Amazingly, Delicioso Raw Tacos

I am so excited to share this recipe!!! Everyone will love these wraps!  Even your meat eaters will surprise themselves and ask for more.  These little wraps are full of texture and flavor in a surprisingly blend that will tickle your taste buds.  They are gluten and dairy free and chock full of nutrients. The walnuts, when pulsed, have the texture of meat.  All you will need is a food processor. A really good blender can do the trick as well.

This recipe makes 3 wraps

            Serves 1-2

(I can easily eat this all by myself at one sitting)

1/2 Cup walnut pieces

1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Tablespoon cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 of a red onion sliced
1 Tablespoon Braggs Amino

1/2 chopped tomato
1/4 ripe mango sliced
1/2 avocado sliced
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 lime wedges

3 collard green leaves with stems broken off (they make a wonderful wrap and are chock full of

Pulse the walnuts and spices about 3-4 times.  Then add onions and Braggs and pulse 4-5 times.  It's very important to not over pulse.  You don't want to make a spread but keep the nuts chunky.

To make the wrap; Take a whole collard green leaf with the tough stem cut off.  Lay it down length wise.  Spoon 1/2 of the nut mixture on one side of the stem running through the center the leaf.  Add a couple slices of mango, avocado, and bell pepper, 1 T. tomato and about 1 T. chopped cilantro.  Squeeze a little bit of lime on top then get ready to roll into your wrap.  Roll the long end of the leaf completely over the mixture 1 time + and then fold both outside ends in and continue to roll the long end until it is compleley rolled up.  Cut the wrap in half and enjoy!!!

Moody Men-It's a hormone thing

When most people think of hormone imbalances they think of the raging, chocolate craving, moody PMSing still ovulating woman or the hot flashing menopausal woman but hormone imbalances can occur in men as well.  And they can be just as devastating as a woman's imbalance and are, unfortunately most often undetected.  Andropause which is the male form of hormonal imbalance is the imbalance of estrogen (too high) and testosterone( too low) in men and can hit as early as age 30 to age 70. It is usually precipitated by stress, bad diet, and lifestyle which can also causes elevated cortisol levels which influence hormone production.  There can also be a genetic component that can predisposed a man to an imbalance.

In men, both testosterone levels and estrogen levels need to be measured but estrogen levels are often overlooked and not measured.  Many doctors have not realized the delicate necessity of testosterone and estrogen to be in balance.  If there is too little estrogen then men are predisposed to osteoporosis and bone fracture. If there is too much then there is a bigger predisposition to prostate cancer and colon cancer.

Low testosterone and elevated estrogen levels are associated with  moodiness, low libido, Heart disease, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, chronic inflammation, depression, reduced sexual desire and a loss of sense of well-being.  Excess abdominal fat, low energy, loss of insulin sensitivity, atherosclerosis, prostate and colorectal cancers, elevated cholesterol levels are all signs of a possible hormonal imbalance as well.  It would be an understatement to say that these little chemicals have a far reaching influence on how we feel and our overall general health as well. Some doctors feel that as many as 50-70% of adult Americans could benefit from hormone testing

There is some disagreement amongst the health care profession as to the best way to test hormones-salivary vs blood. I feel that the best way to test cortisol levels and sex hormones is by salivary testing. Salivary testing is measuring the amount of hormone in the tissue while blood measures the amount circulating in the blood.  And since our hormone levels fluctuate throughout day, the salivary collection allows for that fluctuation as it is taken at 4 different times throughout the day.  The diurnal rhythm of cortisol levels, which is very important, can easily be measure with the saliva collection where collection of blood four times a day would be very difficult.  The salivary test is kit made easy to do at home/office and is easy to pop in the mail in the self addressed and prepaid envelope.

Men, if you are  or have experienced any of the above symptoms and would like to test to see if your testosterone, estradiol, DHEA, and or cortisol levels are in the correct ranges please contact my office at  949-370-9843.  Women, these same test are also available to you.

Just a note here, I have found that it is very important to test cortisol levels whenever testing sex hormones as the health of the adrenal glands influences the output of progesterone, estrogen, testosterone and DHEA.

In Health and well being,

Cindy

Dirt Balls

Decadent Dirt Balls

This treat is chock full of flavor, fiber, good fats and will satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your blood sugar level and happy.  It's gluten and dairy free and I hope you will love it! 

Prep Time:15 Minutes                                                                         
Chill Time: 30 minutes

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup rolled oats                                                          
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon Pure Maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes-chopped fine

1. Combine the cashews and oats in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until as fine as breadcrumbs.
2. Add all remaining ingredients, and process until it forms a large ball.
3. Roll out 12 equal balls and pour the coconut flakes out onto a large plate
4. Roll each ball in the coconut until completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store leftover dirt balls in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutritional Analysis:
Serving Size (1 Dirt Ball): Calories 200, Fat 9 g, Sat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 7 g, Protein 6 g, Carbohydrates 29 g, Sodium 4 mg.

this recipe is from Dr. Mark Hyman's new cook book, The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook

Why cooking can save your life... (this is an excerpt taken from a post on Dr. Mark Hyman's blog)The cure for what ails us, both in our bodies and in our nation can be found in the kitchen. It is a place to rebuild community and connection,  strengthen bonds with family and friends, teach life-giving skills to our children, enrich and nourish our bodies and our souls. Yet, in the twenty first century, our kitchens and our taste buds have been hijacked by the food industry. In the 1900's only 2% of meals were eaten outside of the home, today that number is over 50%.

The "food Like" substances, full of fat, salt and sugar offered by the industrial food system tricks our taste buds into momentary pleasure. But our biology rejects the junk forced on our genes and on our hormonal and biochemical pathways and the results is the disaster that we have in America today. 70% of us are overweight and in less that a decade the rate of pre-diabetic or diabetic teenagers has quadrupled. Increasing from 9% to 23%. 
  
 My editorial...Another way to look at it is that almost 1/4 of our teenagers have blood sugar issues. That's a very scary thought and sad as well. The cost to the health care system will be staggering unless this is turned around and turned around soon and more importantly, the quality of life for these young people as they become adults will be severely compromised.

I hope you will consider cooking at least 5 meals a week at home and involve your kids, young and old as well. It brings benefit on so many levels.  Bon Apetite!

Chili in the "Raw"

Well, it's too bad that I did not remember this recipe in time for Super Bowl Sunday as it would have been a wonderful, tasty, feel good dish to have had amongst the chips and guacamole, chicken wings and pizza. And it goes really well with beer too.  But here it is now and I hope that you will still try it out!  What makes this dish so yummy are all of the spices.  You will need a good blender along with either a food processor or a really good sharp knife and cutting board.

Chili in the "Raw"
Serves 2-4

1 Portobello Mushroom, chopped                

1/2 cup minced celery                               

1/2 cup chopped red onion                          

1 red bell pepper                                           

1 cups almonds, soaked 4-6 hours                

1 cup chopped carrots                                  

1 1/2 cups sun dried tomatoes, soaked        

2 cups water, fresh or from the sundried     

  tomato liquid  
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. Organic maple syrup or molasses
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Braggs Amino
1 clove garlic
2 T. Fresh oregano
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper                   

Optional ingredients for garnish, more taste and nutrition:
1 Avocado, chunked -great source of good fat and folic acid
4 T. cilantro chopped-helps to detox the liver and source of Vit C
1/2 cup plain yogurt (if you are dairy free, use goat's yogurt or goat cheese)

Place mushrooms, celery, onion, and bell pepper in a large bowl.  Pulse almonds and carrots in food processor until a chunky consistency is achieved, add to bowl.  blend remaining ingredients in a really good blender, like a Vita-Mix or a Magic bullet which is much less but, I think does a bang up job!  Blend these ingredients until smooth.  Add to bowl and mix all ingredients until well combined.  Store in refrigerator and warm, if needed to a tepid temperature.  Serve and top with any of the garnishes above and enjoy! 

Some tidbits....The Portobello mushrooms give a meat like texture, so is pleasing to the meat eater and may even confuse them a bit.  Use the Braggs instead of soy sauce because it does not contain wheat or gluten,  soy sauce does.  Try to use as many organic ingredients as possible, even your spices.



Free Webinar-Find out your INFLAMMATION Quotient

INFLAMMATION...the "Secret Killer"

In 2004, Time Magazine report that there was a general consensus amongst doctors that Inflammation is the underlying cause of chronic disease.  Chronic diseases are what makes up about 90% of doctor's visits and include diabetes, heart disease, elevated cholesterol, depression, eczema, cancer, arthritis, hypothyroidism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the list goes on.

How much inflammation do you have?  If you would like to get a better idea, then I would like to invite you to attend a free Webinar that I will be giving Wednesday, December 19th @ 4:00 PM PST.  This webinar will help you to rate the degree of inflammation running your body, how to identify it and then I will give you some steps to take to help cool the fire within.

Please click the link below to register for this Webinar.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7740777710794070784





Gluten Free Pie Crust

This yummy, rich crust is perfect for a pumpkin pie.

Makes a 9 Inch Pie

•  1 cup GF certified rolled oats, processed into a fine flour OR 1 cup GF oat flour
• 2 cups raw pecans
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp ground flax
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (acts as the binder, honey may work if you prefer that)
• 1 tbsp Butter of Earth Balance, melted

• Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well and preheat the oven to 350 F. In a blender, process your oats into a very fine flour. If you don’t think your machine can get the oats fine enough, then I suggest buying oat flour from. The oat flour needs to be very fine in this crust, not flaky or chunky.
• In a food processor, add 2 cups pecans and process until it starts to clump and oils start to release (about 35 secs), but don’t make pecan butter either. You should be able to make a ball with the pecan dough
• Melt earth balance with brown rice syrup for about 30 secs in microwave. Stir. Transfer clumpy pecan mixture into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Using your hands, squeeze the dough over and over to combine very well. You should be able to form a ball with it. If it's too dry add a bit more oil.
• Spoon the pecan dough onto pie dish and smooth out evenly. Press down firmly with fingers to form a crust, bringing it up along the sides. Press as firmly as you can. Prick base with fork 12-13 times. Prebake at 350F for 9-12 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Remove and cool for 10 mins.
• This recipe comes from a great blog by Angela Liddon @  http://ohsheglows.com.  I recommend visiting this site for some more wonderful recipes that are gluten and diary free.