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End of Month Recap and Links – February 2013

Somehow February just flew by. I felt like I couldn’t keep up with all of my work, let alone extras. My body is going through lots of changes and adjustments that aren’t always easy to tolerate. Things have been a bit crazy at home, and Abram has decided to never sleep in again (I hope that’s not really true, but it feels like it)…giving me hardly any time to get on the computer. And we’re ending the month with a bang – Abram is sick again. So back onto antibiotics today 🙁  I hope he perks up so I don’t have to hold him the entire day. My arms and back are already killing me from yesterday. So I did what I could. Here’s how the month went.

1. Writing –  I managed to write my GRNL February article. And I have my topics for my RFH articles. I just need to find the time to actually write them 😛  No work on the newsletter yet.

2. Photography – I did not have time to look at my book.

3. Healing – I am getting used to my rotational diet. And I’m having fun experimenting again. Overall I’ve seen a reduction in my food intolerance reactions. So I must be doing something right/the rotational diet must be helping.

On the down side I’ve had some days of being super cold lately and have had an increase in my low metabolism/adrenal fatigue symptoms. I’m more tired than usual. My body temps are going back down. I’m cold all the time. And digestion is awful. So I’m trying to figure out how to remedy that. I probably need some kind of combination of the following – more sleep, more food, less exercise, less fluid. That happened last week. I think it was due to major stress. I do recover fairly quickly from these episodes. But it’s still frustrating. I’m trying to sleep more and exercise less. That does seem to help. Temps are flirting with 98 again.

I am keeping a spreadsheet of my daily meals and symptoms. I need to go over it now to see if I find any consistent food/reaction combinations. I did learn that I don’t tolerate quinoa or sweet potatoes. I’m still not sure about dates, avocados, beef broth and chicken broth. I have also confirmed that I don’t tolerate much fiber. I’m still debating about wheat and dairy. At the moment I think the verdict is that I can tolerate some dairy. But I think I’m going to be totally gluten free for a bit to see if that helps.

On a positive note…I am DONE WITH MIRALAX…FOREVER! I’ve been off of it for four weeks exactly now. And I don’t intend to ever take it again. I can’t say that things are perfect now. But I don’t care. I’m not putting that chemical back into my body again.

I have started all of my supplements. It’s kind of a pain to take so many pills each day. But I just keep telling myself this is temporary until my body is back to where it needs to be.

There have been plenty of ups and downs. And I’m still learning. But on the whole I’ve seen improvement. Even in the last few days of getting just a little extra sleep and a little less exercise I can see a big change in my energy levels. It’s so nice to have the energy to really play with my kids – dancing, jumping, etc. And it’s so nice to not feel like I just ate a balloon after each meal.  I can eat…and still feel normal/not have my belly bloat up. A true miracle.

4. Homemade Food – I made quite a few gluten free baked goods for myself to help keep my carb intake up while not reaching for wheat. I’m enjoying this new experiment…and the delicious results 🙂  Soaked gluten free graham crackers are in the dehydrator right now. I’m soooo excited! And looking at my link list I realize just how much experimenting I did this month!

5. Relationships – We had a lot of fun celebrating my nephew’s birthday, going to Sleeping Beauty with my mom, going to a hockey game and going to Bible study.

6. Rebecca – We continue to do our best encouraging her and trying to focus on her strengths. And we understand her personality and struggles better each day as well.

7. Crafts – ummmm…not a spare second for this.

8. Cakes – I made a soccer cake for my nephew. I have a preliminary sketch of Rebecca’s cake. I have yet to start sketching Abram’s Mickey Mouse cake. I have a little time for that.

9. Declutter – nope…didn’t work on Abram’s closet either.

10. Acceptance – I have been working on accepting others and myself. It’s a work in progress, but at least I’m making progress.

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LINKS

I always love posts that tell the truth about saturated fat and cholesterol. No, they don’t cause heart disease.

Here are some other main stream dietary myths.

Even cats know the truth about butter 🙂

A great post on how to dye Easter eggs naturally.

Great information on vitamin K2, why we need it and how to get it (one of the reasons I refuse to cut butter out of my diet 🙂
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And my own posts from the month in case you missed any:

Gluten Free Amaranth Tapioca Chocolate Bars

Teff and Rice Granola Bars

Pumpkin Pot Pie with Soaked Amaranth Crust

My journey to find the “perfect” diet

Soaked Garbanzo Flour Carob Scones

Raw cheesecake

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

White Rice Pancakes

Beautiful Babis preoder…there is still time!!!

Candy bar ice cream (a personal favorite)

Crunchy Crumble (this is awesome sprinkled in yogurt – cow’s milk, goat’s milk or coconut milk)

Single Serving Simple Pot Pie

Chocolate Chip Scones (I still LOVE these…I’m glad I still have a few in the freezer)

Amaranth Tapioca Chocolate Bars (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, oat free, nut free)

Yesterday I made another version of a gluten free bar. This time I used amaranth and tapioca. I also added some cocoa powder to make them a little more of a treat. Another big hit!

As you can see my little baking helper/taste tester approved. If it’s chocolate, he will come 🙂

**I made a new batch this morning that is soaked…even easier on the tummy!! They taste great. I also baked them in the form of scones/cookies instead of bars. Either way works well. The recipe is updated below.

Amaranth Tapioca Chocolate Bars
makes 10 bars

1 1/2 cups amaranth flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup organic cocoa powder
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ baking dish.

Heat the coconut oil, honey and sugar over low heat until melted and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Mix the flours, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon. Add the oil/sugar mixture. Add extra honey if the mixture is still crumbly. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Press into the prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Cut into bars. Carefully transfer to a plate and refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

To Soak The Bars:

Melt 1/3 cup coconut oil. Mix the flours, coconut oil, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1/3 cup water. Cover and let sit for 7-24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ baking dish or line a baking pan with parchment paper.

To the soaked mixture add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. organic cane sugar or coconut sugar, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar. Mix well (this can be done by hand or with a mixer). Add chococlate chips and mix.

Press into the perpared pan or drop large mounds onto prepared baking sheet (10-12 scones). Bake 20 – 25 minutes. Allow bars to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Cut into bars (about 10). Transfer to a plate and refrigerate. Allow scones to cool for 3 minutes and transfer to a plate. Eat warm or place in the refrigerator to firm.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Teff and Rice "Granola" Bars (gluten free, egg free, nut free, dairy free, oat free, soaked)

I’m still working on making safe snacks for myself that I can stock up and then just grab when I need them. Yesterday I decided to make some “granola” bars. Although oats are technically gluten free I haven’t tolerated them for years now. So I have to come up with other ways to make granola.

My grains for yesterday were teff and rice. I used a combination of the two to make a very simple, very tasty treat! They got approval from every family member. And that says a lot from some picky eaters and texturally challenged pallets.

These come together in minutes and fit the bill for a filling, healthy snack. Exactly what I need. I actually ended up eating about four of them yesterday 😛  They were my carb/grain for the day…I didn’t feel like doing any other baking.

These are fine at room temp. But they hold together better if they are refrigerated. And you can make a big batch and freeze them. These are gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free, oat free and vegan)

**I just made a soaked batch of these bars. They taste great!! And I’m sure they will be easier on my tummy. I’ve updated the recipe so you can try them either way.

Teff and Rice “Granola” Bars
makes 10 bars

1 cup teff flour
1 cup rice flour (I use white rice because it is easier to digest)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup dried fruit (I used blueberries and cranberries)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ square baking pan.

Heat coconut oil and honey in a pan over low heat until both are melted.

Mix the teff, rice, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, dried fruit and chocolate chips. Pour oil/honey mixture over top and stir until combined.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes. Let the bars cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars. Gently transfer the bars from the pan to a plate. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

**To make soaked granola bars:

Melt 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Combine the teff flour, rice flour, coconut oil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice + enough water to equal 1/2 cup. Cover and let soak 7 – 24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ square baking pan.

Heat 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. honey in a pan over low heat until liquid.

Add 1/2 tsp. sea salt, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1/3 cup dried fruit and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to the soaked flour. Mix. Pour the honey/oil over top and mix well.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let the bars cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars. Gently transfer the bars from the pan to a plate. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Meal Plans Week of 2-24-13

Good morning, all. It’s the last week of February. I’m hoping with the onset of March comes the onset of spring. We’re all pretty sick of the never ending snow. I think 40 degrees would feel like a heat wave 🙂

This week will be fairly normal. Justin and Rebecca get two Daddy daughter dates this week. They are going to a hockey game this afternoon (it would be fun for all of us to go…but Abram and sitting for 3 hours don’t go together) and a Daddy & Me night at her school on Wednesday. I might go to our rescheduled (for the 3rd time!…thanks MI weather;) West MI Bloggers meet up tomorrow.

I didn’t do a whole lot extra in the kitchen last week. But I did do some more gluten free baking and made a few batches of broth. I’m enjoying my new baking experiments.

Rebecca won this castle last week!

Last week was quite stressful. And it really took a toll on my body. It made me realize just how important it is for me to get enough rest. Even if my diet doesn’t change, if my stress goes up I feel rotten – my metabolism and adrenals crash. I had about four days in a row of feeling ice cold, having low body temps and really messed up digestion. My temps went from almost 98 back to 95s. Thankfully after a couple days of extra sleep and rest I have brought things back my norm at least. I still have a ways to go for full healing, but thankfully I can recover fairly quickly from a crash.

To that end I’m trying to push myself a bit to sleep more and exercise less. Yesterday and today I set my alarm an hour later and skipped my morning exercise. It’s a start. I’m learning the difference between my food sensitivity reactions and adrenal fatigue symptoms. That will help me know what to adjust when I’m not doing well.

I also tried to get in plenty of broth daily last week. I think it may have been too much extra liquid. I think that just contributed to the metabolism shut down. So I’ll cut back a bit on my quantities.

I’m still experimenting with new grains. And I’m not sure I’m handling the garbanzo flour well. It seems like whenever I eat it I get a lot of pain. So maybe I’ll skip it one D1 this week and then try again on the next D1. And see what happens.

Our future math whiz working on his calculator

I have a few baking projects I might try tackle this week. But I also don’t want to wear myself out again. So we’ll just see how the week goes/how I’m feeling. I might try to make pretzels and graham crackers with gluten free flours. I also would still like to make a batch of golden grahams (didn’t get to it last week). I made one version of gluten free granola bars yesterday (recipe to come). I might make another version today.

One of my stressors right now is keeping up with all of the writing I want to do. Abram’s been an early riser for the last couple weeks. So computer time is limited. I’m prioritizing my assignments. Hopefully that will help me stay on track with what really needs to get done and what can wait. And then I have better direction. But hopefully I will have time to get a good start on my Real Food and Health articles this week.

We have decided to do a 5th birthday party for Rebecca. So I need to start planning for that. Rebecca and I decided on a theme. Now we need to work on invites, decorations, games and menus. And the cake of course 🙂  I also want to make some new behavior charts for her – more permanent ones. So I have to get some craft supplies. Finally my own birthday is coming up soon. I’m trying to think of a dessert experiment I could do for myself…something I can actually eat 🙂

Anyway, I better wrap this up. Maybe I’ll have time to do some more writing before the rest of the family is up and needs my attention. Here are most of the meal plans. I will fill in some details as the week goes on.
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S (prep breakfast and lunch, church, hockey game, prep smoothies, bake w/ Abram) D3
  B – zucchini bread, strawberry yogurt (Justin), goat’s milk yogurt w/ blueberries and soaked amaranth/tapioca crumble, pumpkin w/ butter (Mary)
  L – cp turkey meatloaf, beans, rice
  D – at the hockey game (Justin/Rebecca), salmon pumpkin pot pie w/ soaked amaranth/tapioca crust
  snack: amaranth granola bars
 
M (SP, PS, WMB) D4
  B – banana bread, sausage, smoothie (Justin), squash w/ coconut oil, raw vanilla ice cream (Mary)
  L – sour cream w/ frozen grapes and soaked grahams, cucumber
  D – leftover spaghetti, garlic bread, corn (family), coconut flour squash cakes (Mary)
  snack: sour cream, soaked grahams
 
T (KM, CCS) D1
  B – hard boiled egg, bagel w/ cream cheese (Justin), raw blueberry cheesecake, broccoli (Mary)
  L – chocolate bars, broccoli
  D – sweet and sour chicken and broccoli over rice
  snack: dinner leftovers

W (soak flour, make pretzels, Meijer, PS, pediatrician, Daddy and me night) D2
  B – banana bread, smoothie (Justin), teff and rice granola bar, peas (Mary)
  L – snap peas, gf pretzels
  D – breaded white fish, beans, baked potatoes grilled cheese, peas, chips, applesauce (family), leftovers (Mary) (sick kid)
  snack:

Th (make graham crackers, make charts, chop produce) D3
  B – hard boiled egg, bagel w/ cream cheese (Justin), amaranth tapioca granola bars, pumpkin (Mary)
  L – goat milk yogurt w/ gf graham crackers, snap peas
  D – pan seared salmon, pumpkin (Mary), broccoli, biscuits w/ jam baked potatoes w/ sour cream
  snack: gf graham crackers

F (make ice cream, make scones, make hot fudge, soak flour, MB, PS) D4
  B – yogurt, banana (Justin), ice cream, squash (Mary)
  L – avocado and snap peas in garlic sour cream, scone
  D – egg and cheese quiche, beans, banana bread french toast, applesauce (family), tuna, squash, avocado, scone (Mary)
  snack:

S (chop produce, make pancakes, swimming) D1
  B – garbanzo flour pancakes/english muffins w/ jam, broccoli
  L – quiche (family). TBD (Mary)
  D – chicken and cheese sandwiches or paninis, roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts, custard w/ strawberries or tapioca pudding
  snack:
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D1: chicken, dry beans (pinto, navy, white, fava, mung), lentils; quinoa; broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower; blueberry, raspberry, date; coconut oil, carob, cane sugar, mint tea

D2: white fish, pork; white rice, teff; green bean, lettuce, peas, beets; pear, cranberry; lard, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut milk

D3: turkey, salmon; amaranth, tapioca; asparagus, pumpkin; palm shortening, coconut water, goat’s milk yogurt

D4: tuna, beef, raw cream, sour cream; wheat, coconut flour; cucumber, squash, zucchini; coconut, avocado, grapes; EVOO, butter, ghee, tallow; cocoa, raw milk, green tea, honey

snacks: D1blueberry, raspberry, date; D2 crumble; D3 TBD w/ palm shortening, tapioca flour or amaranth and pumpkin ; D4 ice cream, soaked graham crackers, raisins, frozen grapes

Pumpkin Pot Pie With Soaked Amaranth Crust (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free)

I’m still at it with my alternative grain experiments. Today I used soaked amaranth to make a delicious pie crust. Then I made a savory pumpkin salmon filling. What an awesome breakfast treat!!

I love starting my day with broth, omega-3s, saturated fat, plenty of carbohydrates and lots of sea salt.

This was really easy to make. It does take a little time for things to bake and cook. But there is very little hands on time.

Are you looking for a very satisfying breakfast, lunch or dinner treat? Give this pot pie a try. You won’t be disappointed!! And your whole body will thank you.

Pumpkin Pot Pie With Soaked Amaranth Crust
serves 1

Crust:
1/2 cup amaranth flour
2 – 3 Tbsp. palm shortening, butter or lard
1 – 3 Tbsp. warm water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Filling:
3/4 cups broth (beef, chicken or turkey)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or winter squash)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (optional)
sea salt to taste (I use a LOT)
garlic powder to taste
2 Tbsp. cooked salmon (optional…or any other cooked meat or vegetable)

Directions:

Mix flour and shortening until just crumbly. Add 1 Tbsp. warm water and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Mix. If the mixture is still really dry gradually add more water. It should stay a little crumbly. Cover and let soak for 7-24 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a small oven safe dish (I use a small pyrex dish/cup).

Add a little water to the crust mixture until the dough holds together. Press into the prepared dish and up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes.

While the crust is baking simmer the broth, pumpkin, coconut oil and salt until it reduces and gets thick (about 20 minutes). Add the salmon during the last few minutes.

Pour the pumpkin filling into the hot crust (fill it to the top. There might be extra filling…it can be eaten plain). Bake another 10 minutes. Let set 5-10 minutes before eating.

Finding the "Perfect" Diet

Are you searching for the perfect diet? The one that will help you lose weight and have tons of energy? The one that will let you eat whatever you want? The one that says you don’t have to exercise? The one that will give you glowing skin? The one that will make you look 10 years younger? The one that is so easy to follow?

I’m not.

I don’t have to look a certain way. I don’t have to meet some standard of beauty. I just want to feel good. I want to enjoy life and be available to care for my family and spend time with friends. I want a diet that will heal my mind and my body and allow me to use the gifts God has given me.

If you’re searching for the perfect diet, STOP. A one-size-fits-all “perfect” diet does not exist. You can’t just read a book and follow the rules. Everybody is different. But that does not mean there aren’t a lot of good diets with useful principles.

Through years of trial and error and testing and research I’ve found several diets that have helped me in various ways. By combining them I create MY perfect diet.

Most of the principles focus on healing. Which is what I need. Which is what a lot of people need.

This may not be your perfect diet. But you could still take away some ideas for how to heal your own body and feel good.

Here are some of the main principles from various sources that have helped me. Maybe they can help you too. I am also including some of the downfalls…mistakes I made along the way. You might be surprised by what actually hurt instead of helped me.
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Nourishing Traditions/WAPF

Pros:  Nourishing Traditions is what introduced me to REAL food. It is still my go-to book for questions about traditional foods and how to prepare them. It taught me the truth about things like fat (which ones are good for us and which are not…and that you should eat a lot of it), cholesterol (no, high cholesterol is not what causes heart disease…we actually NEED cholesterol) and grains (they can be part of a healthy diet, but they should be properly prepared by soaking, sprouting or fermenting). It contains a wealth of knowledge and changed the way our whole family eats and views food.

Cons: NT encouraged my tendency to eat the same things day after day. Especially when giving advice on eating for fertility and pregnancy it recommends eating a specific amount of certain foods (like egg yolks, organ meats, certain fats, etc…nutrient dense foods) every single day. Unfortunately this habit is what led to a lot of my food sensitivities…which I now have to try to undo. For someone with a healthy gut this can be good advice. And they do recommend very healthy food. But for someone like me it was detrimental to focus on eating a certain list of foods every day. It fueled my obsessiveness and caused inflammation in my body.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

Pros: Gut and Psychology Syndrome is a detailed protocol for healing the gut…and in turn healing conditions like allergies, autism, ADD, etc. It introduced me to the wonderful world of stock and bone broth. They are both very healing and should be a staple for everyone (in addition to healing they provide nourishment and protect against illness). GAPS showed me that we don’t have to rely so much on grains in our diet, as they can be irritating. It also reinforced the need for probiotics (both through supplements and foods like cultured dairy and ferments) to help seal a leaky gut. It really explained how the gut works and what can damage it. And it forced me to be creative with my cooking and baking and try new things.

Cons: GAPS is quite restrictive. And for someone with OCD that is not good. I got to the point where I was almost scared to eat. I was afraid the tiniest thing would hurt me. So it caused a lot of anxiety instead of helping to get rid of it. Much like NT, GAPS also reinforced the idea of eating the same things day after day. You could be on a certain phase of the diet for weeks, with only a few food options. I also wound up eating very low carb. It was not intentional. I had never even heard of eating low carb. But without grains in my diet and without the knowledge of what does/doesn’t contain carbohydrates and how to balance them with protein and fat I tended to eat a LOT of protein. I lived on meat, broth, eggs and nuts. And it did more harm than good to my body in the long run.

Many people are on the GAPS diet for years. I now know that unless you have severe problems it should probably be more short term. You can go through all of the phases in a matter of weeks to kickstart healing and then get back to a normal diet of what works for your body.

I also don’t think that grains are bad for everyone. Nor is gluten a problem for everyone. I personally do better with some grains in my diet (I’m still figuring out which ones are best). Yes, I feel better when they are properly prepared. No, I can’t make them the bulk of my diet. But I do need some. Otherwise I don’t get enough starch/carbohydrate and I get colon spasms. My gut does not like only having meat and vegetables.

Allergy/Sensitivity Rotational Diet

Pros: I was recently tested for food sensitivities. My results came back with a long list of foods I should avoid. The protocol for healing involves rotating foods/food families every four days. This is a new concept to me. But something that I need. And something that has had the biggest impact on my healing. I tend to eat the same things day after day. And that is what caused a lot of my problems in the first place. By rotating my foods I avoid causing new sensitivities and I give my gut a much needed break to heal. It is also a great way to pinpoint what foods I don’t tolerate. For the moment I am limiting gluten and dairy and cutting out eggs. But I hope to add them back at some point.

Cons: Some say that these tests are not accurate and that depending on the day/time you test you could have different results. So if you follow the prescribed diet you might be cutting out foods without really needing to. I am aware of this. So I am not completely cutting gluten and dairy out of my diet yet. I have them in limited quantities in my rotation to assess how my body responds.

Metabolism Typing

Pros: When thinking about a healthy diet it is important to realize we are all different. Metabolism typing helps you figure out what type of food your body metabolizes more efficiently and needs more of to function well. I learned that I am a carb type. So my body needs a higher amount of carbohydrates than protein…the opposite of how I was eating on GAPS. It was very helpful to know how to adjust my diet.

Cons: As with most diet theories, not everyone agrees with this. Some say it is not accurate. It is also easy to fall into the trap of gravitating towards a diet full of mostly grains. You still have to figure out which carbohydrates are best for your body (potatoes, starchy vegetables like pumpkin and squash, fruits, natural sweeteners, grains). So you still have work to do, but it is nice to have a general guideline.

Eat for Heat/Diet Recovery

Pros: 180 Degree Health, Diet Recovery and Eat for Heat (all written by Matt Stone) really helped me get out of my obsessive, anxious, restricted way of eating. Matt’s information helped me stop the GAPS diet, gain some needed weight, become more relaxed about food and taught me to listen to my body. I am so thankful for the change this brought. It has been the biggest help in dealing with my OCD. I now challenge what I read and make sure I’m doing what works for me. I don’t follow anyone else’s diet/path to health. I recommend these books/his site to everyone. No matter what your health status.

I have learned that we don’t need to drink so much water every day. Most people are likely overhydrating and flushing the minerals out of their bodies. I have learned that a great assessment of your health is body temperature and the warmth of your hands and feet. This directly correlates to the state of your metabolism.

I have learned that it’s good to start the day with a large, starchy meal and gradually eat lighter as the day goes on. I learned that a good way to get your metabolism and body temperature up is by eating plenty of salt, sugar, starch and saturated fat and to be sure you are eating enough calories. Restrictive eating only does damage.

I have also learned that it is important to not overexercise. If your body needs healing you need to give it rest. And sleep is very important. Even up to 10 hours a night if you are in the process of healing. Once you are feeling good then you can exercise according to what you feel like doing, not what you think you should do.

Cons: While this way of thinking was very freeing and just what I needed after GAPS, it can also lead to an attitude of ambivalence. Although sometimes it actually does help to forget all health rules and just eat what sounds good (even processed food and fast food!), after a while you have to remember what your idea of health is and what your standards are for healthy eating. It is great to let go of a restrictive mindset, but you also can’t stop caring about your health.

Many people do gain weight at first when following Diet Recovery and Eat for Heat as the body heals and regulates (though not everyone does…some lose weight!). Usually the weight comes off naturally after the healing period. This can be a negative aspect for some. But in the end it’s worth the short term gain to fully heal your body. I think my weight went up about 12 or 13 lbs. at first. Then I dropped about 3 lbs. and stayed pretty steady.

Fiber Menace

Pros: For anyone struggling with digestive issues, the information in fiber menace is worth a read. Especially if you struggle with constipation. If you go to a doctor they will tell you to eat more fiber, drink more water, eat less fat and exercise. My response…WRONG! If that was the answer I wouldn’t have had problems for so many years. In fact, the answer is quite the opposite. You need lots of fat (healthy fats like butter, sour cream, tallow, evoo, lard and coconut oil). And you actually don’t need a ton of fiber. It is good to get some in your diet. But you don’t need a lot. Fiber is actually quite irritating. It causes bulk in stools…which makes stools tougher, not easier, to pass. And this causes things like fissures, hemorrhoids and prolapse. You should eat foods that are mostly utilized and absorbed by the body.

Cons: Fiber Menace promotes eating hardly any fiber at all. We do need some. And the amount is different for everyone. So you have to figure out what works for you. You need enough to help digestion work properly, but a small enough amount so that it does not cause problems. This book also talks about how little we need to it. I don’t agree with that. Just because someone can function on two meals a day, made up mostly of fat that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. So there are some good ideas in this book, and it really explains the digestive process well. But you also have to use common sense and know what works for your own body.
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So what does my diet look like you ask? I am always making adjustments as I listen to my body and figure out what does and doesn’t work at the moment. I challenge myself and experiment with different foods to see if my tolerances have changed. But in general these are the guidelines I use to choose my food and create my perfect diet.

1. Eat nutrient dense, homemade food. Make sure all grains are properly prepared through soaking or sprouting.
2. Incorporate broth when possible to heal my gut. Make sure I use a variety of broths (beef, chicken, turkey, fish) and rotate them.
3. Use a 4-day rotational diet that eliminates my personal problem foods and limits foods I’m not sure about/that I test positive for on a sensitivity test.
4. Eat a higher proportion of carbohydrates than protein.
5. Eat enough salt, sugar, starch and fat, especially to start my day. Don’t drink too much/only drink if I’m thirsty.
6. Don’t eat too much insoluble fiber/raw food. My colon is very sensitive and is irritated very easily. I stick to softer foods most of the time with occasional small amounts of raw food or higher fiber foods. Eat plenty of healthy fat.

How about you? What is your perfect diet, and how did you come up with it?

Soaked Garbanzo Flour Carob Scones (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free)

I’m starting to experiment with alternative grains. And I want to try soaking them to make them easier to digest. Today was one of my first major experiments.

I’ve never used garbanzo bean flour before. I’ve never even heard much about it, let alone using it soaked. And I’ve always soaked my grains with a dairy-based product. This time I tried lemon water. So I was ready for a total flop with my baking today. I was already brainstorming alternative breakfasts 😛

I tasted the flour when I opened it yesterday. And I thought it was pretty gross. How could this turn into anything appetizing? But I gave it a go. I poured and mixed and tasted and poured and mixed some more. I didn’t really measure things, just eyeballed and tasted. Is that a recipe for disaster when baking? I stuck them in the oven…and lo and behold these scones are awesome!!! I need to put them away somewhere before I eat them all.

I did not expect them to taste this good. The combination of garbanzo, carob, cane sugar and vanilla gives them a wonderful chocolate flavor. And the texture is great too. Slightly crisp on the outside. Still a little soft on the inside.

These are really just big chocolate cookies 🙂  But I call them scones or breakfast cookies. That makes it more acceptable to eat them for breakfast, right?

Whether you want them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack you should give these scones/cookies a try! A delicious alternative to traditional grain-based baked goods.

Soaked Garbanzo Flour Carob Scones
makes ~ 5 scones

1 cup garbanzo flour
1/4 cup warm water + 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup organic cane sugar
2 Tbsp. carob powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. palm shortening (or lard or butter)

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, use dairy free, egg free, nut free chips) (affiliate link)

Directions:

Mix flour and water/lemon juice. Cover and let soak 7-24 hours.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Add sugar, carob, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Add shortening and mix.

Drop large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 20 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.

Meal Plans Week of 2-17-13

It’s another coooold Michigan morning. I’m very ready for spring! But it doesn’t look like it’ll be here any time soon. Single digits this morning. Brrr.

This will be a fairly normal week. On Thursday we have a Kindergarten information meeting. I can’t believe we’re already thinking about that for my little girl! We also have Bible study on Friday…as long as we can find a baby-sitter.

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Grandma, Mommy, Daughter date

I’m hoping to get caught up on some writing this week. Last week Abram was up early every day because of a stuffy nose and cough. And he took short naps. I hope he starts sleeping better again so I can get things done. Although so far it’s not sounding promising.

This week I’ll be doing more experimenting with alternative grains (now that I finally made it to the health food store!). My plan is to try new grains and to soak them. I’m hoping the soaking will help my body digest them more easily. I learned last week that quinoa does not work for me. I’ll have to try it again sometime soaked, but not for a little bit.

All set for “cool”

I’ve been doing more research as always. And I re-read some information on the GAPS site. I thought this was interesting:

“Food “allergies” or intolerances are the result of “leaky gut” when the gut lining is damaged by abnormal micro flora. Foods do not get the chance to be digested properly before they get absorbed through this damaged wall and cause the immune system to react to them. Unless the reaction is very severe, it should be ignored. Just concentrate on healing the gut lining with the Introduction Diet. Once the gut wall is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food intolerances and allergies.”

I’m not going back to GAPS. But I do want to continue to include some of it’s healing principles into my diet. So I’m going to try to add broth to my diet daily…but rotate it 🙂  I’ll be making beef broth and chicken broth this week. That will give me three broths to rotate (I also have turkey). Hopefully at some point I can make fish broth as well. Theoretically if you really include a lot of broth you should experience healing of a leaky gut fairly quickly…and get rid of intolerances. So I’ll keep rotating, eliminate my problem foods and add in broth daily. We’ll see what that does.

I’m finding that a rotational diet really makes it easier to figure out what does and doesn’t work. Last week I learned that quinoa is out (for now). I also tried sweet potatoes again…big no. I usually react to a food about 24 hours after I eat it. I had sweet potato soup on Thursday. Friday evening I looked in the mirror…eyes were back to red/bloodshot and painful…and they still are. There were plenty of other symptoms too. I just couldn’t believe how quickly my eyes returned to red. Really my whole appearance changed…worse acne, red eyes, dry skin and my hair gets kind of frizzy. Who knew that my bad hair days were actually caused by a leaky gut and food sensitivities? 😛

Pear Cranberry Rice Pudding

I’m still figuring out what does and doesn’t work. It seems that a lot of the foods I ate while on GAPS are the ones I can’t eat now because I ate them over and over and over (that’s what tends to happen when you have a very restricted diet). So I’m still not sure about avocado and dates.

I’m trying to get my body back in balance now and stop the inflammatory response. I’ve got my meals fairly well planned out. I’ll be adding in breakfast and maybe lunch items as the week goes on…just to help me stay on track and plan ahead for soaking grains.

I’m happy to say I’ve been Miralax free for over 2 weeks now!!! I’m so proud and so happy. As long as I eat the way I should my digestion is doing pretty well. I don’t intend to ever take it again. And I praise God for giving me the strength to take this step. It will be so helpful for my overall healing and allowing my body to absorb the nutrients it desperately needs.

I have a little boy up now…and I smell something…so I better get this posted. Maybe I’ll get to write more tomorrow…
_________________________________________________
S (prep lunch, make beef broth, church, prep smoothies, make kefir, soak garbanzo flour) D4
  B – applesauce bread, banana (Justin), sour cream w/ grapes, squash w/ butter (Mary)
  L – beef in gravy over noodles and squash, corn
  D – waffles w/ fruit topping and nuts, clementines, milkshake (family), tuna sour cream avocado salad on cucumber (Mary)
snack: soaked grahams, frozen grapes; beef broth

M (strain/freeze broth, prep dinner/make chicken broth, make scones, milk, strain kefir, soak beans) D1
  B – leftover waffles w/ blueberry topping (Justin), scone, sauteed broccoli (Mary)
  L –  crispy chickpeas and broccoli, scone
  D – cp chicken, rice, roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower
snack: carob garbanzo flour scones, blueberries; chicken broth

T (strain/freeze broth, make 2nd batch of broth, soak amaranth flour, cook beans, make white rice scones, KM, CCS) D2
  B – smoothie, cinnamon raisin toast w/ pb (Justin), scone, snap peas (Mary)
  L – rice, peas and beets cooked in broth and coconut milk
  D – chili w/ cornbread (family), salad w/ bacon, beets, pears and cranberries w/ creamy coconut milk dressing (Mary)
snack: scones, honey coconut milk; turkey broth

W (PS, co-op, WT) D3
  B – cinnamon raisin toast w/ pb, smoothie (Justin), pumpkin salmon pot pie w/ soaked amaranth crust (Mary)
  L – goat’s mlk yogurt, pumpkin and asparagus cooked in broth
  D – leftover chili and cornbread (family), salmon cakes, roasted asparagus (Mary)
snack: yogurt; beef broth

Th (bake/freeze squash, freeze butter, Dr. M., KG mtg) D4
  B – waffle yogurt (Justin), broth, squash, ice cream (Mary)
  L – broth, squash, ice cream cone
  D – hot dogs, tator tots, squash (family), tuna, squash, avocado (Mary)
snack: soaked grahams; chicken broth

F (clean, chop veggies, PS, BS, soak teff) D1
  B – cornbread w/ syrup, banana (Justin), garbanzo carob scone, broccoli cooked in broth and coconut oil (Mary)
  L – blueberry pie w/ date and garbanzo flour crust, broccoli
  D – pancakes (garbanzo flour pancakes for Mary) w/ blueberry topping, sausage, roasted brussels sprouts
snack: scones, blueberries; turkey broth

S (make TBD w/ teff, swimming) D2
  B – 
  L –  
  D – spaghetti, garlic toast, peas (family), leftover sausage, peas (Mary)
snack: scones; beef broth
____________________________________________________________________________
D1: chicken, dry beans (pinto, navy, white, fava, mung), lentils; quinoa; broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower; blueberry, raspberry, date; coconut oil, carob, cane sugar, mint tea

D2: white fish, pork; white rice, teff; green bean, lettuce, peas, beets; pear, cranberry; lard, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut milk

D3: turkey, salmon; amaranth, tapioca; asparagus, pumpkin; palm shortening, coconut water, goat’s milk yogurt

D4: tuna, beef, raw cream, sour cream; wheat, coconut flour; cucumber, squash, zucchini; coconut, avocado, grapes; EVOO, butter, ghee, tallow; cocoa, raw milk, green tea, honey

snacks: D1blueberry, raspberry, date; D2 crumble; D3 TBD w/ palm shortening, tapioca flour or amaranth and pumpkin ; D4 ice cream, soaked graham crackers, raisins, frozen grapes

Raw Cheesecake

Rebecca and I were browsing recipes this week. We came across these mini st(raw)berry cheesecakes from Lexie’s Kitchen. A simple recipe that looked perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat.

So we tried them. They are wonderful!! A big hit with the whole family. And they really are super easy to make. No baking required.

 

I substituted almonds for the other nuts since that’s what I had on hand. They still turned out very well.

Since they were so good I decided to try making a modified version that I can eat. So I came up with a nut free blueberry cheesecake. Equally as delicious!!

Here are both recipes. Mix and match fruits and crusts. A perfect little treat that is quite healthy.

 

Mini St(raw)berry Cheesecake
makes ~ 12 mini cakes

Crust:
3/4 cups crispy macadamia nuts or almonds
1/8 cup raw coconut flakes
1/2 cup pitted dates
pinch sea salt

Filling:
1 1/2 cups crispy cashew nuts or almonds
1/3 cup lime juice or lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup fruit (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, etc.)
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch sea salt

In a food processor or high powered blender process the crust ingredients until a sticky dough forms.

Press into 12 paper muffin cups in a pan. Freeze or refrigerate while making the filling.

In a food processor or high powered blender process the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour into the muffin cups. Freeze or refrigerate until set.

 

Mini Blueberry Cheesecake
makes ~ 12 cakes

Crust:
3/4 cups white rice flour
1/8 cup raw coconut flakes
1 cup pitted dates
pinch sea salt

Filling:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cups blueberries
pinch sea salt

In a food processor or high powered blender process the crust ingredients until a sticky dough forms.

Press into 12 paper muffin cups in a pan. Freeze or refrigerate while making the filling.

In a food processor or high powered blender process the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour into the muffin cups. Freeze or refrigerate until set.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

I continue to push myself a bit and try new foods that have been on my avoid list for a while. This week I tried sweet potatoes. And I tried them in a very delicious way…sweet potato and lentil soup! I found the recipe on Food.com.

It was really easy to make. I actually prepped it first thing in the morning. Then at dinner time all I had to do was warm it. We all really enjoyed it. You’d never know it has lentils. So it’s a great way to sneak them into a meal since they are so healthy.

I used regular green lentils instead of red…mostly because I started soaking the lentils before I read the recipe thoroughly 😛  I’ll have to try it with the red sometime. I also just used what spices/herbs I had on hand. So ours tasted a bit different than the original, but it was still good.

I did learn that sweet potatoes are still on my avoid list 😛  But at least I got to enjoy this tasty soup.

I did not make a full recipe. I’ll post it as I made it. There was enough for two adults, one child and enough leftover for a couple more bowls.

I garnished the soup with crispy chickpeas (sauteed in evoo until crisp). They added nice texture to the soup.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
~ 4 – 5 servings

3 cups chicken or turkey broth (or water)
3/4 cups lentils (red or green), soaked
3 cups sweet potatoes, cut in large chunks
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. thyme

Combine all ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes and lentils are cooked, about 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or puree it in a blender and pour it back into the pan). Adjust seasoning to taste.