Another easy meal idea... A Roast!

Another meal I forget to talk to patients about (esp those in Phase One) is a roast in the crockpot.  It takes about 2 minutes to get ready and full of tasty food and protein.  Throw the roast in the crockpot with an onion, carrots, celery, and a few cloves of garlic.  (You could probably add in sweet potatoes too.)  I put it in a few inches of water but organic chicken stock is another great option and gives it a great flavor.

Put it in the crockpot in the morning and then when you get home from work your dinner is already made!  Sounds like a perfect deal to me!  Have the roast and cooked veggies by itself or you can even put it over some warm quinoa.  Delicious!! :)

Weds Night Dinner

Tacos (well... without the shell)!! It is something that is so quick and easy to make and great for anyone especially those doing Candida Clear.  Last night we had them and they hit the spot.  It is something I keep forgetting to mention to patients for a quick easy meal.

Last night we had turkey burger, onion, tomato, lettuce, homemade guacamole (avocado, lime, cilantro, onion), cilantro.... all topped with lime juice.  It was very tasty, easy to make, and a great healthy meal.  Hopefully you all will remember this quick easy meal and be able to eat as much of it as I did!  Delicious!  

Almond Milk vs Regular Milk

For all those people that think milk is full of vitamins (especially vitamin D) and calcium and do not want to make a switch to almond milk think again.  Milk advertisements have done their job and made people believe that if you don't give your kids milk they won't grow tall and strong.  Adults think the same holds true for them.  Well I took a pic of a simple chart that was on my almond milk.  It compares calories (lower in unsweetened almond milk), sugars (lower in unsweetened almond milk), calcium (higher in almond milk), Vitamin D (higher in almond milk), and Vitamin E (much higher in almond milk).  Almond milk is a GREAT milk for children, much easier to digest and YES they will still grow tall and strong!!

(Also never ever drink soy milk... no matter how old or young you are.  If there is soy in infant formula avoid at all costs.  Soy acts as an estrogen and by ingesting it you are ingesting liquid hormones which then causes a whole host of other problems.. Avoid avoid avoid!)

Share with all those people who are still convinced milk is the only answer.

Truth about Acid Reflux

If you or anyone you know suffers from acid reflux keep reading!  Acid reflux actually happens because there is a deficiency in stomach acid.  Yep that's correct... there is NOT enough stomach acid!  It may sound confusing but when there is not enough stomach acid your body can't break down food properly (resulting in indigestion) causing gas and bloating.  When the food isn't broken down properly it causes the regurgitation up (into the esophagus) causing what we call 'acid reflux.'  When people have symptoms they typically take something which actually neutralizes the acid (which is already low)... this causes an even lower amount of stomach acid and only puts a band aid on the acid reflux and does not fix the problem.

Stomach acid is there to help you digest food and kill off invaders such as bacterias and viruses. If you or someone you know gets sick constantly I would confidently bet they have low stomach acid because their body's first line of defense (stomach acid) is lacking.  Obviously there are many many other reasons people get sick but that is one of the best and first places to start.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
There are a couple things... first people who do have ulcers from long term acid reflux have to treat this slowly.  You don't want to introduce more stomach acid when there is an ulcer... ouch!  To test for this you can take 2 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar with a little bit of water and see if this burns in your stomach area.  If it does then you likely have a ulcer of some sort.  If you do there is no need to worry because we have 2 products at the office by Standard Process that help to heal the ulcers and coat the stomach to help prevent reflux.  They are called Gastrex and Okra-Pepsin.  These are not the fix to acid reflux but are a natural 'Tums' that does not deplete stomach acid like antacids do. 

If you do the Apple Cider Vinegar test and it goes okay the 2 best supplements I use are PDA (not public display of affection...) by Nature Sunshine and Zypan from Standard Process.  These include stomach acid in them to help you break down food and actually fix the real root cause of reflux... low stomach acid.  If you have questions or concerns contact the office.  I actually test for this on new patient visits so let me know if you want me to check it again!  (For existing patients- Food Enzymes has a little stomach acid in it as well as other great things!)

A side note... Apple Cider Vinegar is great for digestion and I encourage people to take it with meals as often as possible.  I take it whenever I am home and fill up a shot glass half with Apple Cider Vinegar and half with water.  (You may want to take it with a little more water to make the taste more mild.)  Also for those who are on the Candida Clear diet/Phase 1 it says no vinegars... however Apple Cider Vinegar is an exception to the rule.  It actually helps to combat candida and is one of the very few vinegars that can be used.  It has enzymes that help tremendously with digestion and also helps to create an environment for healthy bacteria to live in your digestive tract which in turn keeps candida in check. 

FUN FACT: Anyone with gray hair is deficient in stomach acid

Please feel free to email me at DrCarolynMaxfield@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Almond Butter Buckeyes!

Here is an easy dessert for you all to make.  It takes only a few ingredients and tastes similar to the dessert peanut butter Buckeyes (for you Tennesseeans that's what we call them in Ohio). These are the healthy version of Buckeyes... yay!!! All you need is almond butter, quinoa or puffed millet, and xylitol.  You can make your own chocolate to drizzle on top or just eat them plain. Either way they are pretty tasty!!

Mix 1 cup almond butter, 1 cup quinoa (or puffed millet... more info on this to come), and 1/4 cup xylitol. You could also probably add a dash of vanilla as well.  Mix ingredients together and roll into little balls.  Put in the freezer for 10 minutes or longer to make them harder.  You can eat the 'Buckeyes' as is or drizzle chocolate on top.  Enjoy!

(Not sure if the picture looks appetizing or does them justice. They taste much better than my pic looks!) 

Delicious Summer Time Dinner!

I was inspired to make this from one of those taste tests at Whole Foods... Refreshing Dinner!

Take cold (or you could do with warm) quinoa, cut up peppers, avocado, and cilantro. Mix it all together and then top with fresh lime juice.... So good! I am a huge fan of all of the ingredients and put them all together... Its perfect! (Esp on a warm day!) It also makes great left overs and an easy lunch for people on the go. 

Enjoy!!

Healthy Mashed 'Potatoes'

Well they may not be potatoes but they taste like it!  Just made these tonight and was very surprised at how much they tasted like mashed potatoes. I usually don't like raw cauliflower or even when it is steamed but for some reason I really liked this! (Great texture!)

All you need is one head of cauliflower, a little butter or coconut oil, and some sea salt and pepper.

Steam the cauliflower and after its cooked place in a food processor (or blender possibly) until it is blended and has a smooth texture. Then add a few tablespoons of butter and coconut oil as well as sea salt and pepper.  Chives would also be a great addition to this too! 

Enjoy and this is such an amazing and healthy substitute for mashed potatoes (plus it doesn't take long to cook)!

Hope you all have a great week :)

Strawberry Xylitol Jam! Only 3 Ingrediants!

A patient sent me this recipe and it is AMAZING! You only need 1 pint (4 cups) of fresh strawberries, 1/4 cup xylitol, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

Slice the stems off the strawberries and put in a food processor (or a blender would probably work too) until strawberries are coarsely chopped. Place in a skillet over medium high heat and add lemon juice and xylitol.

Keep on medium high heat for 10 minutes. It will be bubbly on the top the jam will start to get a thicker consistency. Stir frequently when on the stove. After ten minutes remove from heat and place in a jar or bowl to let cool. Enjoy! And it keeps for up to 10 days when stored in the fridge in a sealed jar.

Enjoy!! I was amazed how delicious it is! Put over almond flour pancakes, almond flour bread (recipe coming soon!), muffins, in Greek yogurt or many other things!

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips! Verrrrrry easy to make!

Sweet potatoes are something that I typically do not like until I made these chips!  Delicious!  I personally do not love the cooked sweet potatoes but when they are crunchy I love them!!  It takes 2 min to make. 

First you need to buy a sweet potato that has similar width throughout the whole thing.. sweet potatoes sometimes will be large on one end and skinny on the other end but you want to get one that is decently even throughout because then it will cook more evenly.

Cut into slices that are about the same width as thick potato chips.  Grease the bottom of a baking pan with coconut oil and you can even coat the sweet potato slices lightly in it so they won't stick.  Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes and then flip all the sweet potato slices so they get cooked evenly on both sides.  You can also choose to sprinkle sea salt or other seasonings on the slices at this time.  Put them back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Keep in the oven until they are slightly brown.  The more brown they are the more crunchy... which I love!!

You can make them more salty with sea salt or garlic seasonings... or like typical sweet potatoes with cinnamon and xylitol. 

Enjoy!

Cheap Chemical Free Face Wash!

Some of you may have heard of Bronner's Magic Soap or seen in it in the store but have no idea what to do with it... that used to be me too!  It is a castile soap which is made of natural oils and essential oils.  They make all different kinds ranging from peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, citrus, unscented, etc... On the bottle is says it has 18 different uses (not sure what they all are) however I know it works great for face wash! It leaves my face feeling very clean and like there is no left over residue.  It lasts forever and you don't need to use very much at all.  I use a small squirt bottle and fill it half way up with the liquid Bronner's and half up with water.  I just need one pump for my face so my mixture lasts forever!  It lather's up great and makes my face feel so clean.  Its great for people with normal to oily skin but may not be the best for those with dry skin on their face.  I hope you all love this as much as I do. 

This is a description of what it is on Bronner's website....  'Unlike any you’ve ever used. A combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive and produces a velvety-lather that leaves the skin silky-smooth and refreshed.'

You can also use it as body wash but they make a soap bar that is more convenient to use.  It can also be used as household cleaner... I put 1/2 of it in an old spray bottle with water and clean my kitchen and counters with it.  For dirtier jobs I use it full strength to clean.  It smells so good, works great, and there is no more need for nasty chemical cleaners!

Quinoa at Costco... the cheapest around!

Here is a pic of a large bag of organic quinoa (4 lbs) at Costco.  It costs $10.99 which is a steal compared to most grocery stores!  It is a different brand than what they had a month ago (which was in a red bag).  Quinoa is great for anyone and everyone (esp those on Candida Clear/Phase 1) and can be made to be savory or sweet.  Great for breakfast 'oatmeal' or cooked with veggies and meat.  It is also great to use in soups as a replacement for rice or noodles.. (add it in precooked and right before you eat the soup).  Enjoy!

Almond Flour Cookies

I made these a few nights ago and put my homemade chocolate on top (at room temp it has a fudge consistency... almost like frosting) and they taste sooo good!

Almond flour cookies
Ingredients
-1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted to liquid form)

-1/2 to 3/4 cup of xylitol

-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

-2 eggs

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon sea salt

-3 cups almond flour

-2/3 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Bake on 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes.  Enjoy!!