Posts Tagged: Food is Medicine
Easy Seed Crackers
It was with swift fortitude that I began to experiment in cracker making once I made the leap into grain and wheat-free eating. The cost of purchasing a box of wheat and grain-free crackers, containing maybe 20 crackers (sometimes less), is ridiculous. And hard to find. You can find gluten-free everything, but that’s a whole other post for another day. Giving up refined sugar was easy, I found alternates (raw honey, real, dark maple syrup, dates and bananas) far superior anyways. But pasta. Bread. Crackers. Vehicles with which to devour avocado smashed, and cracked salt and smothered goodness. Other dips and spreads. Without at least one staple with which to enjoy any of these fine things I knew I was in for it and fall off the wagon I did, many a time.
If one is going to completely over-haul their diet and eat/treat food as the medicine it was intended as well as the truly scrumptious and sensual experience that it should be; well then. You need an alternate plan of action. For me it was these crackers. Which, until of recent…have satiated many a would-border-crossing over to the dark-side of grainy, wheat-y goodness. Yet, I’m rather enjoying the well-rested, non-spiked blood sugar, migraine-free days of my life as it happens to be right now…being pre-diabetic in two words? Can SUCK IT. These have become a staple and I’ve moved right along into testing (over and over and over) again a Paleo rye bread recipe. When that recipe gets approved out of test-kitchen status to that of something mouth wateringly magnificent, oh my friends. Then we shall have a smashed avocado on toast party. All the things on toast.
Until then, I have these crackers and they’ve been doing me just fine. Others too, if my neighbours count. (Of course they do. You wish you had neighbours as awesome as I do.) You don’t have to be a Paleo cuisine convert to make/enjoy these beauties. If you care about what you put into your body or simply love delicious food, in a ‘from-scratch’ sort of way; these belong in your mouth.
For Your Mouth: Soaked + Smooth Almond Butter
Almond butter is sexy. I don’t have to think hard about a descriptive for it … this is immediately what comes to mind. Maybe it comes from the making of it, prior to the consuming of it. For its simple generosity and various uses. The way it coats ones mouth so that you are invited to let your tongue roll around its thick, creamy texture, luxuriating in the mouthy feel of it.
The satisfaction that it brings as a vehicle to many a slice of fruit, vegetable, chocolate chip and spoon. Spooning is mandatory. I’ve become rather smitten with making my own, you see, because I can. Because it’s cheaper than purchasing, especially in raw, organic form. I reject all other forms unless it involves coconut oil, a dash of sea salt and maple syrup. I like it how I like it.
I also prefer to soak my nuts prior to roasting them (which is a whole other post, this soaking of the nuts and seeds thing), which isn’t for everyone. So feel free to skip this step. It’s not an absolute thing. Neither is adding the coconut oil and you could also sweeten it with stevia, dates or nothing it all! It doesn’t need much, whichever you choose.
Almond butter has become a popular choice with the kiddos around here too, bye bye sugar laden peanut butter. I’ve also started making sunflower seed butter so that Wyndham can take it to school to dip his fruit and veggies as he pleases.
Up Close and Personal With The Rainbow Plate
Subscribers and friends here will know, that children’s food and nutrition is something that we take very seriously. In making food as fun as possible sort of way, especially when it comes to teaching and sharing with kids about the bounty of nature and the pure joy and allure that various types of fresh food and cuisine can offer in our daily lives.
Of this (and more), a company such as The Rainbow Plate need not preach to us about. Which is one of the many reasons I love what they’re doing as a company. The don’t preach. They focus less on nutrition lessons and more on inspiring people to simply embrace real food. With a hands-on approach to their programming and supportive resources, they expose people to a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, spark imaginations and cultivate healthy habits. You can can quite easily imagine how smoothly they create a connection betwixt food, play and imagination; getting kids excited about food and for adults to support and nurture kids to become lifelong thoughtful eaters.
Life With Lyme
I have been sick for two years. For the first year I didn’t know I was actually sick, I thought I was just overworked and experiencing adrenal fatigue. The second year was different. I woke up on morning about a year and half ago and my knees were swollen; hot and red and all of my muscles ached. This is when I began the long road of searching for an answer. From several ER visits, to even more doctors visits, then switching doctors to get a second and even third opinion, to going to the US to see another doctor. No one could come up with anything. My inflamed and swollen knees never went down. My ankles ballooned shortly after, my right elbow locked into a permanent bent position and my muscles began to ache and burn all day and all night. Being a strong believer in alternative and natural medicine, I decided to everything I could do on my own since I was not getting ANY support from conventional medicine or the system.
The very first thing I did was entirely spiritual. You see, I have always been an A Type, workaholic, Wonder Woman type. I never knew how to relinquish control or allow people to help me. SO, the most logical first step was to surrender and ask for help. I started with my husband who quickly became the hero I never knew he could be. I did a lot of surrendering, crying, praying and forgiving. I don’t remember crying so much, I think I cried for about 2 or three solid hours a day. As I did that, I felt so much pain escaping my body. I went to the chiropractor, physiotherapist, acupuncturist and naturopath. I also had a deep intuitive sense that I needed to detox in every way I could. So I ordered an Infra Red Sauna (about $1400 from Costco), and I decided to reboot my system by juicing for three weeks. Both of those things, likely in combination with the other things I was doing, seemed to work well. I felt that I was slowly on my way to recovery.
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
CONNECT WITH SELENA
