One Grain More. (one must see).

Once in a great while, someone actually draws, posts, or blurts out something funny about food allergies.  No, it is no laughing matter.  But when "can't", "don't", and "life-threatening" sticks to our backs like a big red bulls eye, leaving friends and family cursing under their breath when we come over for dinner, it's time for some funny stuff to rise out of the ashes like a gluten-free phoenix.  

This video is my phoenix for the day, leaving me in tears with quips like:

"tomorrow we'll discover foods that even vegans have fore-sworn." 

I"ll leave you to discover the rest. 

... and thank you, Michael Bihovsky, Lilly Bayrock, Michael J. De Florio, Megan Ermilio, Dena C. Blumenthal, Bernie Langer, Matthew Dorsch, and Elizabeth Filante Sanders.  You peops are awesome.

More info: http://www.michaelbihovsky.com

(And of course, Viktor Hugo and Claude-Michel Schönberg.)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is Good for the Immune System

 

Meditation is Good for the Soul.  Good for the Body.

This week I met with the wonderul Carol Hendershot, owner of Expressions of Grace Yoga Studio in Grand Rapids, MI.  We had a lovely chat about food, stress, the environment, movies, and also the crazy benefits of meditation.  I started practicing meditation a couple of years ago.  I now do it nearly every day.  I confess that I'm still in the toddler stages of meditation, but even so, the benefits I've received have been life changing.  When I start my day wtih even 10 minutes of meditation, the day flows more effortlessly. My appetite improves. I make better decisions. I feel more connected to everything that I do.  When I end the day with meditation, my sleep is more effortless as well.  When you practice meditation, you learn to sort through internal and exteranl junk and move it "out there", so that this ever popular, yet unwanted friend called stress gets less of a foothold in your body and immune system.   The stress doesn't become you.  It's becomes something you can move through and leave behind.

Carol and ApCarol Hendershot, BS, E-RYT 500 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher and Facilitator.ril Hadley, MSW have started a new program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and are offering a wonderful workshop starting this month.  MBSR was founded by Dr. Kabat-Zinn, and studied by different well-respected medical research centers.  Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, for instance, have found that: 

"Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density."

In real people terms, the study found that mindfulness meditators can better regulate emotions, remember stuff, keep perspective, and learn.  (See study abstract).

What's even cooler is that the benefits of meditation for the immune system is becoming fact. 

 Resarchers Say . . .

April Hadley, MSW Masters of Social Work Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Instructor

"Emotional distress activates neuroendocrine stress response systems and increases stress hormone secretion. Stress hormones are well-known to alter immune function...

Integrative approaches to promote wellness and reduce the distress associated with cancer are increasingly considered as essential components of cancer care. Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a program that shows promise as an approach to not only mange the emotional distress that accompanies disease, such as cancer, but to also produce biological benefits that may promote health and contribute to cancer control....

In predominately non-controlled studies of individuals with a variety of medical conditions, MBSR has been shown to assist individuals to more skillfully manage emotions and somatic reactivity to life stressors"

(Read the full article)

~National Institute of Health:  Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on Immune Function, Quality of Life and Coping In Women Newly Diagnosed with Early Stage Breast Cancer

Sign Up

Interested in checking it out?  Sign up for a free orientation on August 15, 2012 (9:30am).  This free session is required before the workshop.  So if you can't make it to this orientation but would still like to participate, give Carol a call.

Visit www.grandrapiscenterformindfulness.com or call 616-361-3660 for more information, the full class schedule or to register.

More Info on Upcoming Classes

8 Week - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, is a unique program developed to help people better understand and work with all the stressors in their lives — medical, psychological and social. It is an education-based class in which you learn to bring the practice of mindfulness into your life, in both formal and informal ways.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that gives you the tools to build a foundation of clarity and calm in the midst of life’s rockiest times.  From this place of stability, you can engage the challenges and joys of your life with a renewed sense of energy and balance.  Mindfulness opens up a greater sense of choice, enabling you to meet each stressful situation more skillfully and with an increased sense of flexibility and creativity.   

Mindfulness is an effective compliment to the traditional treatment of many conditions including:

• Anxiety and depression    
• Insomnia
• Chronic Pain
• High blood pressure
• Cancer treatment and recovery
• Heart Disease
• Demanding work and life situations
• Immune Disorders

Schedule

Free Information Sessions:
Monday, August 13, 6:30 pm at Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Drive 
Wednesday, August 15, 9:30 am at Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Drive

8-Week MBSR Courses Beginning:
Monday, August 20, 6:30 pm • Carol
Tuesday, August 21, 6:30 pm • April
Wednesday, August 22, 9:30 am • Carol

www.grandrapiscenterformindfulness.com or call 616-361-3660 for more information or to register.

PeaceLab Yoga's Favorite Summer Drink Recipes

I'd like to welcome a new yoga studio in Grandville, PeaceLab Yoga.

I met my friend Melanie and her husband Jim in class at a wonderful yoga studio on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids called From the Heart Yoga and Thai Chi Center, run by teaching masters, Behnje Mason and Rick Powell. 

Melanie McQuown has been a student of yoga for many years, and has been teaching for many years, as well.  This spring, she felt that it was time to bless the town of Grandville with this wonderful thing called yoga, and opened PeaceLab Yoga at 5570 Wilson Ave., Suite M, in Grandville, MI.  I've had the privilege of attending a few classes this month, and to attend the free community appreciation class that she held last Friday.  The class was packed and the students soaked in her joyful, knowledgeable approach, and even relished the crazy abdominal work with a mix of moans and glee. PeaceLab has a variety of class types, including those focused on core, and the gentle, restorative class that is super restful as well as effective.  I've been practicing yoga for about 12 years and I learn some new technique or outlook that helps my practice and by bod after every class.  The core and restorative classes are favorites so far, but there are even hot classes for those of you who like to double or triple the size of your sweat.

After the community appreciation class, Melanie served two drinks that got rave reviews from grateful and sweaty students.  I asked her what her recipes were, and she sent me the sources, plus her modifications.  

So try these drinks, and try a little yoga.  Yoga has poses specifically designed to aid digestion, regulate the immune system, help support the thyroid, liver and other organs, as well as develop strength and flexibility.  PeaceLab might help you feel like a new human. 

Lavendar Lemonade

Original Recipe:  Amy's Lavendar Lemonade from All Recipes.com  

Ingredients

1 tray ice cubes
1/2 cup dried lavender
2 cups boiling water
Agave nectar to taste (start with 1/4 and add till you like it) - for those of you who are agave adverse, honey would work well.
8 lemons
5 cups cold water, adding water if you need it

Directions

1. Place ice cubes into a 2 quart pitcher. Place the lavender into a bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes, then strain out the lavender and discard. Mix the sugar into the hot lavender water, then pour into the pitcher with the ice.
2. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the pitcher, getting as much juice as you can. Top off the pitcher with cold water, and stir. Taste, and adjust lemon juice or sugar if desired. Pour into tall glasses, pull up a lawn chair and a good book, and relax!

Watermelon Aqua Fresca

Original Recipe:  Whole Foods Market

Here is the watermelons fresco recipe.  I added mint leaves to the actual watermelon  in the blender, then strained everything together.  If you do not want any pulp in the drink, you may want to strain it twice.  I also doubled the amount of lime juice, just cuz.   Enjoy!

Melanie McGowan

Ingredients

6 to 8 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cold water, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (more or less to taste)
Handful of mint leaves
Ice cubes
Lime slices and mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

Cut the watermelon flesh from the rind. In a blender, process half the watermelon pieces and mint leaves with 1 cup of water until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a pitcher. Repeat the process with the remaining melon and water. You should end up with about 8 cups of juice. Stir in the lime juice and agave. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with lime slices and mint.

My Favorite Gluten-Free Breads

As seen in Women's Lifestyle Magazine's July/August 2012 Edition. 

BREAD IS YUMMY

When I speak to people who are newly diagnosed with a gluten allergy, sensitivity, or celiac disease, they nearly all say, “I miss bread!” Bread has become a huge part of our food culture.  The gluten in bread helps make it taste really good. It lends flavor, elasticity, and general “yumminess.” Bread is a comfort, a joy. Don’t take away my bread!! But alas, we need alternatives. With multiple allergies on the rise as well, these alternatives must be creative.

WHY “GOOD” ALLERGEN-FREE BREAD IS DIFFICULT TO FIND (AND MAKE)

Pastry Chef, Kyra Bussanich is the first Gluten-free winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

She owns CRAVE BAKE SHOP in Lake Oswego, Oregon and is a guest writer for The Tender Palate. I asked Kyra why allergen-free bread is so tough to make:

There are three legs to fantastic baking: gluten, eggs, and sugar. Each contributes something to the texture and structure of the final product, and when you have already replaced one of the legs of the stool, it makes it more difficult to successfully swap out the remaining two legs without adversely affecting flavor or texture (or both).  This is why gluten-free and egg-free baking presents such a challenge.

~Kyra Bussanich, Owner of Crave Bake Shop

The good news is that you don’t have to travel to Oregon to get your comfort on. Here are a two of my favorite breads that you can get off the shelves in your ‘hood and one of my favorite sweet bread recipes that people have been loving.

MY FAVORITE BREAD MIXES

Breads From Anna – Bread Mix (All Purpose Flour Blend)

*Free of Gluten, Yeast, Corn, Dairy, Soy, Nuts, Peanuts, Rice, and GMO

I absolutely love this bread mix. It is sensuous, tasty, and versatile. I’ve used it for open-faced sandwiches, I’ve eaten it plain, and I’ve made stuffing out of it. It is the ultimate comfort bread with or without any kind of butter. Pictured at top is Anna’s sandwich bread, which is lighter and has a bit more structure to it. The All Purpose Flour Blend is fairly dense, which I happen to like, and this is the best bean flour bread that I’ve ever tasted. A side benefit of the Breads from Anna mixes is that they are high in protein and fiber, and quite nutritious!  So pay attention if you are a carbo-loader, this bread will make things happen, if you know what I mean. The mixes are easy to make, and though a bit pricey, they are totally worth it, kids.

Though Breads for Anna has not gone for certification, each ingredient is tested prior to making it to her factory.  She has a completely gluten-free processing plant and does not process any of the top eight allergens in her factory.

 “I have Celiac Disease and Type I Diabetes.  I knew a lot of people needed this and I eat my own products. I feel a lot of responsibility to my customers. You have to be committed in this market.  When I say it’s GMO-free and Gluten-free, I mean it.”

~Anna Sobaski, Owner, Breads from Anna

Chebe – All Purpose Bread Mix

*Gluten-free, can be made Dairy-free.  Does not contain any rice, nuts*, dairy or yeast (see below for processing).

Oh, this bread is wonderful. It is a little crusty on the outside with a wonderfully soft, chewy texture in the middle. It lends such a nice flavor to the sandwich itself, and has a truly crave-worthy texture. I first used it as a hamburger bun and it even held the olives and the organic ketchup on the burger. No mess! I’ve since used it for chicken salad, turkey, and a BLT!

I first saw a Facebook advertisement for Chebe and was intrigued. I wrote to the company for a sample and they immediately sent me a few mixes. This was fantastic because I was able to make their products several times. I found it easier to work the bread with a little olive oil already on my hands.  Kneed this dough well. It will feel like normal gluteny/yeasty dough, just a little stickier. If you do not use cheese (or even if you do) brush the top with olive oil to help it brown and add a sprinkle of sea salt to the top to round out the flavor. If you don’t use all of the resulting rolls, freeze them right away and they thaw and warm beautifully.

Though they do not test for anything but gluten (and they test to 5ppm which we love!), their mixes also do not contain a whole host of other common allergens like rice, nuts, yeast, dairy, etc. So compare your allergy needs to Chebe’s processing. Their factory line does have a separate, nut-free room, for instance, but it does not have a separate nut-free factory.

MY FAVORITE SWEET RECIPE:  DUTCH CINNAMON BREAD

Copyright:  Elisabeth Veltman

*Free of gluten, dairy, soy, rice, nuts, peanuts, yeast

Dutch Cinnamon Bread

This is a great recipe to make on special occasions or to bring to a brunch. It’s flavorful, and is a sweet, soft dessert bread. I find most gluten-free breads, even the good ones, to have a slight hole in the middle of the flavor. The sweet and spicy of this recipe fills that gap deliciously.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Bread Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sunflower, safflower or similar oil (a neutral oil is best, although coconut oil would work and lend a little coconut flavor)
1 cup GF teff flour
1 cup GF buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 can Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (you need the can to include the coconut fat)

Topping / Swirling Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 T. cinnamon

(In a prep bowl, mix these together and set aside.)

Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan (use the same oil you are baking with). In a food processor or mixer, beat the egg, sugar and oil together until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and soda. Remove the coconut milk from the can into a bowl, and beat the fat into the rest of the milk. Add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture alternatively with the coconut milk until blended. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Add the rest of the batter to the pan, and then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top. Using a knife, swirl the sugar into the bread in a figure eight type pattern. Bake 1 hour. Cool for at least 30 min. then remove from the pan.  Slice and serve.  This bread freezes really well.

OTHER GLUTEN-FREE BREAD RESOURCES

Reprinted with permission from Women's Lifestyle MagazineThere is a wonderful recipe site run by Elana Amsterdam. She has Paleo Bread Recipes that I adore.
They are grain-free (made with nut flours, and high protein).  Find them at www.elanaspantry.com

I’m not able to eat these breads because of my specific allergies, but my readers often tout these brands:

Udi’s multi-grain is a consistent favorite.  Find them at www.udisglutenfree.com/

Genius Breads is a new favorite.  Find them at www.geniusglutenfree.com

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery at www.rudisglutenfree.com is another that is mentioned by readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Writer, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table. Find her at www.tenderpalate.com.

Probiotics- The “Good Guys” in Our Gut

Welcome to new Guest Blogger and Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Brooke Kaufman.  I"m super excited to have Brooke on board, her philosophy and skills will be very helpful to the Tender Foodie Community.  Read more about her at the end of her article below.

Welcome Brooke!!

~Elisabeth Veltman

What is a Probiotic?

By Brooke Kaufman, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant

The word probiotic comes from the Latin root words – for (pro) and life (bio). Probiotics are good bacteria that live in our digestive system. For many of us, the idea that there are beneficial bacteria living inside of us sounds like an oxymoron. How can bacteria be good for us? The simple fact is that life would not be possible without these beneficial microbes. Your body contains about 100 trillion bacteria – about three pounds worth – which is more than 10 times the number of cells you have in your entire body! It's now quite clear that the type and quantity of micro-organisms in your gut interact with your body in many ways, and can either prevent or encourage the development of many diseases.

Are We "Too Clean"?

We (in the western world) have falsely come to learn that health is achieved through sanitization. We pasteurize our food, wash it with harsh chemicals, and irradiate it, then wash our hands with anti-bacterial soap before we eat. We seem to be in an eternal battle with microbes. When we begin to understand how vital they are to us, we can switch the focus from all-out war to a more balanced approach. We need to learn how to support the beneficial bacteria in our bodies, and let them do the work of keeping out the “bad guys”. It seems that the more we sterilize our lives and keep microbes out of our food and digestive systems, the less the chance that beneficial bacteria will be able to flourish, and the greater the chance that the more virulent, pathogenic types of bacteria will be able to set up shop in our gut. A simple case of not enough “good guys” to keep the “bad guys” in check is likely to develop.

The Role of Good Bacteria

Intestinal bacteria play an extremely important role in our immune system and overall health. They protect us from illness, enhance peristalsis, and manufacture many vitamins, including B-complex, folic acid and vitamin K.  They also protect the integrity of the intestinal lining, help prevent the colonization of pathogens, help maintain pH balance, and aid with digestion and detoxification.  

Types of Gut Loving Foods

So how do we get more beneficial bacteria in our digestive system? One of the best ways is to incorporate probiotics into our daily diets in the form of traditionally fermented foods, such as:

•    Naturally fermented sauerkraut or Kimchee
•    Natto (Japanese fermented soy)
•    Kefir water
•    Kombucha
•    Miso
•    Yogurt made from raw, organic milk (if you’re not lactose intolerant)

Recipe:  Raw, Fermented Sauerkraut

Making raw sauerkraut is a great way to start experimenting with preparing your own fermented foods because it is super easy and affordable. Conventionally-prepared sauerkraut is cooked in brine, and does not contain the beneficial bacteria that traditionally prepared, raw sauerkraut contains. Most natural food stores sell raw sauerkraut, which is a great option, though sometimes quite pricey. Here’s a simple recipe to start you off:
Raw Sauerkraut

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 carrots, grated (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt

Directions

1.    Grate or slice thinly the cabbage and pound with mallet to release the juices. Save the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside.

2.    Shred the carrots and add to the cabbage. Mix in the ginger and salt.

3.    Place in a ceramic pot or glass container, like a large mason jar.

4.    Cover the mix with the saved outer leaves of the cabbage. Place a plate on top of the leaves. Put a 4 or 5 pound weight on the plate (a brick, a bottle of sand). Cover the container with a piece of cheesecloth and then with a loose lid.

5.     Leave at room temperature for 3-5 days, until desired taste is achieved. Then refrigerate.

6.    When ready, remove the lid and the outer leaves and discard. Store the kraut in the refrigerator in a glass jar. It can be used immediately and will continue to ferment as it ages.

When Is It Ready?

The kraut is "ready" when it suits your taste. You can let it go longer than I've indicated above, if you like a stronger flavor.  Then you discard the leaves on top, and put it an airtight jar. Refrigerating will slow, but will not completely stop the fermentation process. Sauerkraut will last a few weeks in the refrigerator.

You can put kholrabi in your sauerkraut, but you need the cabbage in as the main ingredient to get the fermentation going, since cabbage has bacteria already on it that aid in fermentation.

About Brooke

Brooke Kaufman is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant who creates customized meal plans for her clients with multiple food allergies and intolerances. She enjoys helping people eat nourishing food that is easy to prepare and tastes delicious. She believes that having food allergies and intolerances can be a positive challenge that inspires creativity, and brings a higher level of awareness when it comes to what you put in your body. Brooke believes that when we deeply nourish ourselves inside and out, we can attain optimal health…which includes healing our damaged and inflamed digestive systems.

Brooke received her nutrition education at Bauman College, and has learned through her own personal experience with food intolerances, she also works as a cleanse coach for Cleanse Organic, a 28-day, guided whole food based cleansing program. 

Find her at:  Balance Within Nutrition

Sources:

http://mpkb.org/home/pathogenesis/microbiota

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22781886

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040202064023.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/probiotics.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/02/crucial-role-of-microflora-in-health.aspx