January 15th, 2012
Kendra Lay
Do you eat breakfast? I hope so!
I’m a huge fan of eating protein and fat in the morning. It’s stick to your ribs food and it can set you up for a whole day of stable blood sugar (read: no sugar cravings, ravenous hunger, irritability, shakiness or cloudy thinking!). On weekend mornings when we have the time, my boyfriend and I like to cook up a big breakfast consisting of veggies and protein, cooked in good fats. Here’s our creation from a few Sundays ago:
My perfect paleo/primal breakfast
Italian Kale Stir-Fry with Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in
Gluten Free, Dairy Free Recipes,
Paleo,
Primal Recipes 
Tags:
Dairy Free,
Gluten Free,
healthy fats,
Kale,
Low-Carb,
Low-Carbohydrate,
Paleo,
paleo breakfast,
Primal,
Recipe,
Vegetables 
No Comments »
November 23rd, 2011
Kendra Lay
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I realize I should have posted this sooner, but if you are looking for some last minute grain-free, gluten-free, paleo and primal friendly Thanksgiving recipe ideas, I’ve collected a few from around the web that look great.
Plus, if you are looking for a side dish, I’m including my Roasted Caramelized Onions and Brussels Sprouts recipe below. I’ve made it the last several years for Thanksgiving and it’s always a huge hit.
Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up
Grain-Free Gravy from Elana’s Pantry I’m definitely making this for myself this year. I’ve been gluten-free for several years but this will be my first Thanksgiving being grain-free. That means no flour thickeners! Elana is ingenious and uses onions to thicken her gravy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in
Allergy Free Living,
Gluten Free, Dairy Free Recipes,
Paleo,
Primal Recipes Tags:
Brussels Sprouts,
Dairy Free,
Food Allergies,
Gluten Free,
Low-Carb,
Low-Carbohydrate,
Paleo,
Primal,
Vegetables 1 Comment »
November 19th, 2011
Kendra Lay
I’m so honored and excited to announce that I was chosen as a finalist out of many applicants to win a college scholarship for my blog! There is a website called www.collegescholarships.org/ that hosts an annual scholarship contests for students nationwide that blog. The student can be a grad or undergrad student and their blog can be about anything–really, there are people in the running who blog about everything from sports to politics to makeup. I wrote an essay and entered the contest a few weeks ago, and was informed this week that I was a finalist! The ultimate winner of the contest will be determined by who gets the most votes for their blog.
Click on the picture above to be taken to the voting, or click HERE.
I need your help to win this scholarship! If you enjoy my blog, please vote for me to win. Voting goes on until November 30th, 2011 and you can vote once per day, per internet connection. If someone in your household has already voted once on your internet connection from home, you may be able to cast your vote from your smartphone.
Read the rest of this entry »
November 6th, 2011
Kendra Lay
Ever wonder how long it took your acupuncturist to go through school? Do you wonder what they studied?
When I was looking into going to school for acupuncture and Chinese medicine, I was astonished to learn the depth of training and scope of practice for acupuncturists in the United States. I’d been going to acupuncturists for years to care for my own health, but I’d never considered how much training and skill was involved in safely inserting needles into the body or prescribing a proper herbal formula.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine training programs in the United States are generally 4-year, full-time master’s degree programs (yes, we even go to school in the summer!). Some people will complete their training on an even faster 3-year accelerated track, but it still takes the same number of credits and hours.
Acupuncturists are well trained, so you should feel confident when going to a licensed acupuncturist who attended an NAACOM accredited school. Acupuncturist training includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pathology, pharmacology, herb-drug interactions, nutrition, orthopedic testing, western medical diagnostic testing, massage and bodywork, and of course numerous classes in acupuncture techniques and herbal medicine. In addition to this, acupuncturists complete a clinical internship treating patients under the supervision of an experienced and licensed acupuncturist. At AOMA in Austin, Texas where I attend school, our internship is about 1,000 hours.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 26th, 2011
Kendra Lay
Millions of women suffer from cramps and PMS symptoms with their monthly cycle. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have emerged as one of the best ways out there to treat these symptoms naturally. Imagine not dreading your monthly visitor! In fact, having a menses is a very cleansing thing for the body and important for our health as women.
In Chinese medicine we talk about several body substances of importance to our health. One of these is blood. Painful periods are often caused by what we would call a “blood deficiency” or a “blood stagnation.” There are other causes in Chinese medicine of menstrual cramps, but these some of the most common. You see, Chinese medicine likes to look at what is going on with each individual person, and once we figure that out we choose acupuncture points and herbs accordingly. A woman with classic blood stagnation symptoms might have dark red menstrual blood with clots, fixed pain that is worse at night and/or lots of PMS symptoms including mood swings. A woman with blood deficiency might have a scanty or light menses, dull pain that comes and goes, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and/or dizziness. It’s also possible to have a combination of the two.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the link between stress and painful menstrual periods. In Chinese medicine we talk about many organs in the body. When you hear your acupuncturist talking about an organ such as the gallbladder or the heart, they probably are not actually talking about the actual organ sitting in your body. They are usually more likely talking about a set of symptoms or a functional disorder rather than a physical one. For example, a functional disorder is when you are having a problem, say frequent urination. You go to the doctor, they check out your bladder and your kidneys and say there is no physical problem…but obviously you are still having a problem. This is a functional disorder. Okay, back to stress. In Chinese medicine, stress is usually related to the liver (not that anything is actually wrong with your liver, remember?). The liver is called the mother of women in Chinese medicine and is a big player in regulating the menstrual cycle. It is also a big part of our emotional life. Thus, stress and emotions can greatly impact painful periods. An acupuncturist will work on treating your periods and treating your stress. Win, win!
Read the rest of this entry »
