Category: Articles and Recipes

Zucchini-Apple No-Grain Muffins

By - Recipes

  • 1 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup ground pecans or walnuts
  • 3/4 cup protein powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • stevia to taste
  • 4 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 ripe mashed banana
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cup grated zucchini
  • 2/3 cup grated apple
  • grated zest of one orange
  • 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup water (more if needed)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups. Combine flaxseeds, walnuts, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. In large bowl, mix oil, vanilla, zucchini, apple, orange zest and water. Fold dry ingredients into liquid ingredients. Add stevia to taste. Fold in chopped walnuts. Add more water if necessary to liquefy enough to pour. Fill muffin cups and bake for 20 -25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

From What’s for Breakfast? Protein-Based Breakfasts for Food-Sensitive, Time-Challenged People by Joan Haynes, N.M.D. and Lori Hora Soule, NMD, L.A.c.

 

Nutty Hot Cereal

By - Recipes

From What’s for Breakfast: Protein-Based Breakfasts for Food-Sensitive, Time-Challenged People by Joan Haynes, NMD and Lori Horan Soule, NMD, LAc

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1  cup ground almonds
  • ½ cup oat bran
  • 1 ¼ cup rice bran
  • 1 cup rice protein powder

This thick hot cereal is comfort food at its best.  Plus, it keeps you regular.

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F
  2. In a coffee grinder, grind flax and almonds separately.
  3. In oven, lightly toast the ground almonds on a cookie sheet for 5 – 7 minutes.  Let cool.
  4. Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.  To serve, put ½ cup of the mixture in a bowl and add ¾ of boiling water and a pinch of salt.  Stir briskly, and let the cereal sit for a few minutes before eating.

For flavor you can add a dash of stevia, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a few drops of backstrap molasses, raisins, dried cranberries, and/or shredded coconut.

 

Testing for Toxic Chemicals In Your System

By - Environment/Detoxification

by Joan Haynes, NMD

Could your chronic illness or allergic reactions be related to ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals? A newly available and finally affordable lab test (only $219) screens for the presence of 168 different toxic chemicals all from a single urine sample. Exposure to these compounds has been linked to allergic reactions, cancer, obesity, infertility, fibromyalgia, heart disease, diabetes, ADHD, autism, autoimmune disorders and more. 

We all know that our modern world is full of pollutants. But did you know that chemicals do not have to be proven safe prior to being introduced into use? The new documentary The Human Experiment, narrated by Sean Penn, is available on Netflix and I strongly recommend you watch it. It demonstrates how thousands of untested chemicals are ubiquitous in our everyday products, our homes, our food, and in us. 

Here’s just one example: 

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2, 4-D)  A very common herbicide most commonly used in agriculture on genetically modified foods, and as a weed killer for lawns.  Exposure to 2, 4-D via skin or oral ingestion is associated with neuritis, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy, stupor, seizures, brain damage, and impaired reflexes. 2, 4-D is a known endocrine disruptor, and can block hormone distribution and cause glandular breakdowns. 

The Categories of Environmental Pollutants Tested by GPL-TOX lab test (168 compounds tested in total)

  • Phthalates
  • Vinyl Chloride
  • Benzene
  • Pyrethrins
  • Xylenes
  • Styrene
  • Otganophosphates
  • MTBE and ETBE
  • 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D)

Recommendations for Detoxifications of Chemicals

First and foremost, we must identify and reduce our exposure to these toxic compounds in our homes and workplaces.   Secondly, working with an expert can be helpful. Naturopathic physicians are trained in accredited medical schools how to biochemically detoxify patients. Customized programs include specific nutritional and herbal supplements to promote the removal of toxins. In addition, we always focus on the whole person, including the gastrointestinal health, nutritional habits, and the mental/emotional factors and lifestyle activities of each individual patient. 

Read more about these toxins, the lab test, and when it is recommended at The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. To have the test ordered, and for a follow up plan of action, contact Boise Natural Health to schedule an appointment.  

Easy Greens

By - Recipes

By Joan Haynes, NMD

Quick Boiling is a quick way to cook greens, with the added benefit of maximum nutrient conservation. Save the water and add to a broth for soup or cool it and feed it to your plants.

Vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, and even protein are a part of most dark leafy greens. These powerful vegetables should be a daily part of the diet. Cooked greens can be used in a variety of interesting dishes – soups, salads, casseroles, and more.

Pick Your Greens

Choose 2 cups of fresh greens, in any combination, per person.
2 cups fresh greens will cook down to approximately ½ cup.

 

  • Beet greens
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli
  • Chinese cabbage (napa)
  • Collard greens
  • Dandelion greens
  • Endive
  • Escarole
  • Kale
  • Mustard greens
  • Swiss chard
  • Turnip greens
  • Watercress
  • Optional: lemon juice or vinegar (balsamic is nice)

Chop and Wash

For greens with tough stems, such as collards, kale or chard, cut the leaves away from the stem before washing. Wash greens carefully. An easy way to do this is to fill your sink or large bowl with cold water and submerge the greens. If the water has sediment, drain and repeat.

 

Cooking – Timing is everything

Bring 1 – 2 quarts of water to a boil. Submerge greens. Boil tender young greens (such as watercress or escarole) for about 30 seconds. Tougher leaves (such as mature collards or kale) need to be cooked for 5-10 minutes. Timing is everything. If you remove the greens too soon they will be bitter. If you let them cook too long they will lose nutrients and have a flat taste.
Remove a piece and test every minute or so. You are looking for a slightly wilted leaf that still has a bright green color and (most important) a succulent, sweet flavor. Pour cooked greens into a colander in the sink. Let cool. Squeeze out excess water with your hands. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Serve with a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Reflux: Could You Have LOW Stomach Acid?

By - Digestion

Joan Haynes, NMD

It may seem counter intuitive, but strangely enough, the symptoms of stomach acid over-production and under production are very similar.  Proper stomach acid levels actually cause the sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach to close.  If there is not enough acid, the valve stays open, causing what little stomach acid there is to reflux and cause heartburn and erosion.  A healthy amount of stomach acid keeps the lower esophageal sphincter muscle tight, preventing the acid from refluxing.  Naturopathic doctors often have great success treating reflux by restoring normal stomach function.

Misdiagnosis and Mistreatment are Common

Stomach acid levels decline as we age, with poor nutrition, and with stress.  Acid-blocking medications such as Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac are commonly prescribed control the symptoms, but do not address the underlying problem.  Studies show these medications are may lead to longer term health problems such as osteoporosis, colorectal cancer, bacterial infections and damage to both the kidneys and liver.  These medications are only palliative and are very hard to discontinue if used for a long period of time.

Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid

Acid reflux, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating, nausea are common.  Often there is an inability to digest meat well.  Feeling heavy or overly full after meals, despite eating a normal amount.  Sometimes, even if there are no gastrointestinal symptoms, I’ll screen some patients for low HCL if they have poor mineralization health conditions, such as those with anemia, osteoporosis, thinning hair, thin nails, and nervous system problems like insomnia, anxiety, and restless leg syndrome.

The Importance of Stomach Acid and Immunity

Besides being essential for digestive health, the acid acts as a natural barrier against infection – fighting pathogenic bacteria, virus and parasites.  When patients are travelling out of the country, I will often test them for low HCL, and if they can tolerate taking a little, I have them take HCL when they eat to reduce the risk of food borne illness.

Treatment

When treating reflux, we need to consider several factors:

  1. Food allergy identification –   Often sensitivity to one or more foods is the cause of symptoms.
    READ MORE – Are Foods Causing Your Symptoms
  2. Heal inflammation – the reflux into the esophagus needs to be quieted before supplemental HCL is put into the stomach or until a person can tolerate their own normal stomach acid levels.  Deglycerinated licorice, marshmallow, slippery elm, aloe are all demulcent herbs that sooth and coat the lining of the intestinal tract.
  3. Test for and treat low stomach acid – I use the “titration” method of HCL testing.  I give my patients a sample of a pharmaceutical grade betaine hydrochloric acid (with pepsin) and have them increase their dose systematically with certain meals.  Then they report back to me and I help them sort out what their reaction told us and their dose if HCL is needed.
  4. Consider adding enzymes and/or bile.  The stomach makes HCL, but the gallbladder makes bile necessary for fat absorption and enzymes breakdown carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  You may need supplemental correction for those deficiencies as well.

Be Careful Treating Yourself – PLEASE READ

If you’ve been on acid blocking medication for a long time, I suggest you work with a professional to explore this issue.  If there are ulcers or erosions in your esophagus or stomach do not attempt to take hydrochloric acid – you may make matters worse.  You’ll need to heal the inflammation first and then explore discontinuing your medication.

Braised Chard with Shitake Mushrooms

By - Recipes

by Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Spring into delicious healthy foods for the season and Braised Chard with Shitake Mushrooms recipe.

Ingredients

  • 10-12 Shitake Mushrooms, fresh or dried
  • 1 pound chard
  • 1 onion, diced finely
  • 1 large garlic clove finely minced
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. If using fresh shitake, wash and slice. If using dried shitake, place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water, and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
  2. Wash chard and strip the stalk from the leaves. Slice the stalk into ½ inch pieces and set aside. Coarsely chop the leaves and set aside in another bowl.
  3. Heat olive oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
  4. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
  5. If using dried mushrooms, remove from soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and finely slice the mushrooms. Add the dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms to the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes to brown lightly.
  6. Stir in the chard stalks and 1 cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid or water.
  7. Cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes until stalks are just about tender.
  8. Add chard leaves, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and tender, but not dull in color.
  9. Drain excess liquid, season with salt and serve hot. Enjoy!

Shitake mushrooms are available fresh or dried at most local stores including Winco, Fred-Meyer, Boise Coop as well as the Asian markets. Shiitake are prized in Asia for the immune boosting properties and blood pressure regulation. Chard is rich source of chlorophyll, carotenes, and vitamins C and E.

Fermentation Is Easy

By - Food and Nutrition

By Joan Haynes, NMD

I’m a big gardener.  I’m a naturopathic physician.  I’m fascinated by microbiology and the impact of nutrition on good health.  Fermentation was inevitable, but, intimidating.  What a wonderful surprise to learn how easy fermentation is.

Fermentation is the process by which microorganisms – bacteria, yeast, and mold – transforms food and extends its usefulness.  It makes foods more nutritious, and delicious. Many of our common foods and drinks are fermented:  cheese, wine, bread, beer, chocolate, coffee, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt and more.

I used the book Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Ellix Katz.  Much more than a cookbook – his stories helped me connect in a new way with the vital connection we have with what we eat.  Sandor is HIV positive and obsessed with fermentation.  He lives in an intentional community and has experimented time and again with recipes on the members.  His experiences and stories motivated me to give it a go.  Plus, I planted a big batch of cucumbers, and they were ripe.

The recipe I used was called Sour Pickles on page 50, which works for any vegetable. I only needed 4 items:

  • Vegetables
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Crock
  1. We got an old crock pot at a thrift store.
  2. I sliced up cucumbers, carrots, garlic cloves and added grape leaves*
  3. I poured the salt water over the veggies. (A little less than one TBSP of salt per cup of water.)
  4. Put a plate on top, weighted it, and covered with a cloth.

*Grape leaves are for the tannins which make the pickles crunchy

That’s it.  Check it every day.  It’s ready in 1 to 4 weeks, then refrigerate.

Wow, are they good!

5 Ways to Beat the Heat (the Naturopathic Physician’s perspective)

By - Miscellaneous

Joan Haynes, NMD

  1. Make sure you are staying hydrated.
    Dehydration is very common in our dry hot summers. The first sign of dehydration is fatigue, not thirst! The average 150 poundperson needs about 64 ounces of non-caffeinated fluid daily, more with hot weather &/or exercising. Avoid dehydrating beverages like alcohol, caffeine, and sugar-sweetened drinks. If you must have these treats, dilute dilute dilute!
  2. Electrolytes are your friends.
    When you sweat you lose electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and salt. You need electrolytes to maintain proper hydration levels (remember Gatorade?). A healthier alternative to Gatorade is Emergen-C packets added to water. This gives needed vitamins and electrolytes, in lots of different fun flavors.
  3. Heat intolerance?
    You may need to have your thyroid checked. Heat intolerance can be a sign of low or high thyroid function. If you are already taking thyroid medicine, you may be taking too much. Thyroid regulates metabolism, which produces heat. When it’s already hot outside, you may need less thyroid hormone. Check with your doctor.
  4. Hot flashes?
    If you are having brief but intense rushes of heat on a daily basis, you may be experiencing peri-menopausal or menopausal symptoms. These tend to worsen in the summer months. If you are female, in your 40’s or 50’s, and have been experiencing irregular menstrual cycles for several months, you may benefit from natural hormone balancing. Ask your doctor if hormone testing is appropriate for you.
  5. Consider losing weight.
    The bigger the body, the more heat it can produce. Fat is insulating, that’s why arctic mammals have massive fat stores.

For additional practical tips for your home and work environment see Real Simple’s article:
23 Ways To Beat The Heat.

Thai Scented Onion Soup

By - Recipes

Although this recipe seems exotic with galangal root, lemongrass and lime kefir leaves, it is really very simple and quick to prepare once you know the trick behind getting these ingredients and having them on hand.  Galangal root is a cousin of ginger with a milder flavor. Galangal root, lime kefir leaves and lemongrass are available at Asian markets. Because I frequently make this soup in cold-season, I purchased them in larger quantities and freezer them.  I slice the galangal root into thin coins and wrap them well before freezing.  Lemongrass stalks can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer. This way they are ready to go when the first sign of a cold appears. 

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions
  • 8 ounces thin rice sticks
  • 6 cups home made or boxed chicken stock
  • 2 inches galangal root or 6-8 slices
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 lime kefir leaves
  • 1 large carrot
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
  • Organic extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
  • Sea salt
  • Optional for added protein: cooked diced chicken, shrimp or extra firm tofu
  • Sriracha sauce
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Soak the rice sticks in hot water for about 20 minutes to soften them.  When soft, drain and rinse well and set aside.
  2. Cut the onions from root to stem in long thin slices.  In a large skillet, sauté the sliced onions in olive or coconut oil over moderate-low heat until the onions are soft and sweet and just begin to develop a golden color. 
  3. In a soup pot, heat stock to a boil with galangal root, lemongrass and lime kefir leaves.  Reduce heat to a gentle simmer (just an occasional bubble breaking through the surface).  Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
  4. Slice the carrot into matchsticks. Add carrots and sautéed onions to the simmered broth and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust flavor with sea salt. 
  5. Just a few minutes before you are ready to serve, add the cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu if using. 
  6. To serve, add a bundle of softened rice noodles to each bowl.  Ladle the hot broth over the noodles, garnish with cilantro or parsley.  Serve with lime wedge to spritz into the soup and sriracha sauce.

Enjoy!

Shopping notes: 

At Oriental Market, which is just down the street from Boise Natural Health on Emerald at Orchard, they stock lime kefir leaves and galangal root in the freezer.  (They are tricky to find, so ask the clerk for help.)  Each Saturday, the Oriental Market gets a selection of Asian produce, including fresh lemongrass.   The lemongrass supply does not always last past the weekend, but they do have grated lemongrass in the freezer.  You can use a tablespoon or 2 instead of the fresh stalks.  Because the grated lemongrass is quite fibrous, tie it into a little cheesecloth, or place it in a tea ball and it will infuse beautifully.

Super-Easy Delicious and Nutritious Kale Chips

By - Recipes

By Anne Woodhouse, CHN

Craving popcorn? – salty, crunchy – but don’t want the starchy corn bloat afterwards? Even if you’ve never had kale before, try it this way, it’s worth the effort. Experienced kale eaters are often surprised they’ve never had kale so good.

Kale

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale (Curly or Dino Kale offer different flavors)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 dash sea salt
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Wash the kale thoroughly to remove any grit and pat with towels to remove the excess water and/or use a salad spinner. Rip the leaves of the kale away from the stems and discard the stems. You can leave the leaves in large chunks or slice them into ribbons. Uniformity in size helps them cook evenly.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Lay the leaves out on a baking sheet (you can cover with parchment paper for easy clean up). Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake the kale for about 20 minutes or so until crisp and the edges start to brown. After 10 minutes toss to ensure even baking. Allow to cool and then transfer to a bowl.
  4. Put in your favorite popcorn bowl, add more sea salt or spice to taste. Turn movie on. Enjoy! Variations: You can add some zest to the kale chips with a touch of cayenne, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of brewers yeast.