NOPALES: Our Local Super Food!

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You may have seen them for sale at Mexican markets, on produce stands at the swap meet, and even in the produce section of many grocery stores; beaver tail-shaped cactus leaves called “nopales”. For years, I would pass by these unappealing guys, but I always wondered what they tasted like. I also wondered how in the world one could possibly work with them!
Nopales aren’t actually leaves, but they’re the soft stems of the underdeveloped prickly pear cacti. What would be considered the leaves, scientifically speaking, are the spines…go figure! Many people are only familiar with the prickly pear fruit themselves, which taste like a cross between watermelon and strawberries…Yum!
Okay. Either green or purple, nopales are roughly the size of a person’s hand, and, when cooked, they have a consistency somewhere between green beans and green peppers. Native to Mexico and Central America, they’re regularly added to eggs and steak stir fry.
Nopales have a wide range of health benefits. They aid in weight loss, regulate blood sugar, prevent cancer, improve skin health, protect heart health, regulate and improve digestion, boost the immune system, optimize metabolic activity, build strong bones, cure insomnia, and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Wow!
A couple of months ago, my dear friend Terre Dunivant (gaiagraphicsLINK), asked me if I had ever eaten nopales raw or cooked. She said that she had a ton of them in her yard if I ever wanted any. She said that they’re spectacularly healthy, as they’re brimming with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and many other phyto-nutrients. Even after hearing about these awesome health benefits, when I pictured the cactus paddles in my mind, I shied away from working with those spines. I said, “I love you Terre, but thanks anyway!”
Then, just last week, I was at my cooking demo booth at the Wednesday morning market in Arroyo Grande, right across from sweet Lupe’s produce booth. Lo and behold, I saw that she had 3 ziplock bags of de-spined and diced nopales for sale for just $3/bag! My eyes kept going back to those neatly diced nopales all morning. When there was a lul in the crowd, I walked over to ask Lupe about them, and she let me taste a piece raw. It was crispy and watery and surprisingly tangy, which tells me they’re full of vitamin C. I was immediately turned on. I thought, “what a refreshing element to a summer salad these would make!” I was also super excited by the idea of finally learning to cook with them.
To guide buyers in cooking them, Lupe had a small, laminated sign that told us to put them in a saucepan with a bit of salt and simmer them for 10-20 minutes on low heat until they let go of their water. Then, one can drain them and easily saute them with onions, eggs, stir fry, meats…anything! “Oh Boy!” I thought, “the possibilities are endless…let the adventure begin!”

Nopales & Caramelized Onion in Scrambled Eggs:
I brought the diced nopales home and did exactly what Lupe’s sign had instructed. Then, I set them aside, and sauteed a large diced onion in my favorite cast-iron skillet in about 2Tbsp nitrate-free bacon fat. When the onion started to brown and caramelize, I threw in the simmered and drained “nopalitos” along with: 1/2tsp each turmeric, cumin, and coriander. I stirred everything together, then covered the pan and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so. On the side, I had whisked about 4 eggs with about 1/2tsp sea salt until they were frothy and fluffy, then I poured the eggs over everything and scrambled the whole ensemble together for a lovely, pre-Cinco de Mayo breakfast!

Here’s a link to the many details of the heath benefits of nopales:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/nopales.html

A Few Words of Caution:
Due to nopales ability to regulate and affect blood sugar levels, they can sometimes make people hypoglycemic, and they should also not be consumed excessively before an operation, since they makes it difficult to control glucose and blood nutrient levels.

Integrity note from Courtney:
Since I finally ended up cooking with nopales last week, I just had to write about the experience for my May newsletter, instead of writing about the various kinds of dark leafy greens and the healthiest ways to prepare them, as I said I would do this month in last month’s newsletter. For this, I apologize deeply. And, I intend, in June, to finally bring you the reasons why some kinds of greens are best for the body when eaten raw, why some kinds are best when at least lightly cooked, and why some kinds are best when fermented. Thank You So Much for your readership, your time, and your patience!

 

Water – New Guidelines for Your Unique Needs

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          me at ASHHydrating your body well throughout the year doesn’t have to be difficult. Here’s what I’ve learned from my favorite book: Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, about efficient water assimilation, how individual needs vary, and how to establish a routine to get enough water daily.

          I grew up drinking refrigerated colas when I felt thirsty (as nearly everyone did who lived in hot, Southern California weather), which are actually dehydrating because of the sugar & caffeine they contain. These days, whenever my stomach gurgles, instead of asking myself if I’m hungry, I now ask myself if I’m thirsty. And, I find that a quart of lemon-water going down my throat is usually what my body was asking for. But, an entire quart might be too much for some people to drink at one time. My personal daily water need is great because I feel hot much of the time, I’m physically active, and about 30% of my protein foods are good quality eggs or meats with some unrefined salts.

          How much water should we be drinking daily? It’s different for everyone according to Pitchford, but many doctors are now recommending drinking more water daily for nearly every disease. It’s a fact that most modern people are chronically dehydrated, as processed foods contain little or no water, and refined ingredients are also dehydrating. A diet of mostly processed foods and animal products without drinking enough re-mineralized water can cause many different bodily organs to shrink and shrivel over time. Scary!

          From my studies, I believe that most of us, because we eat significant amounts of animal products and often eat dry, processed foods, we should hydrate with about ½ of our ideal body weight in ounces per day. These needs would probably be a little less in the wintertime, and maybe a little more than this in hot summer weather, or with physical exertion or sweating. Some people think we should only drink when thirsty, but most modern people’s thirst mechanism has been stunted from a lifetime of access to only chlorinated water, which often leads to dehydration.

A great rule of thumb is to judge one’s water needs by the color of one’s urine. If your urine is dark orange-brown in color and scant, you are dehydrated. Urine should flow regularly throughout the day (at least every 2hrs), and it should be pale yellow.

Factors which increase water requirements:

  • Physical Activity

  • Consumption of meat, eggs or salty foods

  • Fever, Heat, or Excess conditions (overweight, red skin or tongue, fast pulse, tumors, etc)

  • Hot, Dry, Windy Climates

          When I started drinking about 70 ounces of re-mineralized water daily (I weigh 140lb), I began to feel SO MUCH BETTER! I had more energy, I craved fewer carbohydrates, my bowels became unconstipated, my headaches and my allergies reduced significantly, and I even lost weight. By the way, all this happened to an even further degree, along with even more signs of increased vitality, a few years later, when I decided to cut refined sugars out of my diet.          

          A realistic starting point for most people, is to start out drinking 8-16oz of water at one time, especially if larger amounts are difficult. As a person begins to hydrate their body regularly, they’ll feel thirsty more often, and then they’ll gradually be able to drink more at one time.           

          When is the best time to drink water? It’s ideal to drink at times other than when we eat, so as not to inhibit digestion. You see, drinking more than 4oz with a meal will dilute your valuable stomach acids and enzymes. So ideally, you’ll want to hydrate between meals, with 16-24oz of re-mineralized water, 4-5 times a day.

          My current routine is to drink about 40oz throughout the morning (usually warm lemon-water, which is great for the liver), as I usually feel dehydrated when I wake up. Then, I’ll eat breakfast when I actually feel hungry around 10AM (fasting in the AM helps re-set your metabolism to burn fats instead of sugars), and then, a couple of hours after breakfast, I’ll drink another 32oz or so. According to food combining principles for best digestion, after a meal it’s best to wait at least 90 minutes before drinking a large amount, and after drinking a large amount, it’s best to wait at least 30 minutes before eating.          

          What do I mean by re-mineralizing? Re-mineralizing water means adding trace minerals (aka: electrolytes) to it. This is important to do because straight H2O (distilled water) doesn’t actually hydrate the body well. When water is void of minerals, the body can’t utilize it efficiently. By re-mineralizing your water, it’s like you’re making your own GatorAid, but without the sugar! Straight H2O can actually pull minerals from the body as it passes through. Think about it; water comes to us naturally in wells and streams where minerals are present.

          What to add to your 16oz glass of water to re-mineralize it (choose one)

  • 1/16tsp (pinch) of sea salt (Celtic, Himalayan, Portuguese, or Real Salt brand)

  • juice from a lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit

  • 1-2tsp of raw apple cider vinegar

  • 2oz any 100% fruit juice

  • 2-3oz soak water from soaking sea vegetables for cooking

          All of these listed above contain trace minerals. I like adding lemon juice to my water, as it takes my thirst away immediately and is gently cleansing to all my organs. Raw apple cider vinegar is more strongly cleansing, very alkalizing to the pH, aids digestion, helps prevent arthritis crystals from forming when taken regularly, and has many other benefits. But those with weakened or sensitive kidneys should use apple cider vinegar sparingly. Whole sea salt is great to replace bodily electrolytes in the summer, or when working out and sweating lots. Also, sea salt is best for containers which can’t be rinsed or washed regularly, because salt inhibits bacterial growth. 100% fruit juice is tasty, but is usually too sugary for those with candida overgrowth symptoms.

          Water Sources: Tap water is usually swimming with both chlorine and fluoride, both of which are very bad for nearly every system in the body. Water vending machines outside grocery stores are not very thorough at completely cleaning these elements out of municipal tap water. So, get your water from a good reverse osmosis filter, purifier, distiller, micro-filter, or from a good water store like my favorite: Central Coast Pure Water in the Laguna Village Shopping Center at Madonna Rd and LOVR. The sweet man who runs the shop is named LaLo, and I totally enjoy seeing him regularly when I bring my BPA free, plastic bottles into his store about once a week for a refill. He is totally helpful, charming and funny, and has become one of my dearest friends.

          Best Water Containers: Try to use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bottles to store and carry your daily drinking water on the go. I’ve found that most stainless steel water bottles eventually give the water a slightly metallic taste, especially if you’re adding sea salt to re-mineralize it. So, I like using a 32oz glass mason jar for my purse.  

          If you use big polycarbonate bottles to fill up at a water store as I do, get the new ones labeled BPA-free. And NEVER buy or drink water sold in convenient, low-grade plastic bottles (labeled on bottom as #7 or lower) because they leach toxic plasticides (toxic chemicals such as BPA, and even synthetic estrogens) into the water, especially if the bottles get warm in the car.

Immune Boosting & Tips For A Healthier Daily Routine

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There are several immune-building tactics that will pay off, especially in the late summer/fall when kids start bringing viruses home from school, or before traveling by plane or to a big city, etc. or any other place you’re likely to be exposed.

I’ve outlined several of the key diet and lifestyle factors which have worked beautifully for me in strengthening immunity, often to the point where I don’t get sick for years on end!

And, at the bottom of this article I listed several important tips for a healthier daily routine, as some of these overlap with immune boosting tips, and some you may never have known about!

One trick that’s worked for me every time I remember to do it, is to get an immune-boosting herbal tea blend into my system daily, for about 2 weeks in the early fall. I like to simmer about a week’s worth of immune-boosting tea, which is just 3 simple herbs (recipe below) to store in the fridge, so I can easily drink a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening. I sometimes remember to do this before I even hear of anyone getting sick, but usually, I find myself fervently rooting through my stash of herbs right after I hear of a sickness going around the community. Better late than never! I’ll simmer a big pot of this magical tea, to drink continuously for about a week, and then I’ll make another week’s worth, and then possibly another, as it tastes great too! 

Fennel & GreensI have a head start in maintaining a strong immune system compared to most people, because I practice a whole food diet and lifestyle, which happens to dovetail beautifully with the keys to developing strong immunity (listed below).

Self-care takes time, and there aren’t a lot of shortcuts to good health. But, I’ll bet you want that magic-yet-simple immuni-tea recipe anyway, right? Okay!

Magical-Yet-Simple Immuni-Tea Recipe:  In a large pot, bring 3qts of water to boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and add 3/4 cup Astragalus Root to simmer for 10 minutes. Next, add 1Tbsp dried Elderberries, and simmer another 3 min. Lastly, add 2Tbsp dried Lemon Balm herb, turn off heat, and let steep for 3 minutes. Strain herbs from liquid, let liquid cool for for 20 minutes or so, then refrigerate and enjoy a cup this tea (hot or cold), about twice a day, over the next 7-14 days.

On a side note: Did you know that the population of probiotic bacteria in one’s gut is THE FOUNDATION of one’s immunity?

And, over the next few months, try to remember that we often tax our immune systems throughout the holiday season with refined pleasure foods, alcohol, staying up late, family stress, and less self-care. So, be sure your self-care/immune-boosting deposits greatly outweigh your withdrawals!

Keys To Developing Stronger Immunity:

1) alkalize the body by eating 80% whole foods and green veggies, and only 20% refined/processed foods, meat, alcohol, sugar, etc.

2) eat 25% of your diet as greens (cook broccoli family veggies, but eat raw: spinach, beet greens & chard)

3) eat probiotic foods like raw sauerkraut or water kefir, or good quality probiotic supplements

4) eat food-state Vitamin C throughout the day (lemon juice, kiwi, tomato, peppers, cabbage, citrus with the pith, etc)

5) get good sleep in a dark room free from electronics & try to rise and fall with the sun as much as possible

6) exercise regularly (3x per week, 20min-1hr at a time) with an activity you love to do

7) get enough midday sunshine regularly (5-10 minutes may be enough if you’re fair) that you develop a base tan, but never burn

8) drink 3-4qts re-mineralized water daily (add a squeeze of lemon, 1tsp raw apple cider vinegar, or 1/8tsp Celtic or Himalayan salt)

9) practice having healthy relationships

10) herbs: elderberry, astragalus, echinacea, garlic, ginseng, lemon balm, aloe, and mushrooms: reishi, shiitake & maitake

11) eat vitamin A rich foods like: carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and pumpkin

12) eat some superfoods like spirulina or chlorella, blueberries, raw cacao, and goji berries

Tips For A Healthier Daily Routine

First thing in the morning, drink 8-16oz room-temp (or warm) water with a big squeeze of lemon (OR 1tsp apple cider vinegar)

1/2hr later (or when feeling hungry), have a low-sugar breakfast of complex carbs/fruit/nuts/avocado, OR a protein breakfast w/avocado & lots of greens

Rinse each cup of coffee from your kidneys with at least 8oz water

Supplements are best taken w/food before 2PM (krill oil, B-complex, Vit C & D, etc)

Lunch/Dinner both consist of at least 1/2 the plate as seasonal veggies (again: lots of dark leafys), and dinner is best before 6PM as a protein meal (zero carbs after 3PM)

Another 8-16oz re-mineralized water or herbal tea in the evening

No blue-light screen time after dark for better sleep

5 Tips For Loosing Those Holiday Pounds By Gently Quitting Sugars

5 Tips For Loosing Those Holiday Pounds By Gently Quitting Sugars

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One of the biggest motivating factors for people wanting to stop spiking their blood sugar, is weight loss. The human body is designed to burn fats for energy, not sugars. But because high glycemic foods are eaten at nearly every American meal, our bodies, since childhood, learn to use sugar as a primary energy source.

When we have the discipline to gradually switch our body’s energy source to good fats, weight loss is a natural result…along with a drastic decrease in chances of developing not only diabetes, but heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s, systemic inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, and osteoporosis, to name a few!…more about this research here

Refined sugars are considered toxins by most alternative health practitioners today. They run through our blood stream, and actually rob us of valuable vitamins and minerals. Also, our hormones, body chemistry and brain chemistry are all directly affected by spikes and dips in our blood sugar. When we spike our blood sugar throughout the day, our hormones and body chemistry jump around wildly as well. Over time, this is disastrous for our health. No wonder so many of us are hormonally out of whack!

One of the very first steps to better health is to eliminate the physical and psychological need for spiking the blood sugar. It’s like a drug. When you have a sugary treat at a certain time of the day, you’ll crave sugar right around that same time the next day. It’s a slippery slope…

When you quit eating it, you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches and tiredness for about 2 weeks. Throughout the first 2 months of quitting, the urge to have it will still be very strong. So…

Tip #1) Quit sugar gradually, gently weaning yourself over several weeks, sometime after Jan 1st, as sugary foods are everywhere around the holidays.

Tip #2) Get enough re-mineralized water throughout the day

Tip #3) Take kelp tablets or ‘Sweet Ease” by Banyan Botanicals (or both!) to reduce sugar cravings

Tip #4) Quit sugar with others you live or work with, as most people need lots of support in making this transition.

Tip #5) The first few weeks, carry organic raisins, figs or prunes with you in your car or purse. You’ll need to pop a handful at the time of day you usually have that cookie, etc, to take the edge off of the sugar withdrawal headache and fatigue. Moderate amounts of treats made with sprouted or cultured whole grains and/or any of the whole sugar (unrefined) sweeteners mentioned below will also take the edge off of those sugar-withdrawal symptoms.

Most modern people, since childhood (myself included), are raised on sugar-laden foods (or on foods which quickly turn into sugar once eaten). Usually, into adulthood, we don’t even want to get off this roller coaster because spiking the blood sugar is extremely addicting. Sugar is addicting because it gives us a superficial energy spurt, from which we quickly crash, and which depletes our adrenal glands.

The saddest part of this scenario, is that eventually, we are only satisfied with the shallow-sweet flavor of sugary foods, instead of being satisfied with the deep-sweet flavor of oats or short grain brown rice. ‘Oats and brown rice are sweet?’, you may ask. Yes, when chewed well, whole grains yield what macrobiotics calls a “deep-sweet” flavor. You will begin to taste this deep-sweet flavor as you eat more and more whole foods, and leave packaged foods to the wayside. Yes, our taste buds change and become more sensitive to natural flavors over time, on the path of transition from refined foods to whole foods. Hooray!

There are different levels of food’s capacity to spike our blood sugar. Refined sugars like cane sugar and corn syrup push our blood sugar the highest – way too high for good health. The various names for refined sugars which spike the blood sugar dangerously high are: white sugar, cane sugar, organic cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, white grape or fruit juice concentrate, and commercial honey. All honey is refined by bees, and therefore spikes the blood sugar like other refined sugars do. Pasteurized, commercial honey is sold at mainstream grocery stores is bad for the body, whereas raw honey in small amounts (preferably from a local source) is beneficial for the body and easier to digest because of the minerals and live enzymes in it. All honey is still very high-glycemic, so try to use no more than 1 teaspoon at a time.

Agave syrup or agave nectar sold in health food stores is highly refined (unrefined agave syrup is thick and dark like molasses), and refined agave contains 90% fructose. It therefore has worse long-term effects than high fructose corn syrup, which has 55% fructose…..more about this research here

Xylitol and Maltitol are made from sugar alcohol. They’re sugar substitutes which act like sugar in baking recipes, but which have a low-medium reading on the glycemic index, so they’re often used in “sugar-free” sweet products. The down side is that more that 1tsp of Xylitol per serving can lead to irritated bowels. Maltitol also acts like sugar in baking recipes, but any more than 1/2tsp will usually irritate the bowels.

Okay. Here’s the list of unrefined (unprocessed) sugars which haven’t been stripped of natural minerals – minerals which slow sugar’s absorption into the bloodstream, and are lower on the glycemic index. “Sucanat” or “Rapidura” sugar, coconut sugar, and palm sugar are granular (they look like sand) and they can easily be used for baking, cup for cup, in place of white sugar. Some other natural, unrefined sources of sugar worth experimenting with are yacon powder and mesquite powder, but be aware that these have unique aftertastes. The other unrefined sugars in liquid form are: barley malt syrup, brown rice syrup, small amounts of raw honey, grade B maple syrup, yacon syrup, and organic molasses.

For those on candida diets (no kind of sugar whatsoever is allowed) stevia leaf extract is a natural, no-sugar, no-calorie sweetener. The best stevia I’ve found with no bitter aftertaste is Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla flavored stevia with “singing dog” vanilla bean). Luo Han is another natural sweetener from a plant, and is worth experimenting with. It’s said to be 250 times sweeter than sugar (similar to stevia), so add a pinch to your tea, or maybe a 1/4 tsp to your favorite dessert to see how you like it!

When we are off sugar and in balance, we can more easily quiet our minds to know what is the best action in any given moment. It’s from this place that we can go forward in the world, and more effectively make it a better place.

Here’s 2 Great RECIPES to get you through the transition off refined sugar
Carob Coconut Cloud
Carob-Coconut Cloud – a fantastic dessert OR breakfast!

Ingredients

2 cups any leftover grain (brown rice or millet/amaranth are great!)
1 Tbsp coconut oil, butter or ghee
½ tsp fine ground sea salt
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice OR ½ tsp each cinnamon & nutmeg
2Tbsp carob powder and 1tsp cacao powder
6 drops Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla stevia OR 1 Tbsp grade B maple syrup (or raw honey)
½ cup dried coconut (unsulphured shavings)

Preparation

In a small saucepan over low heat add 1 cup water and 2 cups any leftover grain (brown rice or millet are great!). Stir and add 1 Tbsp coconut oil, butter or ghee. Stir until melted and add  ½ tsp whole sea salt, ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice OR ½ tsp each cinnamon & nutmeg, 2 Tbsp carob powder, 6 drops vanilla stevia OR 1 Tbsp maple syrup / raw honey, AND ½ cup dried coconut. Stir until mixed well & enjoy warm topped with pecans, almonds, walnuts, or macadamia nuts and/or fresh/frozen berries!
Optional tangy-sweet topping: just mash a basket of fresh raspberries (or a bag of thawed from frozen raspberries), with the juice of a ripe meyer lemon, and 10 drops Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla stevia.

 

Almond Butter Cocoa Cups!

Almond Butter Cups
Make your own healthy, not-too-sugary, peanut butter cups with almond butter, raw honey, and coconut oil…YAY! Happy New Year!

Cocoa Layer
6Tbsp virgin coconut oil
6Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2Tbsp honey or maple syrup AND 1tsp Nu Naturals liquid vanilla stevia
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1/8tsp sea salt

Almond Butter Layer
1/2 cup almond butter (I like the fresh ground from New Frontiers best)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1tsp honey
1/4tsp sea salt

On low heat, melt 6Tbsp coconut oil in a small saucepan. As soon as it melts, turn off the heat & add the rest of the cocoa layer ingredients. Mix well & add about 1tsp of this mixture to the bottom of 10-12 small muffin paper cups. Freeze the cups for 10 minutes.

While this cocoa layer is hardening in the freezer, melt 1/4 cup coconut oil on low heat in different a small saucepan. Turn off the heat as soon as it melts & add the rest of the almond butter layer ingredients. Mix well, take the muffin cups our of the freezer, & add about 1tsp of this almond butter mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Freeze again for 10 minutes.

Take the cups outta the freezer, add the rest of the cocoa layer mixture to the top of each cup (probably 1/2 – 1tsp will be left for each cup), and freeze again for 10 more minutes.

Voila!  These finished cups will keep for weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.
Now you can serve your own, homemade, lower glycemic, almond butter cups to your lucky friends & family.

Joy and Confidence in Cooking

Joy and Confidence in Cooking

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Me cooking at NFIt’s fall time, the kids are back in school, and many of us are re-establishing our whole food cooking routines.

Deeply enjoying the process of cooking, is foundational to creating a beneficial energetic effect of the food for our bodies. Quantum physics shows us that when we prepare food with emotions like joy and gratitude, the health and happiness of the people who consume it are directly lifted. Conversely, food prepared with negative emotions like anger, resentment, or within high-stress environments like busy restaurants, can have subtle, negative, emotional (and even physical) effects!

These principles below are adapted from my favorite book: Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford…E-N-J-O-Y!

  • Have fun, be simple, and be happy with your cooking, no matter how simple.

  • Clean as you go, and put things back in their place for ease.

  • Plan meals, soak grains & beans the day before, get into a routine, use leftovers, and streamline as much as possible.

  • Be grateful to nourish yourself and the ones you love.

  • Relax and breathe.

  • Cut out media and any other artificial sounds, and let the sounds of chopping, sizzling, and bubbling be your music mingled with the aromas.

  • Be intuitive: let the colors, tastes, shapes and smells guide you.

  • Plan the flow of cooking…when to put the beans and grains on, soak seaweeds, chop veggies, mince garlic/ginger/fresh herbs, make sauces, and steam or stir fry vegetables.

  • Keep an orderly, organized, calm atmosphere in the kitchen.

  • Arrange food attractively.

  • Listen with your inner knowing for when the food is done….you’ll know.

  • Absolutely don’t taste from a spoon and then put that spoon back in the food. The enzymes in your saliva start to break down the food and actually change the vibration.

  • Refined foods such as cornstarch, white rice, and white flour products like pasta and bread take almost twice as long to digest as whole grains, so they give one a false sense of being nourished and full. Gradually introduce whole grains as a staple food, along with plenty of good fats.

  • Learn to cook individual grains.

  • Get to know the healing powers and effects of various whole foods, then strive to bring out their natural taste and life force without changing them too much.

  • Use simple combinations of foods and spices to create variety.

  • Cook for someone who inspires you…someone you care for…someone you love.

Tips for Hormone Balance

Tips for Hormone Balance

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Beans N GreensMy dear friend Lisa Saslove R.D. and I, composed these tips for hormone balance together a few years ago. We find that the guidelines are timeless, and are very helpful to give people an idea of what a whole foods diet & lifestyle looks like…a lifestyle similar to the way our ancestors and many indigenous people all over the world today live.

This Sunday, in my class called Whole Foods Cooking for The Optimal Woman, these hormone balance guidelines will be discussed in depth, along with ways to maximize calcium and iron assimilation with specific whole food combinations. We’ll also talk about strategies for gently getting off refined sugars, and for steadily eating lower glycemic to help prevent not only diabetes, but many modern diseases like cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, and systemic inflammation, to name just a few. Also in this awesome class, we’ll review the benefits of periodic colon cleansing and guidelines for a colon cleansing diet, emotions as they relate to eating, and how to gently work toward the diet & lifestyle that’s best for your particular body type. Together, we’ll prepare and eat a D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S adzuki bean stew with seasonal veggies and wakame sea vegetable, and tasty, toasted, sesame-wakame sprinkle as a calcium supplement snack. YUM!

Okay, below are the basic guidelines for maintaining balanced hormones. Lists of specific foods, herbs, and other detailed information will be given in class on Sunday…

Basic Guidelines For Maintaining Balanced Hormones

1. Eat whole, organic foods to get peak nutritional content, and to avoid antibiotics and excess hormones in commercial meats and animal products. Get vitamins, minerals and trace minerals in the most absorbable, food-state form through dark leafy greens and sea vegetables such as nori, kombu, wakame and hijiki. Recipes using wakame, known as “the woman’s seaweed”, will be given to participants in Sunday’s class.

2. Drink filtered water that is kept in glass or stainless steel – NOT plastic, which leeches synthetic estrogens into the water. Also, re-mineralize your drinking water for efficient hydration…we’ll review the four ways to re-mineralize your drinking water in this Sunday’s class.

3. Address food allergies. Gluten and dairy sensitivity is common in menopausal women, which contributes to excess weight around the mid-section. Nature’s design is to put on weight pre-menopausally, in order to protect against stroke and osteoporosis, but obesity throws off the body’s hormone balance.

4. Stabilize blood sugar levels. On Sunday, we’ll talk about how to work your way off processed foods and foods with refined sugar. Avoid excess caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, and commercially raised meat, all of which aggravate the liver, which is involved in detoxification of excess hormones.

5.  Stress hampers hormone balance. Get adequate sleep, relaxation time, and the types of foods and exercise that are right for your particular constitution (body type). In Sunday’s class, we’ll review body types according to macrobiotics, and the foods that help to balance each of them.

6. Eat foods that help to support liver detoxification. Detoxifying the liver every six months with a 3 – 5 day liver cleanse (diet & herbs) may be necessary if you have signs of a stagnant or excessive liver; fast pulse, red face or tongue, headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, indigestion, distended abdomen or chest. We’ll review the rest of the liver-excess symptoms on Sunday, as well as specific foods which help to detoxify the liver.

7. Eat adequate plant-source calcium such as unhulled sesame seeds, cashew and Brazil nuts, dark leafy greens, cucumber, carob, and wakame sea vegetable.  Cultured goat and sheep’s milk yogurt are easier to digest than cow’s milk diary products, and all dairy should ideally be eaten raw.

8. Get balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids (great sources will be listed on the hormone balance guidelines handout in Sunday’s class!).

9. Hormone balancing herbs work nicely for many women. On Sunday, we’ll discuss the differences between the yin-type woman, and the yang-type woman, and the herbs which are most balancing for each body type. Dong quai, wild yam, vitex (chaste berry), raspberry leaf, nettle, and pau d arco are hormone-balancing herbs which benefit different body types.

10. Minimize exposure to hormone disruptive chemicals in soft plastics, pesticides, cleansers, white paper, dyes, etc.

11. Have a saliva test done to determine your particular hormone imbalance.  Blood testing isn’t as accurate.

12.  FYI: The anti-aging hormone DHEA is not necessarily good for everyone.  It’s easy to take too much and throw your hormone balance off even more.  Have your physician determine if you need it after saliva testing.