Recipes for Dr. Approved Autoimmune-Friendly Halloween Treats

Recipes for special diet treats are always welcome in my mailbox!  How about yours? If you said, yes, you may want to follow this link to Dr. Amy Myer's post, "My Top 5 Treats for an Autoimmune-Friendly Halloween".

Are Gluten-Free Labeled Foods Really Gluten-Free?

Let's face it, a gluten-free label can be confusing and difficult to understand. If you are like me, you need your reader glasses to assist in your food label reading and then struggle to recall exactly what each gluten-free label really means.  How many ppm's (parts per million) does each certification allow?  (And an even bigger issue for me is exactly how many ppm's are really safe for me and you, too?) As if there were not enough certifications to remember, it seems there are new certifications showing up more frequently. This week, "Paleo Certified" was a new label I discovered while grocery shopping.  I needed to research to understand what exactly "Paleo Certified" meant.  Basically, these products tested to 10 ppm's gluten, along with other criteria you may read here at Paleo Foundation.  While researching this newest label, I stumbled across the article, "Are Your Gluten-Free Foods Really Gluten-Free?" that was helpful to me to understand some of the gluten-free labeling challenges that we face when buying packaged foods.

In my opinion, I feel that eating zero gluten is the way to be healthy if you are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease. Not the standard 20 ppm of gluten that is allowed in gluten free packaging.   Eating whole foods that are not in a package is the only way to do that.  Or is it?  Beans are packaged foods that are whole, but the process of growing beans in fields that are rotated with gluten containing foods and transported in a truck that previously contained gluten can be enough cross-contamination for those of us who are more sensitive.  Yes, that's right...beans and that includes green peas, too.

Staying safe from gluten is not always easy.  Gluten is a sneaky thing and can catch me off guard, even though, I eat so carefully,  One night months ago, I awoke feeling nauseous and threw up in the middle of the night.  I wasn't ill.  I thought maybe the frozen sweet peas I had eaten for dinner may have been thawed somewhere along the lines of transportation making me sick.  It took me a very long time to understand that it most likely was a gluten reaction from the sweet green peas!

For the longest time, I wasn't sure what my reactions were anymore, because I eat so clean I had no reactions.  After this episode of green peas, I had been cruising along safely until last week. I added a half tablespoon of whole flaxseed to my breakfast smoothie.  Within an hour my head hurt and became foggy. Throughout the day, I experienced itchy bumps and blisters on my body that had been characteristic to my past gluten reactions. Into the next day I was tired, and extremely bloated with swelling fingers. (Not a pretty sight)  Anyway, my soul was crushed to realize I was reacting to gluten in the flaxseeds that were from a company that tests for gluten to be under 20 ppm.

Obviously, there are some of us who are the MOST sensitive to gluten. I suppose I should be thankful that my body is not hiding any reactions from me.  I often ponder the thought that if I was not eating grain-free whole foods, how would I know the signs of being glutened?  Are there people who have no reactions that they are aware of?  I hear that is the case for the majority of people who are gluten-sensitive. Instead, they are diagnosed with an auto-immune disease before they know they are sensitive to gluten.  I suppose I should be thankful that my body is not hiding any reactions from me.  Okay, I already wrote that didn't I?  I am thankful.  My body is smart and designed perfectly to speak loudly, if just pay attention. 

Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits-(free of gluten, grain, dairy, egg, nut, soy, and sugar)

I love biscuits!  Do you?  If you are like me, a girl who loves biscuits, but must adhere to a rather strict healing diet, I believe you will be pleased to have this recipe in your repertoire.  I created this recipe to accommodate my "free of" requirements  (free of: grains, gluten, nuts, eggs, soy, sugar, dairy)  and to stop my cravings for biscuits.

Before traveling, I am usually baking these biscuits to take along to keep my hunger at bay.  They have seen me through many road trips.  When not traveling, they are my favorite snack eaten hot from the oven or topped with pear butter spread for a delicious treat.  I even like to squeeze my juicy grass-fed burger in these for a moment where I feel complete bliss with nothing missing or lacking!  Until they fall apart as the hot burger melts the coconut oil, but that doesn't bother me at all. (Grain-free and egg-free baking does have its ups and downs!)

So you see, this recipe I created just for myself and I happily enjoy them!  

In my opinion, these biscuits are full of super nutrients.  The healthy, delicious and nourishing foods like coconut oil and chia seeds make this biscuit healthy like no other biscuit I know of.

In case you are wondering... What is the big deal about chia seeds? Chia seeds are a wonderful super food that I became acquainted with while looking for a great egg replacer. I think you will be delighted to learn that chia seeds contain eight times more essential omega 3's than salmon.  Omega 3's in chia seeds have been clinically shown to be effective in preventing and reversing high cholesterol and heart disease.  I think you get the idea that chia seeds are a healthy choice. There is much more to learn about them, but if I tried to tell you much more this post would get quite lengthy. 

It is enough for me that "Chia" is the  Mayan word that means "strength". I am all about adding food that gives me strength!

The coconut oil is a marvelous source of medium chain fatty acids which is the closest thing in nature to human breast milk.  Researchers have concluded that 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day is equal to the MCFA that a breastfeeding infant would consume in a day.

I will let you in on a little secret.  These biscuits make me feel really satisfied and calm.  Thus the name "Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits":  I often wondered why when I ate my biscuits in the morning and was busy making breakfast for the boys, cleaning the kitchen  (many times dishes from the night before :() I felt as if I had eaten a big breakfast.  My energy was good and all I ate was my biscuit.  Really, I would have a brief moment trying to remember did I eat breakfast?

As usual, my curious nature had to find out "Why?" 

What is the magic inside these biscuits? 

The chia seeds? 

I had to do a little researching to figure this out.  That is when I found a video segment  from the Dr. Oz Show, which I believe reveals a little "secret" about chia seeds. Dr. Oz's video, Try Chia Seeds to Stop Snacking,  explains the wonders of chia seeds. After watching this video, my theory is that the addition of the chia seeds to the recipe is making me feel full.  Dr. Oz illustrates this extremely well in the video.  Plus, I am adding the healthy fats from the coconut oil which is keeping me full and feeling satisfied for a while. Anyway, I believe it's a winner.  I like his tip, especially if you need assistance in feeling satisfied and overcoming cravings.

What do you think? Would you drink your chia seeds?   Personally, I would rather eat my biscuits than drink chia seeds, but I will leave that decision to you.  I love my biscuits and I share them just in case you are like me.

Stop the Cravings Chia Biscuits

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free*, Soy-free, Sugar-free

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon) coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller-pressed. It does not have a strong coconut flavor - See blog sidebar for affiliate link.)
• 3 Tablespoons ground chia seeds (I use Navitas Naturals chia seeds, ground in a dedicated coffee grinder) or Navitas Naturals Sprouted Chia Powder (easiest to digest)
• 3/4 cup full fat, canned coconut milk, - (Natural Value is BPA-Free and guar gum-free) (or 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut creme concentrate and 3/4 cup water) or sparkling water (See my notes at the bottom of this post)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed or organic apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Kime's Pear Butter Spread
• 9 drops stevia liquid (I use Body Ecology brand)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (I like Tropical Traditions - see blog sidebar)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

*Optional additions: 1/4 cup freshly shelled pecans, or finely chopped apple (my favorite)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Melt coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat.
4. Add to the saucepan the ground chia seeds, coconut milk, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, pear butter spread, and stevia.  Stir with a spoon.
5. Add the dry ingredients - coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt to the saucepan and stir until mixed well.
6. Shape into biscuits with a spoon and your hands. Place biscuits on the parchment lined baking pan.  Makes 10-12 biscuits.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes. 
8. Store in the refrigerator unless on the road!

Notes:  .

Why is important to seek out BPA-Free products? 
In a nutshell, BPA blocks the methylation cycle which is crucial for the body to detoxify and make glutatathione, the master antioxidant.  For each toxic molecule, we need a molecule of glutathione to remove the toxin from our body.  That is vitally important for good health!

If you are healing your gastrointestinal system then you most likely want to avoid guar gum. Avoiding this additive makes a noticeable difference in my digestive system. 

If I was unable to find BPA-free and guar gum-free canned coconut milk I would experiment and figure out how to make my own with shredded coconut and water. That is on my "to learn someday" list.  

Over time, I have decided I love using the sprouted chia seed powder in this recipe.  The sprouted version is highly digestible and my body likes it best. It is higher priced, so I leave that choice up to you.

Blogger Disclosure:  I am an affiliate with Tropical Traditions, because I love and use their products in my recipes.  Just so you know, if you are a new customer and purchase Tropical Traditions products through my blog links I earn a gift certificate of $25.00 for the referral. .   
  

The World's First Gluten Summit Could Change Your Life

 

The World's First Gluten Summit hosted by Dr. Tom O'Bryan of theDr.com is coming up in just two weeks -- November 11-17, 2013. You may register now to have free online access to the world's experts and opinion leaders (scientists, researchers, and nutritionists)--those on the cutting edge of food sensitivities, celiac disease, autoimmunity who will be teaching us what to do about them.. 

 I am excited to be an affiliate of this event and to be able to give you a sneak peek of  the schedule of speakers..   

You may register for this FREE summit by clicking here.

Each day's interviews will be available for 24 hours between 10:00 A.M. EST - 9:59 A.M. EST the next day.

 

DAY 1: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

• Michael Marsh, MD, DSC, FRCP, "Godfather" of Celiac Morphology
• Mark Houston, MD, MS, ABAARM, FACP, FAHA, FASH, Assoc. Clinical Prof. of Medicine at Vanderbilt University
• Cynthia Kupper, RD, Executive Director of the Gluten Intolerance Group
• David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, President, Perlmutter Health Center

DAY 2: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

• Alessio Fasano, MD, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition at Mass General Hospital for Children
• Rodney Ford, MD, MB, BS, FRACP, Pediatric Gastroenterologist & Food Allergy Expert
• Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN, CHN, Owner of Innovative Healing, Inc.

DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

• Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, MT, CEO, ImmunoScience Laboratories
  
• Mark Hyman, MD, Chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine
• Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, MMedSci, Creator of the GAPS Diet
• Erica Kasuli, MS, RD, CDN, Director of Nutrition at Amen Clinics

DAY 4: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

• Marios Hadjivassiliou, MD, Educational Associate, Association for Historical Dialogue & Research
• JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFS, Best-selling author of "The Virgin Diet"
• Tom Malterre, MS, CN, Co-owner of Whole Life Nutrition

DAY 5: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15

• Daniel Amen, MD, Author of "The Amen Solution"
• Andrew Keech, PhD, DSc, Author of "Peptide Immunotherapy: Colostrum a Physician's Reference Guide"
• Nora Gedgaudas, CNS, CNT, Author of "Primal Body, Primal Mind"
• Peter Osborne, DC, CNCB, Founder of GlutenFreeSociety.org

DAY 6: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16

• Loren Cordain, PhD, "Godfather" of the Paleo Diet
• Jeffrey Smith, Founder, Institute of Responsible Technology
• Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS, Nutrition & Health Expert
• Sayer Ji, Founder of GreenMedInfo.com

DAY 7, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17

• William Davis, MD, Best-selling author of "Wheat Belly"
• Jaqui Karr, CSN, CVD, Nutritionist & Lifestyle Expert
• Dave Asprey, Writer of The Bulletproof Exec Blog
• Suzy Cohen, RPh, "America's Pharmacist"

DAY 8 -- BONUS DAY! -- MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18

• Umberto Volta, MD, Director of Coeliac Disease Simple Unit, St.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
• Yehuda Shoenfeld, MD, FRCP, Head of Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center
• Tom O'Bryan, DC, CCN, DABCN, Founder of theDr.com & The Gluten Summit

As you may have noticed, each day has at least one scientist/researcher, one well-known clinician, and one renowned Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian, which makes every day of the summit a lab-to-real-life educational conversation.   This will be an awesome event that you will not want to miss! 

See you there!

 

Paleo Banana Pancakes

This recipe is a "first" for my blog.  The first recipe that I have not tasted  that I am sharing with you.  It feels weird and that is part of my hesitation to post lately.  But, I trusted my finicky taste testers to guide me as I created this recipe just for them.  Yep, the boys gave me feedback and this is the recipe that they love. I am told "Mom, you have to post this recipe, because people need this!"  So enough explanation...let's get cooking!

PALEO BANANA PANCAKES

4 pastured eggs (see note where to buy at the bottom of this post)*
1 organic banana - approximately 1/2 cup 
1 tablespoon real organic maple syrup - Grade B
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons organic coconut flour (Tropical Traditions)
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil, liquify (plus extra for oiling the pan) (Tropical Traditions)

I begin preheating my 12-inch skillet while I mix my pancake ingredients together.  It takes awhile for my heavy stainless steel skillet to heat up, but you be the judge of your own skillet.  

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together very well.
2. Peel and mash a banana into a small bowl and add to the egg mixture.
3. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, baking soda, coconut flour and coconut oil to the egg/banana mixture
4. Stir well with a fork until mixed well.
5. To determine if your skillet is hot and ready for the batter, add a drop of water to the skillet and if it skittles around the pan it should be just right.  Add the coconut oil to the pan.. My skillet works well with 3 tablespoons coconut oil at the start and then I use less as I cook more batches.
6. Using a spoon drop the batter onto the hot skillet spreading it a little with the back of the spoon to make 3 " pancakes.
7. Cook on the first side until browned on the bottom. You may see a few bubbles on the top side when ready, but not always, so keep checking for the bottom to brown. I use a flexible spatula for turning the pancakes gently to the other side.  Brown and remove from the pan and enjoy!

Debbie's Notes::

• Do not use extra virgin olive oil for oiling the skillet, because the pancakes will cook to fast on the outside and burn.  Coconut oil and stainless steel work great. 
• Where to buy pastured eggs -See Local Harvest*

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies - Free of: Grains, Gluten, Eggs, Casein, Sugar*

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies

A grain-free and sugar free diet may not be the easiest diet to follow, but you know I am absolutely grateful that the diet I eat is a health and life giving diet.  I am looking back with eyes that see how I was being led in the right direction for the best health.  My thoughts lately have been a lot about sugar and how detrimental sugar is to health. Specifically, I am pondering the recommendations of drastically reducing sugar for cancer prevention.. (I find all nutrition studies very interesting.)  It makes sense to me because sugar weakens the immune system.  My studies have taught me that the body turns grains into sugar. It is after reading these studies that I am totally grateful I have eaten sugar-free for the past 11 years or longer and grain-free for 2 years.  Grain-free was my missing puzzle piece.

My readers may know that my boys have been riding along with me on my "sugar-free" diet for quite awhile.  My blog has a mixture of recipes...most that my boys like, but always low in sweeteners and most often use stevia.  Some of my blog posts share recipes that my boys are allowed to eat,  but I may not be able to eat due to the fact that I began slowly introducing small amounts of raw honey into their diet this past year.  I think they are doing well with it.  They are pretty happy with this diet change.

Most of the recipes I share are the recipes that I feel meet the needs of most readers or may be easily adapted.  I may be a bit shy sharing my candida-friendly recipes for fear that no one except me would eat them! Maybe that will change, but for certain I don't feel I can label my recipes as candida-friendly for everyone. After all, I am not a doctor, so I don't give medical advice! ;)  I just share what works for me and my family.

My boys are now 17 and 11 (for one more week). It is a balancing act to guide and teach our children, but yet at some point we need to let out the ropes, so to speak, and allow them to learn about food and their bodies.  We hope that our teachings will be past down to generations to come and that our firm stance against "bad" unfood will produce healthy eating habits and not rebellious eaters.

This week, I have had the pleasure of observing my teenage son while he has been studying the Real Food and Nutrition E-Course written by Kristen Michaelis. You may know Kristen as the writer of the popular blog Food Renegade.com.. The lessons in this E-Course reinforce the healthy lifestyle and  principles that I have adopted in our home. It excites me that my son is gaining knowledge about "real" food in this e-course.

I love that he wants to engage in conversation about the cool things he is learning about health and nutrition regarding whole unprocessed food.  Today he asked me, "What is buttermilk?" Then he decided to research for himself just how to make it with non-dairy milk and told me he wants to make pancakes next time with "buttermilk".  I am delighted to see this spark of interest in the food he eats and especially that he wants to cook for himself. 

Hopefully, my story will encourage you to keep on setting a healthy example for your family and one day you will see that they will understand.  It is all worth the effort to have a healthy family.

Okay, so here I share with you a healthy cookie to enjoy while I ponder more about sugar....
With our love to you!

 Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies

Free of: Gluten, Grains, Casein, Eggs, & Sugar*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Equipment:

• electric mixer  
• "Measure-All" wet dry measuring cup -optional, but very helpful for measuring

First, mix the wet ingredients in the electric mixer bowl.

  Wet ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons chia seed meal
• 10 Tablespoons applesauce (1/2 cup + 2 T)
• 5 Tablespoons palm shortening
• 15 drops stevia 
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Add in dry ingredients and mix well.

  Dry ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup pecan meal
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Shape into small cookies with your hands.  They do not spread out on their own so they need a little help from you.

Press Enjoy Life Chocolate chips into the top of each cookie before baking

*To be truly "sugar-free" you will need to leave this brand of chocolate chips off.* 

(Today I saw a recipe for DIY homemade chocolate chips made with honey and I would love to make them for my boys.  If you have made them I would love to hear from you.)

Bake 10 minutes on parchment lined baking sheet.

Orange Creamy Custard (gluten and dairy-free)

A little back-to-school treat for my home schooled boys...

At the moment, I am up to my eyeballs in school books and I am finding joy as I see all I have accomplished in organizing  and preparing for school.  Thankfully, I have more energy this week to tackle this task. This is a welcome change!  One thing for sure,  I have hungry, growing boys and cooking and baking AND school must go on! 

 I made this custard for the boys and they loved it and are requesting it again today.  I expect I will need to teach them how to make this as I have tons to do before school starts next week.  

This custard is creamy and delicious and a great high protein treat   A healthy comfort food for my dairy-free boys.   I shared my ideas with the boys of all I imagined we could do with this recipe, but my youngest son declared..."It is good all by itself."  Nothing else needed.  So here I give you my simple, but delicious easy recipe...just the way he likes it..

Hope you enjoy it, too!

Orange Creamy Custard

Gluten, Grain, Dairy and Refined sugar free

1 1/2 cup coconut milk ( I used a mix of my leftover cans in the frig....full fat and light)

3 organic egg yolks

1/2 Tablespoon Tapioca Flour

10 drops stevia liquid

1 1/2 Tablespoons raw organic honey

1/8 teaspoon orange flavoring

Add coconut milk, egg yolks, tapioca flour, stevia, honey and flavoring to a saucepan and heat on medium heat stirring with a  whisk.  Mix well.. Continue whisking occassionally as it begins to boil.  Stir with the whisk constantly as the custard simmers for 8-10 minutes.

Recipe Serves 2 Happy Boys

In Loving Memory....Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars

My dear readers, it has been a tough few weeks.  My heart has been heavy with grief at the loss of both of my parents only six days apart. We have been surrounded by love overflowing  from a community of wonderful people who love my parents.  I kept thinking how we were receiving this love as a gift from the love my parents had given out that kept on blessing us even when they were not here.  That is just how my parents would have planned it if they could.  I find comfort that my parents are together with our Lord, forever and I know one day we will be reunited.  What a glorious day that will be!

As believers we believe “in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began!” (Titus 1:2) 
 
I am thankful for the wonderful gift God gave me of loving parents.  Their love for God and family shaped me and I am who I am because of all they taught me.  If you met my parents they would have made you feel like family. Their door was always open.


It has been hard to believe.  I know our lives have changed in ways that I can not even begin to think about. My childhood youth minister described this time in our life as "wading through the deep waters."  Yes, at times I feel just like that.  Those deep waters are heavy on my limbs as I press through. I realize my world will never be the same without them.  I am told time can ease the pains.  I trust God to comfort me through all of this.

In my grief and sorrow I took to the kitchen and used the little energy I could muster to create these bars.  I found healing in the midst of this creative moment. I didn't plan these, but just started mixing as the spirit lead me. Out of my grief these delicious bars came to birth.

I share these Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars in loving memory of my dear and precious Moma and Daddy. 

Heavenly Cherry Cashew Bars

Mix all ingredients in a food processor:

1 1/2 cup raw cashews
1- 2.2 oz. bag of Bare Fruit 100% Organic Baked-Dried Cherries (about 1/2 cup) (optional)
1/4 cup dried & unsulphured Made in Nature Apricots
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shredded
1/2 cup coconut creme concentrate
1/4 cup organic coconut oil expeller pressed
1 or 2 Tablespoons raw organic honey

Spread into a 8 x 8-inch square glass dish and refrigerate until ready to eat.  

Everyday Dutch-Oven Roasted Organic Chicken

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know I am overcoming health challenges and among those is fatigue. It is never easy living with limits no matter what they are and what age we might be. As a parent I know I must give my children limits and sometimes they are not always readily accepted.

I suppose I am no different than my children in that I don't like my energy limits.. Pushing at them, which so often is my natural inclination, is not the way to heal.. Everything you were taught in life to be successful - keep going and don't give up, just try a little harder...will not promote healing in this case. The only way to avoid the vicious cycle of pushing and crashing is to discipline yourself to rest and build up reserves.

One day my acupuncturist explained to me in his most kind and gentle manner that we all are given energy from our parents and have the energy we were born with, but when that energy is gone... well...then we leave this earth.  Wow, it was really shocking to hear these words, but deep inside I knew he spoke the truth to me.  It was one of those turning point moments for me.  Words can be incredibly  powerful in creating change.. Thankfully, I have found alternative practitioners who have taught me and given me guidance to help me heal just when I needed to hear it.

There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. ~ Proverbs 12:18

My energy is to be used for healing and restoring my body, therefore I have been on a mission to simplify my meals and time in my kitchen.  I had heard many rave reviews about dutch -oven cooking and finally a few months ago I purchased a 4.5 quart cast iron dutch oven by Lodge.  I really agonized about this purchase thinking it might be just another pretty pot that would take up space in my cabinet.  Boy, was I wrong! Move over crock pot....the dutch oven is here to stay!

The flavors of my everyday foods come alive in the oven when roasted in this cast iron dutch oven. It is fun to toss in whatever I have on hand at the moment and in an hour or less it is like magic has happened to these everyday foods.

I am sharing a very easy recipe that you can follow or create a delicious meal with what is in season or whatever you like.  Carrots are great.  My husband and I love brussels sprouts, too.

It is a good thing to have time to sit down and prop my feet up while we wait for this naturally gluten-free and grain-free meal.

Do you have tips to share how you simplify your cooking?  I would love to know.
.

 

Everyday Dutch-Oven Roasted Organic Chicken

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Oil the bottom of dutch oven and layer chopped onions in the bottom of the pot.  Place the whole organic chicken (approximately 4 pounds) on top of the onions.  Wash, peel and slice sweet potatoes into slices that are not too thin and lay them around the chicken. The sweet potato slices I have pictured here are almost too thin for the cooking time, but you get the idea, right?  Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt and your favorite spices.  I happened to use sea salt and oregano.  Then I added chopped celery. Sprinkle a little oil on top of the chicken. Then put the lid on the dutch oven and put in the oven to bake for approximately 1 hour or until done.


Notes:
I am not sure how this recipe would work without the Cast Iron Dutch Oven, but maybe if you do not own one you could drop a few hints.  Mother's Day is coming up this week! :)

I love my 4.5 quart size,. but it is very heavy for me to lift with my tiny wrists. I could not handle a larger pot.  I have learned it is easier for me to place the bottom of the dutch oven without the lid first and then once it is in the oven I put the lid on.  Whatever works for you.

Washing it....well, my husband has come to my rescue many times. He doesn't mind this task, because he loves the flavor of everything I have made in this dutch oven.

Coconut Shortbread - (Free of: gluten, grains, casein, eggs, corn, sugar)

The doorbell rang and there she stood, a cute young girl from the neighborhood holding a bag in her hand.  At that point I knew she had some pretty important goods in her bag. You see, she was delivering Girl Scout cookies to my husband. I accepted the bag of cookies, but dared not peek inside the bag or lay my sugar-free eyes on them.  The memories of shortbread cookies and Thin Mints I ate pre-gluten-free are somehow etched in my mind.  When I was a Girl Scout I sold cookies, but truthfully, I probably bought more for myself to eat.  After all, a year was a long time to wait for those cookies....

I suppose my tactics of looking the other way has come in handy over the years in turning my health in the right direction.  I know myself and that means I know my weaknesses all very well.  Cookies and sugar were my weakness.  Notice I said "were," okay?  But like any reformed sugar addict I know I must be careful to avoid thoughts of cookies with sugar. So as I walk past the bakery case in the grocery store, or accept goodies at my front door,  I direct my eyes elsewhere.  Why tempt myself? 

 

Sugar is fuel to the fire.

A few months ago the test came back.  The test that meant I had high levels of yeast overgrowth still going on in my body...yes, after all these years of treatment and adhering to my sugar-free diet.  What a bummer for sure.  But then it was a good thing, at least, to have a medical doctor who believed my story and could test yeast and therefore guide me in a more rigorous treatment plan.

I started this stronger anti-yeast plan and complications temporarily put a stop to my treatment.  The toxins released from the yeast die-off were overwhelming my body.  I've been through this numerous times, but this time was different.   After consulting with my doctor, now I have a revised plan that will address the nutrient detoxification needs, as well as killing off the bad level of yeast overgrowth, restoring the good bacteria, and gut repair.

I'm a bit nervous, but I am gaining my confidence by increasing the detox nutrients and noting as I write this post that my brain is clearer already. 

Since diet is extremely important to good health and especially crucial when treating yeast overgrowth, I knew if I wanted anything that resembled a Girl Scout cookie, I would have to create my own cookie to be stevia-sweetened with no starches or grains. Clearly, my favorite Girl Scout cookie was the shortbread.  Plain shortbread.  I know, a bit boring, but that is what I liked.  I'm happy now that a simple shortbread was my favorite cookie, so now it's very easy to create something that satisfies the shortbread desires for this once upon a time Girl Scout...

Thank you to the Girl Scout Shortbread cookie for inspiring me to make this healthier cookie for myself and anyone else wanting to eat grain-free and sugar-free along with me. 

Coconut Shortbread

I use my electric mixer for this recipe.

In the mixing bowl add and mix well:

• 1 tablespoon chia seed meal
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened organic applesauce

Then add the following ingredients and continue to mix together:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil or organic palm shortening
• 20 drops stevia 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic coconut flour

Press out the shortbread dough with hands onto parchment paper into a 9" circle on your baking pan. I use my round pizza pan. 

Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  

The coconut oil version browned slightly on the edges, but the palm shortening version did not.

Allow to cool a little before cutting and handle carefully to avoid breaking.  Refrigerating the shortbread will help it hold together but we like it hot even if it does crumble. 
My boys like to eat this "bread," as they call it, and slather butter all over the top. Sometimes jelly, too.   There are ways to make everyone happy in this household.

A few notes:

1. The 58% fiber content of coconut flour puts it at the top of the fiber chart compared to other flours.  Wheat bran, while known for high fiber, is much lower at 28% fiber.   This increase in fiber goes along with my new plan to combat yeast overgrowth. So one more reason that this "cookie" is a winner for me or anyone wanting to increase their dietary fiber.   Just remember with the high fiber content it is important to drink lots of fluids.  Be sure to have your favorite hot tea or glass of water with your shortbread cookie. 

Thank me in the morning.  :)

2.  Do you have an overgrowth of yeast? If you think you might have a yeast problem contributing to illness, Dr. Crook's questionnaire may you help to find out.

3.  FAQ - The benefits of coconut oil at Tropical Traditions.


More Girl Scout Cookie recipes on the web:
If shortbread isn't your thing, my friend, Jules Shepherd, compiled a list of Gluten-free Girl Scout Cookie recipes on the blogosphere here.

Making Diet and Life Changes for Better Health

When I first began thinking of a title for this post, I laughed and thought to myself, maybe it would be better to title it "My Grain-free Trials!"  The past year has been a year of overcoming many obstacles.

But, getting right to the point, the traditional gluten-free diet that my family and I had been eating had not given us the health that we were seeking.  I knew there had to be a better way to regain our digestive health.

The first step in making life changes is realizing something needs to change.

There were many things I wanted to change. I had chronic sinus congestion that was very stubborn which I know in most cases is usually yeast related.  I began to feel really tired and run down, as if I had an infection daily.  At this point, my body was not responding to the herbs and tinctures that usually brought me around. Many days my face felt swollen and puffy.  My son and I were both experiencing  nutritional deficiencies. These symptoms were troubling because we were already eating gluten-free and taking supplements. It was evidence that our guts had not completely healed. I decided that we needed to make changes to what we were doing. 

If we continued to do the same thing it would be silly to expect different results.

It was time to take our diet to another level and make the changes to be grain-free. Even though I wasn't sure how I could make more diet changes, especially for my children, I decided to do this for my own diet and then gradually introduce these to my children.  

A visual image from an article, "How to make life changes — becoming the person you want to be" written by Marcy Holmes, Women's Health NP  shares Prochaska's six stages of change that I kept in my mind as I moved forward to make the changes needed to restore our health.

If you are in the midst of change, you may see yourself somewhere along this path,  too.

  

The contemplation stage took the longest period of time for me to move through.  I have learned that this is a natural element of my personality. as a Highly Sensitive Person, to ponder and study before I take action.  According to Dr. Elaine Aron, "HSPs only appear inhibited because they are so aware of all the possibilities in a situation. They pause before acting, reflecting on their past experiences."  I did a lot of thinking....

I began remembering when I first changed my diet ten years ago to deal with gut issues, ie. candida, leaky gut, auto-immune ITP, that I removed gluten, dairy and grains, except rice. I didn't have the energy or understanding of cooking without gluten and grains at that point, therefore I ate mostly meats, beans, and vegetables and followed the candida yeast diet.  I got better, but then I around eight months later  I reintroduce gluten and I became really sick.  (Learn more here about the dangers of this mistake for a gluten intolerant person.)

Well, now looking back I was on the right track, but I got off that track when I learned how to cook gluten-free. Yes, let me say that again....when I learned how to cook gluten-free. Well, why would this have gotten me off track?

My theory is that when I began eating gluten-free, I was still consuming many grains that caused a reaction in my body. Over the past year and a half when I first began my "Grain-free Trial" I removed millet, corn, sorghum from my diet. All of a sudden  I became extremely fatigued for many weeks. I even had an episode where I fainted which resulted in a head injury.  My body was speaking loudly to me that those grains were not good for me.   

Thankfully,  Dr. Peter Osborne, a leading Board Certified doctor of clinical nutrition, as well as a doctor of chiropractic,  wrote an article sharing research that revealed corn contained gluten. I saw his article in December 2010, during the holiday rush, and I skimmed the article and ran out the door to visit family for Christmas. On our way home we picked up our new golden retriever puppy. Life was moving fast, but this nagging thought kept occurring that if corn has gluten, then I was consuming poison every time I ate my favorite snack, organic blue corn chips.  I knew I had to find out more.

I kept thinking about the study that corn contained gluten and by this time I had learned from lectures by Dr. Osborne that all grains contain gluten, and more importantly that research was not adequate to assume these grains are safe for consumption by a person diagnosed with celiac disease.

I was challenged to think about making diet changes.  I wondered how I would find replacements for some of the convenience gluten free foods that we had begun to rely on when my energy was too low to cook.  I didn't have the energy to restructure my cooking at this point, but I knew it was what needed to be done to turn our health around. 

Preparation for life changes

I continued following Dr. Peter Osborne's video lectures and I began to learn and gain understanding from his clinical experiences and solid research. More videos were being released that taught me and inspired me to make the changes for my family. The information and observations in his clinic were overwhelmingly positive that patients who were not getting well on the traditional gluten-free diet were still consuming other grains...millet, sorghum and corn. When they began eating the "true gluten free diet" of no grains they became healthy again.

I was particularly interested in the list of grains that illustrated the content of prolamines contained in the traditional "gluten free grains" that are thought safe for the gluten-free diet. .

 Grain - Prolamine - %

Wheat - Gliadin - 69%
Rye - Secalinin - 30-50%
Oats - Avenin - 16%
Barley - Hordein - 46-52%
Millet - Panicin - 40%
Corn - Zien - 55%
Rice - Orzenin - 5%
Sorghum - Kafirin - 52%

If you notice that sorghum and millet are actually higher than rye and oats you will probably be shocked as I was to learn this.

For a complete list of gluten containing ingredients, Dr. Osborne  has written an excellent list you may study on his website here.  Plus, be sure to watch his video tutorial  for a more thorough study why you may need to avoid these other grains. By now you probably concluded that The Gluten-Free Society is my favorite website to learn and gain knowledge to support a healing gluten-free diet.   

  

Action
 
After all my contemplation and preparation It was time to get started with action.  I decided my first step would be to begin my grain-free trial for myself and gradually wean my children off grains. This has been my project for the past year and a half.  I have been creating recipes to transition us to grain-free along with our other food intolerance. The difficulty I encountered was that most grain-free recipes cater to those who are able to eat almonds and egg  which are a problem for me, but not my boys.  I have chosen to create grain-free recipes with coconut flour and pecan meal that you may have seen already on my blog.

I feel it is most important  that my kids are happy with our diet and gradually I have been able to work out my recipes and keep them happy, at least for the most part. Of course, change for any of us will have its good and bad days.  We just need to keep on course and find the encouragement we need through support of friends and others with similar objectives.

I am still searching for replacements or recipes of some favorite foods. It is a process of change at least in the right direction this time.

Maintenance 

The last of the Six Steps to Change is one that interestingly fell into place as if it was orchestrated by the divine.  Marcy Holmes shared in her article:

"Choose helpers who are consistent and strong, but don’t push you, nag you, or enable you as you work through the stages. The most important qualities for helpers are empathy and warmth."

Several of my close gluten free friends were making these same diet changes with the results of feeling better than ever. I am thankful for my friends who inspire and uplift me.  This network is probably the most beautiful gift that has come to me from blogging.

Recollection of changes

 You may wonder if I saw any changes in my body with the grain-free diet and the answer is  Yes, most definitely,  but  I am sorting out everything especially with the head injury complicating my observations. I will have to save all this for another post, another day.  I have seen wonderful changes and I know that I don't want to wait around for more studies. I have my own study with my own body. It knows way more than I can comprehend.