So, you’ve been thinking about going gluten-free.  You’ve heard about all the benefits of eating a gluten free diet, and hey, even Lance Armstrong’s training team is on board. By eating a gluten free diet most people experience better digestion, less inflammation, a clearer head.  Sometimes chronic health problems go away.  For me, eliminating gluten removed headaches and sinus infections almost completely from my life, where they used to be a way of life.

Eating out is often seen as a big issue, but it doesn’t need to be. You want to be social with friends and family, and eating out is a great way to do that. Here are some national chains with gluten free menus, in no particular order:

(more…)

I’ve been wanting a food dehydrator for over a year now.  Kitchen gadgets are definitely a weakness of mine, but I’m hesitant to buy them because I know how novelty can wear off and they end up collecting dust. My friend recently let me borrow her food dehydrator to take it for a test drive. The results were some delicious, healthy snacks!  I might have to ask for a dehydrator for Christmas!

Grain-Free Flax Crackers

Ingredients:

2/3 cup flax seeds, whole, soaked at least several hours

½ cup walnut-cashew mix, soaked at least several hours

(more…)

I’m training to be a health care provider and a health educator.  However, that surely doesn’t mean I am perfect on the “healthy living” front.  I tend to eat healthfully for the most part, but today I realized I’ve fallen into some bad eating habits.  Today I ate veggies, sea veggies, whole grains and lean meats…but I ate them while talking on the phone to my mother (breakfast), studying (lunch) and driving home (dinner).  Yikes!  The process of digestion in our body is governed by responses and signaling from the parasympathetic nervous system.  For our parasympathetic nervous system to work correctly we need to be relaxed, and if not our sympathetic (also known as fight or flight) response kicks in and digestion is impaired.  Not to mention if we are doing 10 million things while we are eating we probably aren’t actually chewing our food.  With our everyday lives being so hectic, it is hard to find time to relax and enjoy a meal…but it might be one of the most important things we can do for our health…so I am going to vow to improve.

(more…)

A few weeks ago I moved to the fine city of Austin, Texas.  Austin has many features that I am enjoying so far: ample sunshine, great swimming holes, lots of gluten-free dining, nice people, and great music.  Not to mention that I have family here–added bonus!

Bluebonnets of Texas

One thing I’m not necessarily looking forward to about my new town is the fact that Austin is sometimes described as the allergy capital of the US.  It is notorious for its high pollen and mold counts that often last year-round.  I’m not someone who usually suffers from outdoor allergies (my allergies seem to be all food related), but I will get the occasional runny nose, or itchy eyes, now and again.  However, adjusting to new allergens can sometimes be rough, so lately I’ve been thinking about what I can do to prevent allergies and alleviate symptoms if they do occur.

Here are a few things to consider:

(more…)

I got this idea from a few different sources and it has been bopping around in my head for a few months, begging to be experimented with.  If you are wanting a traditional Shepherd’s Pie, this probably won’t quell your craving, but if you love Thai food and lots of veggies, this might just be a welcome variation.  Tell me what you think!

“Under the Hood”

In Chinese medicine, sweet potatoes are great for nourishing deficient patterns–especially qi deficiency and yin deficiency.  A deficient pattern might arise from overwork, illness, or emotional stress and signs of deficiency could be extreme fatigue, listlessness, a pale face, shortness of breath, and dizziness.  According to the classic book on Chinese dietary therapy, Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, in deficiency one should eat many nourishing foods with a sweet taste.  In Chinese medicine a “sweet” taste does not indicate sugar or even necessarily fresh fruit.  Foods with a sweet taste are generally whole grains and vegetables (complex carbohydrates in western nutrition).  Animal foods in small amounts as well as seeds are also useful.  I hope to go into more detail about nourishing a deficient pattern and building qi soon on the blog.  This dish, with its turkey, veggies and sweet potato would be great for recovering from a deficiency.

“Finished Product”

(more…)