Gluten & Arthritis

By:  Maria



We all know that eating fast food (french fries!) and drinking soda (yes, even diet soda) all the time will have an effect on your health and can actually shorten your life span - right?
What about enjoying that nice piece of hearty, crunchy slice of whole grain/whole wheat bread?  It's healthy, right?  I mean, it's WHOLE grain!

That piece of bread contains a hardy protein called Gluten and it is present in pasta, bread, rolls, wraps, pizza, and just about all processed foods.  Gluten can also be in things like stamps and envelopes, children's stickers, toothpaste and mouthwash!

For many people, exposure to gluten causes significant health implications and many do not even realize that their health issues are a direct consequence of gluten exposure.  The problem is that the testing for gluten intolerance is so broad, many people that test negative for an actual gluten allergy, can actually still have gluten intolerance and/or sensitivity that require some specialized testing and most physicians simply are not aware, do not order these tests or do not know which labs to use for the appropriate tests.  Often times, a person walks out of the office thinking gluten is not the culprit to their nagging health problems and continue to eat foods that trigger symptoms.

This one hardy protein is the cause of a multitude of problems and has been the triggers for autoimmune diseases; one of them being Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

When a person has an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system literally does not differentiate between diseased and healthy tissue. In the case of RA, the immune system targets and attacks healthy tissue, believing it is an invader.  If there is any gluten intolerance/sensitivity, the immune system will also attack the grains containing gluten, which end up damaging intestinal lining, which allows gluten particles to enter the bloodstream and into the joints, which then attacks those joints that are now seen as invaders.  It's a vicious cycle.

A growing community of advocates have turned to dietary therapy instead of relying on prescription drugs, since more often that not, they end up causing more problems and simply do not target the real problem.  By eliminating the autoimmune triggers, RA symptoms have been reduced and has also slowed progression of disease.
Therapy protocol calls for elimination of trigger foods for 3-4 weeks, reintroducing one food item at a time, waiting 1-2 days between food introduction to see if RA symptoms react.

Common foods that have been known to trigger RA symptoms include:

Gluten (barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, wheat, triticale.  See this link for a complete list of foods that contain gluten, as well as surprising hidden sources of gluten.)

A few hidden sources (soup mixes, salad dressings, sauces, as well as lipstick, certain vitamins, medications, stamps and envelopes you have to lick, and even Play-Doh.)

Other less commonly known and possible triggers:

Eggs
Oranges
Beef
Milk
Peanuts
Malt
Soy

For this test to work you MUST eliminate 100 percent of the gluten from your diet--no exceptions, no hidden gluten.  Even the slightest crumb of bread can trigger symptoms (p.s. all recipes on this blog are legitimately gluten free!).
After the 3-4 weeks (the longer you go without exposure, the better), eat it again and see what happens. If you feel bad at all, you need to stay off gluten permanently. This will teach you better than any test about the impact gluten has on your body.

If you want more than your body's incredibly adept way of showing you that gluten is a no-no, LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics will test for ALL forms of allergy/intolerance/sensitivity to gluten or wheat.  They will look for:

IgA anti-gliadin antibodies
IgG anti-gliadin antibodies
IgA anti-endomysial antibodies
Tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA and IgG in questionable cases)
Total IgA antibodies
HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genotyping for celiac disease (used occasionally to detect genetic susceptibility).

ANY elevation of antibodies will indicate an issue that is worthy of a trial of gluten elimination.

Your health is certainly worth it.




Resources:
British Journal of  Rheumatology
PubMed Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis
PubMed Health: Celiac Disease

Avocado Salad

By:  Maria



This salad does not get any easier.  Simple, but full of flavor.  Avocado's are in full swing right now - rich in flavor and texture; they are loaded with nutrients and are an excellent source of healthy fats!

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tblsp cilantro, chopped
Optional:  for heat, 1 jalapeno, chopped with seeds

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Add dressing ingredients (recipe below) in a small bowl, mix and pour over salad mixture.


Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
2 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Pineapple Strawberry Salsa

                                                                         

 By:  Maria

The sweet and tropical flavor of Pineapple, combined with the freshness of strawberries, are a clever formula to mark the end of a dark, cold winter. Pineapple's sweetness is enhanced by the flavors of strawberries, red onion and lime juice in this deliciously refreshing salsa that can be topped over grilled fish or chicken or eaten as a side dish.

Ingredients

1 c chopped fresh strawberries (optional:  you can also use watermelon when in season!)
1 c chopped pineapple (optional: grilling pineapple first elicits an incredible flavor!)

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/2 c chopped sweet red pepper
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 c key lime juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight for best flavors.

Top 5 Inflammatory Foods

By:  Maria



Take a close look at the image above. Inflammation is the root cause of all the diseases and disorders shown. If you are constantly eating foods that are pro-inflammatory, your body is in a chronic state of inflammation and you are, without a doubt, headed towards at least ONE (or more) of those health problems. If you are already dealing with one or more of those issues, read on to learn what foods you should be avoiding (like your life depends on it - literally).

1. Refined Sugars
Some of you may be thinking "duh!", but I'm willing to bet many of you are consuming this without even realizing it. READ labels to make sure there's not a hidden source in the food you buy, this includes artificial sweeteners! Here's something most people don't know - eating non-sweet foods like processed and refined grains and high starch potatoes can also cause a high insulin response, which can lead to inflammation. If they are a regular part of your diet, the likelihood that you are dealing with inflammation is considerable.

2. Food Additives
If you read this blog, you already know how I feel about this. Items like MSG, aspartame, trans-fats, nitrates, nitrites (all you bacon lovers that still purchase bacon from the grocery store - ahem), artificial colorings and preservatives. If you eat out frequently, know that they are the worst sources of food additives.

3. Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs)
Excessive consumption of pufa's (industrially processed vegetable oils, grape seed, safflower, sunflower) that are unstable and oxidize easily contribute to inflammation in a major way. They are high in omega-6 (bad: pro-inflammatory)) and pathetically low (or void!) in omega-3 (good: anti-inflammatory). Even extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is highly susceptible to heat, which is why it is best to use EVOO for cold food prep only. Best sources of fat for cooking are coconut oil, ghee or animal fats.

4. Commercially-Raised Meat
All grocery store and restaurant meats (except when specified 100% grass-fed AND grass finished) come from animals raised in deplorable conditions, fed a diet high in omega-6 grains and feed and contain toxins like pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Grass-fed meat and farm raised poultry and eggs - although a bit more expensive - are anti-inflammatory and impact your health in a positive way. You can spend your money now, on quality meats, or spend your money later, on doctor visits and prescriptions due to the diseases and health issues that will surface from consuming pro-inflammatory foods.

5. Allergy Producing Foods
Wheat and grains containing the protein gluten, dairy (due to the protein casein, and lactose), soy, corn, nuts and even eggs. The best approach, if you suspect a food intolerance, is to completely remove the suspect food for 2 weeks. Reintroduce food one at a time to see if there is a reaction (i.e., if you suspect more than one food, eliminate all foods, reintroduce one at a time each week and watch for signs of reaction like gut issues in the form of cramping, bloating or digestive problems and also skin and/or sinus issues).

Strawberry & Coconut Popsicles

By:  Maria





I love this time of the year.  Summer is beckoning, evenings seem more relaxed knowing that darkness will not fall upon us until well after 7pm!
The anticipation of perfect evening breezes while sitting outside.  Hiking, biking and spending precious time with family and friends. 
Good food and refreshing desserts like this one - homemade Popsicles are so easy to make and not loaded with added sugars.  You can customize several different flavors in just one batch.

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries (or any combination of seasonal fruit)
Approximately 1 cup of coconut milk (never, ever light....this type of fat is awesome!)
optional add-ins: dash of cardamom, dash of vanilla, or 1-2 dates

Blend ingredients in blender or food processor.
Pour into Popsicle molds.
Freeze for a few hours.
Enjoy.
Thank me later.

Nutrition 101 - Back to the Basics

By:  Maria



If you're reading this blog, there's a good chance you care about your health, have health concerns that you want to improve, or are simply trying to learn more about nutrition. 

You have come to the right place if you also want to:

Lose some weight
Sleep better
Get sick less often
Improve skin
Reduce inflammatory symptoms
Resolve food dilemmas

I have a simple solution.   Ready?  Drum roll please.......

Eat. Real. Food.

Yup, that's really all it takes.  There's no need to stress over anything else except making sure your food is REAL.  Instead of obsessing too much about calories vs fat vs carbs vs portions, make it a priority to pay attention to the TYPES of food you are consuming.  This could mean the difference between success and failure. 

There are alarming reports that show the health decline of civilizations with the introduction of processed foods (read here and here)!

Think simply.

Real Food grows and dies. It isn’t created.
Real Food rots, wilts, and becomes generally unappetizing, typically rather quickly.
Real Food doesn’t need an ingredient label (and probably isn’t in a package either).
Real Food doesn’t have celebrity endorsements.
Real Food doesn’t make health claims

Let's take a look at some food options to see if they pass the Real Food test:

Broccoli - yep, real food that will rot
Steak - mmmm, most certainly real food from a real animal (and if that cow ate grass, even better!)
Cookies, Muffins, Coffeecake, Donuts - have you ever taken the time to read the long ingredient list??
Eggs - last I checked my chicken coop for eggs, I'm pretty sure those eggs came straight from the chicken, so...yes, real food.
Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans - bingo!
Pop Tarts - kidding....just making sure you're still paying attention.

When you eat real food, your body begins to function as it should and digestion will improve significantly.  Forget about glycemic indexes (no one gets fat eating carrots!) and concentrate on eating simple, real food.  People get fat by eating fake food, food that is created.  Instead, choose food that does not come from a factory, but simply exists.

Eat real food and you will no longer need vitamin supplements.  Your body is much more efficient at utilizing, absorbing and retaining vitamin and minerals from real food as opposed to a laboratory produced pills - which end up being excreted more often that you realize.

Ok, so maybe some of you have lived the convenience-food lifestyle for some time (and perhaps your health is showing the effects of such a lifestyle), but if you follow the suggestions and recipes in this blog and choose food that is whole and unprocessed, I can tell you that in no time, you will begin to shed excess fat and resolve nagging health issues.

It really is that simple.

Gluten Free Corn-less-bread Muffins

By:  Maria





What images come to mind when you think cornbread? Sweet, crumbly, and moist with an amazing buttery flavor? What thoughts come to mind when you think cornbread? Afraid to have too much due to the sugar content, possible caloric content? What if I told you, you can have that sweet, buttery flavor without the sugar and they're gluten free? These delightful morsels made their debut in our household during Thanksgiving and we have been enjoying them ever since!

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut flour**
8 eggs
1/4 cup ghee (melted)**
1/4 cup coconut oil (can use olive oil)
1/2 tsp Hawaiian Sea Salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs, slowly pour in melted butter as you continue to mix.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together well.
Line muffin tins with paper liners (I used mini muffin tins).
Spoon batter into cupcake tin (the batter should be thick enough that you have to spoon it in, rather than pouring)
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown if you’re using full sized muffin/cupcake tin
or about 15 minutes if you’re using the mini cupcake tins.

**You could use almond flour as well or a combination of both.
**If you don't have ghee (you should!), you can substitue with either an organic butter (if you are ok with dairy), coconut butter or simply use coconut oil or olive oil.

Easy Tuna Salad



By:  Maria

This salad was super fast to make and super good to eat! By keeping essential staples in your pantry, making recipes like this one requires little effort and no last-minute trips to the grocery store.

If you make enough, you will have plenty of leftovers (the leftover salad will be even more delicious after the flavors have had a chance to meld!).

Ingredients

2- 12oz cans of tuna

4 hard boiled free-range eggs, roughly chopped

1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped

generous handful sun-dried tomatoes (packed only in olive oil!), chopped

jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

lettuce of choice (I used a combo of red leaf and spinach)

sea salt & pepper

olive oil (about 1/3 cup)

apple cider vinegar (about 3 tblsp) (Braggs brand is best!)

sesame seeds

Dump all ingredients except olive oil, vinegar and sesame seeds into a bowl and mix gently but thoroughly.

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and apple cider vinegar.  Pour over salad mixture and combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Done.

Green olives would have been an excellent addition to this salad - if you have them on hand, try it!