nutrition
Look at those cute whiskers that are made up of collagen!
Collagen is important for the structure and strength of your bones, cartilage, blood
vessels, and skin. Taking collagen may reduce joint pain and improve joint mobility, along with improving the appearance of skin.
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3 lbs of chicken thighs
5-6 cups of bone broth or water
2 medium sized carrots or 1.5 cups of it, chopped
2 celery sticks or 2 cups of it, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped*
1/4lb or 1 cup of green beans, chopped
3 crushed and peeled cloves of garlic*
2 bay leaves
boquet garni
A bush of parsley
3 t of sea salt
apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice
This dish will make about 6 serving sizes as a main course.
*If you are on a low FODMAP diet, take this ingredient out of the recipe or remove it after cooking. You can used infused olive oil with garlic or onion for flavoring as well.
I eat white rice, even though I know it doesn't have as much nutrients as other plants and meat, because I enjoy it, it is convenient to make in batches, and is another source of starches. I just don't eat it every day and have learned to eat a smaller portions that seems to work for my body.
At one point, I use to not be able to eat without feeling ill, so I understand if this recipe may not appeal to you. If you have blood sugar issues, please be mindful of your portion size and eat it with other foods that contain protein. And make sure to add vinegar to it.
For additional nutrients and flavor, I added bone broth. I also suggested using vinegar or lemon juice after cooking this rice dish so that your postprandial blood sugar levels will not rise as high.
Read MoreA couple of days ago, I posted on my Facebook account a picture of a lot of egg yolks for breakfast. A lot of people were curious on how I prepared them. Since I am not a cook by training and couldn't technically describe how I do it, I decided to create a video to show how I boil my egg yolks. It was an impromptu approach, using my iPhone set up on a Tupperware device - yes I can jury rig a high-tech set-up (hopefully, you hear my deadpan humor). I hope my video helps you figure out how you can also make delicious egg yolks too.
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Ingredients
1 tbsp sliced green onions
2 tbsp of wakame
1.5 tbsp of duck fat, tallow, or whatever one you prefer.
1/2 lb of sliced beef heart
Dash of sea salt
Allow fat to melt evenly over medium sized saucepan
Place the slices on saucepan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Beef heart steak is pretty lean, so full attention while cooking them is need, since this type of meat cooks fast.
Remove the steaks from the pan.
Add the green onions to the leftover fat juice; sautéing them for less than 10 seconds. Turn the heat off and pour the green onions over the steak.
Add the wakame to the dish, which will slowly absorb the juices and expand. If you would like them less crunchy, add them to the green onions when you add them to the pan.
Pureed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8-9 people
3-4 Cleaned Sweet Potatoes (you can use other potatoes, like Yukon, here too)
4-5 tbsp Coconut Oil (duck fat works here too)
1/4 tsp of Sea Salt
Set-up the pressure Cooker as a steamer. If you don't have a steamer or pressure cooker, boil the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes.
Place 3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker (I prefer Hannah or Japanese Sweet Potatoes).
Steam at high pressure for about 20 minutes.
Turn off pressure cooker.
Let the pressure cooker cooker cool off.
Remove lid and peel off the skin of the sweet potatoes. If potatoes are too hot, run them through cold water or place them to the side and allow them to cool for another 10 minutes. Then peel the skin off the sweet potatoes.
In a saucepan, place coconut oil and allow it to melt to a liquid. Turn off the heat.
Place peeled potatoes in the saucepan.
Use potato masher to cream coconut oil with potatoes.
Once the mixture feels and looks like a purée, add sea salt to taste.
I became curious about chlorophyll since I noticed a lot of supplements and health food products listed it as an ingredient. I knew about the association between chlorophyll and plants, but what else could be important about this molecule that is abundant in plants?
After learning how each chlorophyll molecule contains magnesium, an important mineral for more than 400 hundred enzymes systems and relaxation, I thought I would share this information and more on my blog. Enjoy!
I am in awe of how complex and beautiful nature looks under a microscope. What makes the picture green is the chlorophyll found in plants!
Wow! This picture includes two matrixes; one pertaining to hemoglobin and the other to chlorophyll. Both hemoglobin and chlorophyll are similar in atomic shape, but extremely different in their functions. While the iron-containing molecule, called hemoglobin, allows oxygen from the lungs to be carried to the rest of the body in red blood carrying animals, the magnesium containing molecule, called chlorophyll, allows light to be absorbed into energy for plant use.
No RDA or ODA. Please talk to your nutritionist or doctor about it.
Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, L. (2005). The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. (2012). The Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Bauman College (2014) NC106.1 Lecture - Micronutrients - Calcium & Magnesium. Retrieved from http://dashboard.baumancollege.org/pluginfile.php/ 10237/mod_resource/content/5/FON_Materials/106/ Lecture/pdf/
Chlorophyll. Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 9/7/16 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll
Metalloprotein. Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 9/7/16 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalloprotein
5 cups of Water
4 tbsp Grated Ginger
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 cup of Coconut Cream
1 tsp Cinnamon or as much as you want
Optional: Honey is optional. I am use to not adding extra sugar to my drinks. You can add a tsp of honey for each cup of serving.
“Once someone tries a real extra virgin — an adult or a child, anybody with taste buds — they’ll never go back to the fake kind. It’s distinctive, complex, the freshest thing you’ve ever eaten. It makes you realize how rotten the other stuff is, literally rotten. But there has to be a first time. Somehow we have to get those first drops of real extra virgin oil into their mouths, to break them free from the habituation to bad oil, and from the brainwashing of advertising. There has to be some good oil left in the world for people to taste.”
Since I have been getting questions on using olive oil, I thought I would post an article I wrote in a newsletter to my clients from three years ago. I didn't publicly post it, so now making up for it!
Did you know that there is a difference between "cold processed" and "cold pressed" olive oil. I didn't. Not until I started asking questions, did I learn how such different food labels relate to the nutrition, as well as, the flavor and texture of olive oil.
As a well read foodie, I knew that not all food labels are highly regulated by the FDA, so I wanted to use a source with a reputation for transparency and quality. Because I live in the Bay Area, I knew that there was a wealth of olive growers that I could interview at my fingertips. My curiosity lead me to McEvoy Ranch.
Since 4th of July is coming up soon, I wanted to share with you on what I learned about olive oil from McEvoy Ranch. I hope their answers to my questions will provide you with some interesting foodie talk at your next BBQ and a new olive oil inspired dish to share, as well!
According to Tom Mueller author of Extra Virginity, “Cold pressed is an outdated production term, now used for marketing purposes and largely devoid of meaning.”
Many “olive oils” that are on grocery store shelves are sadly rancid olive oil or not even olive oil at all. When selecting an olive oil the more information available to you the better. Harvest date (when the olives were harvested for oil extraction) Orchard location (where the olives were grown) and olive varieties (the types of olives used in the oil) are all basic pieces of information that the oil producer should be happy to share with the consumer.
Cold processed olive oil is the most common modern method for extracting oil from the olive using as little friction or heat as possible. McEvoy Ranch uses a cold process to extract the oil from the olive fruit.
It is possible for either process of oil to be certified extra virgin, however, neither process guarantees the quality of the oil.
We recommend seeking out oils with an extra virgin seal. California oils will have the COOC (California Olive Oil Council) seal and European oils will have the IOC (international olive council) seal, as well as an organic certification. McEvoy Ranch is certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers who uphold some of the most rigorous organic standards in the country. McEvoy Ranch is also certified extra virgin by the COOC. The COOC upholds the highest certification process for extra virgin olive oil in the world. Any certifications will be printed on the packaging of the oil.
This blog post helps explain the extra virgin certification process.
The community of California olive oil producers has grown immensely over the last 20 years and there are many producers of quality olive oil. I recommend checking out the California Olive Oil Councils website for a full list of certified extra virgin producers.
If you are looking for an international oil, the IOC seal of extra virginity is a great thing to look for. And again the more information that the olive producer is willing to share the better, such as orchard location, harvest date, varieties and extraction method are all good information to have.
One of our favorite recipes using olive oil is by Chef Gerald Gass find the recipe here. Make the recipe versatile by substituting triticale with quinoa or orzo.
For other produce focused olive oil recipes check our blog.
References:
Newsletter 2013 from Insight from Rios Strength. Retrieved on 6/7/2016 from http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=6d692f8b24e1c0c82889e2479&id=868b219bcc
This picture is of me doing Parakeet — a pilates move based on control, balance, and some strength. You don’t have to be a super athlete to do it, but it sure looks cool during times when I am experiencing a flare and could barely walk. I wanted to share this picture because of what I wrote and to show you how I can move when I don’t have a flare. Living with an autoimmune conditions takes a lot of twist and turns. Why developing self-compassion and a support group has been so important for me as part of my healing journey.
I wrote an article on Medium yesterday and wanted to share what I wrote here.
Being stiff sucks, but not as much as it did a couple of days ago — when I could barely walk.
Seating on my couch, I tried to retrace my steps to figure out why I was in so much pain and could barely see out of my left eye about two weeks ago. For those of you who haven’t figured out, I was experiencing a flare (when someone with an autoimmune conditions feels more of their symptoms).
“Why is this happening?” were questions asked by my friends, colleagues, doctors and even myself. This question was typically followed with another one, such as ‘“What did I do?” or “Was I stressed out about something?”’ For the latter, I would respond with a solid, ”Nope.” If anything, I was only feeling more stressed because of this damn flare! So what could have started it? What did I do that was different the past few weeks or days?
Okay, well there was something I did do differently. A couple of weeks ago, I ate a chocolate cake from a BBQ that I assumed was flourless. Apparently, it was not. The day I ate it, I started to notice something different about me, but I ignored it; thinking I was going to be just fine.
After several days, my body started showing signs of fierce retaliation with this ‘flourless’ cake. One of the first signs I knew something was up was when I started to experience a scratchy sensation in my left eye. This mild irritation slowly transformed into a bout of photophobia (when the eye becomes sensitive to light) — something was going terribly wrong.
This was definitely a case of uveitis (when part of the iris becomes inflamed). I haven’t had uveitis for at least 2.5 years— when I started the autoimmunepaleo protocol (a paleo based elimination diet and lifestyle). Before starting the diet elimination part of the autoimmunepaleo (AIP) , I took biologics (powerful anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce my symptoms of uveitis and spondylitis.
Being drug-free and uveitis-free, since going AIP, I was in heaven for 2.5 years! I forgot that I could get flares like this serious one again. I also didn’t think by eating a piece of chocolate cake that I could go back to my same old self.
Now, I was back to filling my free time with doctor appointments, going to the pharmacy for steroids, and sitting indoors with a baseball cap and shades because natural light irritated my eye. All for eating a stupid yet delicious large piece of chocolate cake. Worth it? Kind of… but I don’t think to this negative degree on my health.
I just wanted to make it go away without the use of drugs. At the same time, I was also working with my feelings of shame. Leading a San Francisco autoimmunepaleo (AIP) support group, studying the impact of gluten on autoimmune conditions, and blogging about gluten-free recipes and wellness, how could I have made this type of mistake? I wanted to be a leader who knew better. But I guess I am not that perfect person. I am still learning to take care of myself and learning through my mistakes.
Fortunately, I have learned a lot since my last flare. Being a nutrition nerd and student at Bauman College for Holistic Nutrition, I figured out what I could do to calm my flare.
Once I targeted what initiated my current flare, I started an appropriate healing protocol for me. I started drinking bone broths, chewing more, drinking bitters and sour concoctions, meditating more, doing less, taking more naps, and taking both supplements and herbal antibiotics. After a week’s worth of appropriate self-care, I was back to walking and seeing normal again. During this time, I still took a steriod for my eye; respecting both western and eastern practices when used appropriately.
With flares like this one, I don’t take for granted my movement capability or get down on myself for not working harder to be part of some fitspo community on social media. As a movement instructor and healer, I simply want to walk and see. And to teach my clients and community how to move smarter, get stronger, and feel better. I lost my ego to looking like a super fit model for inspiration a long time ago. Plus, I have been there, done that. And learned that you can look fit, but not feel well too. Another topic, I can discuss in another article.
In addition, I am grateful for knowing what to do when I get my flares. I may not be perfect with every decision I make — especially if the decision has to do with ‘chocolate’ & ‘cake,’ but I can continue to work on putting myself together whenever I do fall apart.
I have shared this part of my life with you in hopes that you may find some self-compassion and light humor when you find yourself straying from your wellness rituals. Lastly, I wrote this piece to help you understand a small part of what some people with autoimmune conditions may experience.
Organic Pastured Raised Pulled Lamb Shoulder
With the term grass-fed label now not being used as form of certification, I wanted to share with you some places I trust when I want to buy meat in the Bay Area. As always, getting to know your farmer is best to stay current with their practices.
Bi-Rite Market * +
Marina Meats*
Farmer's Markets - google ones for your city and support your local farmer! Go early to have the most options.
Be part of CSA that offers meat. One local CSA is called Soul Food Farm.
Order a whole animal for yourself or with a group of folks.
Order online from US Wellness or 5280 Meats.
*For special cuts, call in advance to make sure they have what you want.
+Great place to buy seafood as well!
What you put in my body matters. What you eat - more specifically what you absorb and don't eliminate - has an impact on the structure and function of your cells, biochemistry, mood, to your wellbeing.
In the short run, organic foods can initially cost more than conventional grown foods. In the long run, eating organic foods may provide you with more nutrition, such as antioxidants. Antioxidants can help you have more energy, move more, recover faster, and feel better. Conventional foods can carry pesticides that can hurt the function of your mitochondria (your cells' main source for energy), wreak havoc on your DNA, organs, and - ultimately - your health and wellbeing.
I decided to create this list, due to feedback from folks who wanted ideas on how to save money when buying organic foods.
Here it goes!
Cooking from scratch and limiting prepackaged consumption can also be another way to save money. If time is a determining factor, batch cooking (cooking in bulk and freezing parts of it for future use) can help make cooking from scratch less time consuming. I have posted plenty of recipes that you can batch cook on my website. Go check them out!
Additionally, a lot of us may be eating too much meat protein. Grass-fed and organic meats definitely cost more than conventional raised meats. Double check your proteins needs and determine if you can reduce your consumption.
Lastly, chew your food! It is free way to increase the absorption of your nutrients! By chewing, you release chemicals in your stomach (ex. HCL), mouth (ex. amylase) to break-down macronutrients (fats, proteins, & carbohydrates), destroy foreign invaders, and more. Chewing even stimulates your 'relaxed' response, so think of it as a mini-massage or meditation session.
Is there anything else I am missing? Feel free to let me know!
As always, I am here to help and work as a nutritional coach. I offer 15-minute free consults, if you have more questions.
References:
Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, Lara. (2012). The Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine. New York, New York: Atria Books.
Bauman College with Rosie Ueng as lecturer. (2015) NC103.2 Lecture - Nutritional Biochemistry Lecture 2 - How Cells Make Energy
I truly believe that high quality ingredients don't need a lot of work to make a tasty meal. This recipe is part of my standard diet, since it is so easy to make and taste delicious!
Recipe will produce about 4 servings.
1 lb. of wild caught salmon
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Use Citrus Dressing as a topping with parsley to your liking.
Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of Citrus Dressing and parsley, in a pressure cooker at high for 15 minutes to fully cook it. If you would like rarer version, you can cook the salmon for 10 minutes. My preference is a 10-minute timing. After the cooking time, remove the salmon from the pressure cooker after it has cooled enough for it to be safe for removal. Place the salmon on a plate and enjoy it with your citrus dressing and parsley. The combination of flavors, nutrition, and easy to follow steps will have you repeating this recipe quite often.
1 cup of olive oil
1/2 tsp of sea salt or to taste
2 freshly squeezed lemons
1/2 clove of crushed garlic (if you wait 10 minutes, you will enjoy the peak activation of allicin in garlic)
Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl or mason jar. You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator. When you plan to use dressing again, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes, since olive oil will harden in the refrigerator.
Play with the ratios. Everybody's taste buds are different, so feel free to add more or less of each ingredient.
Premixed Beet Salad
After studying how to support liver health, I thought to myself that I must share my favorite easy beet salad. I love the combination of roasted beets, oregano, and citrus dressing!
1 cup of chopped roasted beets - my favorite are golden beets!
1 teaspoon of oregano
1/8 cup of citrus dressing
Mix all of these ingredients together in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Serve and enjoy immediately!
I understand that life can be super busy, so I created a salad recipe that is easy peasy to make or to find at an open salad bar. For folks who have time to cook, some of these ingredients can be batched cooked (roasted beats, carrots, and Brussels sprouts).
I have also included a citrus dressing that you can make in larger quantities for future use too. The citrus dressing combines its sour flavor with the bitter flavors from the salad; flavors that stimulate the liver and gallbladder to work while adding a punch to your tastebuds!
To understand more on why I included these ingredients in a detox salad, click here for an article I wrote on foods, herbs, and spices to help your liver support you more. .
These ratios ca serve around 2-3 people
2 cup of sliced kale or collard greens
1/2 part of an apple diced in 1/4 inches
2 cups of arugula or parsley
6 radishes thinly sliced
1/4 cup of roasted and sliced steamed beets, carrots, onions, and/or Brussels sprouts
2-3 kumquats; a 1/2 of a blood orange or lemon thinly sliced for the topping is optional
4 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of sea salt or to taste
2 freshly squeezed lemons
1/2 clove of crushed garlic (if you wait 10 minutes, you will enjoy the peak of allicin activation)
Lastly, a diet filled with a diverse amount of whole foods - like the ingredients in these types of salads - can help your liver function like a well oiled machine. Basically, what you eat matters! Without the appropriate ingredients, your liver can become inflamed, scarred, and lead to congestion in not only your liver, but your gallbladder and the rest of your digestive system - why it is important to include foods and herbs I have mentioned in this salad and in a previous post.
I hope you enjoy this salad and how it feels to feed yourself these nourishing ingredients!
After writing an article about how to support your liver function, I wanted to include some recipes related to liver support. One of my favorite recipes for liver support is a shot that includes ginger, turmeric, lemon juice, licorice, and lemon peels.
For folks who have an autoimmune condition and are TH2 dominant, you may want to remove turmeric from the ingredients. For more information about why, please click here.
Personally, I like to have at least 2 shots of this drink before meals. Now give it a try! And remember to let me know what you think!
2.5 cups filtered water for the fresh ginger version; 2 cups for the ginger tea bag version
2 tbsp peeled (optional) and cubed ginger or 4 ginger tea bags
1 tablespoon turmeric powder or fresh turmeric
4 lemon peels from a full lemon
1 freshly squeezed lemon (optional)
2 licorice tea bags (optional)
Boil or pressure cook the freshly sliced ginger for a full 30 minutes. Turn off the heat.
If you are using ginger tea bags, add the ginger tea bags after the water has come to a boil. Allow the ginger tea bags to sit for 8-10 minutes with the rest of the ingredients (turmeric and licorice)}.
If you are using a pressure cooker, use fresh ginger or dried loosed ginger. Add the turmeric at this time too.
Add the licorice tea bags when it is near the time (around 5 minutes) to serve.
Pour the mixture into 4 shot glasses. Add the lemon peels. Wait for the liquid to cool to your drinking preference.
Avoiding sugar is not the only way to modify your nutrition to protect your teeth. You can develop stronger teeth, in addition to preventing dental caries and decay, by making sure you include vitamins K1, K2, A, & D in your diet.
Since I like to nerd out on nutrition, I have read a bunch of research articles and books, so you don’t have to do the work on finding out why and where to get these important nutrients. As a heads up, my list is by no means a comprehensive one.
K2 helps convert bone protein osteocalcin to its active form; allowing calcium to stay in bones.
Current research is exploring the relationship between K2 and the hypothalamus. K2 works as an antioxidant in the brain; most likely protecting the hypothalamus from stress. The hypothalamus is part of the limbic and endocrine system. When under stress, the hypothalamus decreases salivary production. Decreased salivation is not good for your teeth, since it works to protect them from dental caries and decay. In case you wanted to know more interesting information about saliva, it contains water, mucus, enzymes (ex. amylase & lipase), electrolytes (ex. Na, CI, & K), & immune chemicals (ex. IgA).
You can find K2 in nattō, cod liver oil, hard cheese, egg yolk, grass-fed butter, liver (more so from poultry sources), salami, chicken breast, ground beef. There is no known toxicity level for K2.
K1, like K2, helps calcium stay in bones. Low levels of K1 in blood has been associated with osteoporosis.
You can find K1 in dark green leafy vegetables, green tea, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, asparagus, oats, whole wheat, & fresh green peas.
Deficiency in vitamin A can negatively impact the formation of developing teeth. The intake of vitamin A is associated with decreased dental caries in children, particularly when mothers ate vegetables during the prenatal period and when children consumed vegetables at a young age.
For preformed vitamin A, sources include liver, whole milk, cod liver oil, & fortified skim milk. Toxicity levels have been reported in people who supplement over 10,000 RE for many months or eat 6 to 24 lb. of liver per a week.
For vitamin A, formed by carotenes, sources include dark green leafy vegetables and yellow-orange vegetables. There is no known toxicity level for beta-carotenes.
Regulates calcium and phosphate absorption and reabsorption. In a review of of 24 controlled clinical trials, the intake of vitamin D demonstrated to be a possible factor for preventing dental cavities. As research is always refining its conclusion, further investigations need to be done to understand the relationship between the specific relationship between vitamin D and dental caries.
The best source is natural light on the skin.
In animal products, sources include cod-liver oil, cold water fish (ex. mackerel, salmon, & herring), butter, & egg yolks.
In plants, sources include dark green leafy vegetables.
Boerum, A.V. (December 2012) Supplement Usage and Its Effect on Oral Health Retrieved from http:// pubs.royle.com/display_article.php?id=1247271
Sheiham, A. James, W. P. (2014, October) A new understanding of the relationship between sugars, dental caries and fluoride use: implications for limits on sugars consumption. Public Health Nutr. 7(10): 2176-84. doi: 10.1017/S136898001400113X.
Southward, K. (2015, March) A hypothetical role for vitamin K2 in the endocrine and exocrine aspects of dental caries. Med Hypotheses. 84(3):276-80. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.01.011.
Yen, C.E. Huang, Y.C. Hu, S.W. (2010, June). Relationship between dietary intake and dental caries in preschool children. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 80(3):205-15. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000022.
Dudding, T. Thomas, S.J. Duncan, K. Lawlor, D.A. Timpson, N.J. (2015, December 21). Re-Examining the Association between Vitamin D and Childhood Caries. PLoS One. 10(12):e0143769. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0143769. eCollection 2015.
Wang, L. Tran, A.B. Nociti, F.H. Thumbigere-Math, V. Foster, B.L. Krieger, C.C. Kantovitz, K.R. Novince, C.M. Koh, A.J. McCauley, L.K. Somerman, M.J. (2015, October). PTH and Vitamin D Repress DMP1 in Cementoblasts. J Dent Res.
94(10):1408-16. doi: 10.1177/0022034515599726.
Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, Lara. (2005). The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods. New York, New York: Atria Books. Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, Lara. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.
Kresser, C. (May 2008). Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient. Retrieved from http://chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient/
Barker, J. The Health Perils of Gum Disease. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/ health-perils-of-gum-disease
PP Hujoel. (2013) Vitamin D and dental caries in controlled clinical trials: systematic review and meta- analysis. Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet].
Bauman College (April, 2016) NC 102.1 Lecture -Introduction & Upper GI Tract Retrieved from http://dashboard.baumancollege.org/pluginfile.php/10040/mod_resource/content/8/FON_Materials/102/Lecture/pdf/102_1_Handout_IntroUprGI_093013_040114_LS.pdf
Photo by Erin Roberts Design
1/2 lemon juice
1/8 cup of collagen*
1/8 cup of agar agar
1/2 cup peeled apples (pink ladies are my favorite for this recipe)
zest from 4-5 kumquats (optional)
1/4 cup zest from Meyer lemons (regular lemons are fine, but I prefer the sweeter taste of meyer lemons)
*If you want a sweeter recipe, replace the collagen with agar; equal parts. You can also use the leftover apple juice; just add more agar accordingly.
I hate baking, because I hate measuring things and don’t like how most gluten-free baked goods taste. For my mindful dinner I wanted to offer a dessert as the fourth course, so I decided to work on synergizing the creamy textures from agar agar and gelatin with the sweet and sour flavors of citrus fruits. My first version worked well with folks who ate paleo, but folks who were use to eating added sugars thought it tasted strange. After a couple of iterations, I ended up with this current recipe. I normally serve this dish with my version of greek style coconut yogurt - what I now call 'coconut crush'.
Lemon: vitamin C, A, B1, P, potassium, magnesium, & folic acid, flavonids, phyotochemical (ex. limonene; lemon peels have high amounts of oxalates it is recommended that people with a history ofcalcium-oxalate kidney stonesshould limit their intake of them. Zest contains essential oils (ex. limonene, citral, citronellal, alphaterpineol, linalyl, geranyl acetate).
Apple: vitamin C, fiber (ex. pectin), potassium; when raw they contain measureable amounts of phytonutrients (ellagic acid, chlorogenic) & flavonoids (ex. quercetin).
Kumquat: vitamin C, calcium, potassium, vitamin A
Collagen peptides: glycine, may be beneficial for people with conditions affecting connective tissues and the skin.
Agar agar: used on a daily basis, appears to help obese people lose weight
Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, L. (2005). The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods. New York, New York: Atria Books.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. (2009) Find a Vitamin Or Supplement. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-80-agar.aspx?activeingredientid=80&
In this shot, you see a quince on the upper left. You can peel it and cut it into fours, so it can fit inside. You can also cut a lemon into fours to fit inside your chicken as well. As for herbs, my favorite is sage. Parsley is a fine additional herb or substitution.
With Thanksgiving coming around, I want to admit to you that I don't like eating Turkey. Because I prefer the taste and texture of chicken and duck over this large bird, I wanted to share with you a recipe for roasting chicken with duck flavors - just in case you can convince your dinner party to eat something different this year.
Ingredients:
Whole chicken
1/4 tablespoon of Sea Salt
2 tablespoons of duck fat (you can use ghee or lard if you don't like the flavor of duck)
Herbs and Citrus of your choice
Directions:
For starters, please make sure you have a roasting pan that fits your chicken. If not, go buy one or improvise something else. If you do not have a roasting pan, a baking sheet is fine. With a baking sheet, the bottom side of the chicken will be absorbing the delicious drippings so it won't be as crispy on this side. The taste of this bird will still be delicious.
If you bought a frozen chicken, please allow it to defrost the day before you plan to roast it.
The day before or a couple of hours before you plan to roast your chicken, rub it with about a 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt. No worries if you don’t have the time. The taste will still be great! You can stuff your chicken with herbs and citrus fruit at this time too.
Stuff your chicken as much as possible. The stuffing will shrink inside as the juices drip off to the bottom of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the chicken for 5-10 min in the oven. Take it out, when you are ready to baste it with duck fat.
After the first baste, you can repeat this part every 15-20 minute.
Flip your entire chicken before your 3rd baste.
Roast it for a total of 60 minutes (Please make sure your chicken is fully cooked. If it needs more time, go for it!)
Basting your chicken with duck fat will help keep the chicken from drying out and getting burnt. It will also have a more savory taste to it.
After your chicken is fully cooked, you can increase its crispy texture by broiling it. Before broiling it, move your roasting pan, so that your chicken is directly under or over broiler. Different ovens have different set-ups, so just work what you got. Broil it for 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it.
You can use the leftover drippings for gravy or use it to make mashed potatoes or cauliflower.
C'est la fin!
Please let me know how this recipe went for you!
If you have leftovers, stuff it into a roasted winter squash.
