh. I'm such a hard-wired night owl! At least this challenge has resulted in me getting to bed earlier many nights than I would have otherwise, but I'm in no way close to having reset my sleep rhythms. On the bright side, now that spring is kicking in, I seem to need a little less sleep and have been waking up a little earlier naturally. I'm just going to keep chipping away at my sleep habits (like one of those highways that are under perpetual roadwork;)

Dopamine Deficiency

I recently started taking a dopamine supporting supplement formula and I can tell a difference in how I feel upon waking in the morning (i.e. less zombie-like and way more alert). In fact, a few days ago, I woke up with a perfectly clear, non-foggy mind and non-heavy head. It felt completely novel! It was like my brain was switched to "on" instead of stuck in the "conserve energy" setting. I am noticing more brain energy to start and finish tasks, which is a big issue for me.

I'm not a lazy person (there's a rather sarcastic voice in my mind saying "Sure, Erin- of course you're not!") But seriously, if I were truly lazy, it wouldn't bother me that I don't get things done (and it DOES bother me!)

It's more like my brain runs out of juice easily and can't stay on track. It's not true A.D.D., either. I used to have superb concentration, so I know I wasn't always like this. Again, it's more like a lack of mental stamina. The Primal diet has improved my brain function but my brain has the deck stacked against it due to my Hashimoto's related cognitive symptoms (Hashi's often causes brain inflammation and interferes with neurotransmitters), so I need a little extra help!!

Here is a list of symptoms of dopamine deficiency (with my emphasis added on symptoms I identify with):

1. Physically fatigued easily (Sometimes.)
2. Sleep too much and trouble getting out of bed (Yes on trouble getting out of bed!)
3. Reduced ability to feel pleasure
4. Flat, bored, apathetic (Yes on feeling flat)
5. Low drive, motivation & enthusiasm (Yes, and yes.)
6. Depressed
7. Difficulty getting through a task even when interesting to me (HELL yes!)
8. Procrastinator/little urgency (Mmmm-hmmm!)
9. Shy/introvert (Yes.)
10. Mentally fatigued easily (Yes.)
11.Difficulty paying attention and concentrating (A little bit!)
12.Slow thinker and/or slow to learn new ideas
13.Put on weight easily
14.Crave uppers (e.g. caffeine/sugar/nicotine/diet soft drinks/cocaine/amphetamines)
15.Use these improve energy/motivation/mood
16.Prone to addictions (e.g. alcohol)/addictive personality
17.Light headedness
18.Reduced libido and/or impotence (sometimes on the libido)
19.Family history of depression/alcoholism/ADD

Factors which reduce dopamine levels (with my emphasis added on factors I have):

1. Chronic stress
2. Inadequate sleep (Like, DUH!)
3. Hypothyroidism (Bingo! Hashimoto's!)
4. Lead, arsenic and cadmium exposure
5. Under-methylation (Possibly- I suspect my dad's family under-methylates their B12. They have a strong history of Alzheimer's and dementia.)
6. Tyrosine (precursor) deficiency
7. Magnesium, iron, zinc & vitamins B3/B6/C/D deficiency
8. Excess copper levels (I have melasma and used to be vegetarian, so copper might be a factor.)
9. Genetic dopamine receptor abnormalities
10.Chronic opioid, alcohol & marijuana use
11.Adrenal insufficiency (Definitely!!)
12.Glutathione deficiency
13.Parkinson's Disease
14.Influenza
15.Estrogen deficiency (Yes.)
16.Human growth hormone deficiency

I'm encouraged that I'm seeing some results after about a week and a half on the formula. My moods are less flat, my brain seems more alert and I've been less distractible. I'm getting better at following though on tasks. All big deals for me.

Low thyroid often causes low dopamine, which then causes further low thyroid function. Vicious cycle, there! So, this is probably another piece of the healing puzzle for me, which I'm thankful for. Maybe this will be a puzzle piece that some of you are looking for, too.

-Erin

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-02-25T15:38:00.001-06:00

Spring is creeping in here in Tennessee. We had a very cold winter with higher than average snowfall and it seemed like it was dragging on and on, when suddenly the cold snap broke and my daffodils are surfacing! Happy sigh!

This year, my husband and I are tackling something I've wanted to do for years and can finally do, thanks to the wonders of being homeowners and having a decent yard: we're going to start growing FOOD in significant quantities. The thing that really mobilized us to undertake food growing was the recent decision by the government to deregulate GMO alfalfa, which is likely to have far reaching repercussions on our food supply, including our organic food.

Apparently, we're on the same wavelength as a lot of other folks: several of my friends are starting veggie gardens, my mom signed up for a plot in a nearby community garden and Robb Wolf recently had a great post on Liberty Gardens. I've been really inspired by my pal Anthony Anderson, the Raw Model, who has dedicated his life to spreading the message of empowerment through food growing!

So, we've got the beds plotted out and we've got the seeds ordered and now we just have to figure out how to do all of it, since we're total novices! All I can say is THANK GOODNESS for the internet! I have a number of online friends who have experience growing food and I've found so many great websites and books, not the least of which is the very handy site GrowVeg.com

We checked out some books from the library, including Lasagna Gardening, since I want to build healthy, low maintenance soil. I'm going to be reading up on soil enriching methods as well as permaculture, food forests, companion planting and seed saving.

We're going to be growing a variety of foods, all from heirloom seeds purchased mostly from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, including several tomato varieties, lettuces (including Miner's Lettuce), root veggies such as the fun, yellow Jaune Obtuse du Doubs Carrot, parsnips and white salsify, belgian endive, fennel, celeriac (which I love to make soup from), swiss chard, kale, a few cucumber varieties, vegetable marrow (instead of zucchini), leeks, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
Later we will plant winter squashes (I LOVE hubbard and butternut squash!) and fall/winter greens.
We plan on planting flowers like candytuft and marigolds, as well as fragrant herbs to help with pest control, as well as beautify our beds. My yard is a rabbit haven, so we want to protect our lettuces with "cages". I wish I could train my cat to go on rabbit patrol, heheh.

We also have several blueberry bushes that should be ready to start bearing fruit this year and a solitary plum tree, which I'm pretty sure needs a friend. We want to add some more stone fruit trees like apricots or peaches, as well as bushes with edible fruit, such as elderberries. In the wooded portion of the yard, we will plant raspberries and stinging nettles.

We have one rain barrel already and we're going to set up more so that we have a natural watering system. My hubby has his eye on one of those round compost tumblers with the hand crank. Down the road, we intend on installing a greenhouse to extend our growing seasons. I think I see chickens in our future, too... that's the beauty of having a ginormous yard. Why not take advantage of it?

I can hardly believe it's really happening. I feel intimidated but so excited! I'm excited about having fresh food that I have total quality control over and I'm excited at all the money I'll save, not having to spend 3-4 bucks on a bunch of chard or several bucks on an expensive (and heavy) heirloom tomato from the farmer's market or Whole Foods.

Wish me luck (and pass along any great garden tips you have;)
-Erin (the soon-to-be "Urbane Homesteader";)

Sweetheart Thumbprint Cookies

2011-02-14T12:06:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers!

Here's a really easy recipe for jam filled thumbprint cookies. I actually recorded my recipe, for once (a miracle, I know!) I've made them twice and they've turned out excellent both times. The texture is chewy with slightly crispy edges. You can bake a little longer if you like crunchy cookies. It's a rather flexible recipe, so you can experiment if you like.

Makes 10 cookies

1 lg. beaten egg
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs almond butter (I used raw almond butter)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbs sugar (I used evaporated palm sugar) - more could be used, but I also added a bit of stevia pwd. (Nu Naturals No Carbs Blend). Don't use liquid sweetener, though. It does weird things to the texture!
Organic raspberry jam for filling. I prefer real jam to "fruit spread" because it sets up better.

Mix into a non-sticky dough (if the dough sticks to your hands, add just a little more almond butter) and roll into 10 balls and shape into indented hearts, fill with jam and bake on a greased cookie sheet (I use my Silpat instead; nothing sticks to it!) at 350º for about 12 min. Cool before eating.

Enjoy!!
-Erin

February Is For Lovers (and sleeping)

2011-02-06T13:25:00.000-06:00

I'm a little overdue for a new post. I got a bit of a cold at the end of January (good thing I was eating so cleanly or I think it would have been much worse than it was) and it gave me an excuse to be extra lazy for the last week. I'm pretty much better, so no more excuses. Or, as Fidel, the Cuban dishwasher I worked with years ago in a macrobiotic vegan restaurant used to say, "No eh-cuses! NO MAS!"

Now that my Whole30/Paleo challenge is up, I'm having challenge withdrawal. It went pretty well and I think it's time for a new challenge (maybe I'll just keep coming up with a new monthly challenge for the rest of my life. That could be interesting...) So, now that my diet is improved, the next thing that could use some improving are my sleep habits.

I think I was born night owl. As a kid, I never woke up at the crack of dawn like my younger brother did and I remember often playing in the dark in my room (or reading De. Seuss books by the light from the hall) when I was supposed to be sleeping. Can a night owl become a lark (or at least a robin?) Can we reprogram our sleep preferences? I sure hope so!

In the past I've had jobs that started at 7am and I lived in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation, since I could never discipline myself to be in bed on time (I wasn't a coffee drinker, so I can't believe I even managed!) I was in my early 20's then; my body would NEVER let me get away with that crap now! All those years of inadequate sleep didn't do me any favors and set me up for adrenal fatigue.

I've been thinking about attitudes toward sleep and it seems that in the U.S., we don't value sleep as much as we ought to. It's like an endurance contest attitude or something. I envy countries where night owls have a chance to make up for lost sleep during siesta time. That would probably be my ideal (maybe I need to relocate to España where they value their siestas and even have championships!) I probably wouldn't have had adrenal fatigue if I had been siesta-ing all those years;)

Sleep Quality

In my younger days, despite my lack of sleep, I had no sleep issues. Then, in my mid-late twenties, I developed insomnia, where I would wake up repeatedly throughout the night or just once but not be able to fall back asleep for hours. I tried a lot of things, but in the end, acupuncture and blackout shades were what worked (there was way too much light coming in through my windows, which really disrupts melatonin production).

In recent years, I've had intermittent issues falling asleep, largely due to bad habits like staying up too late and also computer usage at night (the blue light from computer screens also disrupts melatonin production and being online at night is also mentally stimulating. Bad combo.)

My recent sleep issues have also been of another variety: sleep wave cycle imbalances. I spend too much time in REM dreaming and not enough in slow wave sleep:
Slow Wave Sleep: The final stages of non-REM sleep, Slow Wave or Deep sleep, are marked by very low heart and respiratory rate, extremely slow brain waves and a complete lack of eye movement or muscle activity. Arousal from slow wave sleep is difficult and can result in disorientation and confusion. Slow wave sleep allows the body to direct its resources to regenerate tissues, build bones and muscle, recharge energy stores and strengthen the immune system.

Although REM sleep is vital to healthy brain function, including memory and task performance, spending too much time in it and too little time in slow wave makes you feel like you've been out partying all night long (can you say "vivid dreams all night long"??) and you end up feeling like you've been hit by a truck when you get up in the morning! You need that slow wave sleep for tissue repair and good hormone production.

Sleep Challenge:

I'm dedicating the next 6 weeks to healthy sleep habits (I figure that should be long enough to get things rolling). So, my sleep challenge is all about cultivating good "sleep hygiene" habits such as:
-earlier bedtimes (like, by 10:30).
-shutting the laptop off earlier in the evening (by 8:30) and turning the lights down.
- getting natural light first thing in the morning.
- practicing qigong for mental relaxation and also for better hormonal regulation (these methods work on the "kidney meridian" which, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, regulates hormone production). I'm convinced that qigong can cure most ills, but consistency is the key (and the thing I lack!)
-drinking mineral rich, nervous system supporting teas like nettle, oatstraw, rooibos, chamomile and horsetail throughout the day and evening.
-keeping caffeine minimal and only consuming it before noon (caffeine has a half life of at least 6 hours- and much longer if your liver is slow at clearing it- which means that the afternoon cup of coffee is still in your system in the evening, albeit at half strength, but that's enough to affect sleep quality.
-getting consistent moderate aerobic exercise (for me, brisk walking), which improves sleep.

I encourage you to join me, since good sleep is probably the most neglected thing we can do for our wellbeing (that and deep breathing, but that's another post:)

Whole30: One Week Left!

2011-01-24T15:23:00.001-06:00

I can see the finish line. I'm almost there. Except, I think I want to keep going!
I've got less than a week until my Whole30 experiment/Paleo challenge is up. It doesn't feel like a challenge or experiment anymore; it just feels like this is how I do things. I suppose that means that I've fully integrated these changes.

I am still seeking further improvements in my health (mainly in the areas of balancing my immune system and hormones and improving sleep quality) so this tells me that although this might be the finish line for others, my own finish line is still a lot further away, but that's ok. I'm going to keep refining and chipping away and not worry as much about not being there NOW! There's that saying about how you eat an elephant: one bite at a time.

So, here are the improvements I can report:
Overall, I feel better than when I started.

-I'm falling asleep easier (although I still get too much REM and not enough slow wave sleep- which can make you feel like you've barely slept)

-I feel a lot lighter. I've lost a few pounds and a whole inch around my navel. My pants fit normally again (whew!!) I can see some ab muscles peeking through. Suffice it to say I'm happy about that.

-My brain feels more clear. Hashimoto's is famous for fuzzing up your brain and making things go in one ear and out the other.

-I have a little more energy. I feel more motivated to get exercise instead of loafing around, despite it being winter (and cold and gray...)

-My skin is looking much healthier. I hit the point a few years back, after turning thirty, where my skin abruptly started aging. It was the same all through my 20's, so it was a rude surprise when it suddenly seemed to stop repairing itself like it always had and I began to get LINES (the horror!!) It's looking a lot better and younger now. I don't know if it's diet, supplements or the fact that I've been using new skincare products for a few weeks- I suspect it's all of the above.
I also had a weird little melasma patch (I suspect from estrogen dominance) on my forehead for the last year that's now fading.

I've been really glad that, despite all kinds of nasty illnesses going around, I've stayed well. I even managed not to get the flu from my friend, despite sitting next to her all night as she was coming down with it. I credit that to taking colostrum caps and a weekly prophylactic dose of Flu Guard and to not eating sugar (sugar is so bad for the immune system.)

When the week is up, I'll be adding my beloved Kerrygold butter back into my diet (I like the unsalted- it's lactic acid cultured) and maybe some occasional local grass-fed cream, but I'm sticking with the low dairy/low carb (and low stevia) diet. No point in teasing my taste buds too much when I'd rather just retrain them.

I may eventually experiment with "feast days" to tweak my metabolism and thyroid hormone conversion and I definitely plan on introducing more frequent intermittent fasts once my energy levels are up and my sleep quality improves. I'll keep you posted.

Here's to healthy changes and happy results!
-Erin

Whole30/Paleo Challenge Mid-Point Update

2011-01-18T14:47:00.002-06:00

Hey, everyone! I thought I'd do a Whole30 mid-point update so my readers can check in with me. So, how am I doing? Still good and even better. I'm really taking to eating this way.

I would say that it's totally worth it to give something like this a try. Often, the little things really add up in ways we don't see (or choose to ignore) and if you aren't quite where you want to be, health-wise, you owe it to yourself to experiment, even if that means a little (perceived) deprivation. Is that nightly glass of wine doing you any favors? Maybe, maybe not. Is that cheese making your weight loss progress plateau? Why don't you cut it and find out?

When I started Whole30, I was not looking forward to dropping butter, grass-fed cream and cheese from my diet, but I also wanted to see what would happen if I did. I also wasn't looking forward to not having any alcohol, even though I only infrequently drink. But, of course, the minute you can't have something, you want it, right?

So, the first week was the hardest, but truly not that hard. I've been able to be very compliant (but maybe that's the oldest child part of me not wanting to let my readers down;-)
I had fatigue and some sugar cravings, but the cravings have subsided and I have more energy now, although my energy issues run deeper than most people's as mine are thyroid and adrenal related and I still have more work to do in those areas. They are a 'work in progress', so to speak.

Cutting out dairy has been a big deal. When I first went Primal a year and a half ago, I immediately felt better and lost some weight. Recently, due to some thyroid issues coinciding with the holidays, I gained a few pounds and they wanted to hang out and not go away. Not cool!! What a relief to find that cutting the dairy also ended the plateau. I've done some reading and it seems I'm not the only one: Mark's Daily Apple had a recent article on the insulin secreting properties of dairy. In other words, for many people, the cheese CAN make or break your otherwise low carb diet and halt the weight from coming off.

So, cutting dairy has resulted in my pants fitting nicely again. When my experiment is over, I will add butter/ghee back in and some cream, though maybe not as much as I used to eat (these don't trigger an insulin release like milk/cheese/yogurt do) but I think I will leave the cheese out, for the most part.
The other reason I wanted to cut dairy was to see if my autoimmune issues would improve. So far, I can't tell a big difference like I could when I cut gluten out of my diet.

Reducing my intake of fruit and sugars/starches hasn't been a big deal- this is how I used to eat for a long time on Primal, but then all the starchy veggies of autumn came into season and I perfected my sweet potato fries and... you get the picture!
Right now, I'm more than satisfied with a half cup of blueberries, a spoonful of hazelnut meal, some coconut flakes all topped with thick coconut milk, cinnamon and sea salt. Super yum (and no blood sugar spikes/crashes or carb comas!)

I still need to up my workout frequency. I've been great about walking on a nearly daily basis (even when Nashville was snowbound, I was out there walking every day!), but I want to do more strength training. I want arms like Cameron Diaz!
I'm getting to bed later than I ought to (naughty me!!) I swear, getting to bed is my Achilles heel. I KNOW better! I'm positive that my energy and hormone balance would improve a whole lot if I did go to sleep earlier, before the nightly cortisol spike kicks in.

Here a some extras I've been doing to 'pimp' my program:
-fresh lemon in water in the AM- great for the liver.
-dry brushing before showers- great for healing the skin, releasing more toxins through the pores and stimulating collagen.
-ending showers with a few minutes of cold water- increases circulation and strengthens the vascular system, strengthens the immune system and boosts the metabolism. Not fun while you do it, but you feel like a million bucks afterward!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Since this program seems to be working out well for me overall, I've decided that I'm going to extend Whole30 for a few extra weeks to give my body extra time to heal. I think I'm finding that for me, a little less wiggle room is a good thing. I will never be one of the Paleo ascetics but I realize that I need a shorter leash when it comes to diet than some people do. If I didn't have an autoimmune condition, that would not be the case, but I have to work within reality. It's strangely freeing in a way, not having to seesaw about food choices.

I hope everyone else who has chosen to do a January Paleo challenge, Whole30 or even just a gluten-free challenge is learning a lot and reaping the rewards. And for those of you who are just contemplating doing this kind of thing, I hope it encourages you to take up the challenge!

I'd love to hear from some of you about your own goals!

-Erin

Black Chicken Broth And Soup

2011-01-15T18:31:00.001-06:00

I have to admit that it's only recently that I started making bone broths. My mom taught me how to cook as a kid (she's a great cook) and we ate a lot of soups, so she made a lot of broths but some how I escaped learning how to make them. Then, I was a vegetarian for about 16 years and had no reason to make a bone broth. So, they intimidated me a little until I finally made one. Truly, nothing is easier than throwing some bones, a bird carcass (or in the case of black chicken broth, the whole bird) in a pot, covering it with water and cooking it for a few hours.

I love the simplicity and the nourishing quality of good broth. If you make it right, it will be full of minerals, gelatin and collagen, which are all extremely healing. Here's a great article on the myriad healing benefits of bone broths.

I made a batch of chicken broth the other night with a black chicken, which is a type of small chicken with purplish skin, dark meat and dark bones, found in Asian markets. It usually comes with the head and feet still attached, which is one reason I buy it. There's a lot of collagen in the head, neck and feet!
The Chinese believe it's a very healing food and they feed it to convalescing people and to women after giving birth to help restore vitality and energy. It's very rich in the antioxidant carnosine.

One of my favorite hobbies is studying Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, especially herbs and food cures. There are literally thousands of years of experience and refining that have gone into this theory!
As wonderful as I know Primal and Paleo diets to be for us, I feel that there's still room for improvement in the form of applying the ancient principles of balancing what you eat according to flavor and food "energy". All foods have different qualities and affinities for different organs. Once you know a little, you can then really customize your diet to your own needs. To learn more about this subject, I recommend Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford.

So, now that you know I'm a Chinese medicine geek, it won't seem so strange when I tell you what goes into my black chicken broth (well, ok- it probably WILL seem pretty strange, but strange can be good!) Trust me, it's tasty! I wouldn't make it if it weren't.
When I make this broth, I'm thinking of how I can make it as healing and medicinal as possible (while still tasting good) so I pull out the big guns: ingredients you can get at any Asian market and at any place that sells bulk herbs. When you make broth, think in terms of making herbal tea- you can incorporate herbs into broths to get the benefits you would from making an herbal tea!

Into my stock goes:
-One black chicken with head and feet included, covered with water and a TB of vinegar. I let it sit a few hours to let the vinegar begin to extract the collagen and gelatin from the bones. The broth will later gel when cooled (that's how you know it has a lot of collagen and gelatin). It will return to a fluid state when heated.

The other ingredients don't have to be prepped or chopped much, since they will be discarded when you strain the broth.

-Chinese Red Dates
which nourish the blood and build the body's stores of qi (chi), which is our life force. I use about 6 dried dates per batch and discard them after it's cooked.

-Goji Berries (a.k.a wolfberries and lyciium berries). Gojis truly deserve their superfood status: they contain a compound that increases the secretion of Human Growth Hormone, they are very rich in antioxidants and beta carotene and they are also rich in beneficial polysaccharides. In China, making a tea is the traditional way to prepare gojis. My favorite brand, by far, is Dragon Herbs Heaven Mountain goji berries. I use a handful.

- Fresh burdock root (found in Asian markets and often called gobo). Burdock is beneficial to the liver and skin. I like the rich, interesting, earthy taste of burdock.

- Fresh ginger root

- Fresh garlic

- Shallot or onion

- Sea veggies like arame or dulse strips, which are rich in iodine and minerals.

- Dried stinging nettles, which are loaded with minerals and quite mild tasting. they turn the broth a little greenish, but I don't mind.

- I also add sea salt, celery, carrot, and at the end, parsley.

Other things I sometimes add, depending on what I have on hand:
- sliced peony root (good for liver and female issues).
- dried tremella and/or black fungus mushrooms
- dang gui root (good for anemia and female hormone balance).
- lotus root, which is good for the lungs.

I encourage you to explore an Asian or international market if you live near one. There are so many interesting ingredients and possibilities and most of these ingredients are very inexpensive. Use your imagination! Just remember to read labels to make sure your foods are preservative/chemical free.

I cook it all on a low boil for a few hours, skimming off the scum that accumulates on the top. Then I strain it and pick the meat off the chicken and add it back in or use it in a recipe. I discard the other ingredients, since they've been cooked to death at this point.

[EDIT: I read recently that adding the veggies in the last hour of cooking preserves more of the nutrients, which makes sense, so I plan on doing this in the future.
A note on cooking time- I've cooked my chicken broth anywhere from 3 to 12 hours and it turns out great every time, so I can't really say how long is best, but I would think that longer gives it time to cook out all the gelatin and collagen. Soaking the bones/bird with vinegar for a few hours before cooking is key in getting it to gel.]

Here's some chicken shiratake noodle soup I had for lunch. I added black chicken, the noodles, carrots, celery, and parsley to my broth. It really hit the spot!

Tomorrow, I'm making beef marrow bone broth. I'd like to tackle fish bone broth, too.

Happy broth-making!
-Erin

Whole30 Week One (Truckin' Along On The Paleo Highway)

2011-01-08T12:06:00.001-06:00

So, I've made it through one solid week of Whole30. I had set the bar a little extra high for myself, since I feel I need to go the extra mile to balance my body. Also, setting the bar extra high, for me at least, means that if I falter a little, I'll still be doing way better than I was. I'm not one of those people who, if I slip up a little, throws it all out the window. I just get right back in the saddle.

Here are some of the details of how my week went:

The first few days, I had some times that felt like I was detoxing a little- low energy, some minor sugar cravings and a feeling of being mentally hungry, even when my stomach was full. I found that having 1/3 cup of thawed frozen berries with some coconut milk was a nice way to help that mental hunger. I notice I get tired earlier in the evening- around 8pm. Is my body trying to force me into earlier bedtimes?

-I'm happy to report that I've had zero dairy and zero sugar and I've been able to keep my fruit intake quite low (one serving/day). I haven't had stevia, either. Pretty soon, my sweet tooth will be falling out of my head;)

-I've been eating a lot more greens- especially kale, which I can't get enough of. It's so good sauteed with some garlic granules and a dash of coconut aminos (which is a good soy sauce substitute- a little less strong in flavor with a hint of sweetness and more versatile).

-Avocado and coconut milk have been my best friends. I like eating sliced avocado with salt and pepper as a side to almost any meal and I've had coconut milk on berries, in tea, and by itself (can you tell I really like it?) I use the Whole Foods 365 Organic brand and I have to say it's very good.

-I've also made friends with creatures of the sea, specifically small creatures such as oysters, herring and sardines. I really like any smoked fish in olive oil. It could be goldfish and I'd eat it. It's also quite convenient to open a can and dump it on a salad for a fast meal.

-I've eaten more eggs than I intended to, but less than I previously was.

-As for nuts, which I also intended to cut back on, some days I'm good and some days I'm not. I'm trying to add a little variety (I usually eat pecans, almond butter and walnuts) so I bought some brazil nuts. A little extra selenium can only do good things for my TPO antibodies.

-Caffeine: I haven't been drinking my usual black teas in the morning; I've been having green or herbal tea. Some mornings I just have a green drink instead: some Midori Greens with some fresh lemon juice in water.
As for coffee, I only had it once this week. Not too bad! I also had a cup of cocoa consisting of dark cocoa powder, water, coconut milk, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt. Not sweet, but pretty good, actually. I may stick to that method of cocoa preparation in the future, since I like chocolate even if it's not sweet.
PS- chocolate is not a trigger food for me like it is for some. I can have a little and be happy.

Here is an example of what I ate in a day:
Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs with leeks and a side of sliced avocado (1/3 avocado) and some sliced cherry tomatoes (I'm not avoiding nightshades) and a cup of chrysanthemum green tea with orange peel.
Lunch: big salad with 1/2 can smoked herring, few spoonfuls of kimchi and dressing of olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar and few brazil nuts.
Dinner: bison burger topped with mushrooms and onions and side of sauteed kale (3/4 cup).
Snack/dessert: 1/4 cup thawed raspberries topped with 1/4 cup coconut milk and sprinked with sea salt.

I still need to make bone broth- that will be my weekend project.

As for the non food-related aspects of my program:

-Exercise: I've been walking almost every day. Since I had a number of days with low energy, I didn't push myself to work out, but yesterday, I intermittent fasted (I do condensed window eating) and did a fasted workout with a few sets of two-armed kettlebell swings (with a 25 lb bell), some regular and side planks, the "Cat Vomit" (from The 4 Hour Body) bicep curls (with my 10 lb bell) and pushups.

-Sleep: I've been getting to bed a little earlier (around 11/11:30) but I still want to get to bed around 10.

Over all, I feel lighter, my energy is starting to improve a little, my face is less puffy when I wake up. I've been assured by others who have done Whole30 that your energy usually increases after the second week. I'll be patient!

-Erin

Paleo Challenge: Operation Gut Health

2011-01-04T17:50:00.000-06:00

How are all you Paleo Challengers faring so far?
I'm hanging in there and, other than needing to be a little more organized about meal planning, it's going well. I've not had any dairy, coffee, alcohol or sweeteners (including stevia). I've been able to keep my fruit intake quite low and my veggie intake is up. I'm not doing any starchy veggies (although I still had a little butternut squash to finish on the first day).
There is NO chocolate currently in my house, save for baking cocoa and that's not all that tempting. I'm still trying to cut back on the almond butter and eggs (no eggs today!) and that's been maybe the hardest for me.

I did have some minor sugar cravings the first few days, but nothing that a little sauteed apple with spices (cinnamon, allspice and cardamon) couldn't fix. I also discovered that a few thawed organic frozen strawberries mashed into some thick coconut milk with just a pinch of sea salt is a great low carb paleo dessert.

One thing I've frequently been eating with meals is Sunja's Mild Kimchi, which is great for digestion and repopulating the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract. It's also super yummy.
That brings me to the point of this post: GUT HEALTH.

Leaky WHAT Syndrome??

One of my focuses during this challenge is improving my gut health. Our gut (small and large intestines) houses a huge part of our immune system in the form of beneficial bacteria. We create certain nutrients there, such as vitamin K (integral to the absorption of calcium into the bone matrix). We need good bacteria for the conversion of thyroid hormones. We also absorb nutrients through the gut lining. But what happens when we absorb things through the gut lining that have no business getting through?

Many people have some degree of "Leaky Gut Syndrome", i.e. small intestinal wall permeability and when the protective lining of the gut is compromised, partially digested food molecules and proteins are able to enter the blood stream where they don't belong. Once they're in the blood stream, the immune system goes "WTF??" and decides to attack these "foreign invaders".
When it encounters the same molecules over and over again from frequently eaten foods, it might begin tagging them for attack and this results in food intolerances, sensitivities and poor immune function. If it goes on long enough, autoimmune conditions can result.

So, what causes leaky gut?

Here is a by-no-means comprehensive list:

Antibiotics
Drugs like NSAIDS, antacids and corticosteroids and hormonal birth control
Stress hormones like cortisol
Adrenal fatigue
Diet- sugar/carbohydrate overload, refined foods, chemicals, alcohol, caffeine
Lectins and proteins in GRAINS and GLUTEN
Candida Albicans, fungal infections, bacteria, parasites

So, what am I doing to correct this situation, besides eating a strict, lower carbohydrate Paleo diet for a month? Here's my "battle plan":

Colostrum: a liquid produced by all mammals before the milk production starts, colostrum is what develops the baby's gut lining in the first few days (babies are born with no bacteria in their gut). I've found colostrum to also be a stellar immune builder and safe for those of us with autoimmune issues who have to be careful about other immune building supplements.
I use Symbiotics Lactoferrin capsules.

Seacure: hydrolyzed whitefish protein capsules that contain gut healing peptides. Seacure has been around for decades and is used by aid workers in third world countries to heal children of malnourishment.

Reuteri: Reuteri is a very hardy strain of probiotics that quickly increases the density of intestinal villi. I use Nature's Way Reuteri.

Another great gut-healing supplement is the amino acid L-Glutamine. Not only is it great for leaky guts, it's also great to kill sugar/carb/alcohol cravings (I can personally attest to this!) The dose for leaky gut healing is 2 grams (2000 mg.) 3x/day.

Regularly eating cultured and fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, cultured veggies, kombucha (the low sugar kind) and cultured dairy (if you tolerate it) is a great way to keep your gut healthy.
So, here's to the Paleo Challenge and here's to healthy guts!
-Erin

Pretty in Primal Goes Paleo! (or How I Stopped Eating Butter And Learned to Love The Whole30)

2011-01-01T12:03:00.013-06:00

I'm not good with New Year's resolutions. There. I said it. I hardly ever follow through with them and I'm OK with that. It's good to admit your weaknesses, so you can figure out another way to do things and move forward. Here are some things I know work for me:

-I do better with short-term goals, rather than open-ended ones.

-I do better if I can pinpoint the areas I'm most likely to to sabotage or cop-out in.

-I do better if I'm prepared (mentally and organizationally).

-I do better with the support of others.

With all this in mind, I am embarking on a January Whole30 Paleo experiment (I do better if I call something an "experiment" rather than a "regimen").
I have my support in place (my hubby is doing it with me- LOVE HIM!) and I have a group of online friends who are all doing either Paleo or gluten-free cleanses for January. We'll be swapping recipes and ideas.

I'm prepared for it. I even committed to blogging about it. I'm joining Hunt.Gather.Love and Hunter-Gatherer, among others in the great 2011 Paleo Challenge. There's even a whole group of people on board over at the Mark's Daily Apple forum. It seems like everyone has the same idea.

I'll be blogging all month about the ins and outs of my experiment, so you'll get a bigger look into how I do things. So why am I doing this when I already eat a Primal diet? Here are my reasons and goals for the Whole30:

-I have an autoimmune condition (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) and I want to eliminate all potential immune triggers and give my body a chance to heal even more than it already has. The Hashimoto's was a wakeup call that my body demands more respect and care than I have previously given it. Those of us with these issues often need to go the extra mile and don't have as much wiggle room as others. That being said, healing can increase the wiggle room.

-More energy. It's challenging to have consistent energy levels when your thyroid is being attacked by your immune system! It's been stop and go for me (at least I even HAVE days with energy- that was not always the case!)

-I want to heal my gut lining (major priority for any autoimmune condition!!), so eliminating potentially gut irritating foods is paramount. When I told my holistic doctor that I was going Paleo for January, the first thing he said was "That's a great thing for healing the gut".

-I want better hormonal balance.

-I want to be in better physical shape (don't we all!)

Here is an idea of what my experiment will entail for the next 30 days: [EDIT: this is more restrictive than the regular Whole30 program, as I've adapted it to gut healing and autoimmune balancing. I'm also trying to get keto-adapted again, after the holidays. Please visit Whole30 if you want a less restrictive program!]

Food:
First the "No's":
-No grains or legumes (Duh! But seriously, no little cheats like a couple of organic tortilla chips or a few beans in some chili)
-No dairy, including my beloved butter
-No sweeteners including stevia
-No alcohol (not a big deal as I only occasionally have a little wine)
-No starchy veggies (see next line)
-I'll be eating very minimal fruit (and only low glycemic fruit- no dried or very sweet fruit because I'm trying to get keto-adapted again.)
I'll also be cutting back on eggs and nuts to give my body a break from them. I'm also going to cut way back on caffeine, but I'm not making any promises!

Now the "Mores":
-More grass-fed meat/less high omega 6 meat (like pork, chicken, etc.)
-More variety in animal products like small, oily fish, shellfish, liver, wild game, fish roe, etc.
-More homemade healing broths
-More medicinal teas (I'll be posting healing tonic tea recipes for you all;)
-More leafy greens and veggies at every meal
-More cultured foods like kimchi. I want to start making kombucha again, too.

Fitness:
-regular workout days: 2-3/week. I'll be doing lots of kettlebell and bodyweight stuff. I already walk most days for about 30 min.

Lifestyle:
-Earlier bedtime! Sleep (or lack of) is a big way I sabotage myself!
-Consistent daily qigong. Qigong is an amazing practice for increasing wellbeing, both on a physical and mental level. I know most of you aren't familiar with it, so I'll be posting about it at some point.
-Less time online (I know, I know; more blogging, less computer time? What?? I want my online time to be productive, not wasteful!) Also, I want to make sure I shut the laptop off earlier in the evening, as being online later makes it harder for me to fall asleep.

So, there you have it: the bones of my experiment! Here's to the New Year and to moving onward and upward with health and wellbeing!
Happy New Year!
-Erin
P.S.- 50 points if you caught the Dr. Strangelove reference in the title of this post;)

Christmas Dinner

2010-12-23T21:39:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I thought I'd do a quick post on my Christmas Eve dinner, since I like hearing what others are making and hopefully, you guys are interested in what I'm making. I've never actually had a real Christmas dinner in my adult life, so I'm really looking forward to it. Honestly, I look forward to any excuse to cook a nice dinner and have people over (it forces me to clean my house, heheh.)

I'm not having a big to-do; it's just me, the husband, his mom and my mom (the other PIP sister, Rose, is way up in the Great Frozen North a.k.a Northern Michigan). We're actually supposed to have a white Christmas here in Nashville for the first time in 17 years! Although I don't miss four-ish months of snow like I grew up with in Michigan, I do miss having SOME snow! I hope we get snowed in on Christmas day- it makes being lazy and watching movies and episodes of Mad Men all day seem more justifiable.

So, here's the dinner rundown- I've decided to go kind of traditional English with the main course and dessert.

Starter: pressed walnut-prune rounds (a new item that Trader Joe's just got in) with manchego cheese (my favorite:-) and freshly roasted chestnuts

Salad: mixed greens with walnuts, dried cranberries, sliced fennel bulb, goat chevre and citrus vinaigrette

Main course: roast beef with roasted root veggies (carrots, onions and fingerling potatoes) and Primal Yorkshire Pudding

Dessert: plum puddings with vanilla sauce

My English Christmas soundtrack will be the very English Cambridge Singers. You can't not be in a holiday mood when the Cambridge singers are singing. On Christmas morning, I'm going to make another cherry clafoutis. It smells amazing when it's baking. I think it might become a Christmas tradition for me:)

Hubby and I are going to do Christmas dinner with just us two and he's making a lamb roast and I splurged on a couple of quinces. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but I was inspired by some baked quinces with nuts and whipped cream that I recently had at a Turkish restaurant. Wow, were they good (and not too sweet- the perfect kind of dessert for my diminished sweet tooth!)
I'm not going to cheat and have any gluten free grain-based goodies like I did at Thanksgiving. My health always seems to take a dip if I do that, so it's just not worth it (and gluten is absolutely out of the question, as I'm intolerant). I'm more than content with using almond flour or making fruit desserts and keeping the sugars fairly minimal.

Once January comes, it's Whole30 time for me (which I'll be blogging about for the duration of the month). Who wants to join me??

I hope you all have a very happy (and a very yummy) Christmas! I'd love to hear what you're having;)
-Erin

Yorkshire Pudding (it's Primal, yo!)

2010-12-19T18:12:00.007-06:00

I had a birthday brunch recently for my 33rd birthday and I made the Elana's Pantry clafoutis recipe, with traditional (morello) cherries instead of pears. It was fabulous and everyone devoured it, including my non-Primal, gluten loving friends:) It was almost a like a very eggy bread pudding and the texture lead to a stroke of genius inspiration: I thought "hey, I could totally adapt this recipe into yorkshire pudding!", and so I did!

Yorkshire pudding might not be familiar to a lot of you, but it was one one my favorite foods as a kid. My mom would make the classic British meal of roast beef with yorkshire pudding. Talk about comfort food. I usually requested it for my birthday dinner.

Yorkshire pudding is not sweet, nor is it "pudding", but rather an eggy batter baked (traditionally) in the drippings from roast beef. The batter is quite similar to popover batter, but it's baked in a pan and is a little more dense, but still fluffy, rich, eggy and a little crispy on top. I've aways had a hard time not stuffing my face with it. I have no control around it, it's THAT tasty. I'm not exaggerating.

This version is very close to the real deal; it's not one of those recipes that's a stretch, where you feel like you're "settling". Although it's not quite as tall as the regular version (I may work on that) the basic eggy texture and rich flavor is all there. I haven't tried doubling up the recipe, but that would be one way to make it taller.

It makes a great side dish for all kinds of food and it's perfect for when you want something bread-y and warm. It also happens to be an efficient way to up your healthy saturated fat consumption and uses ingredients that are probably already in most Primal cooks' kitchens, so it's convenient to make on a whim.

So, without further adieu, here is my ridiculously easy recipe for grain/gluten-free Primal Yorkshire Pudding:

Preheat the oven to 325º
Beat well together:
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cream
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup almond flour
1 TB coconut flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Pour into a greased casserole or 8x8 pan (you could melt beef drippings in the bottom of the pan to make it really authentic)
Bake for 45 min. or until a knife comes out clean when pierced in the center.

Go ahead- stuff your face!! I won't tell (because my own mouth will probably be too full to say anything...)
-Erin

If It's Not Wheat Intolerance...

2010-11-26T13:29:00.001-06:00

We sisters love British humor. How about some Primal British humor? This is brilliant:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T18:07:00.005-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It's been about a year since I really got into "Primal" eating and living and I am endlessly thankful that I did! It was a long road getting here, through years of all kinds of diets and nutrition styles, from classic vegetarian, to mostly macrobiotic, to raw vegan to omnivore and then to Primal. It's been so nice to try something and finally get results. My health isn't perfect, but it's vastly closer to perfect than it's been in my adult life. That's such a big deal to me!

I'm thankful I found such a big piece of the puzzle and that the piece turned out to be something easy and even, dare I say, fun? I've regained my love of cooking (now that I actually have the energy to cook;)

Right now, I'm in the kitchen, listening to Luxuria Music (best music ever for cooking up a storm) and taking a procrastination break now that I've just finished my cranberry apricot sauce.
Next up, I'm going to make a hazelnut-pecan crusted Primal pumpkin pie. I'll be using the recipe from This Primal Life as my touchstone but I'm going for a hazelnut/pecan crust instead of almond flour. I may or may not be drooling, just thinking about it (take a guess which!)

Tomorrow, hubby is on turkey duty. It's nice eating turkey after 16 years of no meat. Bring on the bird and the gravy!

I'm so thankful to have a number of Primal and Primal-friendly friends and family members, so I'm especially looking forward to this meal, which will have all kinds of goodies that I can eat and not suffer from, with the exception of the inevitable carbohydrate coma I'll be in. But, hey, it's Thanksgiving. There's NO way I'm staying lower carb! Not even going to try! I'll go back to being a good girl after the holiday.

I hope everyone of you enjoys the holiday and all that you have to be thankful for, even if it's just one little thing. One little thing is better than nothing!

-Erin

Sweet Potato Fries

2010-11-19T13:11:00.000-06:00

I am such a sucker for orange veggies (with the exception of carrots!). I have so much fun in the fall with sweet potatoes and winter squashes. Right now my carbohydrate intake is a little higher than normal because of these yummies, but I want to take advantage of seasonal food and I believe that there is wisdom in eating with the seasons.

I recently learned that what we call "yams" in our grocery stores, are actually sweet potato varieties and real yams are hard to come by unless you get them at an Asian or Caribbean market (you just KNOW I'm going to try to find some, now!)
Mark's Daily Apple recently posted on this difference, and though I was a little bummed to find out I've probably never had a real yam, I'm looking forward to trying to fine one. I like a food challenge.

I've been making a lot of sweet potato fries because they're so easy. I get the pre-cut fries from Trader Joe's, but you could also take a little time and chop up a bunch of fries to make throughout the week. It's way less work that way and you have them in the fridge, waiting to be baked.

There's quite a lot of variety to be had in baking fries and here are some ideas:
Cinnamon
Garlic granules (not garlic powder. Big difference!) Yes, garlic granules are really yummy on sweet potato fries; just use a light hand!
Garam Masala
Chinese Five Spice
For spicy fries, my special blend of garlic granules, paprika, and cayenne and salt. Not TOO much cayenne, now!

PS- they're really nice to eat with breakfast/brunch, too!

Sweet Potato Fries

Heat oven to 400º
Mix fries with melted coconut or palm oil (use only organic palm oil) and salt/spices
Bake for 12-15 minutes

These will not be really crispy, but more soft with crispy bits, just like the picture above. I love this texture.

See how easy it is? You're going to want to make them all the time;)
Eat up!
-Erin

Perfect Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-27T10:53:00.000-05:00

I've been on such a pumpkin kick lately. I've made pumpkin custard, pumpkin cookies (don't worry- I'll be providing recipes for those, too!) and, this morning, pumpkin pancakes. I'm surprised I haven't made pumpkin soup yet. Pumpkin is so nutritious; It really ups the nutrient density of whatever you add it to.

When I decided to make the pancakes, I decided to go more Paleo with the ingredients, so no dairy in this recipe. They turned out nicely! Knowing me, I'll probably keep tweaking, but i made myself write down the proportions (for once), so here is my recipe:

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

2 lg eggs
2 TB coconut flour
2-3 TBs pumpkin
1 TB coconut milk
pinch of salt
pinch of something sweet (I used stevia)
spices to taste: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, etc.

If the pancakes fall apart when you cook them, add an extra egg white to help bind them.

I cooked mine in coconut oil and I indulged and drizzled a tiny bit of grade B maple syrup. You could also top with cinnamon-coconut cream, apple butter, sauteed apples or whipped cream if you want to go more Primal;)

Enjoy!
-Erin

Creamy, Chunky, Cauliflower-Bacon Soup!

2010-09-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I'm something of a "soupmeister". I love soup and I make great soup! It's one of my absolute favorite things to make (and eat!) Although I've had to retire some of my old favorite recipes, such as provençal chickpea and fennel stew or white bean and kale soup, it gives me a great excuse to come up with new recipes!

Tonight, I came up with a particularly winning and easy one: Cauliflower-Bacon with Italian Parsley.

As per usual, I didn't do anything in an exacting manner (I like "free-form" measurements) but here is the basic outline so that you can enjoy a nice bowl of creamy, chunky soup on a chilly autumn evening.

-1 large cauliflower, steamed
-1 small onion, minced and sautéed
-2 or more strips of good quality bacon, cooked and chopped
-liquid to thin the soup- cream, chicken stock, water or even coconut milk will do. If you use water or stock, I suggest adding a bit of butter to add more fat.
-chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (as much as you like- I like a lot!)
- salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
-optional but awesome: smoked paprika, to taste

Put half of the cauliflower in the blender with the onions and add enough of your chosen liquids to reach desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. After the base is blended, add bacon, parsley and the other half of the cauliflower (chopped up) and season with the paprika to taste.

This soup is flexible. You could blend all the cauliflower to make it creamier. You could add a bit of sharp cheese like pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano. You could leave out the bacon and paprika and use caraway seeds. You could add broccoli and cheddar. Lots of fun possibilities, so pimp your soup!

Enjoy!
-Erin

U.P. North

2010-09-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water

I'm in the midst of an end-of-summer vacation to me and Rose's home state of Michigan. Rose and I both live in the South, but our hearts remain firmly planted in Northern Michigan.

My hubby and I try to take a trip up to Traverse City in the "little finger" of the Mitten State every summer to see friends and family and this little-known part of the country is a true paradise! Gorgeous beaches, lakes, woods, wine country, farmer's markets and locavore restaurants. It's also the "Cherry Capital of the World" and a great fruit growing region. Heck yeah.

This year we decided to take a trip up to the Upper Peninsula (or the "U.P." as we Michiganders call it) this time, as I had never really explored that far north. It's a sparsely populated wilderness and water wonderland. I have to say that eating Primally in the land of deep-fried whitefish and pasties was not so easy, so I did my best (and ended up with a much starchier diet than my usual- still strictly gluten-free, though!) but I'm glad to be back in civilization, where I can go to the farmer's market or the co-op and get "normal" food;-) They have great organic farms, meat markets and a local bison herd, so I feel right at home in Traverse City.

Some of the highlights of the U.P. trip were:

Taking a sunset cruise around the stunning Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior, in Munising. Although I grew up on Lake Michigan, I had never been to Lake Superior, the largest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes.

finally seeing the upper and lower Tahquemenon Falls, which are the second largest falls east of the Mississippi, and are featured in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem "The Song of Hiawatha": "by the rushing Tahquamenaw" Hiawatha built his canoe.

visiting the charming, historic town of Marquette and nearby Presque Isle Park. It was ridiculously windy on Lake Superior that day!

and floating on a little self guided platform on the otherworldly Kitch-iti-kipi Big Spring. It was out of our way but very much worth the trip! The water is jade green and super clear (not to mention freezing- only 45º! Brrr.)

It really feels like the end of summer and I can already feel the change of seasons beginning up here in N. MI, but it will still be summer in TN when I get back home.

-Erin

My Big Fat Diet!

2010-08-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

So, it's been H-O-T lately!

I'm blaming the heat and my Medical Qigong course finals for my lack of attention to this blog (as of tomorrow, I will have obtained the credentials of Medical Qigong Practitioner and the right to use the initials M.Q.P. behind my name if I feel like it;)

Despite my busyness and laziness, I couldn't resist doing a quick post on something really cool that makes me very excited: the documentary "My Big Fat Diet"!

The Namgis First Nation, who live off the coast of Vancouver Island, BC decided that they were sick of being sick, so they did something about it and that something was returning to their original tribal diet, which includes no sugar or grains, for a year and they documented the whole ordeal.

Native Americans are 2.6 times more likely to have diabetes than Whites of the same age groups and have the highest diabetes rates among all ethnic groups in North America.

First Nations peoples are more likely to succumb to the metabolic effects (obesity, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease) of excess carbohydrates in their diets, especially in the form of refined sugar and grain, because many of these tribes did not have access to this food until fairly recently in their histories, so you can see why it's such a big deal for the Namgis Tribe to re-embrace their native diet.

I look forward to watching this documentary. Here is a snippet of the Chief's challenge to other First Nations communities:

I hope everyone is having a great summer! I think I'll go do one that most Primal of activities-which I feel is highly underrated- NAP! Ooh- maybe my next blog post will expound on the numerous and myriad benefits of naps...

Anyway, I'm off to nap for a bit so my brain can switch back into study mode. I have a test to finish!

-Erin

2010-08-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

Rose and I have been lazy bloggers lately!

Summer trips, wanting to be outside instead of inside blogging, sheer laziness. Heh. You get the picture.

Lately, I've been wanting quick meals that require minimal time and imagination. I've been making a lot of lovely salads, using a lot of herbs from my herb garden and eating a lot of quick to cook meats that don't require me to turn on the oven or even carefully tend to it over the stove.

If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll fire up the grill, but mostly, I just want to throw something in a pan to cook while I'm assembling a big salad.

For whatever reason, I tend to gravitate toward big game -type red meat. In fact, when I started eating meat after 16 years of eschewing it, I went right for the biggest of the big: bison!

Right now, I'm in love with Pederson's Wenzel bison sausage. They come in a variety of flavors (the Discovery green chili smoked sausage is one of my very favorites) and are made from bison raised humanly in an environmentally conscious manner and without hormones or antibiotics. They are gluten, preservative and nitrate free. I purchase mine at Whole Foods.

I like the fact that they also have a decent amount of grass-fed, healthy saturated fat (bison products can be quite lean) and protein in just one link. More bang for your buck! They are also great for breakfast, as an alternative to regular sausage, because they're not as big as other sausages and brats tend to be. I've made some delicious egg scrambles with them.

Anything to make meals simple while still nutritious and palate-pleasing gets a big gold star from me!

-Erin

Primal Pasta?

2010-07-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

When people ask me about my diet and they hear that I don't eat grains, that's when the slightly horrified (or not so slightly horrified) looks register on their faces and they exclaim "I could never give up grains/bread/pasta etc."

Well, I was just as into my grains as anyone, so it's doable, people! Further into this article, I am going to show you that it's not a spartan lifestyle of white-knuckled deprivation. I love food too much to live like that (but I also love my good health enough to make some adjustments!)

Why are grains worth cutting from your diet? As humans, we haven't been eating them for all that long and the mineral-depleting antinutrients, as well as starches and gluten they contain can function as troublemakers in our bodies.

Some things are obvious: Celiac disease, Crohn's Disease, IBS, etc. Some are less obvious: GERD, skin issues like eczema and acne, inflammation in joints and other parts of the body (I discovered that my excruciating monthly symptoms of cramps and IBS just up and disappeared
after cutting the grains from my diet) and even mental/emotional symptoms like anxiety can all be rooted in grain and gluten consumption. Here's a little more info on why grains aren't so awesome for us and here's a great article on how to quit them.

Now, on to the fun stuff: Pasta!

Are Primal and pasta mutually exclusive? No! Am I going to give you recipes for spiralized zucchini and tell you to pretend it's pasta (Rose likes zucchini "pasta" but I'm not a fan)? HECK NO! I'm going to give you a decent spaghetti alternative from a land far, far away: Japan! Meet the wonderful shirataki noodle!

Shiratake noodles are made from a tuber called konjac root (also called "yam" or "elephant yam"- not to be confused with regular yams. There is also a different version made with soy called "tofu shiratke". I don't use that form.) and they have nearly zero calories and carbohydrates. They also have no taste, so they can be used in a wide variety of dishes. I simply rinse off the sea-weedy smelling water they come packed in and boil them for a bit in generously salted water or broth to infuse them with a bit of flavor.

Shiratake can be found in the Japanese section of any Asian grocer and will be refrigerated. Some brands have a softer texture than others, which I prefer (shiratake can be a bit "springy" feeling when you eat it), so experiment with different brands to find your favorite.

While I don't have specific recipes to give you, I'll tell you about the two dishes pictured. The top pic is bison marinara- I used a low sugar organic marinara sauce (since I'm too lazy to make my own!) and added lots of ground bison and grated parmigiano reggiano (one of the world's great cheeses and not to be confused with parmesan!) Since the noodles themselves have almost no calories, it's important that the toppings are more calorically dense and nutrient rich.

The dish pictured below is pasta with an asiago cream sauce, sauteed morels and ramps, asparagus and baked salmon. It would also be wonderful with other veggies (summer squash, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, etc).

Shiratake is fantastic in Asian noodle soups (it was made for this purpose and can be found in sukiyaki in Japanese restaurants.) and in Asian noodle dishes. I also pulse it in a food processor to "rice" it and serve with Thai coconut milk-based curries. It's great like that and my husband was pretty impressed with it!

I hope this opens up a whole new world of pasta possibilities for everyone. Mangia, mangia!!

-Erin

Big Fat Lies

2010-06-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean..." According to conventional dietary wisdom, Jack is doing things right and his wife is in for a WHOLE lot of trouble! But what if the reality of it was nearly opposite of what we've been told all these years?

Here is a little clip from the documentary "Fat Head" which is like the high-fat/low carb counterpart to "Super-Size Me". It takes to task the idea that dietary fat is the root of all evil (a.k.a the "Lipid Hypothesis"); that it causes obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, etc.
It's based upon the book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes and the ground-breaking work of physicians like Dr's Mike and Mary Dan Eades. Many researchers and doctors are finding out that it's the carbs, not the fats that are the real root of so many woes!

It's eye opening to see the flawed data upon which our fear of dietary fat (especially saturated fat) is based on:

For more info on fat, read this excellent article by Mary Enig, PhD. (one of the preeminent experts on the biochemisrty of fats) and Sally Fallon, of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Deep Thoughts

2010-06-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

"Here's a thought... If you try to break the natural law of gravity by leaping off your roof will the outcome be a good one?.......if you continue to take medications that inhibit (or break) the natural laws of your body, while not feeding it what it needs,will the outcome be a good one?....You cannot break natural laws without them breaking you." -Dr. Tom McKay

Lazy Sunday Night

2010-06-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Last night I felt LAZY. I earned my laziness though with an ambitious morning that started at 4:30am (I didn't mean to wake up that early!). By early afternoon it was catching up with me and I decided to take a nap. Four hours later I woke up hungry realizing all I had eaten was a spoonful of pepita butter in the morning. I looked into my near empty fridge, some zucchini bread my brother had brought home smirking at me from on top of the fridge.
Just then I spotted some summer squash a friend had brought over from his garden. I opened the freezer and found the last part of a bag of shrimp. The laziest dinner ever was born! Here's what I did:
2 small summer squash sliced
1 small green onion diced
1 cup frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 T coconut oil
2 T Jamaican jerk seasoning

Heat oil in pan and sautee squash and onion, add Jamaican jerk spice and toss, throw in shrimp and toss again, heating shrimp just for a minute. Voila! Laziest dinner ever! ~Rose

Pepita Butter

2010-06-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a busy wonderful day. I started a new batch of Kombucha (more posting on that later), some sprouts, and after seeing my jar of almond butter nearly empty, I decided to try my hand at making my own.
I hardly have any almonds in my pantry right now but there is an abundance of raw pepitas, or Mexican pumpkin seeds. For the first time in five years of owning it, I put the blank plate on my champion juicer and had at it! A handful of seeds, then a little olive oil, smoosh! Repeat. When I had put in about 3 cups or so, I added a little salt and stevia, then ran the pepita butter through the juicer once more for a smoother texture. I ate a spoonful of the warm pepita butter to make sure it was good and it certainly was!
Into the fridge it went and this morning I pulled some out to smear on an apple. It is even better now that it had a chance to sit. So much easier than I thought it would be-I am definitely going to start making my own nut and seed butters. You can't beat saving money, a trip to the grocery store and the freshness and quality of making your own.
All you need is a juicer with a blank plate insert (used instead of the usual screen) or food processor, 1-4 cups seeds or nuts of your choice, good quality cold pressed (or virgin) oil (I used evoo) and a container that seals. Alternating between 1/4-1/2 cup seeds or nuts and 1 teaspoon of oil at a time, grinding to your desired consistency. If needed, salt or sweeten to your liking and enjoy!
~Rose

U.S. Wellness Meats giveaway!

2010-05-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

There was a time when Rose and I were both vegetarians.

I was mostly vegetarian (with very minimal, occasional fish) for over 15 years. I believed it was better for my body and the Earth. The "better for my body" thing didn't really pan out, and as I was researching animal foods and ancestral diets, I learned that the "better for the Earth" part didn't pan out, either (see Lierre Keith's excellent book "The Vegetarian Myth" for an in-depth look at human health and agricultural myths).

This was really freeing to me in my transition from vegetarian meat-eating guilt to omnivore acceptance. But even as an omnivore, I am still very concerned about the source and quality of the animal products I consume.

The source of our animal foods these days is more important than ever. Conventional animal products can have high amounts of pesticide and antibiotic residues, growth hormones and unhealthy fatty acid ratios due to grain/corn/soy feed.

I buy mostly local, pastured meat, eggs and some dairy but not everyone has access to these foods in their area.

In the age of the Internet, there are some great non-local options. Enter U.S. Wellness Meats, an online retailer with a wide variety of pastured meat, sustainably sourced wild seafood, pastured butter and raw cheese, among other things.

Until May 31st, you have the chance to win an $85 gift certificate to the site! You can enter here.

Good luck and good health!

-Erin

Overwhelmed by food allergies? Don't know where to start?

2010-05-22T11:38:00.001-05:00

I am fortunate to be able to eat most Primal and Paleo foods with no issues (I do have to watch it with the cow's milk dairy) but others are not so lucky.

Some have egg and/or dairy intolerances, some cannot eat any sugars other than simple saccharides without digestive and other issues. Some people are sensitive to nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, spinach, potatoes, eggplant, etc) or to nuts.

So, what do you do when your sensitivities are ganging up on you or you are clueless in the kitchen or can't find the time or inspiration to make interesting meals that work with your limited diet? No need to fear; the Heart of Cooking is here!

Sarah Schatz, a personal chef who specializes in special diets, has come up with an ingenious service: Heart of Cooking, which is a monthly menu subscription service.

You can choose from a wide variety of highly specialized menu plans including a GAPS/Paleo/Elimination diet plan (there is even an egg-free version of said plan!)

If you or anyone you know has serious digestive issues like Celiac, Crohn's Disease or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or has children with Autism Spectrum issues, the GAPS diet is really worth checking out. If you're already on a gluten-free diet, it's worth checking out. It goes way beyond gluten-free and aims to heal the damage done to the gut. It's also great for people suffering from migraines, mood disorders and a whole plethora of symptoms.

You can get a free week of the meat/seafood menu planner here. I'm definitely going to take advantage of that! Heart of Cooking also has a blog full of great recipes and information, so make sure to check it out.

How lucky we are to live in the Information Age, where people are so easily able to reach out and help each other through technology and where the click of a computer key can make our lives vastly easier!

-Erin

Sorrel!

2010-05-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of obsessed with sorrel, right now. I've always seen it listed in my herbal medicine books but I've never seen it in person- until I found some at the farmer's market last weekend. It was love at first bite!

Sorrel looks a bit like mature spinach but with a smoother texture and a completely different taste. It's tart and lemony. The only thing I've eaten that tastes like it are shamrock leaves and flowers (which are very tasty, by the way.)

I haven't experimented with it in recipes yet, as I love it simply chopped with a dollop of greek yogurt and some sea salt. Red peppers or tomatoes would be nice, too (maybe not for you nightshade- avoiding Paleo die-hards, though!) For lunch today, I had the aforementioned salad with some chicken sausage and a handful of raw hazelnuts. Very European of me!

Here is a yummy looking sorrel salad recipe.

-Erin

Woodland goodies

2010-05-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd drop in to say "hello" for our little blog's inauguration. And I might as well mention this evening's food finds:

I had a little fun at Whole Foods tonight and splurged on some woodland goodies, namely morel mushrooms and ramps. What are ramps, you ask? They are tiny little wild leeks. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but I'll figure something out. I'm a sucker for anything found growing in the woods. Fiddleheads, mushrooms, onions, berries, greens (I'd probably eat lichen if it were edible/palatable!)

The morels, however, I have big plans for. Plans that involve butter, a cream sauce and asparagus. And possibly ramps...

I'll keep you posted.

-Erin

Prim and Primal

2010-05-17T20:59:00.002-05:00

Hi! Rose here. I wasn't sure what to write for our 1st blog post. I've been on a creative cooking whirlwind all weekend and had envisioned posting some great primal recipes alongside mouth watering photos....but now it's Monday. Now I'm tired after cleaning the house all weekend for a visit from my Mother in law. I had a lazy dinner, leftover (crustless) quiche, a salad, and I whipped up a low carb low sugar dessert with some blueberries for my husband and I.
It got me thinking about a primal cheesecake....which I know by some standards isn't really primal to begin with, but come on-cheesecake! Let's bend the rules here a little bit ;) Using lemon juice, stevia, riccotta and blueberries tonight was a lot like a crustless blueberry cheesecake dessert. I started looking up primal cheesecake recipes and decided that I will just have to take on this adventure myself, create my own best dessert and mainly see what happens! Shooting for my next post to share this experiment-in the mean time, I will leave you with some nice recipes I found on my quest.

Cheesecake Bars
Primal Strawberry Cheesecake
Almond Butter No-Bake Cheesecake w/ Brazil Nut Crust
Berry Cheesecake