Remedies for Lingering Crud from a Cold

February 6, 2014May 16, 2017

I hear a lot of people have been suffering this winter from colds that stay and stay. I hear about stuffy or running noses, annoying coughs, and general exhaustion.

My recommendations for knocking this virus out of the body are simple: Garlic tea and vitamins D and C.

Garlic Tea

Garlic tea has an amazing anti-viral properties and couldn’t be easier to make. Mince or smash a few cloves of garlic and place in a mug. Fill with boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes covered with a plate. Add the juice from 1/4-1/2 lemon and enough honey or cane sugar to sweeten.

The most common questions I field about garlic tea are does it make you smell like garlic and does it taste awful? Yes and no. Yes, you will reek of garlic, but hey, you’re sick. How close do you really want to be to other people? And no, when I need it I find it tastes sweet. If you don’t like the taste, add more honey and lemon and plug your nose when you drink it.

I usually eat the garlic at the bottom of my tea, but you don’t need to. Repeat as often as needed.

Vitamin D

If your immune system is working overtime, give it a hand up with a booster dose of vitamin D. I like to use 5000 IU of vitamin D3 during times of immune stress. Unless you are normally immune compromised, only take this high of a dose of vitamin D for 5 days at a time.

I prefer to use liquid vitamin D3 rather than capsules because it is easier to measure the dosage.

Vitamin C

Acerola cherries are one of the most bio-available sources of vitamin C. Almost 40 years ago, Linus Pauling introduced us to the idea that vitamin C could influence health. His theories have stood the test of time and it is now common knowledge that vitamin C can help you avoid or recover from colds.

I give my kids 1 Tablespoon of acerola cherry powder mixed in water or juice each day when they start to exhibit symptoms of a cold until the symptoms disappear.

Vertigo Can Be Caused By Food Sensitivities

February 4, 2014

A few days ago I heard from a client of my food sensitivities clinic. She was complaining of vertigo, a sensation that had plagued her before and had sent her to doctors and medications in the quest to end the dizzy feeling. She had not experienced vertigo for some time but was ready to make a doctor’s appointment to see if another prescription drug could make it stop.

My first question to her was, “What did you eat that was different?”

“Nothing!” she insisted. “I didn’t eat anything new or different than normal.”

I encouraged her to think carefully about her diet over the last few days. She was skeptical that the vertigo could be caused by something she ate because she associated food sensitivity symptoms with the chronic constipation that used to plague her before she took the Mediator Release Test (MRT) four months ago, changed her diet in a few simple ways, and now no longer suffered from that problem.

Sure, food sensitivities can cause chronic constipation, but inflammatory reactions from different substances may manifest in different ways in a single person’s body. Acid reflux and diarrhea are among the most obvious possible reactions, but migraines and headaches, body and joint aches, nerve pain, tics, and yes, even vertigo can be a result of eating an inflammatory food or additive.

“Ah yes,” she remembered. She had enjoyed a dirty martini the previous night with dinner and then had sipped the olive juice directly afterward. Sure enough, olives are on her list of yellow reactives. It had been four months since she had eaten anything containing olives and, if she needed any further convincing as to the accuracy of the MRT test, this incident proved that she was indeed reactive to olives.

Now that we had identified the culprit and correctly diagnosed the situation as inflammation triggered by a food sensitivity reaction, we could take action to help her recover. Our goal was to remove the inflammation and bring her back to an un-inflamed state as quickly as possible.

Most importantly, she was to retreat back to her original “safe diet” based what the MRT found were the least inflammatory foods for her body. An inflamed body is more sensitive to things that it may normally be able to tolerate, so she doesn’t want to inadvertently trigger more inflammation and prolong the reaction.

The second remedy I suggested was to take a dose of homeopathic anti-histamine. A food sensitivity reaction provokes a release of mediators, chemical messengers used by the blood cells to cause inflammation. The most famous mediator we all know is histamine. We know that if we have a stuffy nose in the springtime and take an anti-histamine, we will experience temporary relief while the effect of the histamine release is counteracted.

The homeopathic anti-histamine doesn’t have the side effects of pharmaceutical anti-histamines such as Benedryl. It doesn’t make you sleepy or dry-mouthed, and if it’s not the right remedy, nothing will happen. If, on the other hand, it is the right remedy, you’ll notice a difference in how you feel within minutes.

I suggested she take one dose, then another 15 minutes later, and another 30 minutes later, if needed.

The vertigo began to recede after the first dose. Within an hour after taking the second dose, it was gone completely. She felt fatigued but no longer dizzy.

Homeopathic Anti-histamine Remedy

Homeopathic anti-histamine is a helpful remedy to keep ready and in the house to counteract unintentional exposures to allergens. Taking it shortly after symptoms appear may significantly reduce the severity and duration of hypersensitivity reactions.

Pre-mixed homeopathic remedies are available here by specifying which one you want in the Comments field of the shopping cart.

How to Adapt When Oven Temperature Fluctuates

February 3, 2014

Reader question: My stove varies 18 degrees C before it kicks back on after reaching temperature. Will the recipes still work with this much variation? ~ Kim C., Dade City, Florida

Great question, Kim! I wish I had a better answer for you than “I don’t know”.

The goal is to have the oven at exactly 450 degrees F before putting the full pot inside. Perhaps if you boosted the temperature to 460F 5 minutes after putting the pot inside to get the oven back up to temp that might equal 450F?

I wonder if you played around with your oven and an oven thermometer a little bit you could figure out how to make it work.

Let me know if you figure it out!

Nut or Seed Butter Mug Bread Recipe

January 30, 2014May 16, 2017

SunButter Quick Bread — Grain-free quick bread made with SunButter, egg, and baking soda.

I just discovered this brilliant method of making a quick, filling, bread-like snack in a mug, and it couldn’t be easier. It’s just nut or seed butter, egg, and baking soda mixed together and microwaved for 1-2 minutes, depending on your unit.

I found the original recipe at Relizabeth’s Paleo Runner blog where she made it with almond butter. I pulled out the SunButter to make my version the other day, but I can see making this with all kinds of nut butters.

It was so easy to make. Within all of 5 minutes I had mixed the ingredients, cooked it, and eaten the results. Yummy!

For my first try, I did not add any sweetener and my kids felt it needed it. Next time I think I’ll add a bit of pure maple syrup to the mix.

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Nut or Seed Butter Mug Bread

2 Tablespoons nut or seed butter
1 egg
Allowed sweetener (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc.)
1/8 tsp-1/4 tsp baking soda
Any other add-ins such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, raisins, etc.

Mix egg well in a mug and blend with rest of ingredients until well-combined. Place mug in microwave for 1-3 minutes until bread has risen and is no longer wet. Eat immediately. 1 serving.

Creative Quinoa Recipes from Eliza Cross

January 29, 2014May 16, 2017

Quinoa Pork "Fried Rice" — *Quinoa Pork “Fried Rice”* from Eliza Cross’ new cookbook, The Quinoa Quookbook.

I was honored when my friend Eliza Cross asked me to review the manuscript for her latest book, The Quinoa Quookbook: 100 Quintessential Recipes Featuring Quinoa – “The Superfood”, but I became even more excited once I opened the book.

Eliza has taken quinoa to new lengths with creative ways to incorporate quinoa into all sorts of foods from Banana Maple Quinoa Pancakes to Cheesy Quinoa, Ham and Artichoke Bites, Lentil Quinoa Soup, and Southern Fried Quinoa and Corn. She was recently featured in the Denver Post in a full page story featuring the ancient grain.

The recipe that called to me from the cookbook was Quinoa Pork “Fried Rice”. Of course, I had to deviate from the recipe just a little bit in terms of ingredients, though I followed the procedure to a T and it turned out deliciously!

What did I do differently? Instead of pork and bacon, as called for in the recipe, I used mycoprotein (made from mushrooms), and my vegetables were acorn squash, kale, and scallions. My family scarfed it down – yum!

Here is the recipe from her new cookbook if you’d like to try it.

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Quinoa Pork “Fried Rice” from The Quinoa Quookbook by Eliza Cross.

This updated take on traditional fried rice is my family’s #1 favorite way to enjoy quinoa. Serve it hot from the skillet and see if you agree.

4 strips bacon, diced
1/2 pound lean pork, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut in 1/2-inch diagonal slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in 1-inch diagonal slices
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for five minutes until it just begins to brown. Add the pork, celery and onion and continue cooking until the bacon is browned and the begetables are tender. Add the sno peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the quinoa and soy sauce and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the eggs over the mixture in a stream, stirring constantly, and cook just until the eggs are cooked. Remove from heat and serve at once. 6 servings.