Guilt Free Sausage and Gravy

We live in the south and Southern food is always a weakness, but not always the healthiest.  Here's my take on a healthy sausage and gravy!

This is quite possibly one of my favorite recipes for 2 reasons:
1. It tastes AMAZING and is so easy to make.
2. Sausage and gravy is such a classic Southern food that I thought would be hard to duplicate, let alone with only 3 ingredients.  

I have made it multiple times for people and they can never believe it tastes so good. I have even been told it tastes better than regular gravy! Plus, you don’t get the bloating that comes along with eating regular gravy.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
1 pound of sausage (make sure it has no preservatives in it- nitrates, nitrites, sulfites, sulfates)

Soak your cashews in warm water the night before.  I just took a mason jar and filled it with my cashews and covered them with warm water to sit overnight.  In the morning, drain the water out and put the cashews in a blender or food processor.  

Put 2 cups of fresh water in with the cashews. Blend until creamy.  It took about 30 seconds in my food processor, but just make sure it is ALL blended. It shouldn’t be grainy at all.

Cook your sausage on medium heat.  When done drain excess grease.  Then put pan back on low-medium to medium heat and add your ‘cashew gravy’. Stir until warm.  You can also add more water at this time to thin it out, your call!

Add pepper or any other seasonings you want.  Try it and feel free to be skeptical like I was, but I can guarantee you won’t be let down.  Add it to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner menu!

Meditation and Mindfulness

Many of our patients come to us in times of need, seeking help for a specific issue. There are issues that are either ongoing and chronic or very acute. Both can contribute greatly to someone’s mental and emotional states. Often for many patients, it’s more of a vicious circle of what caused what. Did stress and anxiety cause the digestive issues? Or did the digestive issues cause the stress and anxiety? Either is a possible scenario, and both have stress and unease in common.

Because of the whole food supplements we utilize, stress and anxiety can be greatly helped through replenishing nutritional deficiencies in the body. Calming minerals, like magnesium, become depleted, hormones become imbalanced, and adrenals become taxed after days and months or even years of worry. While what we do with patients is very valuable and helpful, I also emphasize the importance of having “me time”, of being mindful and taking even just 10 minutes each day to clear thoughts and meditate. For some, in the beginning it can seem like an impossible task to sit still for even 10 minutes and not think about anything. Not your bills, not your health, not your kids’ needs, not your boss or deadlines. Just find a quiet place and be still.

With the use of technology these days, meditating has become both easier AND harder. There are many apps out there that make meditating easier because they offer both guided and open meditations. My favorite app for this is CALM.

You can do a series of meditations on a given topic like forgiveness or you can just set the app to a designated amount of time and sit back and listen to one of the many options for sound.  My favorite is the beach setting. Conversely, technology has made meditating far more difficult because it is so much harder to tear yourself away from that little screen and not allow yourself to be interrupted by a text, call, Facebook notification, or email.

The many benefits of meditation and mindfulness are endless and include better stress handling, improved immunity due to less stress, happier disposition, clearer mind to offer your loved ones, improved attention span, reduced stress and anxiety, and improves sleep!

Next time you are feeling the weight of life a little too heavy on your shoulders, ask yourself when you last had just 10 minutes to think of nothing but your breathing. Check out the CALM app and sign up for Deepak Chopra’s quarterly meditation challenge! I love taking his 21 day challenge and have completed almost every one of them in the past few years. It is just 15 minutes per day for 21 days. You owe it to yourself!

Super Easy Breakfast Cupcake

If we're all being honest, most of us probably skip the most important meal of the day.  This breakfast ‘cupcake’ is incredibly easy to make and takes just a couple minutes to make. Plus, if you make 12 of them you should be set for almost a week! These are perfect for anyone, especially those on Candida Clear!

Ingredients
12 Eggs
12 Pieces of Bacon or Turkey Bacon (avoid brands that use preservatives... aka nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, sulfites in the ingredient list)
Optional: Garlic or your choice of spices, mushrooms, green onions, etc.

Grease cupcake tin (best to use coconut oil).  Wrap each piece of bacon around each of the cupcake holes - 1 piece of bacon per 1 cupcake hole.  

Then crack and put one egg in each cupcake hole.  You could also add different spices or garlic to them to make them more flavorful!

Bake for 20 minutes on 350 degrees or until the eggs are solid.

Let them cool and then spoon out and enjoy!  Store them in the fridge and enjoy throughout the week for an easy breakfast on the go!

Natural Ways to Fight the Flu

I post and update this blog every year because I get A LOT of questions about the flu shot this time of year- "should I do it?"  "What are the risks?" "It's free to get it- why not?" 

Some people feel pressured into getting it by their medical doctor, employer, insurance company, family member, etc.  Others are fearful of the flu or getting sick.

I am not going to get into whether you should or shouldn't.  I will just tell you what I choose to do during flu season! 
1) Skip getting the flu shot
2) Have supplements on hand in case I do get sick
3) Eat 3 TBS of coconut oil a day and try to do a daily coconut oil pull
4) Eat lots of fruits and veggies

First, you need to understand that if you get sick and let your body fight it off, your immune system actually gets stronger.  That means the next time you get exposed to a bacteria or virus it will be stronger and more equipped to fight!  

Secondly, if you keep supplements on hand and eat good foods (plenty of fruits, veggies and protein) you will get vitamins and minerals that are fuel for your immune system.

Lastly, our trusty friend coconut oil is antibacterial, viral and fungal.  It helps to kill off invaders that would get you sick and it helps to boost up your immune system!

The supplements I always have on hand:
1) Immuplex- Take 6 per day when sick (Mainly for Viruses)
2) Silver Shield- take 3 to 6 TBS when sick (Works on bacterias and viruses) 
3) Elderberry Defense- Take 6 to 9 per day when sick- This also has vitamin D in it which is crucial for your immune system (Mainly Viruses) and notoriously low during the fall and winter months due to lack of sunshine exposure.
4) Congaplex- Take 6 per day when sick (Mainly for Bacteria; Great for sinus issues)

OTHER:
-Herbal Throat Spray- Perfect for sore throats
-High Potency Garlic- Antibacterial, fungal- great for sinuses and congestion
-Astragalus- Antiviral, but overall immune support (GREAT if you had MONO in the past)
-Olive Leaf Extract- Antibacterial, viral and fungal- It has been working great this year
-Thymex- Overall immune support 

What I Take Daily for Prevention:
-Usually 3 Astragalus and 3 Immuplex (I’ll switch between Immuplex and Congaplex) 
-If I feel something coming on I use my arsenal above

Standard Process is carried by health care practitioners only. We carry it at our office, or if you are not local, click here to find the closest practitioner to you. Do not order on Amazon - first it’s illegal for us to sell Standard Process on there and people who do have the prices double or triple what you would find in our offices.

If these do not help, let us know and we have many other great supplements!  These are not the end all be all, but they can REALLY help during the cold/flu season.  With good nutrition and preventative supplements (and the right ones when you do get sick), you have a great foundation.  If you have any questions or these don't seem to help - call us!  We can get you in the same day for a sick visit and figure out the exact supplement you need to be on!

ALSO- This is my personal flu fighting remedy.  I never pressure any patients or make anyone feel bad for their choices.  I want to help you find a course of action that best suits you!  Learn other options no matter what they are, educate yourself and then choose what is best for you!

**Quick note on coconut oil pulling: Take 1 spoonful of coconut oil and swish around in your mouth like you would mouthwash.  You can start with a small amount if you are new and work up to 1 TBS. The goal is to do this for 15 minutes, but again if you are new start with 5 minutes. I have been adding in 1 or 2 drops of melaleuca (aka tea tree oil) for more antibacterial effects. DO NOT swallow the coconut oil- it is pulling out bad bacteria and toxins!

After you have swished it around in your mouth spit it into a TRASH CAN! This is very important because the coconut oil will get hard when its cold and clog up your drain. After spitting out the coconut oil, rinse your mouth with hot water with a little apple cider vinegar or 1 tbs of salt (this can be spit into a sink). Once you are done with that brush your teeth and you are good to go! Your teeth will feel squeaky clean and sore throat should be gone or drastically decreased.

If you want to read more into the flu shot read this blog post by Lindsay Bentley.  Or The Pill Profit.  They are great posts!

Coffee + Collagen

If you're a devoted reader, you've heard us talk about collagen and how great it is for you.  Today I'm going to share how you can include collagen in your morning routine! 

Coffee is my personal vice, I think a lot of us can relate with that!  It's a morning routine that most people won't break, so it's the perfect opportunity to get an extra source of protein for the day.

A simple, tasteless addition is collagen! It adds 20 grams of protein to your cup of coffee. I also add 1 tbs of coconut oil, so you get almost a perfect meal of protein and fat! Getting that protein in helps prevent blood sugar spikes and hard energy crashes.

The beauty of collagen is it helps support the elasticity and regeneration of your joints, cartilage, skin and hair. I have had many patients say their chronic joint pain went away once they added collagen to their daily routine. It is touted as anti-aging because it greatly supports the skins elasticity and keeps it youthful because as we age the production of collagen goes down which results in fine lines, wrinkles, joint pain, etc.

Collagen can also help you get a deeper sleep because of the individual amino acids and all the protein keeps your blood sugar stable. If your blood sugar crashes in the middle of the night your body naturally wakes you up. Taking the collagen before bed can prevent that from happening and help you sleep soundly through the night.

You can put it in warm or cold drinks and it's great in smoothies to get extra protein! It really is tasteless! I was putting it in my husband's coffee for the longest time without him knowing! It's a great way to help kids get enough protein.

If you want to use it for sleep put 2 scoops in calming tea before you go to bed.  We highly, highly recommend it at our office!  Add in 2 scoops a day and I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

**The brand we carry is Vital Proteins. It is made from a superior quality of grass-fed beef.

Quinoa Oatmeal

Oatmeal is something that can give people a carbohydrate rush (that 30 minutes to an hour energy rush) and then a crash and burn in energy 1 hour later. One of my biggest suggestions for oatmeal lovers is try to make it gluten free.  Then, make sure to add a protein. I love to add in a couple scoops of almond butter or huge handful of nuts. An even better addition is something called collagen!

Vital Proteins collagen is tasteless and has 20 grams of protein in it. It dissolves quickly and you can mix it in to whatever you are eating! This will give you enough protein to prevent the blood sugar crash in 1 hour and help sustain your energy. Plus, collagen helps joint aches/pain.  We have had amazing success stories with people adding this to their daily routine! Collagen is also anti-aging.  It helps restore the collagen in your skin, which over time starts to break down and cause wrinkles. Joint support, sustained energy and anti-aging? Sign me up!

Another option for oatmeal is to make it with quinoa. It has more protein than oatmeal which means it helps sustain your energy longer after eating it, plus you feel fuller quicker. What I do is make a large batch of quinoa and keep it in the fridge to heat up when I need it. It's so much easier to substitute oats with quinoa when it's already pre-made and waiting for you!  So make a big batch and keep in the fridge for quinoa ‘oatmeal’ or add to dinner dishes.

For the quinoa oatmeal- warm it up with some almond milk in a pan on the stove. Add in your favorite toppings like cinnamon, walnuts, honey, PURE maple syrup, almond butter, etc. Add the collagen to make it even more protein packed!

4 years and Thankful

I cannot believe it has been 4 years here for me in middle Tennessee. The opportunity to serve and work with all of my patients has been life changing. Your stories and passion to take control of your health is inspiring and keeps me motivated to do what I do!

It gives me hope that people want to see the system change. Our communities don't just want a medicine to patch their symptoms, but truly want to understand the root cause of what is going on. They want to take health in their own hands.  There are people wanting to learn more about how their bodies work and how they can make their world less toxic. No one is perfect, but it's all about small changes.

The fact that many of you refer your closest family members and friends is the biggest compliment we could ever receive. From the bottom of my heart I am truly, truly grateful for the trust and support you have given us. We have grown more than we could have hoped for and it is all because of you guys! Cheers to 4 years and I'm so excited to see what the future holds!

 

Emotional Healing with Flower Essences

Some times in the office we will hit a plateau where no matter what nutritional approach we try, nothing seems to work.  This is when I usually know there is an emotional block that is preventing our patients from moving forward and healing.  I do not ever, ever ask people about details of what they are going through or what emotional traumas they have had in the past. I really don’t need to know details and it is not a counseling session.  That is not my place, not my job and I am not qualified to do that.  However, I can test these products called Flower Essences to help break an emotional pattern that a person may or may not know they have.

Flower Essences are made by Nature Sunshine with Bach Flowers.  Bach Flowers help to heal the connection between the body and mind and get rid of negative emotions that we dwell consciously or unconsciously. The ones we carry at the office are blends to help people work through specific emotions. There are fear, grief and anger formulas and they each come in a suppressed or vented formula. Suppressed formulas are for people who stuff emotions down, pretend like everything is okay and push through. The problem is we never fully have the emotions, but stuff them down which can actually cause a lot of stress and even sickness in the body.

The others are vented formulas. These are for people whose thoughts are on repeat. They know they need to move forward or get past something, but the events, thoughts, situations, or even people who trigger them keep playing on repeat like a hamster wheel. They become fixated or stuck. If you are on your hamster wheel and are unable to move forward, it is really hard on your body and your ‘stress’ glands aka the adrenals. The flower essences help people process, move forward and heal!

When testing these on patients (and myself too) I cannot tell you how many times people laugh or give me a big smile when I show them the description of what they tested for.

 I don't really know what patients are going through emotionally or what their suppressed emotions may be, but it is fun to test and actually see if it matches up to what they may be going through.  I have had SO many success stories with these, allowing people to make emotional breakthroughs and changes in their thought process in both kids and adults.

Flower Essences can be ordered by here or feel free to call or stop in the office if you have any questions.

Release It (Vented Grief Formula) (Stock number- 8779-1)

• May assist the body with the grieving process.
• May help in letting go of the past.
• May assist with emotional distress.

**This formula helps people not forget about the past, but allow them to process and move forward. Amazing for replaying events or situations in your head over and over and not being able to move forward.

Be Courageous (Vented Fear Formula) (Stock number 8786-0)

• May assist with courage and self-confidence.
• May help with indecisiveness, uncertainty and nervous tension.

**Great for constant worry or fear of known and unknown events or someone who constantly feels fearful and doesn’t know why.

Keep Cool (Vented Anger Formula) (Stock number- 8784-2)

• May assist the body with feelings of anger and irritability.
• May also assist with empathy and communication

**Great for those that are frustrated, irritable, or on edge; can use daily for frustration. For example- stress/being on edge at work; going home to visit family that can make people stressed or on edge, etc. Great for kids who have angry outbursts or constantly frustrated.

Find Strength (Suppressed Anger Formula) (Stock number- 8781-4)

• May assist with feelings of unworthiness.
• May help the body with emotional strength and help deal with occasional emotional stress.

**Amazing for those whose anxiety heightens in the evening and night time

Open Heart (Suppressed Grief Formula) (Stock number 8782-6)

• May assist with the ability to love.
• May help release suppressed emotion.
• May help increase empathy and compassion.

**For those who have trouble loving and trusting others or even loving themselves; they may seem cold on the outside or shut down in their emotions towards others or themselves.

Be Response-Able (Suppressed Fear Formula) (Stock number 8783-8)

• May help encourage self-responsibility.
• May help with self-defeating behavior.

**Amazing for list makers and beat themselves up for not completing their list of 100 things (I know this all too well); hard on themselves; OCD or like things done orderly or cleaned up.

Distress Remedy (Same as Rescue Remedy) (Stock number 8778-3)

• Supports emotional balance.
• May assist the body with occasional emotional distress and emotional balance.

**Great for test anxiety; known triggers for stress- for example: giving speeches; nervous to fly or go to dentist, etc.

Paleo Tomato Soup

There are so many tomato soup recipes out there, so I figured I would try my hand at one of them.  It was super easy to make, very tasty and completely dairy free!

Ingredients
1 Onion, chopped
1 TBS Coconut Oil
1 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh Basil
1-2 tsp Sea Salt and Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 cups of Chicken Stock
5 Tomatoes- Vine (I used 4 large tomatoes)
6 oz Tomato Paste

Instructions
Cut tomatoes into quarter slices and toss with olive oil (I did melted coconut oil), sea salt and pepper.
Roast tomatoes on a baking sheet for 30 minutes on 350 degrees
With about 5 minutes to go on the tomatoes melt 1 TBS of coconut oil over medium heat in a large soup pan
Saute onion and garlic (until onion is translucent)
Add in your roasted tomatoes and saute for 1 more minute
Add in 3 cups of chicken stock, the basil (I ripped mine into smaller pieces first), and the tomato paste. 
Stir until tomato paste is dissolved into the broth
Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot
Let covered pot simmer for about 30 minutes
Pour soup into a food processor or blender and mix up until nice and smooth

Last but not least... Enjoy! (And even top with your fresh basil... so tasty!)

Recipe from Primal Palate.

Deep Moisturizing Treatment

Coconut oil is amazing for many reasons, but did you know it could be used for a deep conditioning hair treatment? It will make your hair so silky, smooth and it's great for dandruff suffer! All you need is coconut oil and a shower cap.

When your hair is dry, completely cover it from root to tip with melted coconut oil.  Make sure you massage it in the scalp, too.  Once your hair is all greased up, put on a shower cap for an hour or longer.

When you shower, make sure to put shampoo in your hair before you get it wet.  This step is VERY IMPORTANT.  You will have no problem getting the coconut oil out of your hair if you put shampoo on it before it's wet. 

This treatment will help your hair be silky smooth and even helped my split ends.  

Try it and see how it works for you!

Photo: Authority Nutrition

No Bake Coconut Crispy Treats

This is the perfect, healthy alternative to a Rice Krispy Treat.  These take no time to make and are a great dessert for all ages! Plus, they are void of all junk sweeteners and filler ingredients in processed desserts and treats. So, make a big pan of them and feel good about having a healthy treat for your family!

Ingredients:
4 Cups Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup or Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:
Toast coconut in a skillet over low heat.  Once toasted, put in a bowl and mix in maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Lastly, add in melted coconut oil and stir all together.

Pour coconut crispy treats into a 8×8 pan.

Cover the pan with wax paper or parchment paper and press the coconut mix down evenly over the whole pan.

Refrigerate coconut crispy treats for 1 to 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.  Once set, they are ready to cut up and enjoy! Keep leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

Optional - drizzle with healthy dark chocolate (3 ingredient homemade recipe here) or add crushed almonds with sea salt on top too!

Recipe adapted from: The Coconut Mama

Hit a wall between 1 & 3? This post is for you.

Do you hit a wall between 1 and 3 pm?  Many people feel like they either need a nap, something sugary or caffeine.  If you are one of those people, don't reach fall for the cravings.  There are easy natural ways to bump up your energy and help you get through that midday slump.

When you hit this wall or feel like you need sugary foods or caffeine during these hours it means your adrenal glands are tired.  Adrenal glands are considered your stress glands. They pump out hormones to keep you going day in and day out.  They fire up with both good and bad stress, so each time there is a stressor it is like asking them to run a marathon.  Then another stressor comes and they have to run again. It's just an endless cycle!

If you had to run a one marathon after another, you eventually couldn't go anymore, but our bodies are amazing and the adrenals keep working day in and out.  They get tired too, though. When the adrenals are overworked, you feel tired.  When things get really bad, severe adrenal fatigue sets in and you feel overwhelmed very easily.  Another symptom people complain of is mid to lower back pain that feels like a deep bruise or ache that never goes away.

You are not destined to feel this way forever- by supporting your adrenal glands it is amazing how much better you can feel. I see this multiple times a day and it still amazes me how much better people feel by adding in the correct support. Many patients come in lifeless and ‘down’ on their first visit and by the second visit you can see their face get brighter, have happier dispositions and just feel better in general. It takes a lot time to rebuild, but getting on the right support can make a HUGE difference.

What can you do?  
Try to avoid stress! That is what most people say, but how realistic is it?  Not very - but you can choose to minimize it.  Do not say yes to everything and everyone - you will wear yourself down. Create boundaries and make time for yourself daily, even if it just 10 minutes a day.

Eat an avocado a day - great hormones and fuel for the adrenals
If you hit a dip in the afternoon, drink hot tea with 1 tbs of coconut oil - this keeps your blood sugar levels stable and doesn't spike them which stresses the adrenal glands even more
Keep your protein intake up - make sure to get 30 grams of protein in for breakfast.  I do it through a smoothie or eat turkey, chicken sausage, etc. with eggs for breakfast. You want to have protein at each meal.
Snack on nuts and seeds
If you are craving sugar - eat some protein first and a glass of water, then wait 15 minutes before indulging.  If you have to indulge try natural sugars like honey and maple syrup in moderation.

You can also support your adrenals through great supplements that we commonly use in the office. These are just a few of the many ones we use. The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system - so we have to look at everything and not just single out the adrenals!

• Adrenal Support by Nature Sunshine
  • Great to take a bottle when big stressors come up or life throws you a curve ball
• Nervous Fatigue TCM by Nature Sunshine
  • Great for maintenance and protection of the adrenals
• Mineral Chi Tonic by Nature Sunshine
  • Minerals are fuel for adrenals and this also has other great herbs for them too.  Its is a liquid which is easy to mix or take straight (not the best tasting thing but you can do it :)
• Adrenal Desiccated by Standard Process
  • For very severe cases
• Drenamin by Standard Process
  • Whole food based supplement for the adrenals
• Min Tran by Standard Process
  • Relaxing minerals to relax the body and adrenals; Great for when the mind starts racing when you lay down to go to sleep!

Again there are SO many other supplements we use, but this is just a quick overview.  If the symptoms above sound like you, give us a call and we can help out.  You don't have to live run down or in a constant state of feeling overwhelmed. 

For order instructions on Nature Sunshine click here and for Standard Process visit the office or call 615-656-3558.

Photo Source.

Quinoa Fried Rice

We all crave the comfort of high sodium, bad for you foods, but most of these are packed with preservatives!  Here is a simple and delicious quinoa fried recipe!  The perfect, healthy alternative to take out.

When I first discovered this I made it for 4 days in a row because it tasted so good!  I haven't had Chinese food in years and was so happy to discover this alternative. It’s perfect for anyone, especially those on Candida Clear where you can have quinoa in place of rice!

All you need is quinoa, frozen veggies, a couple eggs and coconut oil! 

Cook your quinoa.  I sometimes will make a large batch and keep it in the fridge until I am ready to warm it up. Then, when I want to make something, I just quickly heat it up in the skillet with coconut oil.

Make your frozen veggies.  I get mine at Costco- great price for how much you get.  They are organic too!

Now put it all together.  In a large skillet (on low/medium heat) put 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, quinoa, mixed veggies and 1 to 2 eggs.  In a smaller skillet you can use 1 egg and larger skillet 2 eggs.  Once the eggs start to slightly cook mix them around with the quinoa and veggies.  Keep slowly mixing everything until the eggs are pretty well done.  Add in a little bit of sea salt and pepper for a little more flavor. There you have it!  Dinner is ready!

Another option would be to throw in some chicken, shrimp, or steak!

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Almond Flour Bread

This gluten free bread has been a game changer at our house!  Regular bread (even wheat) spikes your blood sugar, contains minimal nutrients and usually contains gluten. Gluten creates inflammation in the body especially to the digestive system and really stresses the thyroid out.

If you are wanting to loose weight, have digestive or suspected or known thyroid issues, drop the store bought bread and pasta (sprouted bread is okay but I believe this recipe is even better). This is a perfect alternative that won’t spike up your blood sugar and contains protein and healthy fats that will leave you more full after eating it versus craving more bread.

Ingredients
2 cups almond flour (Or put almonds in food processor/ninja and blend into flour)
2 TBS coconut flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed (Or put flaxseed into food processor/ninja and pulse till it is ground- doesn’t take much)
½ tsp baking soda
5 eggs
1 ½ TBS honey
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325. Grease up loaf pan with a lot of coconut oil. Make sure it is completely covered because this bread can stick to the pan pretty easily after its cooked.

First add in all the dry ingredients (almond flour, ground flax, coconut flour, baking soda) and pulse in food processor. Then add in the wet ingredients and pulse to blend into batter.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. THEN take a piece of foil and place on top of the loaf pan and bake for 10 more minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (it took my oven about 15 to 20 minutes).

Cool your bread for 20 minutes and enjoy!  Keep leftovers in the fridge to make it last longer.

Top with homemade jam or your favorite nut butter! This even makes for great sandwich bread.

DIY Hand Soap

Bronner's is a home's best friend.  Remember Bronner’s Castile Soap from the facewash post? Well, another handy tip is that you can use castile soap for hand soap too!

 You just fill ¼ of your soap container with Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap (personal favorites are peppermint and lavender) and the rest with water. That is it! It makes for a nice and foamy hand soap that lathers really well. Simple, multifunctional, inexpensive castile soap for the win! Plus no added synthetic fragrances and toxic additives (avoid triclosan and triclocarbon listed in ingredients). Good ol’ castile soap will do the job!

Interesting info from Environmental Working Group

‘Anti-bacterial soaps do kill bacteria and microbes -- but so do plain soap and water. A U.S. FDA advisory committee found that use of antibacterial soaps provides no benefits over plain soap and water.

The main reason to avoid anti-bacterial soaps is its active ingredient: triclosan (and the related triclocarbon). Triclosan is an anti-bacterial chemical found in many consumer products, and it's nearly ubiquitous in liquid hand soap. It is linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and even low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function. Further, the American Medical Association recommends that triclosan not be used in the home, as it may encourage bacterial resistance to antibiotics.’

For the full article and more information go to: http://www.ewg.org/research/healthy-home- tips/tip-5-wash-those- hands-avoid- triclosan

Trouble losing weight? Try these tips!

A lot of people come into the practice and one of their top 5 concerns or issues typically has something to do with weight.  95% of the time a Candida issue has something to do with it as well as an underlying thyroid issue, our metabolic control center.  Once these things are taken care of, people notice significant changes in their weight and energy levels as well as mental clarity.

Below are some tips to jump start metabolism!

1) Drink a full glass of water immediately upon waking in the morning.  Set the glass of water on your nightstand and have it ready to drink right when you wake up.  This gets you hydrated right away in the morning and jump starts your metabolism.

2) Drink one glass of hot water with ½ lemon daily (or more). This revs up metabolism and gets the liver filtering out toxins that can contribute to weight gain.

3) Stop eating after 6pm.  This gives your body more time to break down food instead of trying to process it during the middle of the night when your metabolism is the slowest.  Set a time to stop eating, even if it is not 6 pm. Sticking to your rule will help keep you from wandering into the kitchen looking for snacks and mindless eating.  Most people eat late at night not because they are hungry, but out of routine!

4) Eat protein at each meal. Ideally you want 30 grams of protein at each meal. You will be amazed at how this little trick can help you feel full longer, lose weight and keep your energy up. Some simple foods to keep a protein filled diet are: almond butter, nuts/seeds, deli meat (make sure it is preservative free… aka nitrates, -ites), chicken, eggs, fish, beef, CLEAN protein powders (we have plenty at the office) and, my favorite, collagen! Collagen has 20 grams of protein per serving. Plus, it is tasteless and can dissolve in cold or warm drinks/food.

Try these easy steps and see how much it can help you!

Healthy Cool Whip

This cool whip is delicious and is only 2 ingredients!  It takes 1 minute to make and taste amazing! All you need is a can of coconut milk (not what you find in the refrigerated aisle).  It can be found at Kroger in the health food section or in the international aisle.  Put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).  This will allow the water and cream to separate which leaves a whipped cream consistency on top and a watery part on the bottom of the can. 

Once refrigerated take the top section out of the can.  You can throw away the bottom watery section.  Next add your sweetener.  I added 1 Tablespoon of honey, but maple syrup or xylitol are other options. You could even add a teaspoon of vanilla to give it a little more flavor too! Mix up and that is it! 

Enjoy! Try dipping your strawberries in it or add it to plantain pancakes! 

Thyroid and It's 3 Important Minerals

The thyroid is one of the most common areas of 'weakness' I see in my office... as well as the liver and the adrenal glands.  The thyroid sits in the lower front part of your neck.  It makes hormones that influence the entire body!  It helps to control our metabolism, body temperature, hair/skin/nails, heart rate (people can get heart palpitations simply due to dysfunction in the thyroid), moods, energy levels (especially in the morning), and many other things!

Typically people with thyroid issues will present with one or more of the following things...
Inability to loose or gain weight, weak nails, brittle/dry hair, dry skin, heart palpitations, fatigue especially in the morning, brain fog, anxiety, depression, infertility, constipation or alternating constipation and diarrhea, acne, hot flashes, night sweats, high cholesterol (did you know the thyroid plays a part in managing cholesterol levels!!), menstrual issues and irregularities, as well as many other things!

I always check the thyroid function on each visit and here are couple things that can be done at home to help improve its function!

The 3 most important minerals the thyroid needs are:
1) Iodine
2) Selenium
3) Zinc

For each mineral I challenge you do the following things... 

Iodine:  Get tested in the office to see if you need iodine.  This is something that can drastically help the thyroid, but adding it when it is NOT needed can do more harm than good.  So in order to see how much you need AND IF you need it, stop by and get muscle tested!  Great foods that contain iodine are seaweed, turkey breast, and eggs.  And you may be thinking about regular table salt because it has iodine in it?!?  Well yes it does but it is fortified and NOT naturally occurring in it.  So instead make the switch to sea salt or even better Himalayan salt and get your iodine from naturally occurring sources.  For more info on salt check out
http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/. 

Selenium: Selenium is the 2nd most important mineral for the thyroid.  A way to simply get the needed amount is to eat 4 Brazil nuts a day... only 4!  So go buy a bag of Brazil nuts and make this a daily habit. 

Zinc:  Lastly Zinc is very important for thyroid function and is linked to over 100 different enzymes in the body.  Enzymes are what is needed to make the body function properly.  When enzyme counts are low people get tired and sick... so why not do a simple check to see if you have enough zinc to make all the cells in your body work better.  The test (called the Zinc taste test) can be done in my office for free, takes 10 seconds, and quickly allows us to see if you need to be supplementing with Zinc.  The first time I did the Zinc taste test I failed miserably... so that makes me more passionate about it now.  I try to make sure each patient does it and if we haven't let me know!  If you are deficient like I was there is a supplement to take for only a month or 2 which increases your levels to normal.

I hope this has been somewhat informative and helpful for all you thyroid patients out there!  Call the office if you need any help or have any questions!  And eat 4 Brazil nuts a day :)

Easy, 3 Ingredient Pesto

I made this pesto on a whim because I didn't have pine nuts or olive oil.  I also wanted to stay away from the typical parmesan cheese, so I had to get creative and it worked!

This pesto recipe requires only 3 ingredients: Walnuts, Coconut Oil (Melted), and Basil!

In a food processor, throw in around 4 tbs of melted coconut oil, a large handful of walnuts and a large handful of basil and blend.  That's it!  It's the perfect addition to any meal.

Enjoy!

Homemade Face Wash + My Beauty Routine

Some of you may have heard of Bronner's Magic Soap, or seen in it in the store but have no idea what to do with it.  That used to be me too!

Bronner's is a castile soap which is made of natural oils and essential oils.  They make all different kinds ranging from peppermint to eucalyptus to lavender to unscented.  On the bottle is says it has 18 different uses, however one of my favorite uses is for face wash! It leaves my face feeling very clean and like there is no left over residue.  It lasts forever and you don't need to use very much at all.

I use a small squirt bottle and fill it half way up with the liquid Bronner's and half up with water.  I just need one pump for my face, so my mixture lasts forever!  It lathers up great and makes my face feel so clean.  It’s great for people with normal to oily skin, but may not be the best for those with dry skin.

Three times a week I use the exfoliating face wash by Beautycounter. I find that it makes my face super smooth and helps to get rid of the dead skin. You don’t have to use it every day, but it is a good addition to your weekly beauty routine. (P.S. all Beautycounter products are amazing!)

And don't forget to moisturize! Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, or Beautycounter has some great options as well.