Pizza and Milkshakes!

Cam here!
I hope you are all well. Here in Anacortes I have heard rumblings that there is yet another round of the flu going around. We are doing our best to steer clear of it and I hope you are too!
I was blessed to be able to spend this last week with my sister in Arizona. I love getting together with her. We spent time relaxing in the sunshine (if you call entertaining babies by the pool, relaxing), shopping, enjoying Whole Foods, and of course, making lots of dirty dishes in the kitchen! She inspired me with some fun smoothie recipes, pampered me with some homemade orange blossom lotion (recipe here), and experimented with me on some homemade face powder (recipe here). We love the face powder! Made only with ingredients you can find in your kitchen, it makes my face glow! We're talking angelically bronzed!
With all the hard work we were doing, we needed some hard core sustenance and some major cravings satisfied. The solution? Pizza and chocolate milkshakes. Really. Ok, not your typical pizza and milkshakes. But yummy pizza and indulgent chocolate shakes.
As you know, we do our best to stay away from things like gluten, dairy, soy, and most grains. For a few articles on why, check these out by Dr. Mercola, here and here; and this one by Chris Kresser. One thing that is really important to note, is that with a clean diet, you should not expect that your new recipes will taste exactly like the "real" thing. They will be delicious and full of nutrition and help ease you in to a new "normal" food lifestyle, but are not an exact replacement for something you may be missing. Hopefully, over time, you will find, as I did, that your cravings will have changed to these more healthful and satisfying variations.
Enough about that, here's what we did.

Herbed Garbanzo Bean Flat bread and Arugula Pesto Pizza

For the flat bread, here's what you'll need.
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour (Chickpea flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon your choice of herbs (we enjoy an Italian blend from the Market in Anacortes)
Freshly ground black pepper
Cast iron skillet

Pour water into a mixing bowl. Stir in the garbanzo bean flour. The batter will be very thin, but do not let that worry you. Cover the mixture with a paper towel or dish towel and let it sit for at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Heat oven to 425. Heat skillet in oven for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Pour 2/3 cup of batter into the skillet, making sure that it spreads evenly. Bake until flat bread is crisp around the edges and golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Gently loosen flat bread and slide onto your pizza pan. Repeat until all batter is cooked.

Once your flat bread is ready, add on your toppings. We love to use arugula pesto for the sauce or base. You can find that recipe here. For toppings we added caramelized onions, Roma tomatoes, basil leaves, and goat cheese. Be flexible and creative and come up with your own delicious creation. Once your pizzas are assembled, bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until toppings are sizzling! Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

The exciting thing about this flat bread recipe is how versatile it is. We have been known to use it not only for pizza, but for making yummy sausage breakfast sandwiches or as a great side to chicken salad.

On to desert!

Banana Chocolate Shake

Here's what you'll need.

1 ripe banana

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup almond milk

5 or 6 ice cubes.

Place all ingredients in your blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds or until all ice is blended. Pour into your favorite big glass (we drank ours out of mason jars with a straw). Enjoy!

I was surprised at how much the texture of this was like a milkshake! And the flavor? Oh so yummy!

I hope you enjoy these 

Kombucha Kombucha Kombucha Kombucha

Kombucha Kombucha Kombucha Kombucha! Say that four times quickly and I promise you will have a smile on your face!
Have you tried kombucha before? Do you know what it is? Kombucha is an effervescent fermented tea beverage that contains a wonderful and varied quantity of probiotics and bacteria which, when drunk, helps bring our guts back to a healthy balance. The tea is made when you add a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), otherwise known as a kombucha mother, to sweetened tea. The mother uses the sugar to ferment the tea and also makes a baby, another SCOBY. Sounds yummy, right?
Several years ago when kombucha was first introduced to me via my little sister, who decided she wanted to make her own, I was skeptical. And a little disturbed. But as I learned about the health benefits, I became more willing to try it. And now I'm hooked. And my husband is hooked. And the kids in his youth group are hooked. And his parents. And my parents.
Kombucha is not new to the health stage. In fact, it has been used for over 2,000 years for its health benefits. Russian and German scientists first studied these benefits during the first half of the 20th century when it was discovered that, in certain regions of Russia, whole populations were "immune" to cancer. What they discovered is that certain nutrients found in the kombucha were vital to improving whole body health.
So what does it do? The first and most noticeable, at least for me, attribute of kombucha is its ability to improve gut health and aid in digestion. Because of the probiotics found in this beverage, it has the ability to fight dangerous yeast (Candida) overgrowth and add beneficial bacteria to our guts - bacteria which help break down food so that we can properly use the vitamins and nutrients. According to foodrenegade.com, improved gut health contributes to better mental clarity and mood stability, as well as to reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety. This alone makes partaking in kombucha well worth it. But this is not all. The acids in kombucha are found to aid in protection of cartilage structure, many of the enzymes and acids aid in liver detoxification, and the anti-oxidants boost the immune system.
What we have found is that with regular consumption (approximately 8 oz per day), we can really appreciate all the benefits kombucha has to offer. You can find kombucha at many grocery and health food stores, but at over $3 a bottle, the cost adds up quickly. So we have begun brewing our own. Here's how!

What you'll need.
Large pot
1 Gallon of Water
6 organic tea bags (black, green, or herbal)
1 cup of organic sugar
1 SCOBY or Kombucha Mother
Wooden spoon or plastic spatula (do not use metal as it denatures the kombucha)
Gallon Glass Jar
Cheese Cloth or Kitchen Towel
Glass jars or bottles to store kombucha

Bring water to boil. Add tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until it dissolves. Let tea cool to room temperature. Pour tea into gallon jar. Wash hands thoroughly before handling the SCOBY. Gently place the SCOBY in the jar. Remember to remove any rings are metal from your hands/wrists before touching the mother. Place cheese cloth or kitchen towel over the mouth of the jar. Use a string or rubber band to secure it. Place the tea in a dark, warm place. Kombucha usually takes at least a week to ferment. We like to taste test throughout the process so we know when to harvest. However, if you would prefer not to taste, this is what it should look like when it's finished brewing.

You will notice that your kombucha mother will have added another layer. This is the baby. When you are ready to harvest your kombucha, gently life the mother and baby from the tea. If necessary, use your fingers to gently separate the mother and baby. Place them in a gallon zip lock bag or glass jar and pour a little of the kombucha over the scobies. Store them in your fridge to use again and again. You will notice that there are strands of culture floating throughout your kombucha. These are good for you! And it is best to drink them along with the rest of the tea. Pour kombucha into glass jars or bottles and store in the fridge. Enjoy!

And just for fun, here is a link to a video of a toddler enjoying kombucha! We have enjoyed watching this many times. No one was injured in the making of this video!

Feeling the Burn?

Patty here!
In my last post, I talked about gut health and the potential for eating whole and fermented foods to help normalize imbalances in our guts. As I pondered the physiology of our bodies and, more specifically, our guts, I thought maybe we should talk about where many of our health issues begins... the stomach. So I did some studying, and I was amazed at what I found. Statistics show that 60 million people experience heartburn once a month and 25 million suffer from it daily. THAT IS CRAZY. We used to not pay much attention to heartburn, but those numbers set off alarms in my head.
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn) can be a serious or even life-threatening problem due to long-term damage it influcts including scarring, constriction, ulceration and even cancer of the esophagus. Recent studies show that the damage from GERD not only extends upward to the esophagus, but also travels downward through the digestive track, contributing to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and other gastrointestinal problems. One report said that IBS is now a leading cause of missed work, second only to the common cold.
The crazy thing is that most people believe heartburn is caused by an overabundance of stomach acid. So they pop Tums or sip on Pepto Bismol to reduce the burn. Many need even stronger stuff, so they rely on prescription antacids from their docs. Well, interestingly enough, research shows that GERD is NOT caused by too much stomach acid. In truth, we feel the burn when we don't have enough. Numerous studies show that HCL (stomach acid) declines with age AND it is well estableished that the risk of heartburn and GERD increases with age. Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD of the Tahoma Clinic in Washington State explains in his book, Why Stomach Acid is Good For You, "When we carefully test people over age forty who are having heartburn, indigestion and gas, over 90 percent of the time we find inadequate acid production in the stomach." Wow! So all this time we have been reducing our stomach acid when we actually needed more? Dr. Wright has also found that patients with GERD or heartburn, when supplemented with HCL (stomach acid) were cured of their problem. Wow.
So, why then, you may ask, do we feel a burn? If we don't have enough stomach acid, why do we get heartburn? If you read the literature, you will see that GERD, or heartburn, happens when the LES (lower esophageal valve) works improperly and allows acid to get back into the esophagus. The misfiring of the LES happens when there is increased IAP (intra-abdominal pressure). The two main causes of this pressure are bacterial overgrowth and carbohydrate mal-digestion. Without the proper amount of HCL, both these problems occur. So again, HCL inhibits the overgrowth of unwanted bacteria and supports the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Low stomach acid (which is the goal of Tums, Prilosec, Pepto Bismol and other antacids) causes bacterial overgrowth and carbohydrate mal-digestion in the stomach which in turn, causes IAP, the release of acid back up into the esophagus and consequently GERD!
So, what should we do? We have had many people in our office suffering from GERD. One of the first things we do is to supplement that with HCL. Typically, symptoms retreat, but the long term results come with a change in nutrition. As I pointed out in my last post, we recommend a lifestyle change of consuming whole, clean foods that allow the body to function as it was designed. Processed grains, rancid oils, and ingredients with names we cannot pronounce have adulterated our food choices long enough. Eliminating sugars and the many forms of high carbohydrates and processed foods from our diet helps balance the flora in our gut so that when food leaves the stomach and enters the intestines it is broken down to the state it should be. Without this change the balance in our stomach stays disrupted, as it is with GERD. Then the downward spiral of digestive dysfunction begins and the potential for more severe problems presents itself.
If you are curious, here is an article from Chris Kresser that will go even more in depth.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Arugula Pesto, Me Oh My

Cam here!
It's hard to believe it's been a whole week since we posted. Sometimes life just seems to rush by. It was a sad week in our community. Our hearts go out to the navy families who lost loved ones early last week. It seems that everywhere we turn these days, we hear of people who are hurting. In the last seven days, I have heard of at least 3 people who have been diagnosed with late stage cancer. My husband and I were talking last night about a friend who is traveling to be with her niece, who is about to give birth to a baby with Anencephaly (he will be born without the majority of his brain). It is crushing. It is so hard to hear these stories, to grasp the depth of the pain these families are dealing with. We are sending our prayers.

It seems like the world is getting sicker. A report from scienceblogs.com provided these statistics:

• The U.S. is home to the highest infant mortality rate among high-income countries, and American children are less likely to live to age 5 than children in comparable nations.
• The U.S. has the highest obesity rate among high-income countries. Also, beginning at age 20, American adults have the highest prevalence rate of diabetes. 
• The U.S. is home to the second-highest death rate from ischemic heart disease after Finland among the nations studied. 

It is evident in the world. It is evident in the U.S. And it is evident here in Anacortes. And that's why we are so passionate about a hands-on approach to personal health. We know that we will not live forever, but we want to fuel our bodies, to provide them with the best tools to promote health and wellness, and to even heal what has been damaged. Patty will be posting later this week with more info on using food as medicine and a tool for healing.

For now, here is another recipe for you! It is gluten, casein, and dairy free, but sure to satisfy. This is one of our household favorites and an easy way to get dinner on the table!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Arugula Pesto

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients: Large Spaghetti Squash

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375. 
2. Using a sharp knife, cut spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out seeds and pulp. Place cut halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until flesh is tender. 
3. Let cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, separate flesh from the rind.

Arugula Pesto

Ingredients. 

2 cups Arugula Leaves

1 cup Basil Leaves (You can substitute Parsley if you prefer)

3 or 4 Garlic Cloves (Depending on your appreciation for garlic)

1/4 cup soaked, toasted walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

A couple of dashes of Tobasco

1/2 TBS Hot Mustard

Directions:

1. Rinse Arugula and Basil leaves and pat dry.
2. Place all ingredients in food processor. Blend until desired texture is reached. Open the lid once or twice and scrape down the sides, making sure all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Toss spaghetti squash with pesto and serve piping hot!

My husband likes to enjoy protein with each meal, so we have discovered some yummy all natural chicken sausages that we like to brown and toss into our "pasta." We also enjoy roasting and adding whatever veggies we have on hand. The result is a yummy smorgasbord full of body fuel!

Our Basics

Let me tell you a story. Several years ago, Dr. Cox came home from work one day with something on his mind. He had been invited to a seminar put on by a company called Standard Process (a whole food supplement manufacturer) which would discuss nutrition as it related to health. There were two seats available and he pondered inviting Patty. Later he told us he'd faced the invite with some dread, knowing that if he and Patty attended, our family's eating lifestyle would change considerably. The truth is, like many Americans out there, our family and social life often revolves around mealtime. And while we have never been much into fast food or microwave dinners, we had not yet realized that food can be a tasty tool to use for fuel and healing. 

That seminar inspired them to look at food differently. There have been some struggles, certainly some resistance, and not a few heels dug in, but now real food, clean food has become something we're passionate about. We laugh about the fact that now our family time often revolves around making food, enjoying the process, and the things that we are learning, instead of just eating. The funny part is, the process no longer just pertains to our food. In the past couple of weeks, we have gotten excited about making our own hair care products, make-up, and yesterday, we made lotion! Luxurious, creamy, yummy lotion!  

We want to share with you some of our basics, basic recipes that is, that are the foundation of our daily eating routine. Each of these are pretty simple to make and yummy to eat. Here is a list of what we have come up with so far. Every week, we will choose one recipe to share! 

Sprouted Nut Granola

Berry Smoothie

Garlic Cilantro Hummus

Bone Broth

Flat Bread

Lentil Pattycakes

Mashed/riced Cauliflower

Roasted Root Vegetables

Spaghetti Squash

Kombucha

Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see added! We love experimenting to find clean ways of enjoying many of our favorite comfort foods. 

Today I would like to share an easy bone broth recipe. Last week, Patty chatted about gut health, and one of our newer discoveries is that bone broth, yes, like our grandparents used to make, actually helps heal the gut. It contains gelatin which is good for a lot of other things, including: joint healing, collagen production (healthier skin, nails, and hair), aiding liver in detoxification process, and immune system building. We like to think of it as a super food! 

Bone broth is very versatile. You can use it in many recipes in place of store bought stock or bouillon cubes. We love it in soups or in our pot pie! We also take it medicinally throughout the year. It may sound strange, but there is nothing like a steaming mug of bone broth to warm you to the core on a cold winter day! I also like to add a little bit to my baby's diet. He is just six months old so we have not started solid foods yet, but research shows that bone broth is great for their digestion and who doesn't want to pump their baby full of lots of great nutrients.  For more information on that, check out Holistic Squid or The Healthy Home Economist. 

Bone broth can be made from the bones of any animal your family may use for protein (beef, bison, chicken, lamb, fish, etc). We save all the bones from our meals throughout the week and then get our bone broth going on the weekend. 

Here's what you'll need!

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of bones 

Filtered water

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Sea Salt

Roughly chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic) that you like for flavor.

Preparation

1. If any of your bones are uncooked (we sometimes like to add beef knuckles to our broth), brown or roast them in the oven. 

2. Place bones, vegetables, and salt in a large crock pot set to HIGH. 

3. Add water, making sure that water level is 1 inch above bones. 

4. Add apple cider vinegar. This helps break down the bones and draw the nutrients into the water.

5. Bring broth to a boil and then change setting to LOW.

6. Allow the broth to cook for 24 hours. You can cook for a minimum of 8 hours, but the longer it is cooked, the more nutrient rich your broth will be. 

7. Allow broth to cool and then remove bones and other pieces. You can save these and use them in your next batch of broth! As long as the bones are not falling apart, they are still able to be used.

8. Ladle broth into glass jars. Store in the fridge or freezer. You can also pour it into ice cube trays and break out a couple for each recipe.

     Note: It is important to keep the broth fresh. If you store it in the fridge, pull it out and bring to a boil every 4 days.

Enjoy!

The Connection Between Dizziness, Chronic Back Pain, and Adrenal Fatigue

Dr. Cox here!

Do you get dizzy when you stand up quickly? 

When a patients’ lower back does not respond to my treatment, I often ask this question.  If they answer “yes”, the solution to their chronic problem may be the treatment of adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency.

What is the connection?

The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are responsible for the production of many different hormones in the body, especially adrenaline. But they are also involved in blood sugar regulation, sex hormone production and the balancing of electrolytes such as potassium and sodium.  In today’s fast paced society, adrenal fatigue (or insufficiency) is relatively common and is often not properly diagnosed.  Adrenal fatigue can be caused by high stress jobs, long hours at work, difficult relationships, job loss issues, death in family, poor health, lack of sleep, environmental pollutants, diets high in refined carbohydrates, and other stress inducing situations.  In response to this stress, the adrenal glands increase their production of hormones as they work harder to respond to the situation. This is normal. However, when stress is consistent and unending, the adrenals get tired and can’t keep up with their normal functions.  Once the glands get tired, it takes more and more outside stimulants (i.e. caffeine) to get you going, a process which further depletes the adrenals. Once they are exhausted, the adrenals will give you warning signs they are not working correctly.

Here are some of the more common:

·         Chronic lower back pain.

·         Knee pain.

·         Dizziness when you stand up.

·         Craving for salt.

·         Fatigue

·         Bright lights bother your eyes (constant need for sunglasses)

In the body there is a relationship between the muscles and organs, and the adrenal glands are related to the Sartorius muscle.  This muscle attaches to the pelvis and runs down to just below the knee.  One of its primary actions is to stabilize the pelvis and knee.  With adrenal fatigue, the Sartorius muscle is weakened which can ultimately end up creating lower back (sacro-iliac) and knee pain. These types of patients get temporary relief with my care but never stabilize and “always” have to come back in. 

The solution for this condition can include adrenal supplementation, reduction in stressful inputs, a healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and exercise.  

Please mention this to us if you feel that you might be suffering from adrenal fatigue.  We would be happy to talk with you, evaluate you physically, provide adrenal supplementation, and discuss a change in diet and lifestyle if indicated!

Gutsy Stuff

Patty here!

Has anyone ever told you that you have a second brain? It's true... Sort of. You know that feeling of "butterflies" you get right before a big meeting or first date? Well, underneath that feeling is a gut/brain connection so substantial, that our gut has earned the nickname, "Second Brain." Not only does our gut help determine our mental state but it plays a major role in our overall health!  And for many of us, our second brain is sick!  In the last several decades we have seen an influx of food sensitivities in the general population.  Gluten allergies and dairy intolerance seem to be on the rise.  The terms acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), candida (yeast infections) are all conditions that are common today.  A person might begin to wonder, what is the connection?

The Gut; starts with the mouth and ends, well, at our end.  The gut is responsible for intake, digestion, absorption and elimination of the food we eat.  Sounds pretty simple, yet, there is more.  The gut is also responsible for 70 to 80 percent of the immune response in our bodies.  The health of our gut has everything to do with the function of all the systems in our body, including our brain.  An unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, autism spectrum disorder, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome.

If you think about it, fueling this body of ours should be a top priority.  After all, we need these incredible machines in order to get through each day.  Unfortunately, the diet that our culture has embraced leaves much to be desired.  We have left the habit of eating real whole food (food in its most natural form) and replaced it with consuming stuff in boxes, in plastic packages and at fast foods restaurants all of which are stripped of their real nutrients and then preserved and fortified with stuff that I cannot even pronounce.  These processed foods are also packed with fillers like sugar, soy, wheat, corn and high fructose corn syrup (and some other things I can’t pronounce) to make a better tasting more filling, can I call it, ‘food’.

So what’s the point of all this?  Our guts are in trouble.  The natural ‘gut flora’ or balance of our gut has been horribly compromised by many things, the food we eat being primary as we consume food every day.  Also the overuse of antibiotics and other medications greatly alter the normal balance of good vs. bad bacteria in our gut.  The normal flora in our gut should be flourishing with good bacteria (probiotics) that keep the gut healthy and hold the unwanted bacteria at bay.  But, these good bacteria are choked out of our bellies by our diet and the meds we take.  As that balance is compromised and we continue to feed our gut the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) of sugar and processed foods the problem is compounded.  Our ‘out of balance’ gut is unable to work efficiently and do what it is designed to do; nourish our bodies and maintain an immune barrier, both keeping us in a healthier state.

So what do we do?  Our goal is to re-establish healthy gut flora.  This can be accomplished with the addition of fermented foods to our diet.  These foods offer the most natural form of probiotic and have been proven to help re-populate gut flora to healthy levels.  We have started making our own fermented foods.  Sauerkraut is my favorite, but, we have also made kombucha (a yummy fermented tea drink and David’s favorite), beet kvass, and we have even tried our hand at yogurt and kefir. Along with the addition of ferments, we have removed processed foods and white sugar from our home.  We’ve replaced most grain flours, especially wheat, with nut flour or other alternative gluten free flours.  We have tried to find organic or grass fed eggs and protein to fill our freezer and we go organic as much as possible on the fresh veggies and fruit that we eat. The key for us is to keep it real.  Real food that has not been altered or sugared or fortified.  Real food that was made perfectly for us to fuel these magnificent bodies that we have been gifted with.  The transition has not been a piece of cake, obviously, but the changes we feel are absolutely worth it.

Want to know more about gut health? Here is some additional reading! Feel free to contact us with any questions and/or concerns you might have concerning your gut health! 

Kris Kesser: 9 Steps to Perfect Health - #5: Heal Your Gut      

The Gaps Diet: Natural Digestive Healing     

Dr. John Trowbridge: The Yeast Syndrome