For A Moment Photography

Breakfast Has Never Been Easier/Healthier!

 

Last week Presley was at a naturopathic doctor appointment getting her blood drawn for a food allergy test.  She has had issues with itchy scalp which left her head and neck with scratched and scabs.  She was even sent to the school nurse to be checked for head lice, I checked her too because I couldn't figure it out.  Her traditional doctor wanted to put her on a steroid, because she didn't know what it was (no thank you) and I was exacerbated having several home remedies with no success.   

Dr. H asked me if she eats many berries.  I said yes but not during the winter because I can't buy them organic.  He said sure you can in the frozen section.  I don't normally shop in the frozen section, unless it's coconut ice cream it was my understanding that frozen foods lost their nutrients.  Yeah, I was completely wrong- shocking I know- hee hee.  The berries are frozen as soon as they are picked so the breakdown of the fruit and nutrients is stopped therefore making them better than fresh ones (that are picked then transported to the store).  

Dr. H said that making her a smoothie would help her get all of those great antioxidants berries are known for plus this solved our recent problem with her being bored with breakfast choices.  I did a little research, asked a few of my friends what they put in theirs and then I started playing around with the mixtures.  I'll add our favorite mixtures at the bottom.  We're only 4 days in so I'm sure we'll come up with plenty more.  Presley gets a different mixture than Mark and I, she likes hers sweeter than we do.  One thing I've learned is you almost can't go wrong.  That is unless you put fish oil in it!...  

In picture #2 that is a powder of dried greens and lots of other goodies I have once a day.  My girlfriend Kristin (hi!) had told me about it and she puts it in her smoothie.  I had another friend, Heather (hi to you too!) check with her naturopathic group to see if they gave it the stamp of approval (because I just recently found out my previous fish oil has heavy metals in it= bad for me).  She let me know that her group gave it a glowing review and she was now going to buy it too.

Day one I put this in my smoothie, and it didn't taste bad but it did change the taste of the smoothie.  It reminds me of eating grass as a small child (you did that too right?) or wheat grass shots at Jamba Juice.  What I have decided to do is take it like I do vodka, as a shot.  I make a little shot with the green powder with 4 oz of chocolate almond milk, mix and chug it with a fruit smoothie chaser.  This is not something I give Presley, well I tried but she wasn't going for it.  But she takes her fish oil by the spoonful without too much complaining so I'll pick my battles.

The hardest part is cleaning my blender (not hard at all).  Tonight tried my Magic Bullet that I had used for making Presley's baby food and it works like a dream and it's $45 at Costco.  The great thing about the Magic Bullet is it's small and it helped me with making smaller portions.

If you don't think your kids will go for it, add a little flavoured yogurt.  It for sure makes the mixture sweeter.  We're thinking Presley has a dairy allergy so we are staying away from that but she does love chocolate almond milk in her smoothie and the banana makes it sweeter too.  Presley eats a lot of fruit so it's one of the reasons I never did this before.  But what I'm realizing is it's a great choice when fresh organic is hard to find and I can now give her some greens in another meal. 

I have another girlfriend who does a lot of juicing and she's going to share some recipes (Hi Erin!).  I'm so lucky to have such a great network of healthy friends that are willing to share with me.  Thank you ladies.    

 

Presley's smoothie:

1 cup chocolate almond milk

1 cup trader joes organic frozen berry (strawberries, blue berries, raspberries) mix

1/2 banana (doesn't need to be organic)

1 teaspoon almond butter

12 of a banana (these don't need to be organic)

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1/4 teaspoon pro biotic

spinach (I just grab a small amount)

 

My Smoothie:

1 cup almond milk unsweetened 

1 cup trader joe's organic frozen berry (strawberries, blue berries, raspberries) mix

1 teaspoon almond butter

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon flax seed

1/4 teaspoon pro biotic

spinach, kale or brussel sprouts (those are the best greens for you so those are the ones I use)

If it's a little thick just add more almond milk.  I'm still messing with the mixtures so my measurements may be a little off.   

 

 

Related articles

Revised Smoothie Recipe and Where You Can Find the Ingredients

Sweet Potato Hash Recipe

#1.  If this was a recipe book photo the knife would of been clean.  

#2.  Ready for the oven.

I made more sweet potato hash this morning after the gym.  I was so hungry and craving this new paleo treat!  It's pretty easy and I'm sure the recipe can be improved on, but it's so good I don't see why I would make it more complicated then it needs to be.

Here's my recipe, I didn't have a recipe to follow but I did talk to my server at True Foods Kitchen at the Biltmore.  If you haven't gone there yet, you must!  I wrote a blog post about it a few years ago if you'd like to read it check on the link, True Foods Scottsdale...  I have to add, now I know who Dr. Weil is.    

I was a little unsure of myself but sweet potatoes are so good it's hard to go wrong.

What you'll need:

1 bag of organic sweet potatoes 

1  yellow onion

 

Recipe:

I took the sweet potatoes and finely chopped them as seen in photo #1.  Then I placed those in a bowl and drizzled olive oil over them, just even to coat them.  Then I added pepper (try to avoid salt or add at table to taste) and tossed to coat them with the olive oil.  

Next I laid them on a flat pan as shown in image #2.  I put them in a preheated oven (350 degrees) until them were soft it was about 10-15 minutes.  I just pulled one out to taste until I liked the consistency.  

When that is completed you will get a sauce pan and coat with olive oil (not virgin olive oil by the way).  Cook the onion on high heat until soft, you'll smell when that is done (cooked onions are pleasingly aromatic).  Then add the sweet potatoes, saute them until crispy and brown which takes about 7-10 minutes.

This made about 5 cups of sweet potato hash.  For now the hash has been a snack during the day, if I were to cook more for a side with a meal I'm pretty sure I would cook two batches.  My large sauce pan is too small to do it all in one batch.

Using one onion does amount to a lot of onion in the hash.  If you're not a fan I would still use them in the recipe and they are pretty easy to eat around.  The hardest thing about this dish is the chopping.  So, yeah not hard at all!  Do it, you'll love it and hopefully thank me.    

Related articles

Breakfast Has Never Been Easier/Healthier!

Revised Smoothie Recipe and Where You Can Find the Ingredients

My Allergy Test Results

Page one of my allergy test

Right before the new year I had a food allergy test done, I had dragged my feet doing it because I assumed I knew what they would tell me.  From what I know about our daily diet most people have an allergy to dairy and gluten.  For years now I've been a strong believer in the Paleo Diet and what were the chances of me being allergic to fish, red meat, fruits and veggies?  All the other stuff I already know I shouldn't eat or do so in moderation.

However after reading more about leaky gut syndrome I decided to have the test done.  And hey it may workout in my favor!..  Fat chance.  My test results are pretty much what I expected, I have an allergy to cheese, milk, yogurt, red beans, rye, wheat and glutten.  What I was surprised to fine out is that I have an allergy to coffee (good thing I don't drink it), pistachios (I love those- oh so sad), chickpeas (hummus), oysters, artichoke, and whey (yup, the protein drinks I have are whey).  

My numbers are pretty low but my body still has a "reaction" to them.  This reaction is something that I can feel after eating some of those foods.  I generally feel a little lethargic and bloated after eating cheese, and bread.  It's something I use to associate with being "full".  Having done paleo for a while now I now know being full doesn't have to feel that way.  Now I also feel that my body most likely is having an internal reaction to those foods as well..

The intestines are the largest organ in the human body.  Having a better understanding of how my body reactions to food I'm choosing is important to me.  Plus I want to know that what I believe to be "good" for me, really is just that.  

So what do I do now?  I'll remove those foods from my diet for 56 days.  That will give my body (intestines) time to heal.  Then I will try to introduce one of those foods at a time and see how I feel.  Ideally my body can tolerate those foods on a limited basis...  I can't remember if the doctor said once a week or if that was my hope.  For some reason I think she said once a month.  Maybe after the 56 days I won't want those foods!    

I found a count down clock application for my iPhone.  It's great to have and I check it often, wow it seems to be ticking by so slowly...  I just keep imagining how much better I'll feel after I successfully heal my body from the inside out (as of this second: 50 days, 11 hours 20 minutes and 00 seconds until I have succeeded)...

The test was taken at Genesis Healing Center in Tempe.  The number for Dr. Gerard is 480.284.8155.  The test cost $350.  I've heard that the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts offers the test for less but I have yet to confirm that.  

 

 

 

Related articles

Breakfast Has Never Been Easier/Healthier!

Revised Smoothie Recipe and Where You Can Find the Ingredients