Two Ingredient Berry Dessert

During cold days and nights the only thing I want to drink or eat is something warm.  I wanted to share one of our go-to wintertime nightly desserts!  This was also a hit at our Christmas Party and people couldn’t believe how simple it was! It's the perfect dish to bring to any party or your weekend brunch dates.

What makes it so simple? Frozen fruit and coconut oil are all you need!  

Put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your skillet and fill the rest with frozen fruit.  I used the organic mixed berries from Kroger, but you can get them at any local grocery store.  

Set the stove to low/medium heat and let the berries and coconut oil simmer.  Make sure you mix the berries occasionally because some of the fruit at the top stays cold unless you stir.  

Once everything is nice and warm/steamy (usually takes about 5 to 7 min), pour all the contents (and the juices too!) in a bowl and enjoy!  It will warm you up, give you a healthy 'dessert', and curb your sweet tooth!

Use any frozen fruit- my personal favorites are berries, cherries and mangos (not all mixed together).  You can drizzle with honey if you want it sweeter.  Try topping it with cocoa, coconut flakes or pecans too!  It is also really tasty drizzled over Greek yogurt. 

This is a great option for those on Candida Clear detox too!

It’s simple, tasty and takes no more than 5 minutes to make.  Plus, you get your coconut oil in.   A win win win!  Enjoy!

Coconut Oil Pulling

Sore throat got you down? Here is a simple trick to help!

Coconut oil pulling can do wonders during the cold/flu season. Coconut oil is anti-bacterial, fungal and viral which is why it is super important to get it internally (eat it, cook with it, put it in smoothies, or put a TBS to melt in your coffee or tea). If I wake up with a sore throat I will do this simple trick and say goodbye to my sore throat!

To do coconut oil pulling all you need to do is put a tsp or more in your mouth and swish around like mouthwash for 5 to 20 minutes. Yep, 20 minutes may seem like a lot but you get used to it. (DO NOT swallow it. It is pulling toxins and gross bacteria out.)

At first it may seem strange, but once the coconut oil melts in your mouth it’s no big deal.  It will be solid when you first put it in your mouth and then it warms up to your body temperature and starts to turn to liquid. I personally would wake up and walk into my kitchen first thing and scoop a TBS coconut oil and start swishing around during my morning routine which took about 10 to 15 minutes. You want to do it for AT LEAST 5 minutes and can go up to 20 minutes.

Once you have done that make sure to SPIT OIL INTO A TRASHCAN. This is super important because if you spit it in the sink, the coconut oil will turn solid when cold and clog up your sink. So, spit into a trashcan and then immediately rinse your mouth out with hot water with a dash of sea salt or apple cider vinegar.

Swish around and then you can spit that into the sink. Brush your teeth after and you are done! Not only will your sore throat feel better, but your teeth feel squeaky clean. A lot of people do this daily to whiten their teeth. Coconut oil is amazing people!

Optional- add a drop or 2 of melaleuca/tea tree essential oil to the coconut oil before you start the coconut oil pull. Tea tree has great antimicrobial properties that are amazing for when you are sick!

The Truth About Acne

Acne oh acne. How I personally despise you and have struggled with you over the years.  I'm sure most of you can relate to this, too!  It's something we all have struggled with at some point in our life.  Want to know why and learn about my personal journey? Keep reading!

Acne is something that results from a toxicity issue, hormonal imbalances or food allergies.  If you come see us for an appointment, we sort through and figure out which of these (or all three) are causing your breakouts. I have found little things that help topically, but topical applications NEVER EVER address the real issue which stems from an internal issue mentioned above.

First we address toxicities to get the bad stuff out of your body safely and effectively. These toxicities are usually due to heavy metals, chemicals or candida.  All of which are tested at the office. If toxins aren’t being eliminated properly (via bowel movements, urine, lymphatic system and sweat) they have to come out somewhere. And that somewhere is the skin! Doing a good cleanse is key. I like to think of them as ‘oil changes’ that you do for your body just like you would for your car. Somehow most people take care of their cars better than their own body!

Secondly hormonal imbalances... This takes time to balance out, but YES it can be done safely, naturally and effectively with herbs and whole food supplementation.  (This is what was causing my breakouts.)  Women, for example, are typically estrogen dominate for a number of reasons.  One being that people's livers are sluggish and estrogen backs up, plus all the soy and phytoestrogens in our diet.  

Women can also be progesterone deficient.  This happens for 1 of 2 reasons.  You may be progesterone deficient because you aren't making enough OR because you have so much estrogen that the ratio between estrogen and progesterone is so off balance that it appears you are low in progesterone because of the high levels of estrogen.  Moral of the story -  we have to balance out the hormones. There are herbs to help us achieve this naturally!  This is exactly what made the biggest change in me.  Men also have hormonal imbalances typically due to testosterone levels and these hormonal levels can be balanced out by natural supplementation as well!

Third is food allergies.  This is typically due to an allergy such as dairy or high levels of simple carbohydrates (sugars) and processed food.  Cleaning up the diet and even adding in a digestive aid can really make all the difference in the world.

My personal journey

I have really struggled with acne as I have gotten older.  It has been a frustrating battle.  I have done so many cleanses, cleaned out heavy metals, chemicals, candida, etc.  I felt so much better, but it only changed my skin mildly. I eat really clean and have been on digestive support and still no change.  I have done different topical ointments, toners and there was no major change.  I have also been on different hormonal regulators and female support supplements but it wasn't until I got on one that specifically helped raise my progesterone levels naturally that I found the BIGGEST change.  It was crazy how quick it kicked in.  

So I did more research, progesterone levels decrease with high amounts of stress.  This is why my acne flared up significantly with undergrad, but even more so with chiropractic school where my stress levels were through the roof. It all made sense!

I had been working on decreasing my estrogen levels by detoxes and focusing on supporting my liver, but until my progesterone levels increased my skin didn't change at all.  I have never been confident about my skin, but when I finally connected all the dots I have noticed a huge change and feel confident!

Now it isn’t perfect all the time. Right now as I type this my skin is broken out from doing a liver cleanse, but I know why- and know it will clear up when I am done. It is my body’s way of purging out toxins and I am okay with that.

NO not everyone's skin issues are like mine.  They could be due to any one of the factors above.  I have seen people's skin clear up within a week by simply getting rid of toxins.  Every single person's journey is different.

DO NOT put your children on antibiotics for acne.  This may work but for all the wrong reasons.  It kills all good and bad bacteria in their digestive environment and sets them up for so many immune issues down the road.  

My husband was on antibiotics for over a month when he was a teenager for acne.  His family didn't know what else to do like most people (and he didn't know me at the time ;).  As a long term result he had a lot of fatigue and allergies because of candida which is directly related to antibiotic use.  Every year he would get a sinus infection or 2 and get on more antibiotics.  He has done multiple candida detoxes to reestablish balance after being on so many antibiotics and his immune system is so much better and energy levels too! (PS- he hasn’t had a sinus infection in over 4 years since doing his first candida cleanse.)  

Other popular acne medications out there make it mandatory for females to take pregnancy tests while they are on the medication.  This is because if they are on it while pregnant it causes extreme birth defects in the fetus.  Pregnant or not why would you want to put that in your body?! Safe and natural is the way to go, and even better there are no side effects! 

Please do not hesitate to call the office or email if you struggle with acne or know any teenagers that do and want help. Remember you skin is an external reflection of what is going on internally.

There are natural, safe and effective ways to combat acne and we want to help you do it!

Perfect Plantain Pancakes

Hi everyone!  Becca here to tell you about one of my favorite pancake recipes.  Sunday mornings mean big breakfasts in our house.  Since going gluten free and then grain free, I have searched for a decent pancake or waffle recipe.  Some recipes were absolute flops-no pun intended- and others were pretty good.  It wasn't until I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs that I finally found a permanent replacement.  

This recipe is completely whole foods! No grains, no dairy, no gluten!  Best yet, it is kid approved and delicious!   Since Emery is in school, I have been making 2 batches each Sunday.  One for breakfast and the other to freeze and send to school each day as a snack.  He loves them!  Use with your favorite Grade B pure maple syrup and enjoy!

Ingredients
2 large green plantains
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp of cinnamon
Any other fun add-ins (blueberries, chocolate chips, pecans)
Extra coconut oil for frying

Instructions
1. The green plantains are pretty hard to peel.  I have found it is easiest to cut each plantain into a few pieces and then gently slice through the peel.  

2. Place the peeled plantains and the eggs into your food processor or Vitamix/Ninja.  Blend to form a smooth batter.

3. Add everything else to the food processor and mix for another 30 seconds.

4. Lightly oil your pan and pour batter for your waffle or pancake. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until the sides are starting to starting to brown and firm up. Flip!  And cook on the second side for 1½-2 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Paleo Mom.

Easy Homemade Deodorant (That really works!)

I get so many questions about what can be done at home to start cleaning out chemicals, whether it be in their home, in beauty products, cleaning products, etc.  Here's a simple way to start detoxing your body, starting with your deodorant!

We've all heard the arguments about antiperspirant.  Truth is, it's not good for you.  Most deodorant has aluminum in it.  To break it down for you, aluminum is a heavy metal that acts as the 'antiperspirant' portion of your deodorant.  The aluminum absorbs into your armpit where the lymphatic system sits.  The lymphatic system acts as kind of traveling highway for the immune system.  The next channels (‘highways’) of the lymphatic system travel right to the breasts… So why would you want to put a cell mutating toxin right by the area that is getting so much attention for having cancer?  You don't.

Also, aluminum is toxic to your nervous system and brain! So, if you are putting it on your skin, you are absorbing it.  So, let's change this!

I have tried most of the aluminum free deodorants out there: Toms (which they are now making some with aluminum! Sad but true. Read the ingredients!), Body Shoppe, Trader Joes and others. I have used plain coconut oil and plain tea tree oil which worked okay.  However, this recipe has been my saving grace!  I will even forget to put it on and never have problems with odor or sweat. And, usually with the other brand names I would have to apply twice a day. So bottom line, yes this stuff works and it's amazing!! And it only takes 2 minutes to make.

Ingredients
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
5 to 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Optional: 5 to 6 drops of your favorite essential oil (Lavender is a personal favorite—I did tea tree oil before which worked great until I put it on right after I shaved my armpits… ouch!)

Mix together and that's it! I keep it in a glass jar with a lid in my bathroom.  A little bit of this mixture goes a long way.  Just get a little bit on the tips of your fingers. If the coconut oil isn’t soft you will have to rub it between your hands to soften it up and then apply. Easy as that. Enjoy!

NOTE:  Without having aluminum in your deodorant you will sweat.  That is a good thing!  One point of sweating is to get toxins out and if you block those channels, by absorbing aluminum in those cells, you are not getting the bad stuff out like you should. It can sometimes be a struggle though if you are switching to a non-aluminum deodorant.  You may have to alternate at first or apply the homemade deodorant twice a day.  If it is still not going well, then that means your body has a good amount of toxins in it.  So, detoxes or drinking things like Chlorophyll can help cleanse the body of toxins and deodorize it.  If you are struggling to switch, contact our office and we can help!