Hooked on No 'poo

Back in college (2001) I volunteered at a natural foods store and read a sign in the back of the store stating sodium laureth sulfate in shampoo is bad for us.  Click here to read about SLES  It is a really random memory but that is when my thought of finding a shampoo alternative began.  Sooo..........9 years later I made my first batch of no'poo.
I became inspired to make my own no'poo because a few of my friends have made theirs with good results.
Click here for the full scoop: http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=935

RECIPE for SHAMPOO:
1 part baking soda to 3 parts water
Apply on dry scalp (not hair) for 3-4 minutes and rinse.  If you apply baking soda to hair it may dry it out.

I made it into a paste and put it on the roots of my dry hair.  I then added extra water to the left over amount and poured it on my hair.  I have really long hair so I first washed the roots and then the long part.  Applying the mixture is not fun for me.  I do not like the texture on my scalp.  But when I rinse it off my hair instantly feels so fresh and soft.  I absolutely LOVE the end results!!  My friend boils her mixture so the baking soda dissolves.  I have not found that technique helpful but want to try and try again.......

RECIPE for CONDITIONER:
1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water
1/2 t vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
Apply to hair (not scalp) for 30 seconds then rinse.  If you apply vinegar to scalp it may cause it to get greasy.

The biggest question I get: "Does your hair smell like vinegar afterwards?"  The answer, "No."  I am sensitive to vinegar so I won't be using the conditioner anymore.  But I do like what it does to my hair.  I also applied regular conditioner to my hair because I have so many tangles.

Here is another link with recipes for more no 'poo.
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/beauty/hair/shampoo/rs_herbalshampoo.html

What I'm hoping to try in the future:
*Conditioner options: lemon juice, olive oil, avocado oil
*Turn shower water COLD before getting out to reduce tangles
*Use less baking soda or vinegar and more water per solution mixture.
( ex: 1 part baking soda to 8 parts water)

I love my no 'poo and will never go back to regular shampoo.  It is SOOO much cheaper and safer to make your own.  HAVE FUN! Let me know how it turns out.

2 Recipes for Pumpkin/Squash

I bought a big pumpkin squash type thing at the El Presidio Farmers Market.  A local high school grew it and I bought it for $7.  We have got about 50 cups of goodness from it plus the seeds.  AMAZING!  That is a huge savings of money and it tastes soooo good.  I'll stop talking about all of its goodness since you aren't here for me to share it with.

RECIPE ONE:

We have made umpteen pumpkin pie ice cream smoothies with it.  Here's how that goes:

In Vitamix, put 2 cups frozen pureed pumpkin. Sprinkle in nutmeg, cinnamon, and pecan meal.  Add milk or your dairy alternative.  We use soy or almond milk.  Depending upon how much dairy you add will determine if it is the consistency of ice cream or a smoothie.  Blend on high and drink up!!!

No guilt here because we don't add sugar.  Learning to appreciate the real flavor of food instead of dumping sugar or salt on foods is a great way to be healthy.  And by calling it Ice Cream I trick my brain into thinking I am eating dessert.  Works every time.  We love letting the 3 year old eat "ice cream" for breakfast.

RECIPE TWO:

For dinner I made a pumpkin sausage dish.

* 2-3 cups pureed pumpkin or squash

*onion chopped

* eggplant in cubes

*jalapenos 

*1 cup chicken broth

*1 cup sausage

I sauteed the onions and sausage until onions were soft.  Then I added everything else until it was soft and hot.  You can serve it over rice, quinoa or your favorite grain.  I did not serve it over anything because I follow the Food Combining Principle from the bodyecologydietcom.  Food Combining Principle states:  Thou shalt not combine protein with a carbohydrate/starch because your body will have difficulty digesting it. 

Ok, I worded the principle but you get the idea.  Our body uses different enzymes to digest watermelon and steak.  Also, the amount of time our body takes to digest these foods is different.  If you combine protein and carbs your body will not digest them fully which means you will miss out on all the nutrition.  Read a better description about it here.

http://www.bodyecology.com/archive/principle-food-combining-meat-without-bread.php

Time for me to go make another pumpkin smoothie.........

Black Bean Soup

Tonight I made black bean soup.  It was a hit, although a bit too spicy for me.  My mouth was on fire as I was stuffing crackers in it to calm down the pain.  I love all the colors this dish brings to the meal: red, black, white, green....  So beautiful!!

Here is what I did:
1 lb black beans
1 onion
a bunch of garlic
3 cups cooked quinoa (is that 1.5 cups raw quinoa? not sure)
2 jalapeno peppers
3 cans organic diced tomatoes
1 container vegetable broth


Soak beans for 6-8 hours. (I know, I struggle with planning ahead for this step also.)  Boil on high for 2 hours.  Cook quinoa.  (I had some leftover from the night before.) In pot, put tomatoes, garlic (Mince if you like. I never do. I just toss them in whole), 2 jalapenos (Again, I toss them in whole and cut them up once they are cooked. It's my lazy way of doing things.), an onion (Ok, I cut the onion in tiny pieces first.), veggie broth, and water.  Boil.

I added the cooked quinoa once the onions were soft.  Put the beans in the pot once they are soft.
Enjoy!  I added crackers cuz it was so damn spicy.  I am not a fan of spicy.  But for winter, it was nice to clean out the sinuses.

Variations:
I don't worry about accurate measuring or ingredients when I cook.  Keeps the fun in it.
~Instead of quinoa, use rice, barley, or whatever grain you have on hand.
~Most people prefer less garlic, I like lots of garlic.
~Substitute chicken broth if you don't have veggie broth.  Or just throw in some bouillon cubes.
~Use green peppers if jalapenos are not your thing.


Beans and quinoa are really cheap forms of protein.  I am always trying to incorporate as much protein into my diet.

Hope you have fun with this one!  Let me know how you like it and any variations you try!!

Carrot Almond Porridge

My husband has begun a 30 day cleanse by going RAW.  The RAW movement is huge and he has been reading about it for months.  So he is giving it a try.  One of the best parts of it is the family benefits greatly.  We are eating in new healthy ways I had never thought of before.  Experimentation in our kitchen is in high gear with great results.  Have fun experimenting in your kitchen!

Carrot Almond Porridge
First make Carrot Apple Ginger Juice:
*6 carrots
*2 medium green apples
*1 inch ginger root, unpeeled
*6 cups of water

Put all the ingredients in the VitaMix and blend until smooth.  Strain the pulp out using a strainer or cheese cloth.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons agave nectar to the pulp.

Next, make almond milk:
*2 cups almonds, soaked in water for 10 hours.
*6 dates
*6 cups water
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract

After soaking the almonds, rinse and drain them.  Add all ingredients in the VitaMix and blend until smooth.  Strain the pulp out.

Finally mix the pulp from both recipes together until well blended.  Add some almond milk back into it until the texture satisfies you.  I also added some raisins and whole almonds for crunch.
ENJOY!!  When juicing, reusing the pulp means extra nutrition for you.  A win-win situation.

Vitamix Giveaway

This is my 6th post for this blog and I can't help but notice 2 of them have been about my VitaMix.  This morning I found out that there is a VitaMix Giveaway on Elana's Pantry, a gluten free blog I follow.  I didn't want any of my readers to miss out on this news.  I have only used a VitaMix for the past 2-3 weeks but can't say enough positive things about it.  It makes eating healthy that much easier because in seconds you can make your own almond milk, smoothies, soups, and grind flour for bread.  You can even blend compost scraps for your garden or worm bin.  The list goes on and on.....  Last night I came home and K and X had made me vegan peach-triple berry icecream. Now that I can get used to!
Here is what I've said about the VitaMix in earlier posts: Click here!  And here!

I suggest you head on over to http://www.elanaspantry.com/ and enter to win.  Plus check out all the great recipes she has.  She is quite an inspiration.

GOOD LUCK!!

Summer Garden Ratatouille- Improv

This morning I went out to the garden to see what was growing which would determine what I would cook tonight.  I had eggplants, chiles, green peppers, basil, rosemary, marjoram, and radishes among other things.  I consulted my Simply In Season Cookbook and found this:  Summer Garden Ratatouille (p. 125)  I absolutely LOVE the layout of this book.  Not only is every recipe amazing beyond belief but it is laid out in seasons.  This layout makes sense to me since I know it is healthier and better for my body (and less expensive) if I eat what is in season.  I took what I saw from the recipe and revised it:

The original recipe calls for summer squash and says to serve it over pasta.  Keep the squash and pasta in the recipe if you like those things.  We don't eat much pasta because I don't feel my best after doing so.  We added ground turkey and radishes. I rarely ever follow a recipe exactly because I never have all the ingredients.

Here is what I made:
1 large onion (chopped)
5 garlic cloves (minced)  (I personally hate mincing so I just throw them in whole.  So far, no one has                                    complained.)
1 medium eggplant (chopped)
handful of fresh basil
handful of fresh rosemary
handful of fresh marjoram
2 green, yellow, red peppers (cut in strips)
2 cups tomotoes
5 radishes (chopped)
1 lb. ground turkey

Saute the onions and turkey til onions are soft and turkey is cooked.  Pour everything else in the pan and stir fry.

In tonight's meal, of these 9 ingredients (minus the turkey), six I grew.  Only 1 was from a can.  And it tasted amazingly FRESH.

Here was Kevin's exact remark: "This is a keeper.  Share it with others on your blog.  If you keep cooking like this or if you teach me how to cook like this, eating healthy will be easy."
Umm....so I guess he liked it!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Tonight Kevin mentioned I should make pumpkin pie ice cream for dessert.  A few days ago I baked a long-necked pumpkin-type squash.  I'm not sure of it's technical name.  I bought it at the Tuesday Food Bank Farmers Market.  I put the huge squash on a cookie tray and put it in the oven on 350 for an hour.  (Actually an hour and 20 minutes because I forgot about it.)  It came our perfect.  After cooling, I pureed it in the VitaMix and put it in baggies to freeze.

Here's what I did tonight in the VitaMix:
*2-3 cups pureed frozen pumpkin/squash
*3 cups milk or milk alternative
*1/4 cup Lakanto (sugar substitute)

It literally took 5 seconds until creamy goodness was ready to consume.  Then we put cinnamon and pecan meal in it.  It was AMAZING!!  Kevin is still talking about it.  He said he would never need dessert (you know, the sweet bad-for-you kind)  if we can make food taste this good.  SCORE!  That is my goal.  To feed my family healthy alternatives so they feel full and satisfied without the sweets. 

Commercial Blenders/ Homemade Icecream

All week I have been borrowing my friend's VitaMix Super 5200 blender.  I have been experimenting in the kitchen more than usual this week.  I can see how owning a commercial blender will really benefit my cooking in the kitchen.  I posted a question to a yahoo group I belong to about which commercial blender people recommend.  The VitaMix, Blendtec, Kitchen Aid, and Bosch were mentioned.  Most people preferred the Vitamix, however, one lady mentioned they all work well and do primarily the same thing.  You can't go wrong with any of them.

This week I have made soups, smoothies, ice cream, chopped veggies, pureed squash, ground rice for bread.....you name it, I've done it.  Last night I made strawberry jam.  I was very impressed with how the jam turned out.  It was so quick and easy to blend the strawberries.  The consistency was very even and it took half the time it normally does.  I got the recipe off the box of SureJell.

Being sugar and dairy free means I have given up ice cream.  However, I discovered how to make ice cream this week. It came out soo creamy and full of flavor.  The difference between the VitaMix and my Magic Bullet is that the VitaMix can blend the seeds  releasing their nutrition for my body's consumption.  When making smoothies in my Magic Bullet, the seeds would sink to the bottom and I always dreaded the last swig because the texture bothered me.  In the VitaMix, there is no such thing.  Every bite is so silky and creamy.  Friday night I had friends over for dinner and they were amazed also with the ice cream's texture.

I made peach ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and triple berry (raspberry, blueberry, marionberry) ice cream.  Today I cooked and pureed a long neck pumpkin/squash  so I am going to make pumpkin ice cream tonight!

Here's how you make ice cream in the VitaMix:
Put in 3 cups of  frozen fruit (if it isn't frozen add ice)
Put in a cup of yogurt or milk/milk substitute (I used almond milk)
1T of agave nectar or honey ( I used stevia)
(My experience is that this recipe works in any blender but the final product may have a different texture.)

Turn the blender on high and enjoy!  Only takes seconds and it is ready.  Plus I get a kick out of telling my son to eat his dinner so he can eat ice cream, knowing that it is actually healthy for him.

New to eating differently?

When making any lifestyle change, it is a process. Since developing food issues in 2002 I have slowly been making changes. It feels like I take two steps forward and one step back. The one lesson I've learned over the years that I want others to know is: You are not alone. Just like with anything in life, there is someone out there experiencing similar struggles. For a long time I thought I was alone and I was embarrassed to eat differently. But now I've learned everyone has their struggle in life, mine happens to be with food.

As humans, I think it is so important in our quest for better health to connect with each other. I didn't realize how socially connected we were to food until I began eating differently. It is normal to want to be part of family traditions and social events. I remember feeling so isolated when I realized I could not eat what I used to. During social events, I would eat my forbidden foods to feel included and suffer the consequences later. I finally decided to be upfront about it and discovered many with similar issues.

Here are some of the on-line listserves I've found helpful:

* GlutenFreeRecipesGroup

*FoodAllergyKitchen

Out of my struggle with food I have developed new hobbies and passions. One is gardening/ urban farming. I also have enjoyed beginning to eat more fresh local fruits and veggies and support local farmers by buying at farmers' markets. Another is cooking and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. Fortunately I have a VERY supportive husband who likes to try new dishes. And that is exactly why I started this blog. To share my journey in gardening and eating fresh. Glad you decided to come along with me.

My Story

In July 2002, I went to Mexico City for one month. Three days into the trip I fainted twice, eliminating in my pants, and became ill. My body has never been the same since.

Before my trip to Mexico I could eat anything with no symptoms, for the most part. I had been on birth control for years and antibiotics for sinus infections (which I now realize is one of the reason for my health issues). In Mexico, my new symptoms were diarrhea, nausea, food intolerances, and itchy hives. The doctor in Mexico gave me antibiotics for parasites, and put me on a plain fruit/veggie diet for a month. The culprit was that I tried too many new- spicy foods too fast and temporarily became allergic to all food. He said upon returning to the U.S. my symptoms would vanish.

Well....they didn't.

The next year (2002-2003) I could only work part time upon returning to the USA because of how sick I was.  3 rounds of heavy antibiotics and various diet that did not work made me WORSE.  My mom sent me a small box from Renew Life that was to kill parasites.  I took those sups because I was desperate and thought I was dying.  I honestly thought my life was over.  After that month, I noticed I felt a bit better.  I only ate meat and veggies.  Nothing else.  I missed cereal and milk so much.  But I noticed a difference.  Due to financial limitations, I did not continue that diet or supplements.  I went back to my old ways.  Things got worse.  But I knew there was hope and that I was not dying.  

Over the years I developed new symptoms such as depression, anxiety/panic attacks, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, hives, hypoglycemia, fatigue, digestive problems, itchiness all over my body, and yeast infections.  Divorce in 2004 sent me spiraling into a terrible depression.  My entire world turned upside down.  I was 25.  The stress was unbelievable.  I bought a house to help me feel grounded again.  Fixing up this house became my creative outlet and rock as I slowly rebuilt my life.

 After countless visits with doctors, I was told they could not figure out what was wrong. Over the years, I have been diagnosed with Depression/Anxiety, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Hypoglycemia, Leaky Gut, Gut Dysbiosis, PMDD,and Systemic Yeast Infection. All these diagnoses came slowly year after year from 2002 until present day, 2012. Since the conventional method has failed me, I decided to go the natural way. After years of experimentation with food and vitamin supplements, I've discovered it best to eat without gluten, sugar, dairy, and yeast.

Having issues with food has impacted me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It has sent me to my lowest lows and my highest highs. It has opened doors to new opportunities. It has moved me away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) and brought me to appreciate the diversity of seasonal, local, and organic whole foods. It has renewed my desire to cook fresh, healthy foods for my family. It has given me a spirit of appreciation for how food is grown and for the farmers who grow it. It has opened my eyes into the way the government controls our food supply and how food consumption makes Americans sick. Food is my passion. And I hope to inspire others to find new health, new energy, and creativity in the kitchen.

After giving birth (Oct. 2007 and Nov. 2009) my body changed.  I experienced PPD/Intrusive Thoughts.  My food allergies increased and I could no longer figure out my trigger foods.  Foods that normally didn't bother me began to bother me.  I did the Candida Wellness Program (candida diet) in Provo, Utah for 3 months (2008) and felt so much better. But I did not continue the Probiotics and turned back to my old ways of eating which lead me right back to how I was feeling prior to the diet change.  PPD did not let up so I went back to work thinking that would help (Aug. 2008).  Next baby came and I no longer had PPD. :)  I have stayed on my meds to prevent any relapses.

On February 24, 2012, I woke up at 4:21 a.m. to severe constant pain radiating from my abdomen, right side, and right shoulder.  It was the intensity of giving birth but without the contractions.  I could do nothing but lay in a ball and moan.  I could not move.  I called to Kevin who began researching on the internet about my symptoms. Our kids were sleeping and I couldn't move so I decided not to go to the ER.  I began doing labor breathing to get through the pain.  We thought perhaps it was gall bladder attack.  There is a family history and the symptoms seemed to fit the description.  Kevin gave me baking soda in water and that began to relieve the symptoms immediately.  I then thought it was just bloating so I was no longer worried.  I wasn't even going to see my doctor but Kevin insisted that I do.

At the appointment all signs led to gall stones.  I went that afternoon of an ultrasound and blood work.  Everything cleared.  I was healthy and normal.  The ultrasound technician even joked, "Your gallbladder is beautiful and free of stones!"

This has been the story of my life.  For 10 years now I have been told that I am healthy and normal.  But I am not healthy or normal.  Something is very wrong with my body and it progressively gets worse and the medical field has failed me....... again.

The following day I went for an abdominal massage because I was so achy.  I told my massage therapist about what happened and gave her my health history over the past 10 years.  She recommended I see a NMD in town that she has heard great things about.  I called Dr. June Stevens right away and got an appointment for that week.

At the appointment I had all the documentation I've collected about myself over all the years.  She took notes for 2 hours while I told her everything. Seeing her has changed my life.  She did am IGg food allergy test.  29 food allergies showed up.  I began taking Mycostat for 3 months to kill the yeast, ate very strict, and began logging everything.  I was introduced to GAPS and love it!  There is a huge community of believes that GAPS has saved them.  I am now a believer because I have been reaping the benefits of the GAPS diet also.  GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome.  Created my a mom (Of course!) trying to cure her daughter of autism.  Natasha Campbell- McBride is a neurosurgeon and nutritionist.  She has helped thousands all over the world. My constipation got better, I lost 25 pounds, itchies became less, brain fog, cramps, bloating all became better.  Mood swings continued so I was diagnosed with PMDD (Premenstrual Disphoric Disorder), severe PMS.  I am currently charting my body temperatures to determine hormone levels/organ function.  I also had a blood test done for my thyroid and hormones.  Of course, it came back normal. (Only thing low was Vitamin D) But I've been reading how I could have a sub-clinical issue that would not show up in a blood test.  So the journey continues.....