Allergen-Free Recipe - Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic

I used this recipe with almost any kind of fresh bean or pea.  Once you learn how to get the garlic to the perfect doneness, you'll be hooked.

2 c. Green Beans, Trimmed
2 tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbls. Butter Substitute
6 cloves Garlic
Salt






(1) Heat olive in a large pan on medium heat.  Trim green beans and cut into 2" lengths.  Slice garlic cloves.

(2) When oil is to temp, add green beans and stir frequently until the exterior is slightly browned.  Add the garlic and toss.  The key to this recipe to to cook the garlic just long enough so that it is lightly browned but not burnt (burnt garlic is bitter).

(3)  Just before turning off the heat, add the butter substitute and salt. 

Click here to see the entire 2014 Allergen-Free Thanksgiving Menu. 

Success Stories

In addition to my own success with alternative medicine, I regularly offer my support to others who are struggling.  However, my own experience of resisting alternative medicine due to an unyielding faith in western medicine parallels many of those I encounter.  So until recently, I haven't had any takers.  And my first convert was hard won.  After two years of chronic headaches and a year and a half of seeing a neurologist - trying different drugs and therapies - without results, a friend that I spoke to on an almost daily basis finally took me up on my offer.  Within three days of starting my recommendations, beginning with an elimination diet, my friend's headaches were gone.  And with the addition of acupuncture, her energy levels and quality of life dramatically improved.

I am going to start a new series on the blog titled Success Stories to share stories of those who have found relief from alternative medicine.  My goal is to have the stories told by those who had the experience.  Occasionally, I may document the story on behalf of the person with experience - however, my goal is to largely stay out of it (other than sharing my own experience).  In these efforts, I invite anyone who wants to share their story to get in touch with me, regardless of whether the advice you got was from me or somewhere else. 

Car Talk and Alzheimer's

I have been listening to Car Talk, a radio program about (and I use the term "about" loosely) cars hosted by the Magliozzi brothers, on NPR for over a decade now (the show has been a compilation of previous shows, not live, for a few years though).  I am not a huge car guy and couldn't really hold a conversation for more than a minute or two on cars if my life depended on it, but Tom and Ray kept the program entertaining and infectious.  Just last week (on the podcast) Tom and Ray expounded on the phenomenon of high velocity nose picking (nose picking while driving) in a way that cloaked the tastelessness of the subject in pure entertainment.   

Yesterday, Tom Magliozzi, died due to complications of Alzheimer's.  To read the NPR story on his passing, click here.  Although my only connection to Tom was through Car Talk (and the one time I had my car serviced at his mechanic shop), I was saddened to hear of his passing but was also surprised because I did not know he had Alzheimer's.

I am not intimately familiar with Alzheimer's Disease.  No one in my family has had it nor any of my friends.  What I do know is that Alzheimer's is a neuro-degenerative disease without a known cause and without any significant treatment.  Some of the symptoms include (1) memory loss and or the increased need for memory aids, (2) challenges in planning or solving problems, (3) difficulty completing familiar tasks, (4) confusing time or place, (5) difficulty with spatial relationships, (6) new problems with words in speaking or writing, (7) misplacing things and loosing the ability to retrace steps, (8) decreased or poor judgement, (9) withdrawal from work or social activities, and (10) changes in mood.  I cannot help but look at this list of symptoms and identify with at least five (possibly six) just before I began to experiment with alternative medicine.  Click here to read my posts on symptoms, especially the post on Brain Fog.  

Based on my own experiences and other research that I have delved into, I am optimistic that a number of theories and alternative therapies may have some bearing on neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, including but not limited to diet, supplementation, exercise, and acupuncture.  I have suggested some of these therapies to friends with loved ones with Alzheimer's - but as experience bears alternative medicine (even as a complement to western medicine) is a difficult sell.  I, in no way, am saying that there is a proven alternative method to cure Alzheimer's or other neuro-degenerative diseases.  However, the alternative therapies listed above have little if any downside (check with your doctor for any contraindications); and, if I and the other alternative medicine advocates are right, they have tremendous upside.  If you or a loved one is suffering from a neuro-degenerative disease and have questions on plausible alternative therapies, feel free to get in touch with me. 

RESOURCES

To read more on Alzheimer's Disease click here to be taken to the Alzheimer's Association's Website.

To read more from Dr. Perlmutter, a board certified neurologist, on Alzheimer's Disease, please read his book Grain Brain.

 

Experimenting With Diet - Raw Food Diet

What is the Raw Food Diet?

A raw foods diet consists of consuming foods that have not been heated above a certain temperature (I have read numbers anywhere from 104 degrees F to 118 degrees F).  The theory of a raw food diet is that there are enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in whole foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) that are killed or deactivated when exposed to high temperatures and that to get the full nutritional benefit of the foods they should be consumed in as natural of a state as possible. 

The Experiment

In 2010, I intended to spend at least a week on a raw foods diet, including eliminating all seven food allergens (peanuts and tree nuts were the big two that would be difficult on this diet).  However, my goal of one week fell somewhat short.  Practical raw foods (those that do not require using judgement on the freshness of meat or fish for raw consumption) include fruit, vegetables, cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.  This list doesn't include very many sources of fats and proteins and limited sources of starch.  Take nuts out of the picture and the sources of fats and proteins reduce considerably.

I began the diet consuming all of the fruits and vegetables that I could possibly stuff down my throat.  Salads with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar sustained lunch and dinner.  But by the second day of the diet, my energy level was extremely low - I could barely keep my eyes awake at work and could do little more than lay on the couch afterward.  Instead of giving up on the diet, I decided to add nuts to the list - and started off by making a mango pie in a walnut date crust.  The next day, I added raw almonds and cashews to my snack regimen, which resulted in slow hot abdomen pain, as if someone put a heater against my abdomen and slowly turned up the heat.  Additionally, my already low energy level plummeted.  After another day of discomfort and fatigue, I ended my raw foods experiment.

My Take-a-Way

Eating raw foods provides a high fiber, high water content, low calorie, and nutrient dense way to consume foods - all of which can benefit overall health.  On the other side, cooking foods provides a means for eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses and "unlocks" certain nutrients in certain foods that would otherwise be unavailable if eaten in raw form (so I have read).  I have no doubt from my parallel experiences with diet that the raw foods diet provides a nutrient dense, low calorie means of consuming foods that can help improve health and reduce weight.  However, the diet was not feasible for me due to my nut intolerance - which, in my opinion, would be required for this diet to be sustainable.

Since going on this diet and considering the benefits of raw foods, I have considerably increased my consumption of raw fruits and vegetables (largely through smoothies and salads), which supplement a considerable range of cooked meats, gluten-free grains, fruits, and vegetables.

If you're interested in learning more about a raw foods diet, check out this link for Raw Food Recipes. 

Allergen-Free Recipe - Slow Roasted Cauliflower

Instead of avoiding vegetables that don't suit my tastes, I've decided to challenge my investigative and culinary skills to finding and creating dishes that not only change that perception but become everyday favorites.  Cauliflower is one such vegetable.  On the way home from work one day, I heard Yotam Ottolenghi (author of Plenty More) describing his myriad of uses for Cauliflower.  One suggestion he mentioned on the radio was slow roasted cauliflower.  I bought Plenty More hoping to experiment with some of his cauliflower dishes but was disappointed to find there were none.  So I got into the kitchen and started experimenting.  Below are the results - a basic but incredibly flavorful slow roasted cauliflower that brings out the inherent sweetness of the vegetable. 

1 Head Cauliflower
1/4 c. Olive Oil
Salt
Lemon Juice (Optional)





(1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

(2) Slice Cauliflower into 3/4" slices.  Lay on a baking sheet in one layer and slather with olive oil on each side.  Season with salt and bake for 1.5 - 2 hours.

(3) Remove from oven and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired (I would recommend).

In Real Time - Baking Soda

I'm reading through Faster, Higher, Stronger by Mark McClusky - a book on sports science - just now, hoping to glean some insight into how to rehab the body or optimize performance.  One of the more interesting and scientifically proven supplements to aid elite athletes is supplementation with Bicarbonate (aka Baking Soda).  The idea of using baking soda as a supplement is to raise the pH of your blood to help the body neutralize the lactic acid created in the muscles by anaerobic energy production.

Tonight, I decided to try a homemade cocktail that included a nice heaping teaspoon of baking soda (though this is no where near the amount recommended to actually do anything to my body chemistry).  Two words.  Bad idea.  Do you remember the classic elementary school volcano science experiment?  The basic premise - build a volcano, put baking soda inside of a cup in the volcano, dump vinegar onto the baking soda and watch the massive eruption.  Here's a link to a science bob video just in case you'd like a refresher.



Turns out that stomach acid has the same effect on baking soda as vinegar.  Suffice it to say, you will not be seeing future recipes for baking soda cocktails!

  

Allergen-Free Recipe - Loaded Panelle Breakfast

I had some extra Panelle laying around one morning when my taste buds were craving savory.  A quick survey of the fridge resulted in my loaded Panelle Breakfast, which is almost completely made from leftovers (I fried some mushrooms to round out the plate).

Basic Panelle w/ Chimichurri Sauce
Sauteed Green Beans (or other Leftover Vegetable)
Fried Mushrooms
Bacon

(1)  Prepare Panelle w/ Chimichurri Sauce, head leftover green beans, fry mushrooms, and saute bacon.  Combine on a plate and enjoy!