Homemade Noodles!! Only 4 Ingredients! Great for People on Candida Clear!

One of my patients on Monday gave me this great recipe for noodles.  It was a huge success!!  Many people miss pasta during the Candida Cleanse and those who battle candida in general.  I have to stay away from it because whenever I eat pasta I seem to bloat up and gain a few pounds... fun stuff.

There are only 4 ingredients in this pasta... which makes it so incredibly easy to make!  They are quinoa flour, water, olive oil and chia seeds (which can also be substituted for eggs but I used chia seeds since I had them).  I have had quinoa flour for a long time and used it only a few times.  I have never had much success with it because of the taste... seems pretty earthy... but with the pasta you don't notice it at all! I was so excited to have a recipe to use my quinoa flour!


Ingredients

2 cups of quinoa flour

2 tablespoons chia seeds with 6 tbsp hot water, soaked and stirred until a paste forms

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup warm water

Mix up ingredients until you get the dough.  I found it easier to mix with my hands.  It is a fairly dry dough so don't be alarmed. I put it in a gallon baggie and sealed it up for 20 minutes to let it set.  Online they said wrap it in plastic wrap for 20 minutes but the gallon baggie worked great.  Then I took it out and rolled on a cookie sheet and sliced up into thick noodles (the picture may not look pretty but they tasted great!).  I didn't have a pasta machine to make noodles so I sliced them myself.

Put them in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes.  Take out and drain water and enjoy!

Look at this blog (link below) for much prettier pictures and a better description.  It can also be made with an egg instead of the hot water and chia seeds but I just followed her recipe.  You can cut the noodles thin or thick or with a pasta slicer if you have it.  Possibly use these to make as lasagna too!

I also want to thank my patient who told me about this recipe!  I am sooo happy to share it with everyone :)

http://pinchofme.com/2013/01/23/quinoa-pasta/

 

Pic of noodles in the strainer

Heavy Metals... Where do we get them from?

At the office one of the things I test people for is heavy metals.  I typically do not go into detail about where people can get them from so here is a list to think about...

-Vaccines (even if they were many many years ago)
-Aluminum in deodorant (Look at a previous post for my deodorant... works amazing and cheap to make!)
-Metal fillings in teeth (This is a constant source of heavy metal exposure.  If you can't afford to get them taken out it would be a good idea to take a supplement each day that helps your body detoxify and get rid of it.  This prevents mercury in the fillings from depositing into organs or areas you don't want to.)
-Seafood
-Aluminum cans
-Cookware
-Antacids
-Air pollution
-Insecticides
-Paints
-Food preservatives
-Car exhaust
-Our water supply

That is just a short list... they are in many other things too!  This list is not intended to worry you or make you feel like you have to quickly change everything.  Instead just be aware and take small steps to eliminate as many as you can.  Any change no matter how small or large will help tremendously!

Bored of Water... Try this!

Here are a few tips to try and spice up your water!

-Chop up and soak a cucumber in a large container of water over night and enjoy in the morning!

-Add fresh lemon or lime with mint leaves

-Add fresh basil to your water

-Let frozen berries melt and add the run off juice and melted berries to your water

-Get a new bottle to drink out of... sometimes a new change is all your need!

-Add a tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll to you water... it tastes like mint! I LOVE it! Its AMAZING for you too! (It supports intestinal and circulatory health and tastes good! Available in office or online through Nature Sunshine)

-Add a drop or two of peppermint oil to your glass of water (Available through Nature Sunshine and probably Whole Foods or other health food stores)

My favs...
**Cucumber water
**Liquid chlorophyll (Pic below)
**Couple drops of peppermint oil (Pic below)

Trouble Loosing Weight? Try these 2 tips

A lot of people come into the practice and one of their top 5 concerns or issues typically has something to do with weight.  99% of the time a Candida issue has something to do with it as well as an underlying thyroid issue (our metabolic control center).  Once these things get taken care of people notice significant changes in their weight and energy levels as well as mental clarity.  I wanted to also give you 2 simple tips to try as well!

1) Drink a full glass of water immediately upon waking in the morning.  Set the glass of water on your nightstand and have it ready to drink right when you wake up.  This gets you hydrated right away in the morning and jump starts your metabolism. 

2) Stop eating after 6pm.  This gives your body more time to break down food instead of trying to process it during the middle of the night when your metabolism is the slowest.  If you set a time (even if it is not 6pm) and decide you are not going to eat later than that it will help keep you from wandering into the kitchen looking for snacks and mindless eating (which most people do not because they are hungry... but instead out of routine). 

Try these 2 EASY things and see how much it helps you!

Allergies? Use this great nasal spray!

Allergies are rearing their ugly head this season... the pollen count has been really high which quickly leads to congestion, sinus headaches and the worst... sinus infections.  For most people sinus infections lead to antibiotics... EEEK! So hopefully I can help keep at least one person off of antibiotics from reading this.  I have great 'natural' (aka herbal and whole food supplements) allergy help at the office that I will post about sometime soon.  Now however I wanted to give you all a natural allergy nasal spray that you can use as often as you want.  It helps get antiviral and antibacterial spray into your sinuses as well as open them up to help you breathe clearer.  Why would you not use this?! 

All you need is
-Nasal spray bottle (available in office)
-Silver Shield Liquid (available in office or online ordering)
-Tei Fu Essential Oil (available in office or online ordering)

Put Silver Shield liquid in nasal spray bottle with 2-3 drops of Tei Fu.  The Silver Shield liquid is antiviral and antibacterial and the Tei Fu acts to open up the nasal passage to help you breath clear!  It works amazing!  You can use as often as you want and without any fear of side effects!

Stop by the office to pick it up or you can order the Silver Shield and Tei Fu oil from Nature Sunshine following the directions on the website http://www.drcarolynmaxfield.com/page/online-store.html.

Quote of the Day

The doctor of the future will give little medicine but will interest his patients in care of the human frame, diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.

-Thomas A. Edison

 

This quote explains exactly what I want to do with everyone one of my patients that walks through the door.  I hope to interest and educate each and everyone of you in how to care for your body naturally... without the need for drugs or surgery (and yes there are extreme cases that call for it). 

 

With true health there is a balance between the mind, body and spirit.  At the practice I focus on the balance in the body and have amazing resources for emotional healing.  In my area of expertise I can almost guarantee without proper nutrition and supplementation when needed as well as chiropractic care (to take of the nervous system) the body cannot stay healthy.  My goal for you is to stay motivated and see how much power and control you have over your own health.  NO ONE is destined to a life of medications if they are truly motivated to change and take their health into their own hands. 

Breakfast 'Cereal'

I bought puffed millet about a month ago and have just been using it in my homemade chocolate (recipe in a previous post).  However just recently I have been eating it as cereal in the morning.  It is like a puffed rice crispy.  It's not crunchy when it gets wet, but I think it adds a great variety to the morning routine.  I had a large bowl of it with pecans, fresh raspberries and unsweetened almond milk.  It is not very filling by itself so adding nuts and some berries gives it more substance.  Try it and see if you like it!

I purchased mine in the health food section of Kroger... possibly by the cereal or healthy baking section.  (It's been awhile so I can't quite remember)

June... a great time to do a Cleanse!

June has quickly approached us... I am not sure where the first half of the year went?!?  Doing a full body cleanse is a great idea to do at least 2 times a year.  It gives your body a fresh cleaning and helps you to get rid of the "gunk" that bogs it down over time through our environment and diet.  Clean Start by Nature Sunshine is an amazing cleanse..  Hands down it is my favorite.  Its very simple to do, doesn't have a bad taste, and I feel great while doing it.  I always feel so much better by day 3 or 4.. increased energy, clearer thinking, better bowel movements, etc.  It cleans out all the filters in your body which people never think to do... we clean out the air filters in our cars and house however people never think to do so in their body! Think how much better you would function and the sickness that could be prevented by just doing a cleaning every once in awhile.  Most people only focus on cleaning the outside of their body (which is a plus)... and rarely focus on the inside which is MUCH more important!! Take time for yourself and make it a must do!

Available in the office or online by following the online ordering instructions at http://www.drcarolynmaxfield.com/page/online-store.html.  The stock number is 3993-8.  Make sure to get the Wild Berry. 

***DO NOT do cleanse if you have loose stool

Brownie/Chocolate Cake with Almond Flour

Sorry its been awhile since I have last posted and put up a recipe.  Life has been busy needless to say and I haven't been trying out new recipes lately.. so I will get back in the swing of things.  (And it gives me ideas to post up stress releasing ideas and supplements... who wouldn't benefit from that.. right?!) Anyways a patient of mine sent this recipe to me awhile ago and I finally made it last night!  It was great! It gives you that chocolate and 'starchy' fix that many people crave.

Ingredients
2/3 cup xylitol or honey
1/2 cup melted butter coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Mix ingredients all together and place on a greased 8x8 pan.  (I grease all my pans for baking with coconut oil.)  Bake on 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 min. 

The texture is closer to a dense cake than brownies I thought.... and the batter is delicious :).. that's my weakness. 

I hope you enjoy them like I did!  It would be great with raspberries on top :)



The recipe was modified from http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com/2012/01/almond-flour-brownies.html. 

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!