Month: October 2018

Dairy-Free Creamy Cauliflower Soup

by

I originally wrote this recipe for Basmati.com which has a wealth of Ayurvedic inspired wellness information, but I wanted to share it here too because it is one of my favorite soups. It has several steps but it is all very easy to do and it’s worth it, trust me. I’m not one of those people who embraced using cauliflower as rice or as any kind of grain substitute as was all the rage for a while there, so I’m not a huge lover of all things cauliflower, but this soup is delicious. The garlic and leeks are what really make it special so I add in a lot of those, but you can definitely tone it down if you don’t care for the allium family that much. Garlic is so healthy for the cardiovascular system and also for keeping germs and viruses away though that I recommend large doses if you can handle it.

In a family with gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and nut intolerances, indulging in creamy anything is quite rare. My oldest son and I are big soup lovers, though, and he especially loves creamy soups, so I’ve tried my hand at several vegan recipes using coconut milk, but we just aren’t always in the mood for the subtle taste of coconut. I’ve discovered that with enough olive oil in the cooking process, and by roasting the veggies first, we can end up with a creamy soup without any dairy or dairy alternatives whatsoever – and the taste is truly superb. It is one of those meals that you have to remind yourself is actually incredibly healthy –  just veggies, olive oil, herbs, and spices –  because it really does taste like a decadent treat. Here’s the recipe:

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

  • 1 medium to large head of cauliflower
  • 1 large leek
  • 2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on taste (I use 4 because I like it good and garlicky)
  • 1 small-medium yellow onion
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • About 2-3 Tbs olive oil
  • ½-1 tsp sea salt
  •  Several turns of fresh ground pepper to taste (you can always add more, so start on the smaller side)
  • 1 tsp or more Herbs d’Provence or thyme

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and pour olive oil onto a cookie sheet (or some other roasting pan) and rub it around until the bottom is covered, or cover the bottom with parchment paper. Chop the cauliflower and leek up into bite size pieces and put them on the pan to roast with the garlic cloves. Pour olive oil on top of the vegetables, trying to make sure each piece has been touched. I do this by pouring the oil in a crisscross fashion over the pan, and then I roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes, turning them over once or twice during that time. They will be done when there are brown bits on top in places.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and sauté it in about 1 Tbs olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat until translucent (about 3 minutes).This is also when I like to put the salt, pepper, and herbs d’Provence (or thyme) in the pot, but remember: you can also add more salt and pepper later, so start with small amounts. The soup is so flavorful with the garlic that you might be surprised at how little salt in particular that you need.

Add the four cups of vegetable stock to the pot and bring to a quick boil before turning it down. When the vegetables are finished roasting in the oven, put them in the pot of soup and let it all simmer together for about 5 minutes before turning off the burner and letting it cool a bit prior to blending. Pour the soup into a blender and watch it turn into creamy deliciousness in less than a minute, and then taste to make sure it has enough salt and pepper to your liking.

This soup is best with an herb-y bread to dip into it, such as focaccia or rosemary bread. I usually make my own focaccia style bread sticks with Trader Joe’s flat breads by adding olive oil, some seasoning salt, rosemary, basil, and oregano to the top of the flat breads and baking them at 425 for 10 minutes.

Easy gluten-free focaccia
Makes great bread sticks
Ingredients are gluten, dairy, and egg free

Canyon Bakehouse has a delicious gluten-free and dairy-free focaccia also, but if you can eat gluten I recommend rosemary bread such as The Essential Baking Company’s yummy version.

Please share this with anyone who might be interested, and please subscribe for a weekly wellness post if you haven’t already. It’s free and you can unsubscribe any time.  Happy Halloween to all who celebrate!

 

Gluten Free in Dublin, Ireland

by

This is a post I wrote for my former blog back in early 2017, after a trip to Dublin. I happen to be feeling restless lately and a friend of mine just jetted off to Dublin (for work, but she’s gotta eat!) so I reread this post in order to remember all the restaurant names to recommend to her and I thought I might as well share it here too. These places are great whether you need to eat gluten-free or not, but if you are avoiding gluten, Dublin is an easy place to meet all your needs.

wp_20170126_0131

Dublin was a surprisingly easy place to accommodate food intolerances and allergies. We found the food there to be fresh, healthy, and enlightened, as in menus marked with gluten information or restaurants having Paleo picks (not that we eat Paleo but it is generally gluten-free) and one even celebrating a month of the Paleo diet by offering an entire menu devoted to it. This restaurant, Saba, was right around the corner from our hotel and I could have ordered many things off their menu without having to worry about gluten. When we ate there we ordered rice with our pick which is decidedly un-caveman-ish, so we weren’t beholden to the Paleo diet thankfully, and got an excellent meal out of it.

Another place right around the corner from our hotel was our favorite restaurant of all, a healthy little breakfast, lunch, brunch place called Cocu. There are three locations and it looks like they are even open for dinner at one of two of those places so there are plenty of options for checking it out. Their menus are simple although a little hard to describe so I encourage you to look at them yourself and be inspired. Maybe so inspired that you open up your own version of their tagline “A Healthy Obsession”, and if so, please let it be within 15 minutes of Redmond, Washington because we truly were obsessed and it’s one of the first things I missed when we got back home. Basically, the main lunch items are these bowls where you choose your meat or vegetarian main which is cooked with certain spices/sauces/veggies to complement it, then add two sides such as mixed greens or rice or sweet potatoes or something else, then add a topping such as seeds, nuts, or herbs. It’s all in a big bowl together and works every time, no matter the combination. They also have soups, wraps (not gluten-free), and hot pots which is something like red lentil curry over rice and you add tofu or chicken which was my favorite dish there. Anyway, I could go on because I haven’t even started on the coffee bar area, breakfast items, or side pastries which included many gluten-free items, but unless you are in Dublin right now and can check it out yourself, there’s no point in sharing any more of the obsession.

It’d be a shame to go to Ireland and not get fish n’ chips, and luckily Beshoff Brothers has us gluten-free gourmands covered. This is not a fancy place, just as a proper fish n’ chips place should not be, but it was clean and bright and their gluten-free menu had onion rings on it which I can’t recall seeing anywhere ever before this place. This wasn’t our healthiest meal but it actually wasn’t overly greasy and we both were quite satisfied with our meals, (not gf for my husband, gf for me).

You can even have your sandwich cravings easily satisfied at O’Briens Sandwich cafes. They can make you a sandwich on gluten-free bread which also happens to be egg free, dairy free, and soy free. (Yay!) They use a brand called BFree which isn’t carried in my neck of the woods (yet) but I hope it’s coming soon because they have pita bread which is so hard to find. Do be aware that if you want your sandwich toasted though, it is toasted in the same oven as the traditional breads. I did have mine toasted and felt perfectly fine for the record, but you have to judge for yourself your own level of sensitivity. There are plenty of O’Briens around Ireland so you aren’t ever too far from a sandwich which is a nice change of pace.

Another restaurant that my husband and I found ourselves returning to the very next day after a fantastic dinner and ordering the exact same meals as the night before is Balfes.  They have plenty of gluten-free options and the food is fresh and delicious. I had a salad with chicken on it that used guacamole instead of dressing and oh my gosh, why haven’t I done that before?! It was brilliantly executed and my husband loved his meal also. We even thought about going there for a third night in a row but ended up just being too lazy.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has plenty of gluten free options in their ‘food hall’. They do have a section of gluten-free items such as pastas, cakes, breads, granola, etc, but I only bought the granola because their baked goods all have egg in them. They have a lot more to offer though in their prepared foods sections which seemed to make up about the entire store. I’ve never seen so many individually wrapped meals in my life~ Trader Joe’s has been way outdone. My husband and I got breakfast from there several times and take-away dinner at least once. He was especially fond of the place and kept saying things like, “Look at that lettuce! It’s practically standing up it’s so fresh! It’s like it’s trying to get our attention by waving it’s arms and saying ‘pick me!'”. The fresh produce there did seem exceptionally vibrant considering it was January and I wasn’t aware that Ireland had a robust winter farming industry. I still don’t know what the deal is with their produce~ if it’s grown in greenhouses or imported from somewhere else on some wicked fast plane or what, but they have a good thing going though however they are managing it. Also, I should say that before going I had the impression M&S would be extremely expensive but we found their prices to be quite affordable which was a definite plus.

There are health food stores called Nourish around Dublin that have gluten-free options such as crackers, cookies, etc. The one I went into on Grafton Street didn’t have a huge selection but I did buy some crackers and chocolates from there which were tasty. But here’s a warning to take to heart~ if you rely on melatonin to help reset your body clock and beat jet lag, bring your own because we were told at Nourish that it is illegal to sell it in all of Ireland.  Fortunately I did bring some along but we were hoping to get more there and were sorely out of luck. What does Ireland have against melatonin? Another mystery to solve I guess.

Before going to Dublin I found a lovely listing of restaurants that are gluten-free friendly. I was so thrilled with finding it but in all honesty I didn’t have to go back to it often because it seemed everywhere I checked out had gf options. I made it a habit to look at every menu that I passed just to see how gf friendly it was and I found Dublin as a whole to be extremely aware and accommodating on that front as well as on all fronts really. It was a friendly, polite, energetic, and open place that I hope to return to soon and maybe get a chance to see the countryside a bit. If you are wondering where to take your next big vacation and gluten matters feel like a confinement, rest assured that Dublin will embrace you and your gluten issues with open arms and fantastic food.

One last thing to mention, before going I made sure to request gluten-free foods for our Delta airlines flights. They actually did a great job with the meals and I always got mine before they delivered the other passengers’ meals so I never had to wonder if they’d remember or not. I actually couldn’t even eat all the food they brought me which always included fresh fruit and/or salad which is so nice to have on a long flight. I was impressed.

Please share with anyone heading to Dublin, and if you haven’t yet, subscribe for a weekly wellness post. Also, please comment below on any experiences you have had in traveling through Ireland~ I’d love to hear it!

 

Online Courses and Immune Supporting Herbs

by

I hope everyone is staying well as the cold and flu season kicks in. I’ve increased my astragalus intake and echinacea is on my list to buy to have on hand, just in case. Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb that is best known for its immune boosting properties. It is the kind of herb that works best long-term, so taken in smallish amounts over the course of the winter months for example, or anytime of year where you find yourself fighting a disease, bacteria, or virus. It is safe for kids too and can be found in kids’ formulas. Echinacea on the other hand is not for long term use. It is best used when you feel yourself getting sick with a cold or flu, and helping you to fight it for the duration of the cold/flu, but then you stop taking it when you have recovered. Using astragalus in a larger amount than the maintenance protocol can also help you during a viral or bacterial situation, but that is not traditionally its best use. Another immune boosting option is a medicinal mushroom such as reishi. I’m going to make a crystal ball prediction that medicinal mushrooms will be the next group of herbs to climb the trendiness ladder which the adaptogens currently dominate. I see they are already increasing in popularity lately as people search for immune support through cold and flu season, as well as for support through serious illnesses such as cancer. These mushrooms just might be my next mini-course.

Speaking of my courses, I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that this is the last week that my online courses will be completely free. I am still working out how to best get the ingredients for the classes out to students so the courses will soon include an option to purchase kits with the classes so people don’t have to go searching for the herbs, essential oils, and other ingredients. All the materials will instead arrive at their door and the classes will truly be hands-on and time-friendly then. In the meantime, you can go through the classes for free with all the information presented first, then (usually) a demo video after the information. I say usually because the adaptogens mini-course is purely informational at this point, though that might change in the future. The courses do include links so you can order the ingredients as you go through them, but I want to make kits readily available so you aren’t buying more than you need and everything comes at one time. So far I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on the courses and been able to make some improvements thanks to the many comments. The most popular course so far has been How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils and it was actually the first one I made. It covers the basics of essential oils vs. fragrances and how essential oils are made, how to blend for scent and/or emotional and mental support, and how to actually make alcohol or oil based perfume and solid perfume, and more. The adaptogens one was next because as popular as adaptogenic herbs have become, there still seems to be a lot of confusion on them. The mini-course covers why adaptogens are so popular now (hint~ it has to do with chronic stress in the modern age), what systems in the body are effected directly and indirectly, and five popular adaptogens with their traditional uses. The Art and Craft of Herbalism is the latest one I finished (I’m working on more to be released soon!) and has recipes and instructions on how to make herbal concoctions at home, including infusions, extracts, oils, syrups, and more. It’s a real DIYer’s herbal handbook.

Here are the promos for each course:

How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils:

Adaptogens:

The Art and Craft of Herbalism:

Take care of yourselves in every single way that fills you up. Keep in mind self-care should include mind, body, and spirit. Please share this with anyone who might be interested, and if you haven’t already, please subscribe for weekly wellness delivered to your inbox.

Smoothie Recipes

by

When I first started really trying to kick food intolerances, I began making protein smoothies for breakfast because my naturopath and my own research into healing food intolerances made it clear that protein is vital. That was years ago but I still do it every single day because I have found my blood sugar stays stable with a big dose of protein to start my metabolism in the morning. It’s an excellent way to take herbs too, powdered or tinctured, and I like to sneak in as many greens as possible. Now I’m making two smoothies in the morning in an effort to get more protein into my youngest before he goes off to school because he says he gets hungry before lunchtime. I sneak greens into there as well, and some herbs too. The first recipe is what I make for myself.

Berry Green Protein Smoothie

1 T. of chia seeds

1 teaspoon herbal adaptogen mix and 1/2 t. digest mix (optional but recommended)

1 leaf of kale torn into pieces or a handful of spinach

1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder by Vega

1/2 of a frozen banana

around 3/4 cups frozen berries

First I fill the blender with 1 cup of cold water (more or less) and add 1 T. of chia seeds and let them soak for about 10 minutes. Chia seeds soaking

Next I add my 1 teaspoon herbal adaptogen mix and 1/2 t. digest mix,

then about 1 leaf of kale or a handful of spinach if I am out of kale.

Kale added

Next the protein powder goes in, along with about half a frozen banana (I freeze them myself) and about 1 C of frozen mixed berries. I use Vanilla Protein Powder by Vega because my naturopath recommended it when our family was avoiding a whole slew of foods due to intolerances. It is a vegan protein powder that is exceptionally tasty and clean, with greens built in.

Frozen fruit

After that I warn anyone nearby that I’m starting the blender because it’s loud. Feel free to replace the water and seeds with milk of choice in either of these recipes.

Berry Green smoothie

The following smoothie recipe is more kid friendly because of the vanilla yogurt, and I put in less greens and herbs. The yogurt makes this smoothie fluffier and more whipped. My youngest still gives me a little bit of a hard time about it and drinks less of a serving than I would like, but the rest of the family happily drinks all of theirs so it’s worth it.

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie 

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1/2 teaspoon adaptogen mix (optional)

1/2 teaspoon digest mix (optional but highly recommended)

Small handful of spinach or kale (optional)

1/2 cup Vanilla Siggi’s Yogurt

one scoop of Vega’s Vanilla Protein Powder

1 frozen banana

1.5 cups frozen strawberries

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Fill the blender with 1 cup or so of water and 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds. Let the seeds soak for about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon adaptogen mix and 1/2 teaspoon digest mix. Next goes in a small handful of spinach (as long as no one is looking!) and 1/2 cup Vanilla Siggi’s Yogurt which is full of protein and not too much sugar. Add a scoop of Vega’s Vanilla Protein Powder, a frozen banana, and about 1.5 cups of frozen strawberries and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract if you want. Blends up to be enough for three servings, one of which is rather small though.

WP_20181010_06_37_53_Pro[1]

My youngest also insists that the smoothie tastes *much* better when sucked through a straw. We have a few plastic straws left in our house from bygone years, but now I wouldn’t buy them even if I could find them. I went looking for eco-friendly alternatives and only found metal ones, which will hopefully work for his very discerning taste buds, but I found these other alternatives in an article by Delicious Living which I want to try out, especially the 10 inch smoothie straw. Here are the eco-friendly straws from the article:

EcoStraw 10-inch Smoothie Straw:

ecostraw

Hewn in the United States, this Pyrex, dishwasher-safe straw is wider than standard straws to accommodate viscous liquids like smoothies.

Susty Party Paper Straws:

sustystraws

Compostable in municipal facilities, each beautiful, celebratory 7.75-inch straw comes from renewable, sustainably harvested paper. Plus, they’re made in the U.S.A.

CocoStraw Stainless Steel Drinking Straws:

cocostraw

Made with food-grade stainless steel, these unbreakable straws are perfect replacements for plastic varieties. Each four-pack comes with a cleaner, too.

Seattle is one of the first cities to ban plastic straws and utensils, but hopefully these disposable items will be nothing but a thing of the past soon. Might as well get used to the more eco-friendly alternatives now.

Please share with anyone who might be looking for a new smoothie recipe or plastic straw alternatives, and please subscribe for weekly wellness blog posts.

 

 

 

 

Herbs and Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure

by

High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, is extremely common, and it’s no surprise considering this is one health issue where stress and anxiety can have immediate, measurable affects on a diagnostic reading. This is also a health issue that tends to build, with warning signs well in advance of having a situation that requires medication, which makes it an ideal sort of issue to tend to with herbs and other natural remedies such as diet and exercise, when there are warning signs in the very beginnings of impending imbalance. Warning signs can be occasional higher than normal blood pressure readings, aging with a family history of hypertension, a new life situation that involves a lot of stress, or habits that can lead to hypertension such as smoking. This is the time when herbs work best, when there is an imbalance beginning and the gentle nudges of herbs can help correct the situation if diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle are also supportive. If you are already at a point where you are on pharmaceuticals for any issue, including hypertension, then the herbs can still help, but it will take longer and you will have to be very careful and very communicative with your doctor. Don’t go off your medicines without consulting your doctor, and if your doctor doesn’t want you to supplement with herbs, you might need to get the support of a naturopath, TCM practitioner, or clinical herbalist to talk with your doc. (Or get a new doctor who is curious and open-minded enough to explore all options that might be best for his/her patients.) I must say that I’ve generally found the physicians in my life quite open to whatever health issue I wanted to explore through natural means, but not everyone has been so lucky.

Herbal allies~ Our old familiar friends, adaptogens, can support optimal health concerning blood pressure as well as many other things. To learn more about adaptogens and their many beneficial attributes, check out my free mini-course about them. This is a class of herbs that you take small amounts of for a long period of time, so this is not a quick fix, but instead a deep, fundamental shift toward healing and balancing. Adaptogens have both the ability to adapt to what a person needs and therefore are known to ‘not cause harm’, and also the ability to help the person adapt to stress of all kinds~ environmental, emotional, physical, mental, etc. The name pretty much says it all. Specific adaptogens that are especially good choices for regulating blood pressure according to David Winston and Steven Maimes are: tulsi (holy basil), astragalus, cordyceps, reishi, and jiaogulan. And just fyi, all those except for astragalus are also adaptogens that can help lower cholesterol. Astragalus is a great immune booster though and is traditionally viewed as an overall cardio-protective herb, so any of these herbs would be great additions to a daily health regimen. Another adaptogen that have a normalizing affect on blood pressure is schisandra which can help raise blood pressure when it is too low as well as lower high blood pressure.

Adaptogen mix
Tulsi in coffe~ yum!

One familiar herb that can help hypertension is hibiscus. Drinking two or three cups of high quality hibiscus tea, either warm or iced, can have a lowering effect on blood pressure. Garlic is another old favorite herb that can help with blood pressure as well as many other things such as lowering cholesterol, warding off bacteria, fighting fungal infections, and it is high in antioxidants. Including fresh or cooked garlic in meals is the best way to take in this medicinal superfood, but there are capsules for those who can’t quite fit a few garlic cloves into their meals on a daily basis.

Hawthorn berry is the classic Western tradition cardio-tonic herb. It is an herb that is taken for general cardiovascular health, including all heart specific issues, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It has also been traditionally used for anxiety and sleep disorders. It has always been very well regarded and often used in Europe, and that remains the case, although the leaves and flowers have grown in popularity and are now included in herbal supplements, along with the berries, as in this supplement by Gaia Herbs. Hawthorn and hibiscus are combined in this tea if you are looking for a way to get both into your system at the same time. Hawthorn is a potent herb that should not be taken lightly for heart related ailments, especially if on any pharmaceutical drugs. Talk with your naturopath or other natural health advisor to see if this is a good herb for you.

A tea blend for lowering blood pressure from the Western Tradition by David Hoffman is the following: 2 parts Hawthorn berries, 2 parts Lime blossom, 2 parts Yarrow, and 1 part Mistletoe. The tea should be drunk three times a day, and can be modified for the specific person. For example, if it’s night time, valerian might be helpful for sleeping, or if anxiety during the day is a problem, you can add skullcap.

If you want to add essential oils into the healing mix, Valerie Ann Worwood sites four specifically for lowering blood pressure. They are: clary sage, hyssop, lavender, and marjoram. You can diffuse these in a room, make a room spray any combination of the four, wear them in an alcohol or oil based perfume, or add them to a bath.

Diffusers
Base oil in first
Add essential oils
Alcohol based perfumes

Don’t forget the healing power of getting out into nature, doing physical activities you sincerely enjoy, and relieving stress in any healthy way that resonates with you. As always, please share with anyone who might benefit from it, and subscribe for weekly posts similar to this one. Best health to you and yours!