A new twist on one of my favorites!

You guys know how much I love my kale chips. I have been so busy lately, I have only made a batch or two. I did try a few bags of premade ($7-$10, Gulp!)and they were awful. So,while shopping last night, i grabbed a few bags of kale and a .79 bag of TJ's Taco Seasoning. I have discovered an amazing combination that makes the most delicious kale chips ever AND they are so easy. All the ingredients came from my FAVORITE store~Trader Joes! Have I said Thank YOU to the TJ'S decision to build a store in the Woodlands, Texas. I mean, its still 45-60 minutes from me at the farm in Montgomery BUT their selection of organics, beautiful produce, raw cheeses, my kids favorite sourdough, natural cleaning products, organic wines....and of course their prices are GREAT! 

Two bags of TJ's Organic Tuscan Kale

1 package of TJ's Taco Seasoning mix (no MSG-woo hoo!)

1/2 cup Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 to 1 Tbsp Sea or Himalayan Salt

1 cup of Nutritional Yeast

A few cloves of crushed Garlic

Mix all together in a large bowl, spread onto dehydrator screen and dehydrate at 105-110 for several hours until crispy OR spread onto cookie sheet and place in a 170-200 degree (or lowest setting) oven until crispy.

 I kept a bowl of the seasoned kale to enjoy as a salad at lunch topped with pico, avocados and some of my goat cheese. 

I hope you try these.....they are very delicious!

Dangerous Grains......!

Most of you know that I promote the avoidance of ALL processed grains for optimal health. My philosophy stems from a very primitive belief that modern disease and illness is partly associated with the modern agricultural trend. A movement that has steered us away from healthy meats,fats and produce towards a cheap, easily grown modified filler....ceral grains! I recently stumbled upon a great book during my own writing research and I wanted to share a review with you. Dangerous Grains is about the numerous health hazards of gluten grains. It's co-written by James Braly, an M.D. who specializes in food allergies, and Ron Hoggan, a celiac sufferer who has researched and written widely on the subject.

Celiac disease is a degeneration of the intestinal lining caused by exposure to gluten. Gluten sensitivity is a broader term that encompasses any of the numerous symptoms that can occur throughout the body when susceptible people eat gluten. The term gluten sensitivity includes celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, its close relatives (kamut, spelt, triticale), barley and rye. Wheat is the most concentrated source.

Dangerous Grains is a good overview of the mountain of data on celiac disease and gluten sensitivity that few people outside the field are familiar with. For example, did you know:
An estimated one percent of the U.S. population suffers from celiac disease.
Approximately 12 percent of the US population suffers from gluten sensitivity.
Gluten can damage nearly any part of the body, including the brain, the digestive tract, the skin and the pancreas. Sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms are absent.

Both celiac and other forms of gluten sensitivity increase the risk of a large number of diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and cancer, often dramatically.
The majority of people with gluten sensitivity are not diagnosed.
Most doctors don't realize how common gluten sensitivity is, so they rarely test for it.

Celiac disease and other symptoms of gluten sensitivity are easily reversed by avoiding gluten.
Twelve percent of Americans have gluten sensitivity! That's an enormous disease burden coming from a single type of food. I suspect the true incidence may actually be higher. There are preliminary data suggesting that most people may mount an immune response to gluten that does not require antibodies (through the innate immune system). This type of gluten sensitivity would be overlooked by the typical antibody tests, but could still result in damage.

Dangerous Grains also discusses the opioid-like peptides released from gluten during digestion. Opioids are powerful drugs, such as heroin and morphine, that were originally derived from the poppy seed pod. They are strong suppressors of the immune system and quite addictive. There are no data that conclusively prove the opioid-like peptides in gluten cause immune suppression or addiction to wheat, but there are some interesting coincidences and anecdotes. Celiac patients are at an increased risk of cancer, particularly digestive tract cancer, which suggests that the immune system is compromised. Heroin addicts are also at increased risk of cancer. Furthermore, celiac patients often suffer from abnormal food cravings. From my reading, I believe that wheat causes excessive eating, perhaps through a drug-like mechanism, and many people report withdrawal-like symptoms and cravings after eliminating wheat.

I have many clients who have benefited greatly from removing gluten (if not all grains) from their diets. ANYONE who has digestive problems, from gas to acid reflux, or any other mysterious health problem,such as joint pain, arthritis, brain fog and generalized fatigue, owes it to themselves to try a gluten-free diet for a month. Gluten consumption has increased quite a bit in the U.S. in the last 30 years, mostly due to an increase in the consumption of processed wheat snacks. I believe it's partly to blame for our declining health. Wheat has more gluten than any other grain. Avoiding wheat and all other processed grains is the foundation of my health philosophy.

Another notable change that Sally Fallon (Weston Price Foundation and Author, Nourishing Traditions)and others have pointed out is that today's bread isn't made the same way our grandparents made it. Quick-rise yeast allows bread to be fermented for as little as 3 hours, whereas it was formerly fermented for 8 hours or more. This allowed the gluten to be partially broken down by the microorganisms in the dough. Some gluten-sensitive people report that they can eat well-fermented sourdough wheat bread without symptoms. I think these ideas are plausible, but they remain suspect to me at this point. Until research shows that gluten-sensitive people can do well eating sourdough wheat bread in the long term, I'll be avoiding it along with EVERY other processed grain.

I'm not aware of any truly healthy traditional culture that eats wheat as a staple. As a matter of fact, white wheat flour has left a trail of destruction around the globe wherever it has gone. Hundreds, if not thousands of cultures throughout the world have lost their robust good health upon abandoning their traditional and primitive foods in favor of white flour and sugar. The medical and anthropological literature are heavily weighted with these statistics.

So, I suggest that you add this your library of well written books....but save a space on your shelf for Primitive Diva.....coming Spring/summer 2011!

Primitive Diva in The Kitchen....

Working on a few recipes that will be in the upcoming book and I wanted to share one with you. This delicous and decadent dessert is made with ALL raw ingredients, NO sugar, NO dairy, NO grains(gluten free)A great way to entertain guest, get more veggies and nuts into your diet and still maintain DIVA'ish healthy figure ~!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

(Double layer base of cake)

8-10 Organic Carrots
1 1/2 Cup of Walnuts
1 1/2 Cup of Medjool Dates(soaked)
1 Cup of Organic Raisins
2 Inch slice of Ginger or 2 tsp dried Ginger
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Cup of Shredded Coconut

(Frosting)
2 Cups Natural/Raw Cashews (soaked overnight and rinsed)
Juice from one(1) Orange
**Optional: 3 Tbsp of Raw Local Honey OR 3 Medjool Dates

Blend the cake ingredients in a food processor until mixture is mealy but formable. Form 2 equal layers for your cake and set aside. Now blend the frosting ingredients in a blender (I use my amazing Vita-mix for this- it is the best a DIVA can have, right?) You need to blend this until it is creamy smooth and no lumps. This requires alot of stirring, tamping and blending---be patient the creamy results are sooooo worth it! Once frosting is done, spread between the cake layers on your serving platter and then frost as you would a conventional cake. Decorate with carrot curls, coconut shreds and a few raisins. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before slicing and serving. This is a big hit EVERY time I serve it. Let me know how you like it!

Intensati Workouts

I am looking forward to trying my Intensati Workout today. I will give a complete review this evening. Have a beautiful day----with mindful intention stay healthy in MIND, BODY and SPIRIT!

Listen to Connie Bennett's interview with Ms.Moreno the creator of INTENSATI

Tips for staying on the road to great health while travelling

Many clients, friends and family, who recently travelled over Spring Break , have complained about the difficulty of staying on a healthy eating program and losing their routine with exercise while away from home. It seems that most of us return from vacations more exhausted and mal-nourished than before our much needed breaks. I wanted to share some of my personal strategies for staying on track while on the road.

CAR TRAVEL:
• Stop at least every 2 hours and take a short walk for circulation. Deep breathing and stretches will help reduce fatigue and muscle stiffness.

• Most small towns across the country have a well known Super Center. These MEGA giant stores are great for walking in any climate. Why not just do lunges and get some cardio by skipping through the store----you never know, you may wind up on a viral email that has become famous for this retailers shoppers :-) On a serious note, these stores surprisingly have an ever increasing selection of Organic produce. Here are a few healthy and balanced ideas: A bag of pre-washed veggies (i.e. organic brands of cauliflower, carrots and broccoli), a container of your favorite hummus dip -- Sabra brand is great www.sabra.com. On a recent 16 hour trip from Texas to Colorado—we would stop for fuel for both ourselves and the car. I would grab the human fuel and my husband would fuel up the car. During the next hour we would enjoy roasted chicken (low salt)/deli sliced, some olives, organic veggies with some organic fresh fruit. It was so filling and hydrating and kept us on our quest for healthy living AND a healthy budget that only took 10-15 minutes out of our travel time. You might also pick up a jar of natural peanut butter or almond butter www.maranatha.com to spread on an organic apple or on an organic brown rice cakes (my favorite is www.lundberg.com ). In my purse or in the glove box of my car I always have a few Lara Bars- www.larabar.com and the mini bags of natural almonds www.emeraldnuts.com . Water…….you should always fill up several BPA free containers of filtered water from home (save the earth and your wallet) and bring on your trip to stay well hydrated. I also pack several packets of Emergen-C www.emergenc.com in many different flavors. You can add this to your filtered water or even sparkling water like La Croix, Perrier or Pellegrino as a healthy treat that is an alternative to a soda---my kids love these (try the pink lemonade flavor with a lemon La Croix—yum!)Missing your green leafies while travelling....? A great way to keep your energy and intestinal health on track--- try a packet of Green Vibrance www.vibranthealth.us

• Lastly, I carry several essential oils with me while travelling. Aromatherapy can treat anything from a headache (peppermint), sinus trouble/congestion (eucalyptus) and stress (lavender)….there are many more therapies for using oils- read more here www.auracacia.com they even have a new iphone application that you can download for free with many aroma therapy remedies—perfect for the ont the go traveler!


HOTEL:

• Find out ahead of time if you will have a Mini-Fridge, MW and a Coffee Maker

• EXERCISE/MEAL PLANNING: After your check in-- take a walk (or drive if distance/weather is a factor) to the local grocery store to pick up a few things to keep on hand for a quick meal. Look for an on-site fitness center if available. If not, then you can bring along a work-out program that requires only 10 minutes in your room – “The Travellers Ten” ! 10 exercises in 10 minutes for total body that includes; squats, tricep dips, lunges, push ups and more. Send me a message if you have interest in this video.

• BREAKFAST: Oatmeal, Whey Protein Powder, Blueberries, Ground Flax and Walnuts OR 1/2 cup of Blue Diamond Almond Milk and some low sugar granola like Bare Naked or a new favorite--Laughing Giraffe-Gluten Free granola! Thanks to Integrative Nutrition and their generous gift box of goodies- I am addicted to the Walnut,Pecan,Cherry and Ginger flavor. Try some at www.thelaughinggiraffe.com

• SNACK: Guayaki Yerba Mate www.guayaki.com and an Organic Apple with some Maranatha Almond Butter (see above)

• LUNCH: Brown Rice Cakes (Lundberg) , Albacore Tuna, Cucumber, Red Pepper

• AFTERNOON Pick Me Up: A Packet of Green Vibrance (see above) an hour before dinner.

• DINNER: Okay------you can’t stay in the hotel ALL day. Find a local favorite and a make a “Lean and Green” Choice. If you need more information just contact me and I will give you my Lean and Green philosophy and list 

Treat yourself with a SPA Therapy while away. Bring a container of Sprout Wellness Sugar Body Scrub (brown sugar, coconut oil, powdered coconut)for a healthy glow. So pure and good that you could actually eat it! Visit www.sproutwellnessnyc.com. Epsom Salt baths/scrubs are also a wonderful treat to sore, achey muscles from sitting in the car for many hours-Relax and Enjoy!


Try to maintain an adequate sleep schedule so that you do not disrupt sleep habits. Trouble getting to sleep in unfamiliar places…? There are many natural solutions for sleep aids that range from using the aromatherapy oils (see above) Low doses of Melatonin and the amino acid 5 HTP works great for most people. *Please consult with you physician before taking any supplement even if it is over the counter. I hope you found this information helpful. Have an amazing day and stay healthy!