Easy Weekly Lunch Prep

After my weekend trip to Trader Joe’s and Costco, I performed my weekly lunch prep. I filled my glass containers with organic arugula, sprouts, cilantro, celery, and parsley. I’ll chop up a large helping of nitrate-free turkey breast and add apple cider vinegar and a generous dollop of extra virgin olive oil the night before. The ACV enzymes break the greens down so they are easier to digest. Celery helps my gallbladder produce bile to break down the fats so I get a fat soluble vitamins A D E and K. I’ll grab a teeny tiny avocado and put that in my salad as well.

My friend sprouted some broccoli, so I added that to my salad for tomorrow. Fresh sprouts are super foods that are loaded with enzymes that help us digest down carbohydrates and fats. They also contain several vitamins and minerals.

I cut up an array of organic vegetables for the children to put into their bento boxes and snack on in the evening. My kiddos will grab a hummus cup, a piece of fruit, some nuts or healthy chips and some cheese or an organic peanut butter and jelly or turkey sandwich the night before to put in their lunch boxes. Their teachers in their friends are so jealous of their lunches and snacks!

It’s so nice to be able to run out the door in the mornings knowing we got all our vitamins and minerals for the day.

Bomb Proof Coffee

Many of you may have heard of the famous patented “Bulletproof Coffee” comprised of special beans, MCT Oil, and Grass Fed Butter.  It’s designed as a breakfast replacement to provide loads of energy with quality fats and caffeine.  The long-burning fats prevent the caffeine/blood sugar crash that people often experience after drinking black coffee or sweetened espresso.  Drinking the quality fats instead of eating a breakfast full of complex carbohydrates and protein give your digestion a break (also known as intermittent fasting).  This allows your body to perform lower priority functions such as healing, fertility, building new tissue, and immune restoration that do not occur until higher priority digestion has completed.

The high levels Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) found in Grass Fed Butter is a powerful antioxidant and aids in weight loss and prevent cancer while the Butyric Acid aids in colon health.  Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) found in Unrefined Coconut Oil absorb easily into the bloodstream for long-burning easily accessed energy, rather than being stored as fat in adipose tissue.

Coffee is one of most heavily sprayed crops, so buying Organic matters!  Instead of adding sugar, artificial Sweeteners and flavors that are pro-inflammatory toxins that get stored as fat, why not consume quality fats that taste sweet and satiate you by triggering your leptin hormone.  Give it a try!

Though I am primarily Paleo, I personally enjoy a twist on this recipe I call Bomb Proof Coffee that uses unrefined Coconut Oil instead of refined MCT, adds filling Gelatin for protein and bone / skin / digestive repair, and Organic Cold Brew Coffee, which is lower in Acid and higher in caffeine than hot brewed coffee.

All you need is a blender, unrefined Coconut Oil, Grass Fed unsalted butter, Organic Coffee Beans, and plain Gelatin.  Costco, Trader Joes, and the local Food Co-op have what you need.  Just soak your fresh ground beans in a coffee press overnight in cold filtered water (You can make enough for 2 days and refrigerate half for the next day) In the morning, press your coffee and heat it until it is nearly boiling.  Combine 1 TBSP each: grass fed butter, unrefined Coconut Oil, and gelatin in the blender and pulse until it is frothy.

Voila!  Enjoy.

Easy, Healthy, Tasty, Low Acid Coffee

Coffee has its pros and cons.  It can provide energy for your workout, antioxidants, promote weight loss, invokes peristalsis for regularity, and can be an enjoyable social event or meditative morning ritual.  However; Coffee is a stimulant, can become addictive, and when overindulged, can have detrimental health effects.  Hypertension, Osteoporosis, Disrupted Sleep, Stained Teeth, Acid Reflux, and Dehydration are common side effects of overconsumption.  Moderation is key!

Coffee is one of the most highly sprayed crops, and decaffeinated coffee is usually manufactured by using a chemical process.  So consider purchasing Organic.  Additionally, try to support Fair Trade Coffees, as the Coffee Industry is known to employ slave laborers and poor working conditions.  Sampling local and small Coffee businesses can be educational and fun.  Many offer free tastings.  The different flavors will enlighten your senses!

As for the acidity of coffee that leaches calcium from your bones and teeth, creating a bodily environment hospitable to unwanted bacteria and pathogens….there is a way to reduce the acid….It’s called Cold Brewing….There are several devices you can buy online.  But it’s inexpensive and easy to do at home without any special contraptions.

Essentially, you can soak your ground Coffee in a glass pitcher of water the night before.  In the morning, simply strain your coffee into another glass pitcher and refrigerate or heat as desired.  Your coffee will have amazing flavor with up to 75% less acid.  Please take note, the caffeine content will be stronger!

Additionally, you can compost those spent grounds or use them in the garden for acid loving plants.  Did you know that swishing with water after drinking coffee reduces teeth stains substantially?  And drinking a large glass of water will help rehydrate you afterwards.

Enjoy your cup of Joe!

 

Make Your Own Backyard Bitters

In my previous post about Bitters , I mentioned all the benefits of these wonderful medicines. If you have your own herbs and “weeds”, you can brew up your own magical elixirs.

Yesterday, I scavenged the forest and the winter Herb Garden to Wildcraft some homemade Bitters. Following Rosemary Gladstone’s recipe, I gathered the following bitter food ingredients: Unfiltered Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, dried Licorice root, Golden and Italian Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Thyme, Sage, fragrant Rosemary, Lemon Balm, cleaned Dandelion roots, fresh Peppermint, scraped and washed Oregon Grape roots, Orange peel, Lemon peel, and Grapefruit Peel. I finely minced the ingredients and submerged them under 2 inches of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to start the anaerobic tincture process.

The sealed, clear glass jar will sit on the window sill for 4-6 weeks, while I shake it daily to help the enzymes extract the properties from the plants. Afterwards, I will strain the liquid into dark glass bottles, to prevent oxidation for up to 1 year. These Bitters can be taken daily, with each meal for optimum digestion, nutrition, and overall health.

The Winter Garden

I give thanks to the garden that feeds us year round. After Autumn harvest, I sow onions, garlic, leeks, root vegetables, and cruciferous greens.

Quick growing spinach, arugala, and radish greens will grow covered under well ventilated mini hoop houses.

This year, dark landscaping material heats the soil, keeping rows tidy, and reduces weed growth.

The chard, kale, and beets continue to produce breakfast greens throughout winter.

The leeks are huge now, making excellent soups.

Carrots, turnips, brassicas, and radishes get tastier a temperatures drop.

The herb garden is protected by the fence lending Oregano, Lovage, Rosemary, Sorrel, and Thyme in the Cold Season.

While many vegetables and herbs are dormant, it is possible to grow an array of produce year round in the Pacific Northwest with a little creativity, effort, and passion.

Eat Local.

Recipe for Healing Within

Sometimes skies are grey, life seems dull,  and we feel lost.  We cannot always control external factors, so we must look within.  We can focus on nourishing our bodies, to support our minds, heal our hearts, and lift our souls.

Realize the majority of your body is inhabited by non human cells including bacteria and yeast. Stress,  sugar,  processed foods,  and other unhealthy lifestyle choices disrupt healthy flora equilibrium.  When this happens, opportunistic candida colonizes sending signals to all parts of your body in forms of unhealthy cravings and negative thoughts, leading to fatigue and depression.

Drinking more water,  resting,  yoga, positive meditation,  nature and good company are great ways to combat these invaders.  When that’s not enough, send in the troops by with one of the most probiotic rich medicines ever known…. Sauerkraut! . Here’s a basic recipe from Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions”,  one of my favorite cookbooks.

Organic cabbage is local to the Pacific Northwest in winter,  so load up!

I skip the whey (I am lactose intolerant) so I make up with mineral rich sea salts.

Sampling to ensure it tastes perfect before smashing in a gallon jar.

The salt releases the enzymes and lactobacillus proliferates in the firmly packed,  dark anaerobic environment for a week or longer before consumption and refrigeration.

A fork full a day keeps the bad bugs away!  Namaste

Easy Clean Paleo Dinner #7

OK.. I was exhausted tonight. .Rough weeks happen,  so it’s OK to simplify.  Still,  the kids were delighted to have Trader Joe’s Organic Broccoli Slaw, Nitrate Free Turkey Dogs, and Gluten Free Mac and Cheese. . Obviously, Paleo Mom abstained from the rice pasta and instead had an extra weiner and large helping of Slaw. . Slaw includes Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, Natural Mayonnaise, Organic Fugitive Apple, Organic Raisins, Soaked and Dehydrated Pecans, Turmeric, and Pepper. AND EVERYONE CLEANED THEIR PLATES!

Easy Clean Paleo Dinner #6

There is no better tuna than fresh caught steaks. If you are fortunate enough to have a fisherman in the family,  or live near the water and have a local market,  pickup some tuna steaks. . Iron grill with lemon and minced garlic on medium on all sides. . Quality fish can remain raw inside,  but I choose to cook thoroughly since I have young immune systems to feed. . Organic Sweet Potatoes Coined with Powdered Ginger and Fresh Rosemary baked with Coconut Oil at 375 until tender. . Organic Spinach,  Avocado,  Organic Celery, Organic Carrots, Grape Tomatoes, EVOO,  Sea Salt,  and Apple Cider Vinegar.  TOTAL TIME: 30 Minutes.  Omega 3,6,9s to assist uptake of all the Fat Soluble Vitamins A D E and K in one meal.  Absolutely Nutritious and Delicious.

Super Easy Turkey Vegetable Soup

When it’s cold outside and you need a fast, nutritious filling meal,  this soup will warm you up quick. 

Costco Organic Frozen Peas,  Nitrate Free Cooked Turkey Breast, Organic Chicken Broth,  Organic Canned Sliced Tomatoes,  Pine Nuts,  Himalayan Sea Salt,  Organic Celery,  Pinch of Cayenne,  and Fresh Rosemary. . Boil in a Stainless Steel Pot and Voila!  15 minute meal with leftovers to spare.

Easy Clean Paleo Dinner #5

Do you want an easy fast dinner without sacrificing quality? Grab 2 kids, and go to Costco.  Pick up a ripe pineapple,  Organic EVOO,  Organic carrots,  Organic Salad mix,  Aidelle’s Pre-cooked Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs and Grape Tomatoes. Adult Supervision required for cutting and cooking.

This took 15 minutes from package to plate.  Enjoy!