Thursday, April 29, 2010

Exhausted

There was a time in my life, specifically the years 2001-2006, when I was exhausted most of the time. Ah, my child-bearing years... so full of new life for the new people on the planet and so amazingly exhausting for me. I have to admit that going into those years, I actually believed that I would not be one of those slow-motion confused young mothers who seemed to age exponentially upon the first month of midnight feedings. I had stayed up late plenty of nights cramming for exams or working night shifts before having kids. I was so glad that since I was a "night person," this would actually make it kinda fun to be awake with my baby at night. I was fairly confident... over-confident... blissfully ignorant... and my delusions of grandeur would soon have a day of reckoning with reality. My first daughter Faith was a frequent feeder day and night (despite my "Baby Wise" plan) and so began the "infant haze" of which my sister-in-law forewarned me. She was right. I nursed Faith for a little more than 1 year. Just as my body was starting to feel like my own again, Steve and I welcomed pregnancy #2 and had Lucas just before Faith's 2-year birthday. I nursed him for a year. He slept longer stints than Faith, but was still awake once or twice a night for months and months and so was Faith for that matter (potty training day and night). Just when I felt like I was getting my body back again, we welcomed pregnancy #3 and Anika was born 3 months before Lucas's 2-year birthday. Each birthing experience was the highlights of our lives. Now, getting on with life, there's only so much messy potty training and diaper changing a person can handle in a day. But this is about the time that Steve wanted to get two kitten for the kids to enjoy. Ok... I'll stop here. I'm saying all this because for one, I'm not exhausted anymore (praise God on high), and for two, I just wanted to point out that people who are physically exhausted don't have to be intellectually and spiritually exhausted. This was a time when a lot of things started to "wake up" with in me. I didn't have a whole lot of spare energy, but I valued every bit I had. I kept my mind fresh by reading books. I started getting rid of junk food which drained the life out of me, ate whole foods, and even entered the unknown world of raw milk. Very good place. I didn't have energy to make any elaborate meals, but I'd make at least one meal a week that was new and entirely God-food. I slowly made changes as much as I could handle. Granted, my house was an absolute mess for all of those years (tidiness is still not my forte), but God is teaching me that even house cleaning can help to center me on the bigger picture. I like that. I need that. If you happen to be reading this and you're exhausted, be encouraged that there's still a vibrant person in there regardless of your energy level at the moment. Try starting your day with two glasses of pure water, take a 20 minute "deep breathing nap" at any point possible in your day (whether or not you fall asleep is less important than the deep breathing), and start moving forward on something you've always wanted to know more about by reading or listening to teaching on the topic. It's fun to awaken your mind and spirit even when you're body is sleeping. Dream life fuels progress.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Get the most life out of your produce.

Hi friends!

My temptation when I get home from grocery shopping is to throw all the produce in the frig. But there are some fruits and veggies who’s nutrients are stunted this way. Gasp! But never fear. We can help them help us. Here are a few of those “special needs” fruits and veggies, and here’s what I’m doing with them:

Apples – keep in their very own drawer in the frig or in a sealed plastic bag because they give off a natural ethylene gas which will accelerate the ripening (and deterioration) of other produce.

Avocados, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums – store on the counter top until ripe, then put into frig.

Basil and uncut Tomatos, Garlic, Ginger, Bananas – keep dry on the counter top out of direct sun light.

Citrus Fruits – I usually refrigerate my citrus, but everything I’m reading says it is good to let it sit on the counter for up to 2 weeks.

Leafy greens and green onions– wash and somewhat dry (by spinning or pat dry) and wrap in paper towel (or flour sack) inside sealed plastic bag in the frig. Paper towel absorbs moisture which would have rotted the greens.

Potatos and Sweet Potatos – dry paper bag in the cupboard. Do not refrigerate or their starch will convert to sugar. Light turns them green.

Red and Yellow Onions – dry paper bag in the cupboard. Never combine with potatos, or else the potatos’ moisture will rot the onions. Exception: Sweet onions do better in a sealed plastic bag in the frig.

There’s a really helpful chart at this website:

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22145/57459-keep-fruits-veggies-fresh

Where to buy...

Here's where I buy things. If you have any questions, let me know.

Where to buy pasture-fed chicken, eggs, pork, and beef:

Country Meadows Farms located at Lancaster Central Market and Leola Amish Farmer’s Market at 324 W. Main St., Leola, PA 17540 open 7-7 on Thurs. and Fri.; and 7-3 Sat. http://www.centralmarketlancaster.com/directory/view/country-meadows-farms


Where to buy pasture-fed chicken, eggs, beef, butter, and raw milk:

Expressly Local located at 213 W. King St. across from McDonald’s on King St.

http://expresslylocal.blogspot.com/

“Eberly Poultry” is free-range and sold at Stauffer’s in Lititz and I’ve seen it at Lancaster Central Market at the Carr’s stand as well as “Expressly Local”.

http://www.eberlypoultry.com/

Where to buy organic raw butter, raw cream, raw cottage cheese, raw sour cream, raw milk, raw cheese, pasture-fed eggs, grass-fed beef, etc…

Life Enhancing Acres located at 2931 Miller Lane, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505, phone number 717-768-7613. No website. No Sunday sales. No credit cards.

For a list of a bunch more places to buy in PA, check out this website:

http://www.drnupe.com/PA_Organic.htm

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Where do I start?

When I hear people asking that question, I often just nod in agreement, 'cuz I know the feeling. If I'm going to make any major change in my life in any area, there are probably good things to look forward to, but it's still inherently stressful because it's change. Nevertheless, persevere! Here are a few thoughts that helped me to start a healthier life:
1. Throw away or give away unexpired unhealthy processed foods. Clean house with confidence! Fill up a whole big black trash bag. Clear your mind. Start over.
2. Reserve your valuable frig. and cupboard space for nutrient-dense foods only.
3. When you go to social functions, bring a healthy snack to share with everyone.
4. Keep a constant stock of apples and carrots in your frig. year round. Buy the big bags.
5. Join forces with a friend. Rotate shopping for one another at the farm market each week.
6. Try one new recipe every week that involves lots of fresh vegetables. Thoroughly wash by submersion in water and drying (or spinning), chopping, etc.
7. Wash your big pots, pans, food processor as you go. Leave the plates, cups, silverware for last. Enlist the whole family to help in the kitchen.
8. Learn the simple skill of properly preparing whole grains. Start by soaking rolled oats overnight in water before cooking. There is a world of better nutrition in this simple step.
9. Start eating unsweetened plain whole milk yogurt (raw if possible) and if it's too tart for you, mix in some stevia or honey and blueberries and nuts. Use less and less sweetener as your taste buds adjust. Mix in the "Dora yogurt" or whatever sugary stuff your kids are used to as they are adjusting to plain yogurt too.
10. Get organic pasture-fed meats, butter, milk, chickens, eggs, etc. That's how God intended the animals to eat; and through them, we get major nutrition from these clean animal proteins.
11. When you need a break from the whole thing, take one day off and label it a "Grandma day" when you pretend you're the Grandma instead of the mom... and have fun!!!!
Love,
Amy

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Thomas Edison

A quote from Thomas Edison said,

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Day 28

I'm on Day 28 of the anti-fungal diet, and I'm feeling strong. I thought that eating taco salad with out the tortilla and cheese would devastate the meal, but I was surprised that it tasted great because the romaine lettuce, spinach, grape tomatos, sour cream, salsa, and spiced bison burger were so flavorful. I browned the meat with onion, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.... simmered in a little water to bring it together. Fabulous!

When I started this "way of eating" I quickly realized that while I'm fasting from grains, lactose, sugars, etc... I need to replace those sweet flavors with more complex and interesting flavors in order to feel satisfied. I never really liked spicy foods before this, and now I'm actually enjoying them because I'm craving a larger variety of flavors all around.

You can find more information at www.knowthecause.com

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Buckwheat Soba Noodles recipe

Here's what I made for supper tonight: Otsu. New to me! I love so many Asian dishes. This sauce is savory and spicy with crispy fresh cucumbers and herbs over buckwheat soba noodles. Make sure you buy a fresh mango to eat along side of it if you can. I flipped a tortilla-shaped skillet of scrambled eggs to go with it rather than the tofu it calls for. I don't really go for tofu since it's a processed soybean food... eggs are a whole food that taste great in place of tofu. Thank you to my friend Miriam who decided to buy me the gift (a pkg. of 100% buckwheat soba noodles) which inspired me to look for this recipe and make it. It's great to have friends who support your endeavors to eat healthy. She knew that this would really bless me since I'm fasting from grains and starches and sugars right now. Buckwheat is technically a fruit seed; not a grain. Oh yeah! And it was great!

Otsu

Grated zest of 1 lemon


Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated


1 tablespoon honey


3/4 teaspoon cayenne


3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt


1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice


1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar


1/3 cup shoyu sauce (wheat-free soy sauce)


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

12 ounces dried soba noodles


12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
(or egg cake or chicken)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro


3 green onions, thinly sliced


1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced


1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish


1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Make the dressing by combining the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.

Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.

While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000110.html


Saturday, April 17, 2010

Tried it. Love it!

I finally got it right... the sprouted buckwheat raw brownie recipe from the last post, and they are delicious! Mind you, I haven't eaten any grains for 3 weeks, so my taste buds are appreciating anything resembling a grain. (It's what I miss most on this anti-fungal diet, but it's temporary.) Buckwheat is technically a seed. I love recipes using whole foods made by God. The taste of living foods, like fresh-sprouted seeds, is incomparable to anything else. It's bursting with energy in motion passed on to you. With sprouts, you can have fresh grown food any time of the year on your counter top. Sprouted buckwheat can be used in a salad, or by itself for a snack, or combined with kefir in the food processor as a cream of wheat cereal, or mixed into a flat bread recipe, or dehydrated as kasha for cereal or sprouted buckwheat flour. Here's a link showing you how to sprout buckwheat: http://www.vegancoach.com/sprouted-buckwheat.html

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Sprouting Buckwheat

You can buy raw buckwheat seeds at Miller's Natural Foods in their refrigerated room. I soaked them overnight (but I just found out that they only need to soak for a couple hours) and now am letting them sit in wide mouth "Ball" jars with screened lids and rinsing them a few times a day. They produce a slimy run-off as you rinse them the first couple times. But on day 2 I have found that the run-off is clean and clear. And they have already sprouted quarter-inch sprouts, so they are a living food with great nutrition to pass on to living people. I'll let 'em grow until this evening when I'll put 'em in my oven (or dehydrator if you have one) to dry them out overnight at a low temperature so that I can grind them into flour tomorrow. I'll let ya know how it goes. Buckwheat is a great source of many nutrients:
Nutritional info:
Vitamins A, B, C and E
Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium
All Amino Acids
Protein: 15%
I'm looking forward to trying to this recipe from http://bewellthy.blogspot.com/2009/05/sprouted-buckwheat-brownies.html:

Sprouted Buckwheat Brownie Recipe

3 – 4 cups sprouted buckwheat (sprouted for about 3 days after soaking)

1 cup raw almond butter

1 cup flax seed meal

1 ½ cups raw cocao powder

½ cup coconut butter, melted over low heat

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

(1 cup agave nectar, or ½ cup agave, ½ cup pure maple syrup)

OR

1 cup pure birch xylitol if diabetic or on Candida cleanse

1 cup water if you used xylitol, only add as much water as needed if using agave nectar. The batter should be nice and thick, just enough liquid for the food processor to mix it up.

Place sprouts, almond butter and melted coconut butter into food processor and mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with coconut butter or olive oil and pour batter into dish. Place in freezer. Once fully frozen, remove brownie from pan and cut into small, bite sized pieces. Store in ziplock bag in freezer and eat whenever you need a chocolate fix!! Freezing will not destroy the live enzymes and nutrients in the sprouts! You may also wish to dehydrate the brownies which is fine too! You can dehydrate them at 118 degrees overnight. This is great to do if you want to serve the brownies warm with some raw ice cream!


Lost and Found Chicken

I drive on Rt. 23 almost every day, and almost every day I see a big huge "Tyson" semi tractor trailer truck headed east with a full load of caged chickens or headed west with a full load of empty cages. This morning I didn't any "Tyson" trucks but I caught, out of the corner of my eye, sight of one lone chicken standing in the empty parking lot at "Joe's Famous Wings and Wieners," which is right along Rt. 23. Hmmmm... what to do? So, I pulled into the parking lot and got out of the van. "Hello chicken." I said. She let me get within two arm's lengths of her, so I squatted down and talked to her for a while. I asked her if she fell off the truck. She looked at me with one blue-grey eye and then turned her head to look at me out of the other blue-grey eye. She bobbed her head a little bit. But the answer was unclear. I noticed that the logo on "Joe's Famous" sign was a chicken, so she sorta looked like a mascot standing there. But just too random and lonely to draw any attention. When I got closer to her, she flapped a bit and I could see that she was missing a lot of feathers under one wing and her feet were spread wide to stand up under the weight of herself. Very plump chicken. When she walked, it took a lot of effort. So, she eventually plunked down and sat on the pavement when I walked away to talk to a guy at the fire station next door. I pointed out the chicken. He called a lady who lives close by and happens to be an animal rescue person who already has 8 chickens in her back yard as pets. Within 5 minutes, she arrived in a little car, got out with a tall plastic laundry basket in tow, and picked up the stray carefully around the body and plopped her into the basket. She asked the chicken, "Do you like that?" No answer. No struggle. I talked with this lady for a few minutes because who could pass up that opportunity? I mentioned that this chicken seemed to have a hard time walking and bearing her own weight. She said, "Yes, she's probably never walked around outside of a chicken house before." The kind woman said she'll introduce this new chicken slowly to the other chickens, one of which she's had for 10 years. Wow. Who knew? What a great ending to my latest bird finding. It just reminded me how happy I am to buy healthy free-range pasture-fed chickens raised right here in Lancaster.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Day 17

I'm on day 17 of the anti-fungal diet. Anyone going to join me? I know there are at least 3 people interested. If I can do it, you can do it. Here's a list of the foods I'm enjoying on this cleansing phase:

Snacks:

Guacamole w/ flax seed and sunflower seed snackers

Flax crackers with cream cheese and salsa

All nuts and seeds (except peanuts and pistachios)

Cinnamon Truffles made with coconut flour

Raw carrots and cucumbers with cream cheese

Raw green beans and all veggies (except for starchy ones like corn, potatos, & legumes)

Seaweed Salad

Breakfast:

Eggs scrambled with sauted onion and any vegetable & cream cheese mixed-in.

Grapefruit

Amaranth – hot cereal with cinnamon and xylitol

Yogurt and berries and almonds

Yogurt with diced green apple and walnuts

Yogurt with chocolate flavor stevia and a little cocoa

Buckwheat pancakes with butter

Coconut flour pancakes with berries and yogurt & vanilla crème stevia or raw cream

Scrambled eggs with diced ham and broccoli – YUM!

Lunch/Dinner:

Buffalo Chili (sans beans for phase 1)

Grilled marinated chicken

Chicken pot pie with buckwheat/lard crust (pre-baked crust soaked overnight)

Crab cakes made with boiled butter&water with chervil seasoning

Marinated flank steak on mesclun with oriental dressing

Spicy beef stew with carrots, bacon, and kale

Chicken soup with quinoa, celery, & carrots

Chicken stock with ground turkey and kale

Salmon with butter and green beans

Egg drop soup with veggies and chicken

Butternut or acorn squash with coconut oil and sea salt

Quiche in a buckwheat crust

Salad with quinoa and chicken on top (olive oil, lemon, and apple cider vinegar w/herbs)

Chicken Stir-fry over quinoa

Salad, salad, salads with olive oil and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

BLT salad with hard-boiled egg

Dessert:

Buckwheat pie crust with strawberries and cream

Strawberry coconut flour shortcake

Sauted green apple slices in butter with cinnamon

Whipped strawberries and cream cheese over a buckwheat pie crust (cheese cake)

Supplimental:

Psyllium Seed Hulls (1 TBSP. each night in 8 oz. water) for fiber and elimination.

Living Clay taken internally (1 heaping tsp. per day) for ph restoration.

Living Clay applied on affected toe nails every night and washed off in the morning.

Himalayan Sea Salt (I’m learning about this for colon cleansing.)

Saturday, April 10, 2010

"Let your food be your medicine..."

Does anyone know where this famous quote came from? It came from a Greek physician named Hippocrates. Here is an excerpt from an interesting article I just read about him at www.alive.com If you want to read the full article, click on the title of this blog entry for the link. ENJOY!!
For 2,200 years until 1805, medicine was practised exclusively according to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC), the founding father of natural medicine. He taught that the first and foremost principle of medicine must be to respect nature’s healing forces, which inhabit each living organism. Hippocrates considered illness a natural phenomenon that forced people to discover the imbalances in their health. He strongly believed in good food and related the course of any ailment to poor nutrition and bad eating habits. He stressed, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"–advice that, to this day, has not lost its validity.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Buckwheat Pancakes (gluten-free)

I just made this recipe and it's great!!!!!!!

Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup fresh-ground buckwheat flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar (but I didn't use any sugars)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon clove

1 cup low-fat buttermilk or (or half-cup yogurt and half-cup milk)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 eggs, reserved

Mix up all ingredients except for eggs. Cover and let sit overnight or 24-48 hours. Mix in the egg yolks. Beat egg whites until light peaks. Fold them in. Fry pancakes. Ideas: Garnish with yogurt and berries or apples and walnuts. Serve with ham.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Good fats / bad fats

I have just completed one week of the "Phase 1" anti-fungal diet. I lost 9 lbs. (unintended) in one week. And so if you're trying to lose weight, I highly recommend this way of eating. It's a cleansing diet rich in vegetables, nuts (except peanuts and pistachios which tend toward mold), pasture-fed meats and eggs, healthy fats like butter, coconut oil, and olive oil... and just a few fruits (grapefruit, green apples, and berries which have anti-fungal properties), no milk (because of the naturally occurring sugars in milk) but some dairy (like yogurt and cream cheese)... and you can have buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa, but no grains otherwise. No sugar (not even natural sweeteners like maple syrup etc.). Stevia is fine. No mushrooms. No yeast. I've never been on a prescribed diet before. I do intend to gain back the weight I lost. That won't be hard once I re-introduce grains. This way of eating is really challenging, but I'm excited about all the benefits already.
Grains and sugars often promote inflammation in the body. I had no idea that eating this way would drastically improve my elbow and carpel tunnel pain I was having. I'm so motivated by that (to keep going)! Waiting for a new toenail to grow is like watching paint dry. So, it's great to have some other benefits along the way. The other thing that's happening is that my digestive tract is healthier. Moving along... If you really want to know the details about that, ask me. Otherwise, I'll spare you the potty talk (as exciting as it is).
Here's a great article from www.knowthecause.com
There are good fats and bad fats: eating bad fats are bad and eating good fats is not bad. What are the bad fats? Well, margarine and vegetable oils used all day for deep-frying in restaurants are a couple examples of bad fats. Avocados, nuts (with the exception of peanuts), eggs, and meat are fine. We should note a disclaimer on meats, however: Meat from a cow that was fed moldy grains (likely very common) is not recommended. The fats of these meats contain mycotoxins from the moldy grain. This is the very reason why “meat” may contribute to cancer and heart disease: it is not the meat, but the toxins lacing the meat. (Argentineans consume more beef than anyone in the world, yet they have no heart disease or cancer as a result of this. This is because they let their cattle graze in the open field instead of feeding them moldy grain.) Grass fed meat, I believe, is best.
On the average, with a wide variation, people will lose around 5 pounds the first 2 weeks on this program. If you do not wish to lose weight, don’t worry- as grains are added back to diet, often your weight will return. If you wish to keep the weight off, stick more closely to a Phase One Diet.


Saturday, April 3, 2010

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Happy spring time! This morning I made coconut flour pancakes for breakfast. My kids loved them with maple syrup. I ate them with a thin glazing of raw honey topped with raspberries. Coconut flour is high in fiber, low in digestible carbohydrates, high in protein, and gluten-free. It is twice as expensive as wheat flour, but you use half as much of it in any recipe. My pancake recipe called for only 2 TBSP. coconut flour and 4 eggs, etc. I am in the midst of learning a lot about what to eat while avoiding wheat and most starches. It's been challenging, but I'm finally excited about it. My body is finally over the shock of going off wheat and starches cold-turkey. I felt tired and foggy for 4 days while my body adjusted, and now I feel really great with renewed energy and vision. I'm learning that amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa are seeds/grains which are highest in protein and lowest in gluten... so they are great alternatives to wheat, corn, and potatos which convert very quickly to sugar in the body. I am not against wheat, corn, and potatos... but I am on a mission right now to cleanse my body from anything that could promote fungus or yeast. Sugars and starches feed fungus and yeast. See a great website www.knowthecause.com if you are struggling with any ailment in your body that you can't seem to find a solution for.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

It's the simple things...

Today was so beautiful. Wow. Everything about it. I folded laundry outside on a blanket on my driveway while I watched the kids "wash" my car in their swim suits. Then I made a really simple lunch for my them... free-range chicken breast with celtic sea salt and sauted in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil. I cut it up and dabbed with some almost melted sweet cream butter (grass-fed, free of added hormones, etc.). And ya know, I never put butter on chicken before. I guess the simple combination of the coconut oil, salt, natural chicken juices, and butter made it taste like a really special sauce. They licked the platters clean. I also gave them a little pile of raw spinach and thawed some blueberries to mix into plain whole raw milk yogurt with a couple drops of liquid stevia (vanilla creme flavor). The kids loved stirring those soft blueberries into the white yogurt and watching it all turn very very purple. This entire meal was fine for me to eat as well (as I'm avoiding starches, sugars, yeasts, etc. for awhile). There was so much good flavor left in my cast iron pan after we ate chicken, that I had to turn the flame back on the stove and throw in some spinach and tomato pieces just to soak up the juices (or "the love," as some chefs call it) and that was the best sauted spinach I ever had. Have a simply wonderful weekend!