Gluten Free

Breakfast: Sweet Potato Hashbrowns & Egg

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This morning, I tried a recipe that I’d seen floating around Facebook. I had never tried making sweet potato hash browns and I loved the idea of doing a whole pan full to feed my crew of 5 + my hubby. It took about 10 minutes to prep the sweet potato hash browns.

I used to eat white and red potatoes and loved the hash browns from Waffle House. But, here’s the deal — sweet potatoes are such a better choice if you’re going to eat a potato. Here’s a quick infographic comparing the two. Which is better to put in your body? (Hint: Check out those Vitamin A numbers!) I disagree with one thing on their infographic — where they say not to forget about white potatoes (towards the bottom)… if you have PCOS, forget the white potatoes. They will make your pancreas work harder to produce more insulin which then if unused turns to fat. Steer clear of those white and red potatoes.

sweet potato vs white potato

Vitamin A is GREAT for kids especially, because they are GROWING! It is an essential vitamin needed for growth and development, cell recognition, vision, immune function and reproduction.

The recommended intake of vitamin A varies according to age and sex. Because vitamin A is available in several forms, the vitamin A content in foods is often measured as retinol activity equivalents (RAEs). One RAE is equal to 1 microgram of retinol, 12 micrograms of beta-carotene or 3.33 IU of vitamin A. The recommended intake of RAEs for people of different ages according to the National Institutes for Health (NIH) are as follows:

  • 0-6 months*: 400 mcg/day
  • 7-12 months*: 500 mcg/day
  • 1-3 years: 300 mcg/day
  • 4-8 years: 400 mcg/day
  • 9-13 years: 600 mcg/day
  • 14+ years (male): 900 mcg/day
  • 14+ years (female): 700 mcg/day
  • 14-18 years (pregnancy): 750 mcg/day
  • 14-18 years (lactation): 1,200 mcg/day
  • 19-50 years (pregnancy): 770 mcg/day
  • 19-50 years (lactation): 1,300 mcg/day.

* Adequate Intake (AI), equivalent to the mean intake of vitamin A in healthy, breastfed infants.

My kids (ages 3, 6, 11, and two 15-year-olds) all ate this for breakfast — even my picky six year old son! I like how this sort of portion-controls the sweet potato for the insulin response. I encourage you to give it a try and see what YOU think! Once you make it, be sure to leave your review in the comments below! 🙂

Sweet Potato and Egg Cups

Sweet Potato Cup and Egg

Sweet Potato and Egg Cups

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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PCOSbitesSweet Potato and Egg Cups

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 medium sweet potato, shredded
• 2 TBSP Coconut Oil or Canola Oil or melted Ghee
• 12 large eggs
• Kelp Seasoning
• Fresh Parsley
• Pink Himalayan Salt
• Pepper

NON-FOOD ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:
• Cupcake Tin
• Grater
• Bowl
• Peeler
• Pair of kitchen shears (to cut up your parsley)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a muffin pan with a TBSP of oil of choice or ghee.
3. Peel your sweet potato and then grate the sweet potato into a bowl, so you have a little over one cup.
4. Mix in 1 TBSP of oil of choice, salt, and pepper with the sweet potato and even coat the shredded potato with mixture.
5. Evenly divide the grated sweet potato into each muffin hole (however many you wish to make) and press the grated sweet potato down the bottom and sides so they form cups.

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Tip: If you don’t have a large crew you’re needing to make these for, just fill in the number of cups you need and put the remainder in a Ziplock bag and place in the fridge to use in another dish or the next day.

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6. Bake sweet potato cups for 15 minutes.
7. When the sweet potato cups are done baking, crack an egg into each cup carefully without breaking the yolk.

Egg in partially baked sweet potato cup

egg in sweet potato cups

8. Return the pan to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes until the egg whites are set.

Hint: You want it to be a little glossy on top when it comes out as it will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat.

9. Let it cool for 10 minutes before taking them out of the tin.
10. Top with some freshly chopped parsley (simple fold the parsley together and cut with your kitchen shears), sprinkle on some kelp seasoning for iodine benefits, and ground Pink Himalayan Salt and ground Pepper.

Tip: Add some sort of protein to this as well on the side, like a chicken or turkey sausage.

 

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.

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Source: Medical News Today and Cleveland Health Clinic.

LUNCH | DINNER: Gluten-free bread-less “breaded” Chicken Strips & Sweet-Potato Fries

/ Grow Your Health Gardening Owner & Certified Hydroponic Grower / 1 Comment

My Kindergartner has been a trouper coming off of gluten, sugar, dairy, and corn. I didn’t realize how much he relied on foods that had a higher insulin response until I changed what we ate. So I made tonight’s dinner with my littles in mind. As I stared at my chicken thawing out on the counter I wondered, “What should I do with this chicken tonight?” And then I thought, something “breaded” but not breaded as a treat for the kids.

Tip: When I make almond milk, I take the left over almond bits and dry them on a sheet rack on a piece of parchment paper for several days. When the almond bits are good and dry, I run them thru my Cuisanart to make “flour” out of my almonds and then I store it in an airtight container for such an occasion as this. I share all that, not to burden you with more tasks, but to help you realize how when you make almond milk, you can also use the bits that are not utilized in almond milk for other things — like this great lunch or dinner! If you are short on time, a package of almond flour works perfectly fine, too!

Gluten-Free Chicken Strips

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I like to cut the chicken into strips when it is still slightly frozen in the center. It holds it shape and you just slice right thru it easy peasy. Try and cut your chicken fingers into equally-sized strips so they will cook uniformly. The sweet potato fries were from the freezer section at our grocery store and took about the same time it took to cook the chicken strips. If you don’t want your chicken strips a yellow-tinge, just skip the tumeric in your coating mix. I added it, because I like to sneak in beneficial herbs, spices (and even some iodine with the kelp) where possible. Every little bit helps as you change your life for the better, one bite at a time.

— Erin

PS: Here’s my son’s seal of approval …

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Gluten Free Breaded-but-without-bread Chicken Strips

  • Servings: 5-7
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

PCOSbites
Gluten-Free Chicken Strips

INGREDIENTS:
Coating Mix:
• 2 c almond flour
• 1 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBSP garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP kelp granules
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 TBSP ground flax
• 2 TBSP freshly chopped parsley

 

Note: If you want to make this dairy-free, just skip the parmesan cheese and add a 1/2 cup of almond flour.

 

Main Ingredient:
• 7 pcs Chicken breasts, skinless (frozen)

Egg Bath:
• 2 Eggs

Other kitchen tools:
• Bowl for egg bath
• Larger bowl for coating mix
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment baking paper
• Tongs

DIRECTIONS:
1. You’ll want to cut your chicken into strips when it is thawed on the outside and still slightly frozen (not rock solid but partly thawed) in the center. It will cut easily and clean thru. Try and keep pieces uniform in size so that they cook at equal rates.

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2. Take 2 eggs and whip them in a bowl and set aside.

3. In another larger bowl, combine all the ingredients for the coating mix and combine well with a whisk until everything looks incorporated.

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4. Finally, take your cooking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

6. Create an assembly line order, left to right, with your chicken strips near your egg bath. Your coating mix next to the egg bath. And finally, your cookie sheet lined with parchment paper next to the coating mix.

7. Using a set on tongs, pick up several strips of cut raw chicken and put them into the egg bath. One-by-one, coat each piece of raw chicken with raw egg and transfer into the coating mix. Coat entire strip of chicken and using the tongs, transfer the coated chicken to the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue process, leaving space between each chicken finger until cookie sheet is full.
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8. Place in heated oven and set timer for 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked.

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9. Remove from heat and serve with your choice of sides (like sweet potato fries).

 

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, and corn-free.

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Lunch: Taco Salad with Quinoa and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Today’s lunch is Taco Salad!!! 👏

Tale extra 90/10 lean ground beef from hamburgers the night before, chop into bite-size pieces and tossed with some cumin, chili pepper and paprika (spices 2:1:1 ratio). Take kale/spinach/chard/carrot medley mix (Sams Club) and chop up and toss with a spicy ranch dressing along with feta and red and yellow bell peppers.

Tip #1: Always make extra when you are grilling meat. It makes it easy for lunch the next day to pull out and reheat.

Tip #2: You don’t use as much dressing if you toss your salad.

 

Place some left over quinoa and red pepper hummus (Sams Club) in two sides of your bowl and take bites along with salad as a mix in. It makes the salad more enjoyable to introduce new flavors between bites. Don’t forget to rinse your palate with your lemon and organic apple cider vinegar water! The citric acid in the water not only has health benefits, but will enhance the taste of what you’re eating!

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So filling and tasty!

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This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and low in lactose.

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#salad #tacosalad #paleo #thm #pcosbites #pcos #pcosdiet #pcostips #pcoslunches #quinoa #hummus #healthyeating #healthylife #eatingclean #eatinghealthy #pcosdiva #cysters #keto #ketogenic #ketogenicdiet

Snack: Life Changing Gluten-Free Crackers and Blueberry Goat Cheese

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Adding some seeds to what you eat daily is a great way to get good natural fats into your diet to aid in going into ketosis (fat burning). Limit yourself to 2-3 of these a day at most, but you’ll enjoy the bread-like texture without all the gluten.

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In your grocery store cheese case, many carry a blueberry wrapped goat cheese option. If not, be sure to ask your grocer to carry. Blueberries are a rich source of nutrition and they are great at decreasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease while helping the body maintain healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, and overall lower weight. Every tiny bit helps, right! Add a side bowl of frozen blueberries to your snack and you’ll feel happy, happy, happy!

Also, going dairy-free is part of the PCOS way and mainly this is because of lactose and the way lactose creates an insulin response in the body. Goat Cheese is lower in lactose and is something a Blood Type O person can eat as a healthy option as well.

Life Changing Gluten Free Crackers with Blueberry Goat Cheese

If my kids will eat this, that means, you can eat it, right?! 🙂 Remember, one change a day, making better choices one bite at a time.

— Erin

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and low in lactose.

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Breakfast: 2 Eggs, Kelp Granules, Spinach Asiago Chicken Sausage

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When you are starting to make changes to heal your body, the key to making those changes stick is to make it simple and make it easy whenever possible.

First thing in the morning, I make a hot cup of water with lemon and steep some green tea. You can check out my post on why this is so beneficial for your body. I also take my probiotic at this time as well.

After your cup of tea has been enjoyed, time to make your easy peasy breakfast.

      1. Take a small sauce pan, turn to medium heat and put some ghee in the middle to melt. Be sure to use farm fresh grain-fed free-range eggs whenever you can afford to as they are definitely better nutritionally.

2. If you are the only one eating, crack two eggs into the pan and cover with a lid. If you are making eggs for you and a friend/spouse, you can cook up to four eggs in the same small pan and cover with a lid.  Set your timer immediately for 3 minutes for easy sunny-side up eggs.

3. While your eggs are simmering away, take a Spinach Asiago Chicken Sausage* and pop it in the microwave, cover with a paper towel (sometimes the meat and cheese can simmer and pop) and set for one-minute. Once the timer goes off, remove from microwave, place on plate and cut.  About this time, your eggs will be finishing up.

*I like the Daily Chef Chicken Sausage from Sams Club since we purchase bulk whenever possible. I think I spent about $16 for one package of 15 sausages — coming out to a little over $1 a sausage. If you don’t have a large family like ours (I have five children), you can separate the three pack and put two in the freezer while you use one during the week. Click on the images below to see cost and details if you’re interested in getting this…

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Photo Credit: SamsClub.com

Eggs, Kelp Granules, and Chicken Sausage

4. Finally, when the timer goes off for the eggs, remove lid and slide your eggs onto your plate. Add a dash of kelp* granules for seasoning. If you like salt and pepper, throw it on there as well. Enjoy!

*Why kelp granules? Well kelp is full of iodine (among other beneficial minerals) and many are iodine deficient. The US recommended daily intake of iodine is 150 micrograms (mcg) per day for most adults, and about twice that for pregnant and nursing women. Iodine helps your entire body and especially your thyroid function well. You can learn more on how it can even help your kids grow their cognitive abilities — read about it here.

 

This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and low in lactose.

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EAT THIS INSTEAD OF THIS: Almond Butter and Peanut Butter Face-off

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Make this one change in your diet today and you’ll get:

MORE: Potassium, Magnesium, Cooper, Calcium, Iron, Riboflavin, Vitamin E, Fiber, and Monounsaturated Fats, and Omega-3.

COSTS: Almond Butter runs about $10 – $12 a jar (as of April 2016) whereas Peanut Butter (Jif), runs about $5-7 per jar. You can lower the cost of almond butter by making it at home and buying almonds bulk. I purchase mine at Sams Club presently for $17 a bag and I can make about 8 jars of almond butter (I add walnuts and other ingredients for additional health benefits) for about $2.50 a jar + a half hour of my time.

VERSITILITY: Not only can you use almond butter on crackers or eat by the spoonful, you can also use it in cooking gluten-free baked goods! Check out our dessert recipes on this blog.

The benefits of eating almond butter far outweigh peanut butter in our opinion. YOU can change your life and get your PCOS under control one bite at a time. Add almond butter to your pantry and keep peanut butter out of your grocery cart.

How I got off gluten with the help of “Life Changing Crackers”

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I had read on many a PCOS group that gluten was not beneficial to those who struggled with PCOS. I would read that and say to myself, “Sure — that might be the case for you, but not me. I’m just fine eating gluten.” Why would I say this knowing that others with the same struggles were nearly screaming the need to get off of gluten?

Y’all, I come from a looooooooong line of wheat farmers. I even own land that produces WHEAT! Every summer, my family would help bring in the wheat harvest. Some of my favorite memories of those hot summers included riding in the dusty cab with my mom in the wheat truck and the times where she would let me crawl into the back of the wheat truck and play in the wheat with my brother while we waited for a wheat combine harvester to be full. (In fact, if you want to learn more about how wheat is harvested, you can check out this video which some might find interesting…) So, you can imagine why I was in denial thinking that even though my PCOS was flaring with cystic breakouts, weight gain, and hair loss, I thought that I only needed to get off of dairy and that would help. Can you say denial? That was me. Fully, 100 percent denial.

A little bit about my struggle with PCOS

I had come to the point where my joints hurt so bad, it was excruciatingly painful to walk the 15 paces from my bed to my bathroom each morning. I would grip the end of my bed frame, using it as a sort of crutch to help stabilize me and aid me in walking four paces as the pain shot up throughout my body. It got so bad, that my feet even began to hurt. I would comment to my husband about the pain and he wondered if I might have broken something in my feet – perhaps fissures. (Looking back, it was a major flare up for gout — I learned of this after reviewing my blood test results.)  So, every morning, after I fought thru the initial getting-out-of-bed pain, I would grab some Ibuprofen (thinking this would help my inflammation and reduce the pain). I would pop three of these pain pills in my mouth (not realizing this was hard on my liver and adding harmful metals to my body) along with two allergy pills and all my daily vitamins. Then, I would make my way to my chair where I would sit until the pain subsided as I sipped on tea (I use to sit and sip coffee before I got off caffeine) at least enough for me to get up and do a few things. I would avoid stairs. I would avoid getting up and ask for my kids to run and get me things. This. Was. Not. Living.

I felt horrible. And it just wasn’t a week or so of this, it was month after month. (And I write this not for you to have pity, but simply as a reminder to myself just how far I’ve come.) After fighting off three bad rounds of illness and feeling like I was constantly getting sick from November to February and tired of the pain, my frustration level with my health hit an all time high and I finally made an appointment with a naturopathic doctor my friend and recommended and it took her testing me and me seeing the results for me to come to terms that I was not only lactose intolerant, but intolerant to gluten, corn, and even rice. My doctor put me on the Blood Type Diet and gave me a list of foods that were beneficial and those to avoid based on how the lectins in each food interacted in my body based on blood type. She also adjusted my vitamins and helped me with a plan on when to take these nutrients throughout the day.

How I came across this recipe

I remember coming home that day and knowing that in order to make this transition and survive, I needed something that would resemble bread to me. I needed something to replace what I was taking away. I knew if I could find at least one thing, I could make it work in the short term. So I hopped onto Pinterest and began to deep dive into research mode, hoping to find something that would work for me. By the grace of God, I came across a post that featured a recipe that intrigued me on mynewroots.org and when I began poking around on her web site and looking at her recipes, my eye was drawn to her “Life Changing Cracker” recipe.  My eyes quickly scanned the ingredients. For the most part, I could have everything in it! Eureka! I found my bread replacement! I needed only to swap out the sunflower seeds (I chose to chop up some pecans) and instead of dividing the dough into two different kinds of crackers like she recommends, I added a mix of the two different cracker ingredients and loved the outcome.

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Did my tribe go for these “Life Changing Crackers”?

My husband, who is diabetic, really likes these Life Changing Crackers as a snack. We take some goat cheese and/or some sun-dried tomato spread and 2-3 crackers would hold us over until meal time and it truly does satisfy. They are tasty with a dried fig on the side, too if we are craving something sweet. What’s more, my kids like them. This is huge! My kids are some of the biggest food critics out there and if they eat it, that says something to y’all! We even like smoothing some almond butter on it if we were missing peanut butter (yes, that was on the avoid list as well.)

Great for on “the go” or as a snack

I make a batch once a week (sometimes a double-batch because I have a crew of seven to feed). I keep them in a Zip-lock gallon size bag in the fridge and the kids know they can go to this as a snack resource (and that they should only eat a few). These also are a great grab and go item if you know you’ll be out and about running errands. They will be a life-saver if you find your blood sugar levels crashing (you often feel nausea if you’re pre-diabetic or diabetic when this happens.) I sent a bag of these with my hubby when he took the boys out fishing and it (along with a few other healthy snacks) helped him manage his blood sugar levels throughout the day until they had a meal.

Here’s how I made them (a few changes from her recipe):

Life Changing Crackers Recipe created by Sarah Britton BFA, CNP and of mynewroots.org

  • Servings: 2 baking sheets of crispbread
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:
• 1 cup pecans, diced into small bits
• ½ cup flax seeds
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks powder
• 1 ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
• 3 Tbsp. melted ghee
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder (depending on how strong you like it)
• 6 large dried figs (approx. 140g), diced
• 1 tsp. anise seed
• 1 tsp. cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Divide the dough roughly in half, and set aside one half.

2. Place one half of the dough back into the bowl and add any flavouring you like. Gather into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes you like (I chose large rectangles but it’s up to you). Repeat with remaining half of dough. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight.

3. She recommends setting your oven to 350°F and and baking for 20 minutes and flipping the dough on the cookie sheet (peel the baking paper off of the back and remove before placing back into the oven) and baking for another 10 minutes. Mine always came out a little chewy this way, so I found to make it more crisp (without burning them) if I set my oven to 270°F, and baked for 30 minutes one side, then remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over and return to oven to bake for another 20 minutes, until fully dry, crisp, and golden around the edges.

4. Let cool completely, then break crackers along their scored lines and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

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Coming across this recipe was truly a boost in my faith and gave me the tools I needed to take a monumental step in saying goodbye to gluten as I sought to change my life. She did not stretch the truth when she named these crackers.

— Erin
PS: The wheat farmer’s granddaughter (that would be me) is gluten-free. And as a wheat grower, I may be looking into growing canola instead. Stay tuned on that one. 😉

First Taste: Overnight Oats

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I’ve seen these “Overnight Oats” recipes all over Pinterest and on many a blog. I would stare at the photo of a jar filled with oats, almond milk, and chia seeds and like Goldilocks and the three bears, I would scratch my head as to why it was so popular to eat a cold porridge.

Maybe it was the repetition of seeing it over and over, maybe I was just wanting to try an easy option to break up my two egg and sausage breakfast pattern, but when I saw Angela Liddon’s (Oh She Glows — ohsheglows.com ) recipe for vegan, gluten-free, no bake/raw, oil-free, refined sugar free, soy free overnight oats, I decided to give it a go.

Here’s what I put in mine:

Overnight Oats

  • Servings: 1 Mason Jar
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

PCOSbites

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 TBSP Chia Seeds

• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon

• 1/2 cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats

• 3/4 cup Almond Milk

• 1/4 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Add the above ingredients to one mason jar the night before you want to eat them. Stir contents and place a lid on top and put in fridge. In the morning, stir and add more almond milk if necessary. If too runny, she recommends adding more chia seeds. I did not do 1 large banana like her recipe calls for, but that is something a type O can eat. My oat’s consistency was perfect in the morning and I added:

• 1/3 cup Blueberries (I like my blueberries frozen)

• 1 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup (optional)

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This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.

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The first time I bit into this concoction I had that split second of thinking oats should be hot, but I quickly reminded myself it is suppose to be cold and soon began to settle in and enjoy my easy breakfast. What’s more, I felt great that I got three highly beneficial foods in at the start of the day: cinnamon, blueberries and chia seeds. Here’s a breakdown of why you should be eating this several times a week if you have PCOS:

CHIA SEEDS

1 ounce (equals 28 grams or about 2 TBSP) serving of chia seeds contains:

  • Fiber: 11 grams (If you subtract the fiber, which may not end up as usable calories for the body, chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce.)
  • Protein: 4 grams
  • Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s)
  • Calcium: 18% of the RDA
  • Manganese: 30% of the RDA
  • Magnesium: 30% of the RDA
  • Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA
  • They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2

Chia seeds are awesome! The fibers are mostly insoluble (95%). Insoluble fibers have been shown to aid in lowering the risk of diabetes (7, 8, 9, 10).  Chia seeds have a high content of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids — they are even better than beneficial flaxseeds! Chia seeds also contain high-quality protein with all the essential amino acids, and are an excellent plant-based protein source (29). Chia seeds contain a number of beneficial plant compounds. The main ones are listed below (12, 14, 37).

  • Chlorogenic acid: An antioxidant that may lower blood pressure (38, 39).
  • Caffeic acid: This substance is abundant in many plant foods, and may help fight inflammation in the body (40).
  • Quercetin: A powerful antioxidant that may reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer (41, 42, 43).
  • Kaempferol: An antioxidant that has been associated with decreased risk of cancer and other chronic diseases (44, 45).

And as you know with PCOS, gluten is not tolerated well in our body, so here’s the good news — chia seeds are gluten-free!

BLUEBERRIES

1 cup serving (148 grams) of blueberries contains:

  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Vitamin C: 24% of the RDA
  • Vitamin K: 36% of the RDA
  • Manganese: 25% of the RDA
  • It also contains small amounts of various other nutrients.

Blueberries are made up of approximately 85% water — an entire cup contains only 84 calories, with 15 grams of carbohydrates. Blueberries are believed to contain the highest antioxidant capacity of ALL commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. They protect our bodies from damage by free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cellular structures to our DNA that create aging and contribute to diseases like cancer. What’s more, blueberries can improve cholesterol levels.  Did you know that a daily 50 gram serving of blueberries can lower LDL oxidation by 27% in obese individuals, after a period of eight weeks (17)? Another study showed that 75 grams of blueberries with a main meal significantly reduced the oxidation of LDL lipoproteins (18). Blueberries have been found to lower blood pressure. In one study, obese individuals who were high risk for heart disease had a 4-6% reduction in blood pressure, after consuming 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of blueberries per day, for eight weeks (19). Other studies have found similar effects, especially when looking at post-menopausal women (20, 21). Research also suggests that anthocyanins in blueberries can have extremely beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism — this is GREAT for individuals struggling with PCOS. Blueberries have also been found to help with unitary tract infections. And finally, blueberries have been found to improve memory, so if you’re experience brain fog, these are your allies in lifting that fog!  So, bottom line, eat those yummy blueberries!

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols (3, 4, 5). In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon was the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano (6). Some studies even show that the antioxidants in cinnamon have potent anti-inflammatory effects, which may help lower the risk of disease (3). It reduces levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while HDL cholesterol remains stable (8).  Cinnamon can also reduce insulin resistance, helping the hormone insulin, to do its job properly (10, 11). First, cinnamon has been shown to decrease the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream after a meal. It does this by interfering with numerous digestive enzymes, which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract (12, 13). Second, a compound in cinnamon can act on cells by mimicking insulin (14, 15). This greatly improves glucose uptake by cells, although it acts much slower than insulin itself. Numerous human trials have confirmed the anti-diabetic effects of cinnamon, showing that it can lower fasting blood sugar levels by up to 10-29% (16, 17, 18). Many women with PCOS who are overweight or obese, are pre-diabetic so adding cinnamon to the food you consume each day is important. The effective dose is typically 1-6 grams of cinnamon per day (around 0.5-2 teaspoons). Just make sure you use Ceylon cinnamon whenever possible for greatest benefits.

IN CONCLUSION…

If you’ve never tried, cold overnight oats, I highly encourage them – especially if you have a tendency to need to dash off to work. But per my doctor, make sure this is only eaten 1x-2x a week at the most as rolled oats can act like gluten in the body.

They can also make an easy lunch option to pack if you have a fridge you can access to work. Drop it off when you get to work and they’ll be chilled by lunch. Let me know what you think if you try these. Or if you have some mix-ins you like, feel free to share!

— Erin

 

How Kelp can Help

/ Grow Your Health Gardening Owner & Certified Hydroponic Grower / Leave a comment

When I read that kelp was highly beneficial for my body as a great source of iodine, I was a bit dumbstruck. How on earth was I going to get kelp into my diet? Sushi was off the list because of rice, and I knew that I did NOT want to take another pill. So online I went in search of an easy win. And this is what I came up with …

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I have found it’s easy to add to scrambled eggs, on top of a salad – you name it! You can’t notice the flavor at all which is a win for me after I had tried one of those kelp “snacks” which was just a flavored sheet of kelp.

I’m following the Blood Type eating plan, but many of these foods can be beneficial for those looking to eat better. The Blood Type eating plan focuses on limiting foods where the lectins in the foods react like poison, if you will, within your body. All plants have lectins in them to help protect them against predators. It’s not just insects, birds, and animals that can be influenced by these lectins in plants, but also our bodies. And, research has shown that each blood type reacts differently to different lectins in foods. The lectins can do several harmful things within your body. It can settle in an area and act like a glue. It can also act like the hormone, insulin and let in glucose to fuel the cell, but unlike the insulin, it won’t release and so the cell just continues to fill. If you want to learn more, you can watch this short video that helped me to understand what happens within our bodies with lectins. I was really skeptical when I first started eliminating foods that were on my “do not eat” list because of how the lectins in them reacted with my blood, but I can tell you that after only two weeks of eating according to this food plan, MY JOINT PAIN WAS GONE!  I’m now thinking there is something to this after personally experiencing more energy and no more chronic pain. So, if you have O+ blood type you’ll definitely want to add kelp to your diet as it is highly beneficial (it will help your body heal).

Update: I also found this dropper of kelp that you can add to your water or other liquids while cooking. I just add a dropper to my morning and afternoon water and I don’t even taste it! Awesome!

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Two of my favorite almond butters

/ Grow Your Health Gardening Owner & Certified Hydroponic Grower / Leave a comment

I was a latch-key kid. My mom worked until 5 pm each day, so my brothers and I came home to an empty house. And when you’ve got older brothers, there’s no one to baby you or provide for your needs – at least not my brothers. It was survival when it came to scrounging for snacks out of the pantry.

As a Kindergartner, I would grab the peanut butter jar and a spoon and plop down infront of the TV and eat scoop after scoop. I was a skinny, active little girl and this was probably my largest caloric meal of the day.

When I learned that peanuts were not good for me this past month, I began to look at almonds more seriously. In a short time, almond butter has become a staple in our home.  But for now, my two favorites have been the NaturAlmond brand (I particularly like the honey roasted) and I am in love with Kalot’s Fruit and Almond Butter with blueberries, cinnamon and walnuts – all of which are on my beneficial list! Whoop whoop!

Next step is to make my own Fruit and Almond Butter in hopes of saving some dinero.

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