Sun therapy for fibro; plus a hearty dose of mood-boosting stir-fry veggies

A sunny spaghetti squash filled with lots of greens

I love the sun but I haven't seen it much this winter because of where I live---a valley with frequent winter inversions. When the inversions arrive, my fibro pain increases. The past two days, however, the inversion has lifted a bit which has allowed sun breaks. I walked outside with my dogs and just soaked in the sun as much as possible through a down-filled parka, ski hat and winter gloves. I got so warm just from the sun beating down on me that I experienced significant pain relief. In addition, the sun is rising earlier and setting later which also increases my light exposure. Oh, and I think a winter vacation to a sun-filled island would be most beneficial!

Research suggests that sun therapy actually could be beneficial for fibro sufferers.
 

Light therapy and/or sun therapy are being studied as a possible treatment for reducing fibromyalgia pain. Light therapy in the form of sunlamps or natural sunlight has been shown to have a positive effect on some types of neuropathic (nerve) pain.

Exposure to ultraviolet rays triggers production of vitamin D, which plays a role in reducing inflammation and pain. Many fibromyalgia sufferers do not get enough vitamin D. I take a supplement daily. Combine that with sunlight and I get way less pain. The theory is that increasing natural Vitamin D production by exposure to sunlight could improve fibromyalgia symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.

Like so much with fibromyalgia research, there are often conflicting results. Some studies have shown positive results for light therapy and fibromyalgia pain relief, while other studies have been inconclusive.

My idea is go out and test it yourself. Keep your blinds open when it's sunny outside; get outside in the sun as much as possible; turn on lights inside if that seems to help; get a light box.The recommended time for sun exposure for adequate vitamin D is approximately 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, two or three times per week. For additional time spent in the sun, protect your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen and wear appropriate clothing. Always talk to your doctor about any new treatment you are attempting for fibromyalgia, including sun therapy.

Once I get to that island, I will be enjoying the relaxing life, just like my husky,Misha, pictured above.

Spaghetti squash, split, seeded and roasting for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

In the meantime, how about grabbing yourself a spaghetti squash (they kind of look like the sun) and preparing yourself a mood-boosting main dish, filled with lots of colorful veggies?

Pictured above: stir-fry veggies cooking in a skillet

Here's what you need for one serving:

1 small zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 bok choy stalk, cut on the diagonal
1 radish, cut into slices
1 Swiss Chard stalk, cut on the diagonal
handful of spinach or arrugula
1 cup pre-cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1-2 T. olive oil
1 T. coconut oil
salt to taste
1/2 medium spaghetti squash (reserve the other 1/2 for another meal)
additional mixed greens for plating up your meal

Spaghetti squash hashbrowns, cooking in coconut oil

Here's what you do:

Stir fry the veggies with chicken in oil until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Put away 1/2 of the spaghetti squash for another meal. Cut the other half into two pieces. Leave 1/4 intact and scoop out the flesh of the other. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet. Toss in the scooped-out spaghetti squash and fry like hashbrowns.

To plate up your sunny meal, place salad greens on a plate. Next the intact spaghetti squash. Fill with your stir-fry veggies and top with the spaghetti squash hashbrowns as pictured below.

A sunny spaghetti squash filled with lots of greens

Article posted on:
http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/
 http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2016/01/06/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-102-2/

Winter: the dark side of fibro; healing soup

 

While others have been caught up in Star Wars mania, I have been caught up in the “fibro dark side” for the past two weeks. A fibro flare has eclipsed everything in my world. My brain has been off in some other galaxy while the rest of me has been functioning barely above the level of a speck of intergalactic dust.

It’s only been recently that I have labeled my relapses of health as “fibro flares.” It would seem more appropriate for them to be called “solar flares” because they may have something to do with the amount of sunlight our bodies receive during winter vs. summer. The change of season brings lessened light which may throw off our circadian rhythms or internal clocks, all of which may cause those of us with fibro to be more fatigued and achy. 

Okay, so my circadian rhythms are off. Is an intergalactic disaster causing my symptoms?  It might as well be. A fibro flare can be mind-numbing and overwhelming; you feel as if you’ve been hit by a truck in terms of muscle pain and stiffness. The fatigue and accompanying depression are so intense you cannot keep up with anything without an extreme act of will and determination (this, of course, doesn’t work well). Your interest in food wanes as your stomach bloats up like a giant beach ball. (Or is that an alien growing in there?)

Most fibro sufferers don’t know anything about circadian rhythms but they do know that once winter comes around and the weather changes, they feel much worse. Studies seem to back up that weather changes definitely influence fibro symptoms.

 A study in Norway found a relationship between fibromyalgia symptoms and the weather. Fibromyalgia symptoms appeared to get worse during the months of December and January, but began to improve during April and May. This suggests a direct relationship between colder temperatures and lower barometric pressures and a rise in fibromyalgia symptoms.

Another study done in Cordoba, Argentina, revealed similar results as the participants had greater pain as temperatures fell and atmospheric pressure increased.

Unfortunately, researchers do not yet know why weather appears to affect fibromyalgia symptoms so much. Besides changes in circadian rhythms, other possible influences may be changes in sleep patterns or increases in the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines which appear to be related to pain intensity.

I have found a few things that help:

• Get as much sunshine as possible. You may have to bring the sunshine into your house with a light box or special bulbs. Keep the blinds open when the sun is out.

• Do lots of deep breathing during meditation or easy stretching to remove toxins.

• Take soaking  baths in Epsom salts to help remove toxins and encourage healing.

• Try to reset your circadian rhythms by going on a 3-4 day cleanse.

A cleanse resets your body by decreasing inflammation and detoxing your body. It gives your system a break from the difficult task of digesting harder to digest foods and works with your body’s desire to renew and repair.

Tummy tamer chicken soup (single serving)

I decided my body needed a little nudge to get back on track and start healing by following a digestive cleansing diet. I have been giving this idea a try the past week. My diet has consisted of my tummy tamer chicken soup.

I have been on cleanses before but apparently forgot all the symptoms you can experience. Actually, I was already experiencing these symptoms which simply increased in intensity.

Headache

Fatigue, weakness

Light-headedness

Irritability, mild depression

Flu-like symptoms

Constipation, diarrhea, gas

I found taking a daily Epsom salt bath helped relieve these symptoms, and drinking lots of water and tea helped. The deep breathing with either meditation or easy stretching also was beneficial.

Tummy Tamer Soup for One

What you need:

1 cup homemade chicken broth (Make the broth following this recipe:http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/low-carb-turkey-with-vegetable-soup.html)

½ carrot cut in carrot curls or diced

½ small zucchini, diced or cut into noodles

1 handful spinach

1 stalk celery or bok choy, chopped

Pinch of salt and black pepper

Note: add other seasonings (tumeric, ginger) if desired

What you do:

Saute the vegetables in a little olive oil. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

 http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/12/allergy-free-wednesday.html
 http://vegetarianmamma.com/
http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

My furry friends help my fibro; paleo people, pup pulp treats

Nika, left, and Misha, right, my furry pals, plus Bailey, the cat, not shown

My furry pals help my fibro. As an animal lover, I get health benefits every day from my trio of pets, Nika and Misha, the snow dogs, and Bailey, the cat.

Living the fibro life can be difficult but a pet that loves you unconditionally can help make you feel better. In fact, scientific studies have shown that pets can improve your health. Of course, if you don't like pets, it's not going to help.

How do my fur buds help me? My fur kids love to be petted. In just a few minutes, stroking their fur helps lower my blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which contributes to fatigue. What better way to fight the fatigue of fibromyalgia!

Play is something else my pets adore. Turns out playing with them help me too by releasing endorphins, the feel-good hormone, that stays around long afterwards.

Dogs like exercise more than anything (well, except for food). Guess who takes them for walks. They feel better and so do I after taking them on a walk. They are better than any "app" on your phone reminding you to do exercise.

Those of us with fibro sometimes feel all alone in our battle with the disease. It can be easy to get depressed but pooches or cats can help with that too. Animals provide therapy for those suffering from depression with their calm, loving manner. And they make great listeners too!

Misha gets a paleo people, pup treat

I guess you can tell I am a super fan of my pets. They are a big factor in my healing. So, my fibro protocol would look like this "Amp up your SHINE with Pets." SHINE, of course, is a protocol developed by fibro doctor Jacob Teitelbaum in his book, From Fatigued to Fantastic.

The "N" in SHINE stands for nutritional support which those of us with fibro need a lot. One thing that helps me is juicing because I can absorb the nutrients more easily from juice than whole fruits and veggies. But I do end up with a lot of pulp from the juicing process.

My pooches are the beneficiaries of all this pulp. They love it topped with a smidge of kefir. But this week I decided to transform the pulp into something else the pups would like---Paleo people, pup pulp treats.  Yes, these treats are good for people and pups!

Pulp treats ready for snacking

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup ground pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
3/4 cup powdered freeze-dried chicken or almond flour
1 1/2 cup pulp from juicing (avoid using pulp with onions, garlic, grapes as these are not good for dogs)
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut oil

The dough flattened to 1/4 inch.

Here's what you do:

Grind your seeds into a coarse powder. I found the powdered chicken in the bottom of a can of freeze-dried chicken. You can sub almond flour. Blend all the ingredients in your food processor.

Use a pizza cutter to score the dough into pieces. Looks like I cut 24 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the dough on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper with a drizzle of olive oil. Flatten the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness with your hands. It works best if you keep your hands wet during the flattening process. Then, score the dough into pieces with a pizza cutter or knife.

Bake the treats for 15-20 minutes. Then, spread out the pieces and return them to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Continue baking the treats until they are crispy.

Nika gets ready to inhale a treat.

Your pets are in for a real treat once your paleo people, pup pulp goodies are cooled.

Post shared on:
 http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/06/allergy-free-wednesday-171.html 

Comparing autoimmune diets and lemony zucchini fettuccine

Yes, we're very photogenic!

Finding the right diet to help heal the gut and related autoimmune disease can be challenging. I must admit I have tried many diets, including the paleo diet, specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), FODMAPs, Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), anti-candida diet (ACD), vegan diet, raw diet,  the Plan and Fast Tract Digestion. I suffer from IBS symptoms related to candida and bacterial overgrowth and resulting fibromyalgia.

In the past year, I have been on the AIP, FODMAPs and SCD. Recently, I settled on the Fast Tract Digestion Diet. All of these diets were on the right track and work wonders for many people but only the Fast Tract Digestion Diet limits the known contributors to SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Here are the pros and cons of each diet when it comes to IBS and SIBO.

AIP Diet:
Pro: Removes or limits many of the difficult-to-digest carbohydrates tied to SIBO and candida, including grains and legumes, dairy.
Con: Many foods are eliminated that could be tolerated by those with SIBO and instead relies on many carbohydrates that could contribute to SIBO, such as high-starch fruits, vegetables and coconut.

SCD:
Pro: This diet is on the right tract in that it only allows specific sugars and starches.
Con: Honey is used extensively and grains that might be tolerated are eliminated.

FODMAPs:
Pro:  Limits fructose, fructans, lactose, galactans and sugar alcohols, all known contributors to SIBO.

Con: Fails to restrict many starches. Leaves individual without guidance as to tolerable serving sizes for allowed carbohydrates.

Fast Tract Diet:
 Pro: Defines kinds of acceptable carbohydrates and suggested serving sizes. Provides charts listing the fermentation potential (malabsorption) of many commonly eaten carbohydrates. Helps identify and restrict difficult-to-digest carbohydrates.
Cons: Must weigh, measure and calculate fermentation potential (FP) of all carbohydrates.



 

Lemony zucchini fettuccine with chicken and sausage

Why Fast Tract works for me?

I don't mind weighing, measuring and calculating the FP of my meals. Unlike other diets, Fast Tract provides a full list of difficult-to-digest carbohydrates that can promote SIBO. I can create my own meals using the list of carbs with their FP and suggested serving sizes.


 I recently created Lemony Zucchini Fettuccine using the Fast Tract guidelines.

You will need:
Part of 1 green zucchini (1.4 grams)
Part of 1 yellow zucchini (1.4 grams)
Part of 1 carrot, peeled (1.4 grams)
1/4 red pepper(1.4 grams)
2 broccoli florets (1.4 grams)
6 ounces cooked chicken
1/4 cup cooked chicken sausage (free of gluten, starch and sugar/honey)
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 T. low-fat Farmers' Cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
 1 T. olive oil
 

Here's what you do:

Use a swivel blade or julienne vegetable peeler to cut the zucchinis and carrot into long fettuccine-like strands. Julienne slice the red pepper and broccoli with a knife. Weigh all your veggies and save the extra zucchinis and carrot for another meal.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the veggies and stir fry until partly tender. Add the broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and continue cooking with a lid in place for about 3 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the chicken, sausage and farmers' cheese and heat.

Recipe contributed to:

http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/grain-free-tortillas-vegan-blueberry-cheesecake-tart-df-scalloped-potatoes/#more-27075http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/grain-free-tortillas-vegan-blueberry-cheesecake-tart-df-scalloped-potatoes/#more-27075

More Valentine's recipes for the ACD diet

Pomegranate-glazed whole chicken



Tossed salad with shaved parsnips and pomegranate



Dessert is the best part of Valentine's Day dinner but don't forget the entree. I decided on roast chicken with pomegranate glaze. Get dessert ideas at: http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-acd-style.html

Pomegranate molasses, mixed with olive oil in a 1:1 ratio, was used to baste and glaze the chicken. The molasses is made by simmering pomegranate juice until it's thick or purchasing it pre-made. Find it in large supermarkets near the vinegar or molasses or in Middle Eastern markets.

The roast chicken came out very moist and tasty but I didn't want to overdo the glaze because pomegranate molasses has about 7 grams of carbs per teaspoon. That's why I mixed it with olive oil. I could get the taste without as many carbs.

Feel free to use your favorite herb/spice mixture to rub the chicken with but I am limited to salt and pepper as I have delayed food allergies to just about any imaginable spice or herb.

Pomegranate-glazed roast chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken
2. Salt and pepper
3. 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
4. 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse the chicken with water. Rub all over with salt and pepper.
3. Spray a roasting pan with pan spray. Place the chicken, breast side up, in the pan. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water to keep the bird moist.
4. Baste the chicken with some of the pomegranate/olive oil mixture.
5. Roast the chicken for about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over, baste again and cook for another 30 minutes.
6. Turn the chicken over one more time, baste with the remaining glaze and cook until a thermometer inserted into a thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more.
7. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chicken. Serve with additional pomegranate molasses if not concerned about carbs.

Tossed green salad with shaved parsnips

Ingredients:

1. Spring mix greens
2. 1 parsnip, peeled
3. Pomegranate seeds or substitute cranberries
4. Dressing of choice. I made a simple oil, lemon dressing.

Directions:

1. Put greens on salad plates.
2. Shave parsnips with a vegetable peeler. Distribute shavings between plates of greens.
3. Sprinkle on a few pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Low-carb turkey with vegetable soup

I love soup all year round but especially during the colder months. The problem is I can never find any at a restaurant or at the market that is suitable for someone, like myself, who needs to follow a low-carb diet and has multiple food allergies (dairy, gluten, corn, eggs).

That's where the old soup pot comes in handy. I can cook up my own "safe-for-me" soup and enjoy it to my heart's content. Recently, I made use of the leftover turkey carcass from Thanksgiving to make a low-carb turkey-vegetable soup. I confess I had never used the carcass before but decided to give it a go after one of my Thanksgiving dinner guests suggested it. There is a considerable amount of time involved with this recipe if you use a turkey carcass but it also can be made with leftover chicken and purchased chicken broth.

Low-Carb Turkey with Vegetable Soup

Step 1: Make the broth

1. Put the leftover bones and skin from either a turkey or chicken into a large stock pot. Cover with cold water by an inch. Add a quartered onion, chopped celery and tops, chopped carrot, parsley, thyme, a bay leaf and a few peppercorns.
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to bring the stock to a simmer. Add salt and pepper.
3. Cook for about four hours, uncovered so the stock reduces. Remove the bones and skin. Strain the broth if desired.

Step 2: Make the soup

1. Add chopped veggies of your choice. I added the sturdier veggies (celery, onions, rutabagas and carrots) first. Skip adding grains or noodles if you want this to be low carb.
2. Cook and simmer until the veggies are tender (approximately 30-45 minutes).
3. In the final 10-15 minutes of cooking, add green beans. I also could have added greens, such as spinach, chard or kale, at this time.
4. Serve with a salad.

Sesame chicken tenders

My husband has been "forcing" himself to eat pie leftovers since Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin pie and company brought apple pie. What torture for my spouse to eat all that pie since I cannot eat any of it. I think he will soon go through pie withdrawal after the supply ends.

Most traditional Thanksgiving foods are not candida-diet friendly for those of us eating low-glycemic diets. I love turkey but what happens when the supply dwindles. I turn to low-carb sesame chicken tenders. We gobbled them up greedily. Fortunately, I snatched a couple aside to snap a photo.

Low-Carb Sesame Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2. 4 T. sesame seeds
3. 1 -2 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice
4. 1 T. olive oil
5. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and oil baking sheet or pan and preheat in oven to distribute the oil.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish, combine sesame seeds and five spice.
3. Rinse chicken tenders in water.
4. Roll chicken tenders in seed/spice blend to coat.
5. Make additional seed/spice coating if needed.
6. Place coated tenders in preheated, oiled cooking pan.
7. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes. Then turn tenders and bake another 15 minutes until crispy.

Serve with a hot, spicy dipping sauce. Saute 2 T. chopped onion in 1 tsp. oil in a small skillet. Add can of tomato sauce (purchase the kind with no additives); 1 tsp. each Bragg's Amino Acids and hot sauce of your choice. Continue cooking until heated through.

Spaghetti squash stew

I keep looking for ways to use up my store of spaghetti squash from last summer's garden. Spaghetti squash chicken stew tops my list as my favorite spaghetti squash recipe. My son, who is not a squash lover, even enjoys it.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Stew
(serves 6)

Ingredients:

1. 1 T. grapeseed oil or other oil of your choice
2. 6 boned, skinless chicken thighs
3. 1 medium onion, chopped
4. 1 red pepper, cut into one-inch pieces
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 8 ounces chicken broth, gluten-free, sugar-free
7. 6 chopped roma tomatoes or 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes
8. 1 T. paprika
9. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
10. 1 baked spaghetti squash
11. 8-12 ounces of frozen or fresh green beans
12. 1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter

Directions:

1. Bake the spaghetti squash until fork tender; allow to cool and scoop out the squash and cut into bite-sized pieces; set aside
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until browned; remove to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, onions, pepper and saute until softened.
4. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, paprika and salt. Bring to a boil and add the chicken and green beans. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the chicken and veggies are tender.
5. Add the sunbutter and stir until well-blended.
6. Add the squash and cook until mixture is hot and thickened.
7. Serve in bowls or as an option, ladle over additional spaghetti squash as pictured above.
   

Candida recurrence

Candida has gotten the best of me again. It's been one year since my first all-out assault on candida. Here I am doing the same protocol as before: taking the anti-fungals, experiencing the die-off, existing on lean protein and vegetables.

Where did I go wrong? Was it the foot infection that lead to having to take antibiotics and a weakened immune system? Was it my trip to Hawaii where I decided papayas were my food of choice? Did I fail to reduce candida to normal levels the first time?

There is so much discrepancy in the diet advice out there for treating candida. It's easy to stray
and add things that exacerbate the problem. For instance, one diet says brown rice and berries are okay in small quantities during the initial phase. Another says no way. Stick with protein and veggies. Some say tofu and miso are okay. Other's say no because they are fermented foods.

More than likely I have leaky gut syndrome which is common among those who have had candida for lengthy periods of time. My practitioner and I never addressed this problem as part of my previous treatment.

Candida cause leaky gut or intestinal permeability by attaching to the walls of small intestine where they bore holes in the intestinal wall. This means that the damage to the walls is allowing candida, bacteria, food, pollen, environmental pollutants, and other material to enter the bloodstream. Once the candida have an open door to the rest of your body, they can wreck havoc. L-glutamine is supposed to assist in healing the "leaky" intestinal lining.

One thing I can say about the second time around is I'm not really craving carbs. That could possibly be because I don't really have much appetite but I do enjoy Chili Chicken.


Chili Chicken ( serves 4)

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breasts, rinsed and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. 1/4 tsp. sea salt
3. 1 T. sesame oil
4. Optional items if not on strict candida diet: 1 T. arrowroot powder + 1/2 cup water, Bragg's amino acids
5. 2 T. canola oil
6. 1/4-1 tsp. crushed red pepper (adjust to your taste)
7. 1 T. gingerroot, minced
8. 2 cloves garlic, minced
9. Chopped veggies: 4 medium zucchini in half moons, 1/2 head Napa cabbage, 2 red bell peppers (optional: 1/4 cup onion)

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, season chicken with salt, sesame oil and optional arrowroot.
2. In a large skillet on high heat, heat canola oil.
3. Add the crushed red pepper and heat for a minute.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and optional onion, and saute until translucent.
5. Toss in the chicken and cook until golden brown.
6. Add the water and Bragg's amino acids at this point if you are following the option for those not on a strict candida diet.
7. Place the chicken in a bowl and aside.
8. Heat some additional oil in the skillet and stir-fry your veggies.
9. Plate this up with veggies on the bottom and chili chicken on top. Or do your own thing and mix them both together before serving.

Spring-Vegetable Soup

Spring is definitely here. I can tell because of the roller-coaster ride weather. Some days it's freezing; some days it's blowing and freezing; and some days it's warm and beautiful. Unfortunately, the warm and beautiful days are few and far between.

On those cold and windy days, I feel like it's still winter and reach for a bowl of soup. Spring-Vegetable Soup is delicious and fits my low-gylcemic eating plan. Hopefully, some day I'll be able to get my garden planted and start growing some of my own spring veggies for this soup. In the meantime, I'm not being a locavore with this soup.

I like this soup because it has lots of optional add-ins. You can add diced chicken for more protein, and 1 cup cooked quinoa and/or diced baked sweet potato for more carbs. I usually add some quinoa if I'm eating the soup for breakfast.

Spring-Vegetable Soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1/2 sweet or yellow onion, sliced

1 T. olive oil

2 zucchini squash, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths

3/4 cup frozen peas

Optional: diced chicken, 1 diced baked sweet potato and/or 1 cup cooked quinoa

1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook onion in olive oil. Add zucchini and saute until slightly soft. Add bell pepper and cook, 3 minutes more.

Add chickpeas and 3 cups broth to same pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus, peas, ginger and other options. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add a little more broth. Spoon into your bowl and enjoy.

Mediterranean Curry Soup

Yoga is something I practice every day. I also "suggest," not nag, on a regular basis that my husband to do more stretching. My suggestions usually fall on deaf ears except on rare occasions as captured in the photo above. My husband has found a stretching partner, Kona, who likes to reward effort with lots of slups.

I enjoy getting "slups" from Kona too but I especially like getting her to warm me up as an extra big lap dog on a cold winter day. Another winter warm-up for me is a hot bowl of soup.

A recipe for a spicy, curry veggie soup caught my eye recently in a magazine while I was waiting for an appointment. If I could remember the recipe, I knew what I wanted to fix for dinner as soon as I got home. The soup ended up being delicious although it was more my creation since I added chicken and couldn't recall all the ingredients.

Mediterranean Curry Soup

(serves 4)

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

2 T. olive oil

1/2 medium chopped onion

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh grated gingerroot

1 zucchini, diced

1/4 head cauliflower, chopped into small bite-size pieces

1 carrot, diced

1/2 cup garbanzo beans

Optional: chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds and coriander seeds, toasted

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cardamon

1 tsp. Indian curry

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. coriander

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable broth (Imagine makes a good one without added sugar.)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute the garlic, ginger and onions until soft. Add the zucchini, carrot and cauliflower and continue sauteeing until tender. Toss in the spices, salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Add the chicken, garbanzo beans and the broth, and heat to a simmer. Garnish the soup with toasted seeds and chopped cilantro and serve.

Note: I really like the spiciness of this soup but feel free to adjust the amount of each spice.

Mediterranean Chicken with Olives

Antibiotics can really do a number on your digestive system as many of those who have taken them know. I am on my third round of antibiotics to clear up a sinus infection. You'd think with my stomach issues that I'd be experiencing severe digestive distress at this point. But I have been shocked and amazed that my stomach hasn't had a reaction. I attribute it to avoiding my trigger foods with a vengeance and taking probiotics with every meal. I don't want to push my luck so I am hopeful that a few more days of antibiotics and my sinus infection will be history.

I was craving something Mediterranean for dinner this evening after I picked fresh arrugula in my garden. I don't know why arrugula made me think Greek food but it did. I came up with a recipe, called Mediterranean Chicken with Olives, that contains lots of my favorites: artichokes, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives. You can sprinkle some feta cheese on top as well if you can tolerate cheese. I used the arrugula in a wilted arrugula/spinach/red onion salad.

Mediterranean Chicken with Olives
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup red wine

1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

2 T. oregano

6 sprigs fresh thyme with leaves removed

4 chopped garlic cloves

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sea salt

2 T. chopped Kalamata olives

2 T. agave nectar

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 can quartered artichokes

6-8 grape tomatoes, halved

feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat 1 -2 T. olive oil. Saute garlic. Add chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. Then add oregano, thyme, red wine, red wine vinegar, additional olive oil, olives, agave nectar, lemon juice. Reduce the liquids down about half by cooking on medium high heat. Add in the artichokes and grape tomatoes. Heat well. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve chicken topped with artichokes, grape tomato sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese if tolerated.

Make it a complete Mediterranean meal by serving the chicken on top of a bed of cooked quinoa (my substitute for coucous) with garlicky green beans and wilted arrugula/spinach/red onion salad as side dishes. Make the green beans by steaming fresh or frozen green beans. Chop up two garlic cloves and add to a skillet with a little olive oil. Saute the garlic and then toss in the beans and a can of sliced water chestnuts, drained. Mix the ingredients. Drizzle on bit more olive oil and squeeze on a little lemon juice.

Marinated asparagus relish for fish or poultry

Getting the right type of fats in the correct amounts can be tricky if you have IBS or other stomach issues. Too much fat can produce stomach/intestinal issues as I've learned the hard way. More than once I've been sick for days because I ate too many foods with fat in one day. For instance, amaranth whole grains sprinkled with 1 T. of pumpkin seeds for breakfast might be digested with no problems if I'm careful with my fat intake the rest of the day. But if I overindulge in lots of other fats the rest of the day I could be in trouble.

But that doesn't mean you should eliminate fat from your diet as your body needs healthy fats. Not all fats are created equally. Stick with monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and Omega-3 fatty acids. Olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil and sunflower oil are my MUFAs that I rely on. Some Omega-3's that work well are fish oil, flaxseed oil and sesame oil. I try to eat 1T. of healthy fat per meal, as well as with most snacks.

Watching my fat intake has become second nature as a defense mechanism againt getting an IBS-like attack. I have avoided marinated veggies because they usually are heavily marinated in oils. Imagine my surprise when I sampled some marinated asparagus at a local farmer's market that had no oils in the marinade. And it was delicious. I got the recipe and went home and tried it. I enjoyed eating the marinated asparagus as they were but you also can make an asparagus relish that goes great with fish or poultry. I used the relish with quinoa/turkey burgers. Yum!

Marinated Asparagus Relish

Ingredients for the Marinated Asparagus:

1 bunch asparagus (ends cut off and blanched)
4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
2 T. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
1 cup white wine
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Mix the ingredients together and place in a covered container overnight.

Relish:

1 cup finely chopped marinated asparagus
1 medium red bell pepper minced (optional), 1/4 cup minced red onion and 4-5 cloves garlic mashed. Saute all three.
1 T. chopped parsley
1 tsp. rosemary finely chopped
1 T. wholegrain mustard
1 T. honey, agave nectar or apple juice concentrate

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Top fish or poultry with a generous helping of the relish. Serve some whole marinated asparagus on the side.

Olive salsa recipe

Spring has definitely sprung in my neck of the woods. And coincidentally, I feel like I've been sprung from months of unstoppable stomach problems. It's hard to believe but I've had less stomach problems since I took those antibiotics for a bacterial infection that may have been aggravating my symptoms. I'll take whatever I can get but in the back of my mind, I know that IBS-like symptoms can sometimes be cyclical, meaning they'll disappear for a awhile before making a reappearance.

I recently cooked up some lemon-thyme chicken with olive salsa and it was a hit with my family. Here's the recipe:

Olive salsa on lemon-thyme chicken

(serves 4)

Ingredients for the chicken:

2-3 chicken breasts, halved

1 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 T. lemon juice

Ingredients for the olive salsa:

1 cup pitted green olives, drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic

1 T. capers, rinsed and drained

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 T. lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Combine the ingredients for the salsa in a food processor and pulse until medium/fine chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until serving time.

Season the chicken breasts with thyme, salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Place the seasoned chicken breasts on the grill or in a well-oiled and heated grill pan and brown on both sides. Drizzle with lemon juice and finish cooking in a heated oven.

Serve a piece of grilled chicken with a generous helping of olive salsa, alongside a salad and grilled veggies. I guarantee you'll get rave reviews about the salsa.

Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Cranberry Salsa, Roasted Veggies and Lemon Spinach

I met a great doc today who seems to be able to bridge the gap between western medicine and natural medicine. She put me on antibiotics for my bacterial infection even though in western medicine the pathogen that I have would be considered to be normal. But she was willing to agree that it might be causing me a problem and was worth a shot to see what would happen with the antibiotics. I guess I'll know if there is any improvement in 10 days. But I feel better just knowing that I now have a doctor who will at least listen.

I cooked up a great healthy dinner tonight that was loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, just to make sure my body has the best chance possible to heal. The vegetables and fruit, high in fiber, should be tolerated because they are cooked or roasted. If you are concerned about the crystallized ginger, leave it out of the salsa. You could substitute salmon for the chicken in this meal and make it even healthier. Also, consider serving it with brown rice, instead of roasted potatoes.

Lemon-Thyme Chicken with Cranberry Salsa (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup fresh or frozen bing cherries, pits removed

2 T. apple juice concentrate

2 T. minced crystallized ginger

1 chicken breast, halved

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 T. lemon juice

2-4 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

cauliflower, broccoli, red or purple potatoes, red onion (enough for 2 people)

1 10-ounce bag of spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and chop veggies, potatoes for roasting in oven. Toss with 2-3 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a sprayed roasting pan and slide in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Prepare chicken for grilling in the oven. Place 1 T. lemon juice, salt, pepper, thyme and smidge of olive oil in a bowl. Coat the chicken with the mixture. Place the chicken pieces in a grill pan with a bit more olive oil. Brown for a few minutes and then slide in the oven to finish cooking.

Prepare the cranberry/cherry salsa. Simmer cranberries, cherries, apple juice concentrate, ginger in a saucepan over medium heat until the cranberries and cherries are soft. Remove from heat. Saute the spinach in a large, heavy pan or skillet with 1 T. olive oil. Cook over medium high heat until the spinach is wilted. Add salt, pepper and 1 T. lemon juice. Toss to coat.

Serve chicken on a bed of lemon spinach with a dab of cranberry salsa on top and a serving of roasted veggies and potatoes on the side. And thank yourself for cooking something that's this healthy and delicious.

Lemony asparagus noodles with roasted veggies

I just received the results of a comprehensive parasitology test that I had and found out I have a bacterial infection. It could be a major player in many of the digestive problems I've had. I'm not sure if I should be happy or not that I have citrobacter braakii. But if it means getting rid of it will improve the quality of my life, I guess I'm happy. I have to reserve a bit of skepticism because I have been down this path many times where something seems to be the remedy for my problems. I'll post updates on my progress after I start my antibiotics.



In the meantime, I'm thinking it's time to make something with some of that great fresh asparagus that available this time of year. I just had a flashback remembering when my kids and I used to hunt along the ditch banks and country roads near our home for wild asparagus. It was incredible while it lasted. These days, most of it is gone because of housing developments and road improvements. I'll always cherish the memory of the three of us swinging out bags of asparagus as we headed to the kitchen to trim and wash it for dinner.



Lemony Asparagus Noodles with Roasted Veggies and Lemon-Pepper Chicken or Fish


Ingredients for 4 servings:



1 pound fresh, trimmed asparagus

1/2 large caulifower, trimmed and cut into pieces

1 large broccoli head, trimmed and cut into pieces

lemon juice

4 T. olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup sorghum flour or other gluten-free flour such as brown rice or amaranth

1 pkg. quinoa pasta noodles

Optional: fresh basil or mint

Optional: rice or soy parmessan cheese



Directions:



Wash and trim all veggies. Cut cauliflower and broccoli into small pieces. Cut off tips of asparagus leaving with 4-5 inches of stem. Cut rest of stems into one-inch pieces. Place cauliflower, broccoli and long asparagus tips into large bowl. Toss with 2 T. of olive oil and salt and pepper. Pour out onto a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet, sprayed with pan spray. Set the oven on 400 degrees and roast the veggies until tender (about 30 minutes but keep an eye on them).



Boil chopped asparagus stems in a medium pot of boiling water with salt. Cook for about 9 minutes or until tender. Save the asparagus water and transfer asparagus stem pieces to a food processor. Puree the asparagus stems with lemon juice, 2 T. olive oil , 3/4 cup asparagus cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste, until smooth. Remove to a pan to keep warm on the stove.

Try adding some fresh herbs, such as basil or mint, to the asparagus sauce.



Cook the pasta according to directions. Cook the lemon-pepper chicken or fish filets. I used sole filets and chicken to please the variety of preferences in my household. Season the meat with salt and pepper and roll in seasoned flour in a pie plate. Brown both sides of the meat in an oven-safe skillet with a little olive oil. Leave the meat in the pan and place in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, place some noodles on plates, top with some roasted veggies, then some sauce and garnish with additional veggies. Sprinkle on the optional soy parmessan cheese. Place a piece of lemon-pepper fish or chicken on each plate. Enjoy this delicious taste of spring.

Blueberry-glazed chicken for Day 1

I think I've hit a milestone on the rotation diet. I no longer have to look at my rotation foods guide when I'm deciding what to eat on a particular day. This way of eating is definitely coming naturally to me now. It also has been beneficial to me. It's helped me uncover some foods that were the cause of some of my symptoms. It's forced me to eat some foods and try some recipes that are actually quite tasty and healthy.

I've also discovered that you don't have to be completely rigid about this plan. After all, we live in a real world and sometimes your family or friends want to go out to eat. Sometimes you screw up and forget to buy a particular ingredient(s). Sometimes you're just craving something that's not on the rotation plan for that day.

It's really all right to bend the rules a bit. Don't get stressed out about this. Use the Oreo philosophy: just curl up in a red pillow and chill. With Oreo's philosophy in mind, I've decided to alter my rotation of proteins to make it easier for me to remember and manage. Now, I rotate chicken, fish, turkey, fish in that order. Keep it as simple as possible. Same thing with nuts, seeds and oils. I can't eat nuts or peanuts (allergic) so I do sunflower and pumpkin seeds/oil one day, then olive oil, safflower oil, and finally sesame/tahini and avocado in that order.It's not perfect and not quite what the plan lays out but at least I'm getting those healthy mono unsaturated fatty acids.

Keep that in mind if you're considering using a rotation plan. The idea is to vary what you're eating, not to make yourself a prisoner to what you're eating. Your ultimate goal is to keep your body from deciding to launch its defenses against a food that it perceives as the enemy.

Here's a great recipe I discovered for Day 1. It uses blueberries and chicken as the main ingredients. I served potatoes (purple, yellow, white or red) and steamed zucchini on the side. My family loved it even though they're not on a rotation diet.

Blueberry-glazed chicken

1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup red cooking wine
3 T. maple syrup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3 T. pomegranite juice
optional for seasoning the chicken: garlic powder, paprika, parsley (1 tsp. each)
1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper


Preheat over to 400 degrees. Bring the first five ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for up to 30 minutes. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Combine desired seasonings from list above and sprinkle on the chicken. Place on a roasting pan.

Wash and quarter potatoes. Toss with cooking oil and salt and pepper. Spread on a baking pan. Roast both chicken and potatoes at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Pull the chicken out and baste with blueberry glaze. Return to oven and roast an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve chicken with additional blueberry glaze plus roasted potatoes and steamed zucchini on the side.