Improve your digestive health and enjoy golden beet veggie delight

Golden beet veggie delight

I have been on a journey to find digestive health for a decade plus. You'd think by now I'd have acquired all the information/tools I need to correct my problem with the help of numerous individuals in the healthcare field. Sadly, that is not the case.

 I have suffered with reoccurring poor digestion, and candida and bacteria overgrowth, associated with low stomach acid. I supplement with Betaine HCL-Pepsin (Hydrochloric Acid) to correct low stomach acid. 

Suppressing bacteria is one of the chief roles of stomach acid.

Recently, I discovered a few new things an individual can do to improve digestion. Here are some new tips as well as oldies.

 No. 1:
DON'T take antacids: they contribute to bacterial overgrowth because they suppress stomach acid.

No. 2:
How to test for low stomach acid:
First things in the a.m. before breakfast, drink one cup of water with 1/4 tsp. baking soda mixed in. Time how long it takes until you burp. Repeat for four days in a row to get a pattern.
Burp within two minutes: adequate acid.
Longer than two minutes: low stomach acid.
Burp immediately: high stomach acid.

No. 3:
Increase your stomach acid by drinking lemon water right before a meal or taking 1-2 T. of raw lightly filtered apple cider vinegar in water.

No. 4:
Try to avoid drinking liquids with a meal as it dilutes stomach acid.

No. 5:
Eat lightest to heaviest foods on your plate. This means veggies first, next carbs, lastly protein and fats.

No. 6:
Drink dandelion tea.

No. 7:
Try digestive bitters. Take 30-45 drops three times a day in a little water on empty stomach. Bitters help speed up digestion by increasing secretions of liver, pancreas, stomach and small intestine.

No. 8:
 To reduce bloating, drink lemon and ginger tea. Make your own tea by mixing hot water, lemon juice and raw ginger.

No. 9:
Chew your food well, at least 20 times per bite or until the food resembles a paste.

"Mom's been working on her digestion. We're working on getting enough rest."

Try making the Golden Beet Veggie Delight and enjoy it with the help of these digestive tips.

Here's what you need for one serving:

4 asparagus spears
1 golden beet, peeled and sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
2 large chard leaves
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon-olive oil dressing: mix juice of 1 lemon with 2 T. olive oil, 1 T. water, salt and pepper, and Herbes de Provence

Here's what you do:

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread golden beet, zucchini and asparagus spears on the baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast veggies until golden, about 15-20 minutes. Check often as some get done faster than others.

In the meantime, chop your chard. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the chard until tender.

To assemble, start with a base of chard and pile on veggies. Drizzle with lemon-olive oil dressing.



Recipe contributed to:http://www.rickiheller.com/2014/02/weekend-wellness-february-13-17-2014/

 http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/molten-lava-cakes-garlic-knot-rolls-chocolate-torte-raspberries-pomegranate-cupcakes/

 http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2014/02/19/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-15/#more-9347

Veggie breakfast hash

Nika, the malamute, and Bailey, the cat, conspire to takeover my computer.

I love veggies and fruits but not all veggies/fruits love me. That's why I have added the FODMAPs diet to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.  FODMAPs is basically a diet that limits but does not eliminate foods that contain: lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans and sugar alcohols. These compounds are not tolerated by individuals who lack the enzymes to digest them. See this link for more information: http://gutsybynature.com/2013/10/02/low-fodmap-and-paleo-autoimmune-protocol-what-can-i-eat/

Garden veggie breakfast (or anytime) hash

As I read over the FODMAPs diet information, everything about my problem with veggies and fruits made sense to me. I don't have the necessary enzymes to digest them which creates numerous digestive problems for me and leads to bacterial overgrowth. In some cases, you can eat just a small quantity of the high FODMAPs foods without having any problem.

If you eat too many high FODMAPs foods in one meal, you probably will pay for it if you are sensitive. I can attest to that. I recently made a delicious veggie breakfast hash (or anytime hash) that was loaded with veggies. I was trying to copy a dish I had seen at a local restaurant. Unfortunately, it contained five high FODMAPs vegetables. Boy, did I enjoy it until a few hours later when the digestive distress hit.

If you don't have any problem with cauliflower, beets, onions, avocado or artichokes, you're going to love this dish. But the great thing is you can substitute other veggies, make it vegetarian or add meat. I used cauliflower mash for the base but another possibility is sweet potato mash or even diced roasted sweet potatoes.

Garden veggie mash with ground turkey

Here's what you need:

2-3 cups spinach
2-3 leaves kale, torn into small pieces
1/2 avocado, diced
optional: garlic, to taste (also high FODMAPs)
1/2 onion, sliced
6 artichokes hearts
2 zucchini, diced
1-2 T. olive oil
1/4 cauliflower, steamed and pureed with coconut milk
protein of choice: diced tofu, ground turkey, egg are possibilities

Here's what you do:

Make your cauliflower mash for the base. Steam the cauliflower, cut into florets, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Toss the cauliflower florets into your food processor with salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Process until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet with 1-2 T. olive oil. Saute the onion until soft. Add the diced zucchini, artichoke hearts and continue sauteeing until tender. Finally, toss in the kale-spinach mix. Cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. After plating up your hash, garnish with diced avocado.

"Mom will never suspect a thing. We even turned off the computer."

This hash makes a great breakfast for the AIP diet. But you can eat it anytime. It's also easily modified for the FODMAPs diet. The next time I make it I will use just 1/4 avocado, FODMAPs recommended. I might try spaghetti squash for the base.

Recipe contributed to:  http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2014/01/08/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-9/#more-8478

 http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/12-secretly-healthy-treats-double-chocolate-cookie-brittle-cranberry-coconut-gummies-asian-chicken-paleo-noodles/

 http://www.rickiheller.com/2014/01/wellness-weekend-january-9-13-2014/

 http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2014/01/paleo-party-11014.html

Veggie french fry platter

Bailey, the cat, and Nika, the 100-pound malamute, get their beauty sleep side by side.

 Happy New Year from me and the fur kids! We'll be all cozy snoozing together long before midnight tonight.

Veggie french fries, including delicata squash, golden beet and carrot

 Welcome the New Year with a healthy platter of veggie french fries.

 Here's what you need for 1 serving:

1 small delicata squash, peeled and seeded
1 zucchini
1 golden beet
1/2 yellow onion
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 avocado
1 steamed broccoli crown, broken into florets
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 handfuls mixed greens

 Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside and prep your veggies. Peel and seed 1 small delicata squash. Slice squash into french fries. Repeat with zucchini and carrot. Scrub your beet and slice into rounds. Slice 1/4 onion.

Spread all of these veggies onto your baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss with your hands to distribute. Place baking sheets in the oven. Roast veggies for about 20-30 minutes. Remove veggies as they get crispy.

While veggies are roasting, make your guacamole. Into your food processor, put broccoli you steamed earlier, avocado meat, other 1/4 onion, lime juice and salt and pepper. Process until guac is thick but creamy.

Put greens on a plate. Arrange fries all over the top and ladle on a generous portion of guac.

Enjoy this New Year's meal knowing you're starting the new year with a healthy meal.

Misha gets all cozy to welcome in the New Year!

The fur kids keep telling me they would love to hear how cute you all think they are. I promise it won't go to their heads.

Recipe contributed to:  http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2014/01/01/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-8/#more-8387

 http://www.rickiheller.com/2014/01/wellness-weekend-january-2-6-2014/

http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2014/01/paleo-link-party.html

Yuletide veggies

Yuletide veggies

 Are you a Christmas person? Or are you someone who slowly warms up to the idea of the holidays? I guess I fit into the later category. But for some reason, even my food is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Chard, green beans, cauliflower mash and beets provide the perfect combination for a colorful holiday meal. Add your choice of protein to yuletide veggies  to make a complete meal or serve as a side dish. I guarantee you'll start warming up to the idea of the holiday season when you eat this meal!

 Here's what you need for 1 main dish or 2 side dish servings:

1/2 head of  small cauliflower
12 green beans, trimmed
1 beet, peeled and sliced
1 head of Swiss chard
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
salt and pepper
olive oil 
1/4 cup coconut milk or other milk

 Here's what you do:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your veggies. Cut cauliflower into small pieces. Trim green beans. Peel and slice beet. Wash and chop Swiss chard. Thinly slice the onion.

Roast the cauliflower, green beans, 1/4 onion and beet in your oven for about 15+ minutes. Green beans will be ready first, followed by cauliflower and then beets. 

Make the cauliflower mash by transferring roasted cauliflower and onion slices to food processor. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and coconut milk. Pulse until cauliflower is pureed. Add additional liquid, if needed. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat drizzle of olive oil. Add remaining onion slices and saute until tender. Next, add chopped chard and continue to saute until chard is tender. Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, put a generous portion of chard on your plate. Next, spoon on the cauliflower mash. Arrange green beans and beets, sliced into matchsticks, on top.

Am I cute or what?

Recipe contributed to: http://www.rickiheller.com/2013/11/wellness-weekend-november-28-december-2-2013/

 http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/12/04/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-5/#more-7795

 http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/pumpkin-pie-in-a-cup-vegan-cheese-pumpkin-cake-mental-illness-and-gluten/

Creamy Swiss Chard on Beet "Flatbread"

Wild flowers near Box Lake in the Payette National Forest

Backpacking, Cooking and Dogs---that will be the new name of my blog if I ever decide to change. I feel so fortunate that I've been able to go on many backpacking adventures this summer. I guess you could say I've come a long way, physically, since I re-adopted the anti-candida diet last October.

That doesn't mean I don't have my issues. I follow a rigid diet and sometimes must walk a bit of a tightrope with certain foods. Some foods must be only eaten every 3-5 days. I guess you could say I still am plagued with shifting food sensitivities. I have heard that goes along with some auto immune disorders.

Creamy Swiss Chard on Beet "Flatbread"

 

I've had a great gardening summer this year. My garden is filled with the many foods I can eat, like Swiss chard, kale, and golden and red beets. I used up a lot of those veggies in an entrée I cooked while I was stove-less for 15 days. (I should write a cookbook---Stove-less in Seattle. You know a play on Sleepless in Seattle.)

 



It's a super simple entrée to make. You know it had to be if I made it without a stove. (Hot plates rock when you have no stove. Not.)

Here's what you need:

1 bunch of Swiss Chard or combo of Swiss Chard and Kale
1 onion, sliced
1 T. sunbutter (unsweetened)
2 small beets, peeled and sliced (I used golden and red beets.)
salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil

Here's what you do:

Peel and slice the beets. Steam until tender. (Hint: save the beet water. It makes a great energy drink with a little stevia added.) Set aside.

Wash and trim your greens. Thinly slice the onion. Fire up the hot plate. (Okay, you can skip that one and use your stove.) Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté the onions and greens until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon in the sunbutter and stir until combined with the greens.

To serve, arrange the beets in a flat layer (hence, the flatbread comparison) on a bed of mixed lettuce greens, if desired. Spoon the sunbuttery Swiss Chard on top.

It's quick to make but oh, so delicious!

"Mom, will there be frog legs for dinner?"

Recipe contributed to: http://www.rickiheller.com/2013/08/wellness-weekend-august-29-september-2-2013/

http://siftstirandsavour.com/2013/09/01/5-ingredient-mondays-chocolate-banana-chia-pudding-green-tea-ice-cream/

http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/08/its-linky-party_30.html

Raw red velvet cupcakes with coconut butter frosting

Malamute Nika and her cat pal, Bailey

My guilty food pleasure is coconut butter. (See http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-liebster-award-and-silly-things.html) Actually, I don't really feel guilty about eating it. After all, what's not good and healthy about it as long as you don't overdo it?

Coconut butter boosts immunity because it contains lauric acid which is an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agent. Coconut butter makes a great snack. You can eat it straight from the jar; blend it with seed or nut butter for an easy-to-make candy-like treat: mix it in smoothies; or drizzle it over berries.

Now, which coconut butter should you buy? I have been a devoted consumer of Artisana Raw Coconut Butter for many years but recently I picked up a jar of MaraNatha All Natural Coconut Butter, a new product.

Okay, I admit I can't stop eating both of these coconut butters. They're delicious but there are some differences.

• The Artisana is raw and made from 100 percent organic coconut flesh. MaraNatha's product is a blend of "natural" coconut pulp and coconut oil.
• Artisana is priced at about $12 while MaraNatha is $8.50-9.00.
• Artisana has about 186 calories per 2 T. serving compared to 220 calories for MaraNatha.
• Artisana donates a portion of the profits to protect rainforests while MaraNatha makes claim to no such lofty goal.

For a more pourable coconut butter, I prefer MaraNatha but you could achieve the same effect by adding a bit of coconut oil to the Artisana. Which one you buy comes down to how much you want to spend, whether you prefer organic and raw, or like the idea of part of profits going to preserve rainforests. You can make your own but it also can be spendy by the time you add up the cost of your coconut.

Raw red velvet cupcake, topped with coconut butter frosting

Just writing this blog about coconut butter is making me hungry for some! It's a good thing I have some Raw Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with Coconut Butter Frosting in the fridge. I got the idea for these cupcakes from Heather at http://www.glutenfreecat.com Heather made a red velvet cake but it contained nuts which I cannot eat. With a little adapting, my cupcakes were born.

Here's what you need:
(Recipe makes about 6 cupcakes)
Recipe suitable for ACD-Stage 2 and up

• 1 cored and grated red apple such as Gala or Pink Lady (no need to remove the peel)
• 1 medium raw beet, peeled and grated
• 2 T. coconut oil, softened
• 1 T. sunbutter (homemade or store bought)
• Optional: sweetener such as stevia
• For the frosting, 2-4 T. coconut butter

Here's what you do:

• Grate the apple and beet in a food processor. Add the sunbutter and coconut oil and blend. Add the optional sweetener. (Honestly, it needs none!) Resist the urge to start snacking
• Spoon the mixture into a silicone cupcake pan. Place in the fridge to firm up the cupcakes.

To frost, soften your coconut butter and spoon some on top of each cupcake. Don't forget to lick the spoon!

I'll stand on my head for some coconut butter!

Recipe contributed to: http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/06/06/wellness-weekend-june-6-10-2013/
http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/06/lunchbox-love-6713.html
http://www.siftstirandsavour.com
http://www.glutenfreecat.com/2013/06/raw-foods-thursdays-61313/

Orange julius kale salad

Orange Julius Kale Salad

I confess. I am a confirmed beet addict! I have discovered the beet's amazing benefits for one's health, as well as their delicious taste and versatility for cooking. Here are some reasons you should be eating beets too.

• Beets are rich in fiber, potassium and magnesium.
• Beet tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, iron and calcium.
• Beets help maintain the digestive track lining and keep your digestive muscles strong.
• If you have a problem with constipation, red beets and their green tops may provide relief. Drinking the water left over after steaming beets will aid digestion too. 
• Beets can help you determine whether you have low stomach acid. If your stomach acid is low, the urine will turn red or pink after eating beets.

Beets are delicious many ways, including steamed, roasted or raw. I even get a bit of beet in my digestive enzymes. My stomach's ability to digest vastly improved after switching to Beta Plus from Biotics Research Corporation. Beta Plus contains organic beet concentrate.

Perfect for the beet, kale and avocado lover

I eat beets everyday and credit them with my improved digestion. Here's my latest beet creation. It contains kale and avocado, also superfoods.

Orange Julius Kale Salad
(Makes 4 servings or 2 Hungry Girl-sized servings)
Note: Modify for ACD-Phase 1 by omitting the orange.

Here's what you need:
1 small-medium beet, peeled and grated (Hint: get the kind with the tops still on. They are much fresher.)
4-5 kale stems, leaves removed and finely chopped
2 small oranges
1 carrot, peeled and grated
mixed greens

Here's what you do:

To make the orange-avocado dressing, squeeze the juice from one orange. Blend the fresh orange juice with the meat of one avocado and bit of water and dash of salt. Set aside.

Peel the other orange and separate into sections. Slice these sections in half.

Toss the other veggies together in a large bowl. Add the orange pieces. Pour on the orange-avocado dressing and toss. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Spoon the salad over a bed of mixed greens and season with sea salt, if desired.

 

I love Mom's salad too!

Recipe contributed to:
http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/05/30/wellness-weekend-may-30-june-3-2013/#more-18040
http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/05/lunchbox-love-53113.html
http://siftstirandsavour.com/2013/06/02/5-ingredient-mondays-black-bean-sweet-potato-cakes-blueberry-muffin-energy-bites-banana-orange-pops/
http://www.glutenfreecat.com/2013/06/raw-foods-thursdays-6613/