Sugar-Free Apple Blueberry Crock Pot Crisp

Serves 2

This is easy, sugar-free, not quick because it is in the crock pot but it is pretty much effortless...which is perfect in my book.

This dessert is delicious and needs no added sweetener, though I suppose it would be good topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients
2 apples, cored and cubed
3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup large flakes of shredded coconut
1 heaping tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil
pinch of celtic sea salt

Instructions
Place your apples and your blueberries into bottom of a crock pot. In a separate bowl, combine other ingredients and mix well. Put the mixture on top of the fruit in the crock pot evenly. Set on low and cook for 3 hours.

Happy spring equinox! Today I made a ridiculously simple veggie and chicken soup. Soups and stews are very easy to digest and can be highly nutritious when you use the right ingredients (like lots of veggies, good quality meats and nutritious bone broths). Here is my easy guide to creating your own simple soup or stew, choosing your own ingredients.

Step 1: Soup Base--I like a basic mirepoix for a soup base. This consists of onions, carrots and celery, chopped up. Sautee these veggies in a highly stable oil for cooking, like coconut oil. If you are going to add crushed fresh garlic, this would be a good time.

Step 2: Choose a Protein--add some protein to the mix. Choices could be sausage, shrimp, chicken breast or thigh, pork or beef stew meat. You could also add some beans here if you tolerate them well.

Step 3: Add your broth--you could use homemade broth or a good quality store bought one.

Step 4: Add lots of veggies--There are two types of veggies to add, ones that need longer cooking time and ones that should be put in the pot in the last few minutes. For step 4, try longer cooking veggies like: cauliflower, zucchini, artichoke hearts, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, celery root or winter squashes.

Step 5: Add dried seasonings--sea salt and pepper, garlic (if you didn't use fresh garlic in Step 1), paprika, chili, thyme, tarragon, oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, etc. Don't overdo it by addiing too many different types of seasonings. Choose 2 or 3 and call it good.

Step 6: Let everything cook for awhile--Let things simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or so, until the veggies and the meat are cooked and things are starting to smell good.

Step 7: Add even more veggies--This is the time to add your second batch of veggies. These are the leafy greens and the fresh herbs. Choices include: kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, etc. Add these to the simmering soup and let cook for just a few minutes.

That's it! Adjust your seasonings to taste and enjoy your soup! Make a big pot and freeze some single servings for future meals.

If you want to know what I used in my soup, here are my ingredients:
mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots) sauteed in coconut oil
fresh crushed garlic
chicken thigh
homemade chicken broth that I made weeks ago and froze in small containers
zucchini
cauliflower
tomatoes
thyme (dried)
tarragon (dried)
celtic sea salt and black pepper
fresh parsley

Did your doctor put you on birth control to get ride of acne, cramps or to stop heavy bleeding? Are you concerned about some of the side effects of birth control which can include weight gain, vitamin B6 deficiencies (which can cause all sorts of problems like depression and even carpal tunnel syndrome), headaches, breakthrough bleeding, mood swings and decreased libido?

Chinese medicine (acupuncture and herbs) can help TREMENDOUSLY with menstrual disorders. Acupuncture and especially herbs are helpful for menstural cramps, irregular cycles, PMS and mood swings, anxiety, depression and insomnia associated with your period, breast tenderness, heavy bleeding and amenorrhea (your period stopping).

Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutrition and herbs can also help a great deal with acne.

You can usually expect your periods to improve within 3 cycles with the use of Chinese medicine and nutrition. Acupuncture can balance your hormones naturally so that you don't have to use the birth control pill and experience the risks associated with it.

If you are looking for natural family planning options I recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  These methods of natural birth control are also called the rhythm method or the fertility awareness method. To use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy (or to induce a pregnancy, for that matter) you need to have regular cycles, track your cycle and be aware of your body. As stated before, Chinese medicine and acupuncture can work wonders to regulate your cycles and if your acupuncturist has a focus on women's health they should be able to help you become more aware of your body and its natural rhythms.

Do you ever wonder how long it took your acupuncturist to go through school?  Do you wonder what he or she 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, western pathology, pharmacology, herb-drug interactions, nutrition, orthopedic testing, western medical diagnostic testing such as bloodwork, massage and bodywork, energy exercises like tai chi 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.

It is very important for acupuncturists to be well versed in modern western medicine and anatomy. More and more, acupuncturists are treating complex conditions in the United States, where treatment with a primary care provider might need to be coordinated. In addition, caution with the many pharmaceutical drugs and their potential for interactions with nutrients and herbs are also important to be aware of for the acupuncturist.

Even though entry-level training for acupuncturists is currently a master’s degree, it is likely in the future that this will change to a first-professional doctoral degree. We’ve seen this happen with other fields lately, such as physical therapy. The funny thing is, that the master’s programs in acupuncture are already so robust that few classes will need to be added to bump it up to a doctoral level.

Once an acupuncturist graduates from school and is licensed, the scope of practice in most states includes the following:

•               acupuncture
•               herbal medicine
•               massage and bodywork
•               nutrition
•               energy exercises such as tai chi and qigong

In some states such as California, Arkansas, New Mexico and Florida acupuncturists are considered primary care providers. This means they can order blood work and perform many other duties that your family doctor might.

What do you think? Were you surprised to learn the depth of training that acupuncturists receive? Do you think anything should be added or taken away from acupuncturist training?

We've heard it again and again and again. Sleep is so important for our health. You need to get 7-9 hours a night. We need sleep to repair the body, reduce inflammation, balance our hormones, lose weight and support brain health. These are all true things. Sleep is critical, and if you aren't sleeping well, no amount of acupuncture, herbs or a healthy diet will make you feel happy and healthy (although these things can also HELP you sleep well).

Here's a quick list of things that can help you get your Zzzzz's.

1.) Balance your blood sugar. This means lowering your intake of carbohydrates and including some good protein and fat at each meal. If your blood sugar is not stable, your sugar can drop low in the middle of the night and you will wake up, even though you may or may not experience hunger. Your body experiences a sugar crash as a huge emergency because your brain isn't getting the sugar it needs to function. So again, make sure to eat three good meals in the day and include good fats and proteins. There are some nutrients that can help blood sugar stabilization which include b vitamins, magnesium, chromium and herbs such as gymnema sylvestre. Ask your practitioner for a supplement recommendation if diet alone isn't working for you.

2.) Wind down properly at night. It is a recent phenomenon in human evolution that we have bright lights well into the night. All of those lights decrease the amount of the hormone melatonin that is produced by the pineal gland. Melatonin is what helps us fall and stay asleep. Make sure to dim the lights in your house about 2 hours before bedtime. Also stay off any backlit electronic devices like iphones, reading tablets and computers before bed. It's also a good idea to keep your room really dark. Cover any sources of light in the room such as alarm clocks, and use blackout curtains over the windows to block out streetlights.

3.) Have a Ritual. Having a nighttime ritual that promotes relaxation is a good idea. Some people like to journal about things they are grateful for. Some people like to pray, meditate or read inspiring or spiritual literature. Maybe some gentle yoga is for you. Perhaps a bath with epsom salts and lavendar. Experiment with a nighttime ritual that promotes peace, ease and relaxation.

4.) Press Acupuncture Point An Mian. There is an acupuncture point on the sides of the neck (see image below) that is specifically for peaceful sleep and it has been shown in acupuncture studies to help people sleep. Have someone rub this for you, or use a foam roller or tennis ball to rub it by laying down on your back and putting the roller or ball under your neck. It's like a neck massage! Acupuncturists use this point in combination with others to help promote restful sleep.

5.) Keep Your Cool. Melatonin production is also helped from having a cool body temperature. Try not to let the temperature get above 70 in your room and sleep in light bedclothes (or naked if you like!). Taking a hot bath or shower before bed can help cool your internal temperature, as your body will compensate for the hot water by cooling you down.

6.) Use herbs and nutrients to lower stress and anxiety. If your mind races at night and you worry about things, get some help from a professional herbalist or nutritionist to help lower your cortisol and promote overall relaxation.