Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more
Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more
Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings? It's actually the spice turmeric. Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color. Actually, Read more
With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19
It is spread by contact with Read more
This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms. Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something.
Of Read more
Sherry has a great story. She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!
"I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan. When I started this journey Read more
Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back. Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey into natural medicine around the same time. As we both Read more
Here’s a throwback post that is certainly appropriate for this October weekend. This smoothie matches the season and will be a great way to start the lovely fall day.
Thanks to Smoothie Queen Amy for this great recipe
I can’t wait to make this Pumpkin Chai smoothie! It’s like the marriage of all my favorite things. It’s around 400 calories, so it’s definitely a meal replacement at this serving size. Here’s the recipe.
Blend the following:
1 1/2 cups milk, or milk alternative (I use almond or coconut because the protein is kickin’)
3/4 cup cooked pumpkin
If you’re a person who likes to know the calories in something you can add them up in no time flat using this FitClick’s “how many calories” link. Just type the food you’re wanting to know about in the search area. And from there you can choose specifics. It takes less than 5 minutes to add up a smoothie’s worth of ingredients.
So I have been struggling with gluten-free baking because honestly — I’ve never been good at baking!! Then when I try to modify recipes using flours I’m not familiar with, it just makes a perfect storm of HOT MESS!
I have always loved zucchini bread and have made it for my family using traditional recipes but today I decided to make some that I could enjoy also. I am a little afraid of coconut still after trying to substitute it into my grandmother’s homemade egg noodle recipe. Let’s just say that I almost vomited after the first bite. So with much uncertainty and trepidation — I tackled this one. I think the trick with coconut flour is to really increase the amount of liquid ingredients to keep it from getting too dry.
So this really turned out moist!! It isn’t super sweet like you would find with some zucchini breads because we are going the healthy route here –But it really is good!!
Ingredients
3/4 cups coconut flour
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
6 pastured eggs (cage-free)
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
Directions:
SUPER SIMPLE!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking loaf pan with coconut non stick spray. Combine all the ingredients except the zucchini and mix together. Then stir in the zucchini and bake for 45 min or until fork inserted comes out clean.
Do you remember watching Wild Kingdom as a kid? Did you happen to notice that the animals attacking their prey would immediately eat the organ meats. I never really thought about why until I listened to Morley Robbins explain the importance of magnesium. Magnesium is the Rodney Dangerfield of the mineral world. It gets “No Respect” I have been so remiss in not learning the importance of this underutilized mineral. Magnesium is a mineral found in oysters, must, seeds, almonds, cashews, pumpkin, pistachios, kelp and organ meats. You can also get it from wheat grass. The strange thing about magnesium is that nobody really talks about its importance. We speak ad nauseam about calcium and vitamin D–but magnesium is the missing component in this triad. It turns out that we may be enduring an epidemic of magnesium deficiency.
First a little history, our ancestors lived in a very magnesium rich environment. It was in the water, food, root vegetables and organ meats that we consumed. Around 100 years ago, the environment flipped. It became a calcium rich, magnesium poor environment. It became much more acidic with toxins. We started refining salt from its natural form (sea salt) which contained a natural balance of magnesium and sodium. Sugar cane started being refined which removes all the magnesium. So now, living in a calcium rich environment we have developed problems lack of the stabilizing magnesium particle. Calcium that isn’t regulated by magnesium causes massive inflammation. Hence (spoiler alert) the inflammation forms free radicals and oxidative stress which progresses to chronic disease states –with heart disease being very significant due to calcium deposits on the arteries.
Uses of magnesium:
Stabilization of bones–magnesium gives bones resilience
Regulates calcium in the body
Vital for support for muscles in body (remember the heart is a muscle)
Here is a link to a great tutorial on how to make magnesium lotion—check it out!
When I turned 30 years old I weighed in at 348lbs; clothes were getting harder to find and more expensive, and my life was getting difficult to manage. When going out to eat we had to have a table because I could not comfortably sit in a booth, my stomach hit the steering wheel when I drove, and at family gatherings, I often sat on the floor in the corner so no one had to navigate around me. My depression and anxiety were getting worse and, as a previous nationally competing athlete, I was disgusted with myself and how I was allowing my health, and weight, box in my life.
After attempting every fad diet plan, ‘cleanse’ and losing a few pounds only to gain them, and some of their friends, back, I was giving up. Then Dr. Angie had me watch a TedTalks video about a high fat, low carb diet and provided me with literature to go through. However, I knew after the video that this high fat, low carb (or Keto) diet change would be manageable. I still got to eat cheese and enjoy meat!
After 6 months, I have lost 60lbs and continue to lose weight even though I am not super strict all the time. When I want something, I have it, but in moderation. I do not beat myself up for slip-ups, or cheat meals. Not only am I am able to sit in booths again, I have started to enjoy shopping, my mental state is better than ever and my body is starting to feel like my own again. My weight no longer controls me.
I still have a long way to go, but I know I will get there.
This is the video I shared with Tara— There are many more that explain the theory of the ketogenic/ low carb/high fat diet.
I love seeing patients make changes that don’t involve pharmaceuticals!!
Share any of your own weight loss adventures in the comments below– and please call or message me if you want more info! You can contact me at the office (317) 217-2626, email at doc@angelamd.com or contact me thru my Angelamd Facebook page.
Congrats Tara! You are such and inspiration and I am so excited to continue to watch all your health improvements!
As many of you may know — my 9-year-old daughter has been extremely ill for the last 4 weeks. It is so painful to watch your child suffer from illness and not be able to do anything to fix it. All the mamas out there know that when our kids hurt– we hurt too and just want to make things better.
I have to express the gratitude that I have that my kids aren’t sick often and that they (Praise God) don’t have any debilitating or chronic diseases. It took one viral syndrome that lingered to get me thinking about how unfathomable it would be to keep strength having a chronically ill child. I have so much respect and admiration for those parents that endure this journey in life. I can’t imagine—
Although Stanley steamer made quite a profit this past two weeks, (Emma’s room looked like a crime scene after an unfortunate projectile incident involving red Gatorade) — The rest of us have tried to stay healthy and avoid this nasty bug.
I have been eating sauerkraut for the healthy probiotic benefits daily ( about 6 forkfuls daily ) along with my Garden of Life probiotic. I even added some Young Living Oil of Oregano that I put in gelatin capsules and take daily. So far so good.
Another major tip is activated charcoal –you can buy that over the counter — (I get mine at Fresh Thyme)– it absorbs toxins in your body before they can harm you. They actually use it for food poisoning and alcohol overdose in the Emergency Room. Ancient Egyptians used it on wounds and Hindus used it to purify water. It is said that it was used in the past to treat anthrax and epilepsy. Common dosing says to take 2 capsules every few hours– but keep in mind that it will absorb some of the good nutrients in your body — so don’t take it at the same time as some of your other supplements .
What the @&*$ is bone broth and why is everyone talking about it and its medicinal benefits. First, bone broth is simply stock! Chicken or beef bones are usually used although you can use venison/lamb/pig etc. They are simmered for over 24 hours or more along with vegetables/herbs etc. The more gelatinous the broth, the more nourishing it is. Simmering the broth breaks down the bones and bone marrow releasing calcium, phosphorus, collagen, cartilage, glucosamine, silicon, chondroitin, and essential acids including proline, glycine and glutamine.
The benefits of bone broth include:
Reduction in joint pain and inflammation– because of the chondroitin and glucosamine
Inhibits infection—“Jewish penicillin”–it apparently activates macrophages/natural killer cells/ B- lymphocytes etc that are important in the immune response to colds/viruses.
Fights inflammation–with the essential amino acids. glycine, proline and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects.
Promotes strong bones –because of the calcium and magnesium –collagen provides the lattice-work for mineral deposition to build strong and flexible bones
Promotes healthy hair and nail growth– this is from all the gelatin in the broth–there is even some thought that it can eliminate cellulite
There is an excellent interview here by Kaayla Daniel, PhD, CCN whom has studied “broth” for over 20 years.
Now—the quality of the soup is only equivalent to the components that you put in it–are the vegetables organic? Are you using bones from pastured animals etc. So if you are making it yourself (the cheapest way) it is very important that you use quality, organic, non-processed ingredients.
I am now drinking bone broth for its primary benefit of healing leaky gut! I have made my own bone broth which isn’t difficult but it is time-consuming for busy working families.
I recently ordered some bone broth from Lance Roll “The Flavor Chef” that I really love.
If you are interested in making your own bone broth—let me know in the comments below and I will post some good recipes! It is much cheaper and as you know “chicken soup is good for the soul!”
