The Master Key of Maintaining Health is Alkalinity

 



The very definition of "diet" means to restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight. Many times we go on a "diet" with the intention of eventually going off of it to get back to normal eating. But in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we have to change the mindset where eating well is only temporary.

After going through a 21 day juice fast of eating one healthy meal and juicing breakfast and dinner, I felt so fantastic that I realized most of my health ailments were food related. The culprits were gluten, dairy, caffeine, sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, preservatives, and GMOs. The difference was like night and day. One slip up and the ailments were back. Then I found out about pH balance - acidosis vs. alkalinity - and this has become my key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

 

Some days when I feel off (because of cross contamination at a restaurant or from not having enough leafy greens), I test my pH balance with a litmus strip and find that my blood pH is pretty low.  Our bodies continually strive to be at a pH balance of 7.35; it knows we must remain there to survivie. But the Standard American Diet is far from alkaline with its emphasis on meat, bread, dairy and sugar, which are all acidic. How can we counter this acidity? For one thing, we must be aware of what we should be eating, and then be prepared ahead so we don't fall into the habit of "grabbing a bite". This can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan. Think of your plate as 70% alkaline foods and 30% acid foods, instead of the other way around.

 

For me, the key is alkalinity. If 70% of what I eat is alkaline, that pretty much dictates what kinds of things I can eat. In my old way of thinking I would plan meals around my protein and starch, and then throw in a little vegetable to round it out. Unfortunately, proteins and starches usually consist of the acidic foods, whereas the vegetables and fruits are the alkaline ones. This meant I had to re-think the way I planned my meals. Now I plan mostly vegetable meals and add in a little protein and starch. According to the USDA, a person of my age and gender only needs 50 grams of protein a day. I had it backwards. Now when I look at my "plate", I want to see 70% of it vegetable and a little fruit, 15% protein (meat, fish, beans, or nuts), and 15% starch (rice, potato, pasta). This took some getting used to; but since I love to cook, it's been a fun challenge. One difficulty has been changing my lunches to consist of something other than a sandwich. I think I've been eating a sandwich for lunch my whole life. That was a hard habit to break. It's just so convenient. Now I prepare an alkaline lunch enough for two or three days so it's all ready, otherwise I just want to "grab" whatever's convenient - and that's not usually alkaline. I have a chart posted in my kitchen to remind me of what to keep on hand. According to the Happy Herbalist these are some of the alkaline and acidic foods to keep in mind. http://www.happyherbalist.com/alkaline_acid_balance.htm

 

Highly Alkaline

Beans String, Banana speckled, Dandelion greens, Dates, Figs, Prune, Raisins, Swiss Chard.

High Alkaline

Almonds, Avocado, Banana-Yellow, Bean Fresh, Beet, Blackberries, Carrot, Chives, Cranberries, Endive, Grapes Sour, Kale, Peach dried (org), Persimmon, Pomegranate, Plum, Raspberries (org), Spinach.
Neutral Oils

Cold Pressed, Expeller Pressed, Almond, Avocado, Coconut, Linseed, Olive, Safflower, Sesame, Sunflower, Walnut.
Alkaline

Agar, Alfalfa (org), Apple & Fresh Apple Cider (org), Apricot fresh, Artichokes globe, Bamboo shoots, Bean snap, Beans sprouted, Berries most (org), Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Chestnuts, Chicory, Coconut Milk, Collards, Corn fresh and sweet (org), Cucumbers (org), Daikon, Eggplant, Escarole, Garlic, Ginger root, Gooseberry, Grapefruit, Guava, Horseradish fresh and raw, Kelp, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lemon and Peel, Lettuce, Lime, Loganberry, Mango, Melons, Milk raw, Acidophilus Yogurt, Whey.

Highly Acid

Alcohol, Artichoke root, Barley, Bread, Buckwheat, Caffeine, Coffee, Corn, Custards, Drugs, Flour-all, Ginger preserved, Honey, Lentil dry, Mate, Millet, Oatmeal, Peanuts, Rice-all, Rye Grain, Soy Bread, Soy noodles, Sorghum, grain, Spaghetti and other Pasta, Beet Sugar, Sugar Cane, raw beet, Tobacco, Walnut (English), Wheat grain.

Acid

Asparagus, Beans dried, Cashews, Coconut dried, Cranberry Juice and concentrate, Egg yolk, Filbert, Fruit Jellies (Jams Canned, Sulphured, Sugared, Dried), Grapes Sweet, Pasteurized Milk Products, Dry Peas, Pecans, Plums Damson, Tofu fries, Water-chestnuts.
Acid Fats

Butter, Cream, Margarine, Lard.
 

According to Webster's Dictionary, "Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one being conscious about them".

During the 21 day juice fast I was able to establish some good habits and break some bad ones. Now when I get up in the morning and grab a lemon to squeeze into a glass of spring water, I realize I've formed a habit - one that I want to keep. Other habits I want to keep are to juice once a day, continue exercising, continue to plan out weekly meals, package juice ingredients, keep healthy snacks in my car so I don't have to use a "drive through", and spend a good part of one day prepping food - like making homemade stock, or cooking quinoa for the week.

But there are also habits I used to have which I want to break and lose for good. Things like drinking coffee every morning. I've substituted the "hands wrapped around a mug" with hot tea instead. Needing starch or bread at every meal is gone as well as a daily or weekly dessert. I've substituted the need for chips and a sandwich, with carrots and hummus and a collard wrap. The more I eliminate breads and sugary foods altogether, the easier they are to resist. I get my sweet fix now from fresh and dried fruit. While all these changes did not happen overnight, they are all helping to keep my blood pH alkaline. Now when I'm feeling "off" and I check my lipmus paper, I know exactly what foods to eat to get back on track.

A few foods to add to your weekly regime could be: quinoa with cooked broccoli and slivered almonds; quinoa with sauteed zucchini, onions and garlic; or apple waldorf salad over baby kale with a lemon, honey and oil dressing. Fresh fruit, almonds, and dates are great snacks, as well as celery with almond butter and raisins (ants on a log) or almond butter on apple slices.

For breakfast, try using almond milk instead of cow's milk - there's a wide range of different brands and flavors. Also, if you eat oatmeal, try mixing it in with quinoa and then add raisins, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and grated apple or pomegranate seeds.

The more alkaline you become, the better you'll feel and the more your body will be able to ward off disease, from the common cold to cancer. Why not go ahead and try it. You're worth it, you know.
 

Here's an alkaline recipe adapted from Bon Appetit to get you started:

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large English cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Bring quinoa, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, for 5 minutes to evaporate out all of the water. Spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradulaly whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

When quinoa is cool, transfer to a large bowl; mix in half of the dressing.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over and stir. Serve on a bed of fresh baby spinach.

Happy alkalizing.

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/06/quinoa-tabbouleh#ixzz1ve9spZpO

 

How to Stay Healthy in a Toxic World

 

Over the past decade or two I've noticed disturbing changes in our world, mainly that cancer has become an epidemic. I think, by now, most of us realize that the causes are largely due to the changes in our world. We have become a society dependant on chemicals. We not only deal with smog and pollution and car exhaust; but everything we eat or touch has been made to look better, feel better, smell better, taste better, grow better and last longer - with chemicals. This is true not only with our household cleaners, detergents, soaps and pesticides, lotions, perfumes, makeup, hair dyes and deodorants; but it has also crept into our food supply. We are toxic.

 

Changes have occurred slowly over years to accommodate the needs of our fast-paced society. More and more families not only need both parents (or the only parent) to work outside the home; but we live in the fast lane with multiple activities for ourselves and each of our children; which means there's not enough time to cook. So food companies have stepped up and provided more convenient foods to meet the need. Families are thankful and relieved. Over time, however, this convenience went from occasional to routine. What was meant to lighten the load once or twice a week has become the daily norm. What we're left with is processed packaged food that sits on shelves - in boxes, tubes, cans, jars, and bags - with weakened nutrients being ingested three times a day and loaded with hydrogenated fats, salt, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives - all chemicals, much of which our bodies do not recognize. These chemicals have created an acidic monster; one which needs to be dealt with if we are ever to recover from "chronicity".

 

After years of this abuse, our bodies get their fill and the revolt begins - we become chronically ill. So we go to doctors and they prescribe, you guessed it, more chemicals. Unfortunately because so many of the illnesses are deemed chronic, pills don't actually cure anything, they relieve symptoms. And nine times out of ten, they cause side effects which require another prescription. And so on it goes. "According to the Kaiser Family Foundation...the number of prescriptions filled each year increased by 39% between 1999 and 2009...The average American fills 12 prescriptions each year." http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/31/med.nation.too.many.meds/index.html.  We're overdosing on toxic chemicals and our bodies can't keep up.

 

So what can we do?

For one thing, we can become more informed.
A year ago when my chronic pain led the doctors to prescribe drugs and surgery, I opted to find an alternative solution. I started researching. Books such as "Clean", by Dr. Alejandro Junger; www.cleanprogram.com  "The Blood Sugar Solution", by Dr. Mark Hyman www.bloodsugarsolution.com ; "Minding My Midochondria", by Dr. Terry Wahls http://www.terrywahls.com/eating-the-wahls-way; and "The Gerson Miracle", by Charlotte Gerson www.gersoninstitute.com were invaluable.

I also started watching all the food documentaries I could get my hands on; such movies as "Hungry For Change" http://www.hungryforchange.tv/, "Forks Over Knives" www.forksoverknives.com, "The Gerson Miracle" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbIixJI_oa4, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/, and "Food Matters" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss, to name a few. Ingesting this kind of information began to open my eyes and I began to realize that I was the cause of my own illness. My body had been accumulating toxins for decades. The good news was, if I could cause the problem then I could also bring about the solution.

The second thing we can do to bring about change is to start making different choices wherever we can. After reading these books and watching these movies I knew I couldn't continue with the status quo. I had to make changes. I began by detoxing my body with the "Clean" diet (Junger). Because I was experiencing such amazing results after 21 days, I decided to continue with the diet a couple more months. During that time I learned, through the elimination diet, that I was gluten intolerant and dairy intolerant. This caused me to drastically change my eating habits which helped me drop 50 pounds. Because I wanted the changes to be permanent I investigated different places I could go out to eat which met my new standards. A few I found were, Six Main in Chester,  CT www.sixmain.com; GZen in Branford, CT www.g-zen.com; Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, CT www.clairescornercopia.com ; Nature's Grocer and Cafe in Vernon, CT www.naturesgrocervernon.com ; and Fire and Spice in Hartford, CT www.firenspiceveganrestaurant.com . As you can see, one healthy change leads to another and another. But you must take that first step.

The last thing you can do to stay healthy in a toxic world is to begin where you are. Everyone is in a different place on this health journey. Don't look at someone else and say, "I could never do that". Find out what you can do, and start there. For you, maybe it means cutting out all high fructose corn syrup, or cutting down desserts to once a week, or maybe substituting cows milk with almond milk. Perhaps for you it means dusting off that elliptical or finding a walking buddy. No matter where you are on your health journey, it's important to keep moving forward. Don't let the busyness of life swallow up your health. You're worth taking care of.

Cleanse. How To Begin

 

According to Dr. Junger in his book, Clean, it is important to take a few days to get ready for the cleanse by eliminating the foods not allowed during the detox. This makes it easier to ease into the new way of eating for 21 days and tends to allow for more success. It also helps to relieve the possible withdrawal symptoms you may experience during the elimination and keep it separate from the rigors of the juice detox.

 

So now we're ready for Day 1 of the Detox.

 

This morning I took half a lemon and squeezed the juice into a glass of Spring water and drank it with my daily supplements. For starters I take a probiotic, a liver support (milk thistle), a One a Day, and an Omega 3. Dr. Junger has a regime of supplements he recommends in his book. Each person has to decide for themselves what is important and doable for their budget.

Because I'm used to sitting with a cup of coffee each morning, it is necessary for me to substitute a cup of herbal tea for this morning routine. I chose Smooth Move Tea by Traditional Medicinals since it helps to keep me regular, which is very important during the detox.

Last but not least, of course, is the juice itself. I use the Breville Juicer which Dr. Junger also recommends because it was more in my price range. There are better juicers to purchase if your budget so allows. My juice this morning is (for 2 servings) made up of organic vegetables and fruits:

10 carrots, scrubbed

1 large cucumber

1/2 lemon (with peel and rind)

1 green apple

1 Gala apple

3-4 stalks celery

1 small beet, with it's leaves

Because I use a Breville juicer (centrifugal $150-$200), I drink the juice within 30 minutes. I do not save this over for the evening meal. You can save it, however, if you purchase a masticating juicer ($350-$400) which keeps the nutrients intact longer.

Exercise and sweating is also very important during the detox to help get rid of toxins. However, it's important not to overdo. We have an elliptical which I use each morning. I go at a moderate pace for 40-50 minutes.

On the weekend, I was able to plan my meals and shop for ingredients. The more you plan and prepare the easier it is to follow through with your goals. One of the recipes I chose to make for my lunches called Quinoa Fennel Pomegranate Salad. It makes 4 servings which feeds both my husband and I for 2 days of lunches. I have adjusted some of the ingredients to make it "Clean" friendly.

Quinoa Fennel Pomegranate Salad

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine January 2012 issue

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

1 med fennel bulb, cut lengthwise into 1/4" slices

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

The juice of one fresh lemon

1 1/2 ground cumin (I didn't put this in since I don't care for the flavor)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

Seeds from 1 small pomegranate

Bring quinoa and 3 cups of water or vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes. Uncover and let sit 15 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is just tender and lightly golden, 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut the pomegranate in half and, using a large spoon over a deep bowl, whack the pomegranate numerous times to release the seeds.

Add fennel mixture, chopped herbs, and pomegranate seeds to the quinoa and toss gently to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

This can be eaten hot or cold. I eat it over a large bed of spinach which incorporates more of an 80%/20% ratio of alkaline to acidic ingredients.

Before eating my lunch, I take a digest pill which helps to push things through the digestive tract.

In the afternoon I get quite hungry so I plan for a few snacks. You may have an extra juice again of course; but if you're looking to chew on something, a few almonds, cashews, or walnuts are a great snack as well as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. It is best to eat your seeds and nuts raw, unroasted and unsalted since cooking them destroys the digestive enzymes, which you especially need during the detox. I also enjoy almond butter on celery or rice cakes. Another thing I do is to keep drinking lots of herbal tea without milk or sugar. This and drinking plenty of filtered water tends to ward off hunger pains as well.

I try not to have a soup every night since the body still has to digest it slightly, but it is good to substitute for the juice on occasion for variety. So for dinner tonight I made a pureed butternut squash soup. (Serves 6)

Butternut Squash Soup

2 pounds butternut chunks

1 large onion

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

32 ounces vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade (see an earlier post)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 green apples, chopped

Salt and pepper

Toss the first five ingredients with the oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for an hour, or until all vegetables are soft.

Place stock, apples and spices in a blender and add roasted vegetables. Blend until very smooth. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, if needed.

This was nice and thick and very tasty. It made enough for my husband and I to have for 2 dinners (he eats a little more than one bowl).

An important thing to keep in mind that Dr. Junger writes about, is to keep a 12 hour window between your last meal of the day and your first meal of the morning. The reason for this is to give your body a change to naturally detox the daily toxins. A typical meal takes 8 hours to digest. If there are 4 more hours before your next meal, it means your body now has a chance to get to work on finding and eliminating the toxins in the body which have built up during the day. Thus the 12 hour window.

I end my evening with another cup of Smooth Move Tea (my coffee substitute) but nothing else, in order to adhere to the 12 hour window rule.

Between the elimination portion of this program and the first day of detox, I am already seeing health and weight benefits. Hopefully you are seeing the same.

 

Is My Kitchen Toxin Free?

 

According to Dr. Alejandro Junger, the reason we're fatigued, sick, overweight, and have chronic pain is because toxins are trapped in our  bodies. In his book, Clean, he explains how they get there and how we can get rid of them. In a nutshell, toxins come from our environment, our homes, what we put on our bodies, and what we put in our bodies. He explains how we were created with a daily detoxification mechanism. He calls is a 12 hour window. In general, food takes about 8 hours to digest. Once the body is done with that job, it shifts to the job of detoxification; but only if we let it. Between dinner and breakfast there literally needs to be a period of 12 hours when we do not eat. This gives the body 8 hours to digest and another 4 hours to detoxify the toxins which have entered the body during the day. If we do not allow our bodies this daily detoxification then toxins accumulate, and over years inflammation and fat take over our system and we feel the affects of fatigue, sickness, being overweight, and chronic pain.

 

During the elimination portion of this program it is important that we educate ourselves as to where these toxins come from so we can eliminate them. What benefit would it be if we detoxify but we continue to allow the toxins entrance? Let's start with our kitchen food.

 

Dr. Junger explains that during this detoxification we must eat fresh whole foods. Nothing should come packaged in a box, jar, can, tube, bottle, or bag or have high fructose corn syrup, sugar, chemical sweeteners (like aspartame) or artificial colors in it. We should also eliminate any GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients which are soy, canola, cottonseed oil, or corn. Also, gluten (wheat, barley, rye, bulgur, spelt, oats - except gluten free; dairy - including yogurt, cheese, ice cream, ricotta, milk; or the night shades (tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, or eggplant). All of these are toxic or have the potential of being toxic in the form of allergies of which we may not be aware.

 

In order to get ready for the 21 days of detoxification, we must clean out our cupboards and refrigerators, read labels, and start tossing.

 

What is left is fresh wholesome foods; vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, greens, fruits, antibiotic-free and hormone-free chicken and fish, etc.

 

Since doing this detox last year, I have taken a few shortcuts like buying vegetable or chicken stock in a box or jar. But for this fast I will once again make everything from scratch. So today, I will begin by making my own stock and freezing it for soup recipes and making quinoa during the cleanse.

 

      To make a chicken stock, you need a carcass of chicken bones, 2 onions-peeled and cut up, 4 carrots-peeled and cup up, 4 celery stalks cut up, 6 stalks of fresh parsley, and 1 Tbsp peppercorns. Put in a large pot and add one gallon of cold spring water. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours. Discard the carcass and the vegetables. DO NOT ADD SALT at this time since the stock will concentrate and could become too salty. Always salt just before you're ready to eat something.

 

      When cooking food starting from cold water, the flavor leeches out into the water, which is what we want here. When placing food in boiling water, the flavor stays in the vegetables. When making stock, we want all the flavor of the vegetables to find its way into the water. Then we toss the vegetables and start the soup with fresh ones.

 

Some may have concerns at how unseasonal it is to be drinking a cold juice for dinner when it's cold outside, so I've included a soup recipe which could easily be pureed with a blender and included as a "juice" for dinner.

Indian Dal Soup – Clean
Adapted from Dr. John McDougall recipes, by Veronica Patenaude

Serves 6
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 ½ tsp roasted ground cumin
2 ½ tsp roasted ground coriander
¾ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp ground cardamom
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ to ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to bring out flavors, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the vegetable broth, lentils, and all the spices.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender and falling apart. [At this point you could puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you don't have one, you should cool the soup slightly before pouring into a blender or Vitamix to prevent it from expanding and burning you during blending.]

4. Add water if a thinner soup is desired.

5. Check seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

My Yearly Detox Juice Fast

January is as good a time as any to clean out your system, mainly because it follows Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and many other holiday celebrations where food is invited in abundance. Last year I followed the 21-day detox according to the Clean book, by Dr. Alejandro Junger, and it changed my life. I got rid of toxins, pain, and weight. So here I am a year later and am ready for a follow up visit.

The first thing I've done is clean out the kitchen of holiday goodies. I'VE THROWN AWAY THE COOKIES. "What!!!" You say? That's right. The only other way to get rid of them is to eat them, so.... bye bye sugar.

The next thing is, I've found my Clean book and I'll be reviewing it to refresh my memory, but also to keep me in motivation mode. It's really important for me to get my head in gear so that once I start I'll have no excuses to turn back or "cheat". Perhaps I'll also re-watch one of my favorite food documentaries: "Hungry For Change", "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead", or "Forks Over Knives". We humans get ourselves excited and motivated but then it tends to trail off. So we need to refresh our memories - often.

The third important thing I'll do is find some "Clean" recipes that I can live with, at least 7 for starters, to get me through the first week of lunches. Throughout the past year I've had a keen eye out for "Clean" recipes, so I've got a few up my sleeve. There are also some in the book. Then I'll be making a shopping list. I've also collected a few juicing recipe books so I think I'll glance through those and pick out some favorites for my grocery list.

The fourth thing on my "to do" list is to eliminate the "no-no" foods from the house and from my brain. Over the past year some of these foods crept back into my diet, so I'll be eliminating them again for the 21-day detox. One of the purposes of eliminating these foods was to see if any of my health issues were, in fact, allergic reactions to food. It was a great surprise, and relief, to find that I was indeed allergic to gluten and dairy. My life changed dramatically for the better after permanently eliminating these.

YES INCLUDE THESE FOODS	NO EXCLUDE THESE FOODS
FRUITS: whole fruits, unsweetened, frozen or water-packed, diluted natural juices	Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, strawberries, grapes, bananas
DAIRY SUBSTITUTES: rice, nut milks such as almond milk and coconut milk	Dairy and eggs, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, nondairy creamers, canned coconut milk
NON-GLUTEN GRAINS AND STARCH: brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat	Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, couscous, oats
ANIMAL PROTEIN: cold water fish, wild game, lean lamb, duck, chicken, turkey	Raw fish, pork, beef, veal, sausage, cold cuts, canned meats, hot dogs, shellfish
VEGETABLE PROTEIN: split peas, lentils, legumes	Soybean products (soy sauce, soybean oil in processed foods, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy yogurt, etc.)
NUTS AND SEEDS: sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, nut and seed butters (organic)	Peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios, macadamia nuts
VEGETABLES: preferably fresh, raw, steamed, sautéed, juiced, roasted	Corn, creamed vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, sweet potatoes
OILS: cold pressed olive, flax, safflower, sesame, almond, sunflower, pumpkin, walnut, coconut	Butter, margarine, shortening, processed oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads
DRINKS: filtered water, green tea, herbal teas, seltzer or mineral water, yerba mate	Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, soda pop, soft drinks
SWEETENERS: organic brown rice syrup, organic agave nectar, stevia	Refined sugar, white or brown sugars, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, Splenda, Equal, Sweet ‘N Low, etc.
CONDIMENTS: vinegar, all-spice, sea salt, dried pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, raw cacao, small amounts of miso, small amounts of wheat-free tamari	Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, other similar condiments

And the last thing I'll do is indulge in my favorites - a glass of wine here, some peanut butter there - just one last time before a 21-day hiatus. Not everything on the "no-no" list is forever banned, but I do eliminate them just for the cleanse. Who knows, maybe I'll find that something else is wreaking havoc to my system and needs to be furrowed out. After all, my goal here is to be and feel as healthy as possible, so I WANT to find the culprits.

I'll be doing the elimination portion for the next week, and then start the actual 21-day detox on Friday, January 11, 2013. Please come and travel with me on my journey in search of better food for better health. I wish you all a happy and HEALTHY New Year.

A Gluten Free Dairy Free Vacation

The Enemy is a Robber of Joy, So With That Perspective in Mind, I Needed a Quick Re-Allignment

 

 

You've heard it say that the anticipation of vacation is half the fun. In vacations past, much of my anticipation was imagining delicious sweet and savory treats from around the world. My vacations were a culinary delight. Searching for wineries, cooking classes and great restaurants. Also, making sure I could get my hands on a kitchen in order to cook with regional foods have always been part of my anticipatory pleasure of planning.

 

A few months ago, however, my world turned upside down and my view of food has turned from "living to eat" to "eating to live". It definitely changes one's focus on vacation planning. Now, more than ever, I need to focus on food - but for different reasons.

 

This time the planning stage was pretty extensive. I figured the more I planned the less thinking I'd have to do while on vacation. So, I started with a personal travel guide. His name is "Mr. Google". All I had to do was let him know some magic words, and a plethora of culinary options were at my disposal. My first suggestion to Mr. Google was a B&B in the town where we planned to stay. The magic words were "gluten free B&B in Cape May, NJ" and "voila", The Mason Cottage Victorian B&B appeared.

Patti, the Innkeeper, had written a blog seemingly just for me. It was titled, "For All Our Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free Guests". Well, that was the start of the "anticipation" of my topsy turvy vacation.

I have to admit, up to that point, I was not looking forward to any vacation. Simply because I was anticipating too much thought on where to find foods I could eat instead of simply finding delicious regional temptations to enjoy. But once I had at least breakfast taken care of, it gave me courage to investigate further.

 

The next thing I did was to do some mega cooking so at least one other meal could be gluten and dairy free. I spent the Saturday before we left planning, cooking and storing meals. I have to admit it was tiring, but I was happy during the week when I didn't have to use brain space for, "Now what am I going to eat".

Next, I asked my "travel guide, Mr. Google" to find gluten free restaurants in Cape May. There were a few that had gluten free menus, but one really caught my eye; it was called "Higher Grounds". It is an organic cafe which offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten free foods. YAY. It turned out to be a wonderful find. We were able to frequent it a few times and enjoyed lunch or organic coffee and cookies on their Garden Patio. We even enjoyed playing a game of chess while waiting for our food. An added blessing was the owners/servers were very amiable, knowledgeable, friendly and encouraging. We spent a couple pleasant afternoons there.

 

When we first arrived, we went to a restaurant that was supposedly gluten free friendly, but they simply took out ingredients that I couldn't have without replacing it with anything else. What I ended up with was expensive, plain tasting food. At this point I felt going on vacation was a mistake. My high anticipatory expectations came tumbling down and I had a good cry and spent a couple hours under the covers. This is when I realized that the enemy was trying to ruin  my vacation. The problem was, I was letting him.

 

 

So, I put on my Pollyanna face and forced myself to count my blessings. Come to find out there were many more happy things in my life that didn't need to be overshadowed by a couple of food allergies. I realized I needed to change my focus on enjoyments other than food (not easy when you're a foodie) - like chatting with some wonderful people who were also guests of the B&B, during tea time. Enjoying delicious specially made gluten free dairy free cookies that Patti, the Innkeeper, had made speciallly for me AND she gave me the recipe! (There I go again, getting excited about food - or maybe it was that it was baked with kindness. Yes, that must be it.)

 

Thumbprint Cookies

From Patti from The Mason Cottage, Cape May, NJ

Makes about 30 cookies

Fill these oat and nut cookies with your favorite fruit juice sweetened jam. Or just leave in a ball and roll in organic powdered sugar once they're cooled.

Ingredients

1 cup almonds or pecans
1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 cup gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fruit juice sweetened organic jam OR 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put almonds and oats into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, oil, syrup and salt. Stir to combine well. Roll walnut-sized balls of the dough in the palm of your hand to form each cookie, then arrange on 2 large baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Press your thumb gently down into the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into each indentation. OR leave in a ball shape (when they're cool, roll in powdered sugar).

Bake cookies until golden brown and just firm around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to let cool completely, then serve immediately or store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

 

 Also, the weather a couple of days was gorgeous and my honey and I were able to explore the enchanting town of Cape May.

 

I'm not sure I've perfected the art of "eating to live" instead of "living to eat", especially during vacation; but I have learned that focusing on those who love me, on meeting new people, and enjoying the blessings God has placed in my path are where my focus needs to be in order to enjoy my future vacations - and well, life in general, yes?

 

 

 

 

Have You Been Robbed, Or Are You Giving It Away?

 

We live in a day where saving money and pinching pennies is imperative, especially on mundane items like food - we need so much of it. So how do we justify buying and preparing foods that are healthy or even worse, organic?

 

Hold on to your seats friends, I've found the answer!!!!

 

You've heard the old adage, "Time is Money". It just occurred to me that we are being robbed! Of our money? In a sense, yes. What is it that we all spend our extra time doing? You guessed it - the wonderful world of Internet, Net Flix, Hulu, Cable, FaceBook, Email, iPhones. We hurry hurry and at the end of our exhausting day we plop for our nightly entertainment. While it is true that these expensive inventions can be time savers, they have also robbed us of something precious. Some old fashioned goodness. Namely, home cooking and face time. Think about it. What conjures in your head when you think of good 'ole home made cooking? - Homemade pies filling the kitchen with the aroma of apples and cinnamon, savory smells of beef stew cooking all day. Stuff your grandmother did, right? We don't have time to cook like that. We need something fast, quick, convenient and subsequently unhealthy.

 

What did our "grandmothers" do the first thing when they got up in the morning - turn on their computers, check email, FB, news? Of course not, sillies (Gollum LOTR). Their mind was on efficient and economical ways of keeping their families fed. Maybe they started a bread dough, a tomato sauce, or a stew; maybe they went out in the garden to pick what had ripened overnight. Their first hour was probably food prep - and without a microwave, mind you. Their time was their money.

 

Lots of our money is gobbled up in electronics - and I love my electronics as much as the next gal. But when people say "I don't have MONEY to buy organic" or "I don't have TIME to cook from scratch", I wonder if our priorities are just topsy turvy. A 24-hour day is still a 24-hour day.

 

Back in the day when women had the luxury of staying home they did a lot of, what we call, the mundane chores, together - baking, quilting, ironing. Well, we women still need "girl time" but the focus has shifted...we "do lunch" or catch a chick flick.

 

But lately, some of my friends who want to save time and money while eating with healthy ingredients have gotten together like women of old to cook together (older times mind you, not old in age). It has given us back something which we've been robbed of, home cooking with girl friends! Why not have fun learning and sharing together while saving time in the kitchen and subsequently saving money? It also takes away the drudgery of cooking - we're having fun with friends!

 

Our supper swap looks like this: each bff brings a healthy recipe and all the ingredients (you can change up the amount of people or the quantity of recipes depending on your needs). Together in one of our kitchens, we each cook our own recipe. We laugh, chat, eat and have fun together (all the components of girl time). Once we're done, we divide the finished meals into containers. If there are four of us, we've each made one big healthy meal and go home with four small ones. What a time saver!

 

Instead of spending money to "do lunch" or ordering out a quick pizza, our extra cash is spent on healthy organic ingredients and our robber of time and money has been vanquished.

 

I know we can't be asked to save money by canceling cable, or "doing lunch" less often - we need it, right? Of course we do. But what if we switched it up occassionally and got together like the ladies of 'ole and had some good "old fashioned" girl time - while keeping the time and money robbers at bay for awhile.