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Healthy Chocolate Banana Cake

3/29/2020

2 Comments

 

Healthy Chocolate (or Carob!) Banana Cake

Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and refined sugar free
Ingredients 
  • 1.5 cups mashed banana (3 ripe bananas)*
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ⅛ cup maple syrup
  • ​2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup brown rice flour
  • ¼ cup cacao or carob powder
  • ¼ cup arrowroot powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water)
  • 2 scoops collagen powder (optional + omit if vegan)
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Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8'' square pan with coconut oil.
  2. Make the flax egg by mixing the ground flax with the water in a small bowl and let it sit in the fridge for 15 min.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl and the dry ingredients in a small bowl, except for the apple cider vinegar and flax egg components.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the apple cider vinegar and flax egg stir gently.
  5. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:
-You can make this recipe into cupcakes, just shorten the baking time to 18-25 minutes. Check them after 18 minutes. 
-I like cooking my bananas before I use them in this recipe. I usually microwave my for 30 seconds- 1 minute to bring extra sweetness out of the bananas and to make it easier to mash them. Not necessary though!*


​Recipe adapted from Fueled and Fit.
2 Comments

Easy Chocolate or Carob Sauce

3/23/2020

2 Comments

 

Easy Chocolate (or Carob) Sauce

This recipe is incredibly simple and delicious!

I used carob chips because I love chocolate, but chocolate doesn't love me and gives me skin rashes :(

This sauce comes out great with either kind chips, so chocolate fans not to worry.


Ingredients:
-2 tbsp chocolate chips or carob chips ( like Missy J's) or chocolate chips.  

-1 tbsp coconut oil 
-1 tbsp nut or seed butter (I like cashew)

Instructions
-Melt the chocolate or carob chips with coconut oil with a double boiler method on the stove top or in microwave (about 30 seconds).
-Stir in the nut butter after chips and coconut oil have been melted  together.
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Best Ways to Serve:
-Drizzle over ice cream. The sauce will harden up once a few moments after it hits the ice cream to make a slightly crunchy shell.

-Dip strawberries. The refrigerated fruit will harden the sauce, just like the ice cream. 
-The MVP of this recipe is the coconut oil that makes these chocolate covered strawberries the perfect texture to bite into.
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2 Comments

Quick Salmon and Avocado Salad

3/23/2020

0 Comments

 
Quick Salmon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients 
5-6oz canned wild caught salmon, drained ( I like wild planet)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 avocado 

1 minced celery stalk
1 tsp coconut vinegar or lemon juice
¼ tsp kelp or dulse granules 
Salt to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 tsp fresh dill, minced)

Instructions:
-In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
-Serve on a bed of greens, top of cucumber slices, with seed crackers or however you’d like!


Salmon salad ingredients on table
Salmon salad in bowl with side of greens and sauerkraut
0 Comments

Chicken and Rice Soup

3/22/2020

1 Comment

 

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients
(Makes 7 serving)
1 tbsp ghee
3 carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 onion minced 
1 tsp minced garlic
3 small bok choy heads, chopped
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sage
1 tsp dulse flakes or kelps granules 
2 tsp coconut aminos
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1tsp grated ginger
1 tsp salt
5 cups organic chicken broth* 
1 cup rice **
2 organic chicken breasts


Notes:
-Sometimes I use a combo of chicken bone broth and water.*
-Jasmine rice is my favorite**
​-If soup is too thick, you can always add more broth.
- I am a major vegetable fan, so sometimes when I reheat and  serve the soup I often add more leafy green vegetables like kale, chard, or spinach.


chicken and rice soup in pot
chicken and rice soup close up

Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat ghee over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, parsley, thyme, sage, ginger, coconut aminos and dulse and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add salt, broth, chicken and rice. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Liquid should cover the chicken breasts.
  4. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover. Cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir every 10 minutes.
  5. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Add back to the pot with lemon zest and lemon juice. 
  6. Taste and add more salt if desired. 
  7. Serve and enjoy!

chicken and rice soup in pot
1 Comment

Adaptogenic Root Beer

3/20/2020

4 Comments

 
This recipe is dedicated to my inner child who used to guzzle root beer when ever I saw a soda dispenser. Many years and a nutrition degree later, I still love root beer, but am pretty far away from reaching for soda. So I decided to make my own herbal adaptogenic root beer. Cheers to all the root beer and herbal medicine fans out there, this one is for you. 
Ingredients:
4 cups water
⅓ cup sassafras bark
¼ cup sarsparilla root
¼ cup eleuthero root
2.5 tbsp wintergreen leaves
2 star annaise 
2 tbsp burdock root
1.5 tbsp ginger root
¼ vanilla bean (cut in half with seeds scraped out)
1.5 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup honey
herbs for adaptogenic root beer
Note: With the stove top method, the root beer concentrate cooks down to about 1 cup. While the instant pot method, the root beer concentrate remains at 4 cups. 

I have found success with both methods, the more concentrated  the mixture, the less you need.

​Adjust the honey as needed for your preferred sweetness.

Sometimes I add a splash of brandy to help with the preservation of the mixture. 
Herbal adaptogenic root beer
Instructions:* (see note)
​Stove Top Method:

Combine all herbs and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about two hours.

Instant Pot Method:
Combine all herbs and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY.
 Cover and lock. Set to Manual High Pressure for 30 minutes. Allow to depressurize naturally.

Using a mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a glass jar. Compost the herbs.

Allow liquid to cool to room temp, then add honey, close the lid to the jar and shake vigorously until it is completely dissolved. You can use a blender if you'd like. 

​Store in the fridge.

Add 2 tbsp to 8oz of bubbly water and enjoy!
4 Comments

Prepare for the Coronavirus

3/2/2020

3 Comments

 

*Holistic Immune Boosting Tips for the Coronavirus 

coronavirus illustration
Nervous about the coronavirus? When it comes down to any virus, vulnerability is more about the host’s ecosystem and less about the infecting pathogen.

The best preventative measures we can do is support our immune system with whole foods, stay calm and practice personal hygiene after being in public places.

Below you will find some of my tips and tips from other folks I found particularly helpful.
coronavirus illustration

What to Eat:

beet illustration by lila volkas n.c.

General: 

Eat whole foods that are nutrient-dense, skip the sugar, make sure to get your rainbow foods in (colorful fruit and veggies!) and add natural anti-viral foods.

Gut Health:
The majority of our immune system is in our GUT. So that means fermented foods and bone broth! Also cutting back on the alcohol since it is a gut irritant and can drag down the immune system. Supplements: l-glutamine and probiotics. 

Antiviral Food
These include coconut oil, raw garlic, oregano, ginger, kimchi and other fermented foods, walnut, pomegranate, green tea, apple cider vinegar, and medicinal mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, reishi, cordyceps, turkeytail).  (source)

​Recipe for elderberry syrup

Vitamin C rich foods.
Vitamin C is probably the most well-known immune boosting vitamin. We can’t make this vitamin ourselves, so it's important we get enough through our food and supplementation! Vitamin C has antioxidant qualities and is proven to prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections by enhancing various immune cell functions.

What to eat: The foods richest in Vitamin C are citrus fruits, bell peppers, acerola cherries, and rose hips.

If you choose to supplement with Vitamin C, I recommend liposomal forms because they are the most effective for our body to absorb.

Check out this scientific study for more info about the benefits of Vitamin C

Ginger
Fresh ginger is a powerful antiviral food that prevents the adhesion of viruses to the upper respiratory mucosa. This root has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and can be sipped as a tea, taken as a “shot”, blended into smoothies or cooked with food. 

Recipe for ginger turmeric shot

Check out this scientific study for more info about the benefits of ginger
orange food illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
lemon food illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
ginger food illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
broth food illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
water bottle food illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
Broth
Both bone broth and vegetable broth contain a plethora of minerals that are vital “co-pilots” for many of your body’s processes, including our immune system. There is definitely validity to slurping our grandmother's chicken soup when we are sick. 

Studies have confirmed that glycine receptors, an amino acid found in bone broth, have been identified on the outer surface of several different types of immune cells. The hydration of sipping broth or soup also helps to care for your mucous membranes and lessen the impact of viruses. 

Here is my recipe for bone broth.

Study on glycine.

Stay hydrated!
Water, coconut water, herbal teas, and bone broth. Estimate for how much water you need at a minimum: divide your body weight (in pounds) in half and drink that number in ounces.

If you weigh 150 pounds / 2 = 75 ounces of  water per day
​

What to Do:

Wash your hands
This simple habit may seem obvious, but studies have shown that frequent hand-washing is one of the most important things we can do to protect ourselves during cold & flu season. While the coronavirus is no regular flu, washing your hands every time you arrive at a destination while out and about, and first thing when you get home can’t hurt.

Another important tip is to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth without clean hands. These mucous membranes are entry points for viruses and to lessen your exposure, washing your hands is a good idea.

Sleep!
An increase in sleep actually increases the number of your white blood cells. Loss of sleep even for a few hours at night, increases inflammation in our body which makes us more susceptible to catching the flu and having more severe symptoms.
(source)

Daily movement, but don’t overdo it.
Moderate exercise can boost the production of macrophages, the kind of white blood cells that “eat” bacteria and viruses. However, intense exercise can actually temporarily decrease immune function – so don’t go too hard.
(source)
wash your hand illustration by Lila Volkas N.C.
tired illustration
sweating person illustration
Irrigate your nose.
"While we do not know if nasal irrigation makes a difference for prevention of COVID-19, I believe that one of the MOST preventive things you can do for any viral respiratory illness is to irrigate your, and your children’s, nasal passages with Xlear nasal spray at the end of every day and after any potential exposure (work, school, playgroups, plane travel, etc.). This is a saline nasal spray with xylitol and grapefruit seed extract, both of which have antimicrobial properties. You cannot overdo it, and will not get “addicted” to it. Other options for nasal irrigation are a regular saline spray, Neti pot, and other sinus rinses like Neilmed.
**Apart from regular hand washing, I believe that daily and frequent nasal irrigation is one of the MOST important things that we can do to prevent influenza and other viral respiratory infections from taking hold.** This is because after exposure to a virus, the influenza virus tries to invade and multiply in your nasal passages for at least 1-2 days before you develop any symptoms. Nasal irrigation can wash away viral particles before they have the opportunity to take hold, and thereby prevent many infections from happening in the first place!"
(quote from this source)

Prepare:

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Prepare that you may have to stay home from work or school. If you are sick, plan to stay home to prevent transmission Don’t freak out and buy up Costco, but DO stock your pantry and freezer in case there is a shut down:
​

Frozen: meat, berries, veggies, bone broth⁣⁣
Pantry: grains, beans, nuts, seeds & root veggies
Canned: salmon, sardines, dolmas, apple sauce, beans and shelf table broth

Supplements

Image of supplements on table
These are my collection of supplements.
Recommendations from Jessica Flannigan, Clinical Nutritionist
-Ester or Liposomal  Vitamin C (500mg up to 5 times per day) (immune supportive) 
-Cat’s Claw Nano by Quicksilver 350-450 mg per day (antiviral)
-Resveratrol 250mg twice per day (immune supportive) 
note that resveratrol downregulated NF-kb which is implicated in lung inflammation.

Recommendations from  Healthy Kids: Happy Kids:
Fish oil – Omega-3 essential fatty acids have a host of immune benefits too long to list!
Probiotics – One study showed a dramatic reduction in fever and upper respiratory symptoms in children who took a probiotic with a specific combination of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium daily throughout the cold and flu season. 
Vitamin C – Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which assists our ability to ward off and deal with infection.
Vitamin D3 – Vitamin D3 increases our body’s production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial compound, to help fight viral and bacterial infections. Make sure your Dnsupplement also includes K2 for absorbability. 
Zinc – Zinc is required for the normal functioning of white blood cells. Supplementing with just 15mg of zinc per day in adults has been found to improve our immune cells’ ability to ward off infection.

​Resources:

Video: how coronavirus works
* Note: this is not meant as medical advice or an alternative to treatment by a doctor or going to the hospital. If you show early signs of illness,  like a fever or a dry cough, contact your primary care physician.
3 Comments

DIY Elderberry Syrup

3/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Make your own homemade immune-boosting elder berry syrup!

It SO MUCH cheaper to make yourself v.s purchasing it at the store and is a tasty way to defend against the cold and flu for kids and adults.

Elderberry syrup is packed with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins A and C. This botanical remedy has historically been used to prevent or shorten symptoms of the common cold and flu. 
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup - 1 1/2 cups* organic dried elderberries
-1 cinnamon stick
-2 inches fresh ginger, sliced. 
-1 tablespoon
schisandra berries 
-1/4 cup organic dried orange peel
-2-3 slices of dried reishi mushroom
-2 star anise pods
-4 cups water
-1 cup raw, local honey​


*The more elderberries, the thicker and stronger the syrup will be.
Elderberry, ginger, orange and cinnamon in an instant pot
Instructions:
Stovetop:

Combine elderberries, cinnamon stick, ginger, orange peel,  schisandra berries, reishi, anise pods and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour.

Instant Pot:
Combine elderberries, cinnamon stick, ginger, orange peel,  schisandra berries, reishi, anise pods and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY. Cover and lock. Set to Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes. Allow to depressurize naturally.

Using a mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a glass jar. Use the back of a spoon to mash the berries and extract even more liquid. Compost the berries.

Allow liquid to cool to room temp, then add honey, close the lid to the jar and shake vigorously until it is completely dissolved. You can use a blender if you'd like. 

​Store in the fridge.
elderberry syrup in a jar among plants
Dosing:
Prevention and immune health

Adults: 1 Tablespoon 1x day
Kids 2-7: 1/4 Tablespoon 1x day
Kids 8-12: 1/2 Tablespoon 1x day


If you are sick:
​
Adults: 1 Tablespoon 3x day
Kids 2-7: 1/4 Tablespoon 3x day
Kids 8-12: 1/2 Tablespoon 3x day


Dosing recommendations from
​Dr. Aviva Romm, herbalist and MD via Erin Holt Health.
0 Comments

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