Beautiful B.C.

In a few short days I'll be heading off to Vancouver to attend the 39th Annual International Conference for Orthomolecular Medicine. Whew!! That was a mouth full! I've never been to Vancouver before and I'm really looking forward to spending time in a city that is full of greenery and has one of the smallest carbon footprints of any major city in North America. I can't wait to check out the cafes, the restaurants, and STANLEY PARK, which has just over 150,000 trees! Oh ya....and the seminar! So....what exactly is Orthomolecular medicine? Orthomolecular was a term used by Linus Pauling, (who by the way won TWO nobel prizes) that is based on the use of optimum doses of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and trace elements. All these nutrients are substances natural to the body and when used in correct doses, can resolve imbalances or deficiences. Linus Pauling, back in the 60's, suggested that mega doses of vitamin C may be helpful in dealing with cancer. Of course, he was scrutinized by the medical community, but having two nobel prizes under his belt, his studies couldn't be ignored! In 1979 he wrote a book with Dr. Ewan Cameron (a surgeon) titled- Cancer and Vitamin C. If you could get your hands on this book, it describes the impressive results from their trials with vitamin C. I would pay a visit to http://www.orthomed.org/index.html to learn more about Orthomolecular medicine and about the leading researchers and pioneers who study the relationship betweeen health and disease with nutrition. I still can't understand how Medical doctors today (some...not all), don't understand the importance of eating a healthy diet. Most doctors think cutting back on sugar by replacing it with splenda, or lowering the intake of fat by consuming margarine is a 'health conscious, preventative nutritious choice!!' These are FAKE FOODS PEOPLE!! Aside from fake, they are highly toxic. Eating closest to nature is what will keep you healthy, and yes...that means eating BUTTER NOT MARGARINE! If we could combine Allopathic Medicine with Orthomolecular Medicine, we would see people suffering from disease actually get better!!

During this Orthomolecular conference, I'll be learning about- The Origins of Modern Disease, Nutrition and Pregnancy, A Diet for Longevity, The Importance of Iodine (an underutilized nutrient), Cancer Care, Toxic Chemicals and Mental Health, and much much more!! I can't wait! I'll have so much to share with you all when I get back. So enjoy your week, and I'll be back with lots of great info and probably some amazing Vancouver pics!

Bye for now!

Roasted Portobello Sandwich w/ Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

At my house, as soon as the days get warmer, the barbecue gets used often! I love grilling veggies on the barbecue, but my parents prefer to grill meat!! So...here is a recipe that is oh-so-good, that I swear will get meat lovers everywhere drooling!

This recipe is taken from the book- CLEAN FOOD by Terry Walters. I've made a few of my own tweaks to the recipe.

Portobello mushrooms are so meaty and full of flavor which make them a great substitute for meat in recipes. This sandwich is so full of yummy-ness (yes...that's a real word?!?!) that I'm sure it will become a staple in your house this summer.

Ingredients:
- Portobello mushrooms (1-2 per serving)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp minced fresh herbs of choice (thyme, oregano, parsley, basil)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sourdough bread or Nordico Oval bread from-Artisano Bakery (www.artisanobakery.com)- 2 slices per serving
- Roasted red peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Romaine or fresh spring mix lettuce
- Mustard (honey dijon)- optional


Aioli:
- 6 sun dried tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil mayo or I like to use vegenaise and I add a touch of sriracha hot sauce to the mayo
- 2 tbsp freesh italian herbs of choice
- pinch of sea salt



Preparing Aioli- soak dried tomatoes in hot water for 15 mins. or until soft. With food processor/blender running, drop in garlic. Process until minced. Squeeze excess water form tomatoes and add them along with mayo to the food processor. Scrape down side of the processor as needed and blend until smooth. Add herbs, salt and process lightly. Transfer to a container and refrigerate to allow flavors to blend. This aioli will last approx. 4-5 days in the fridge.

Roasting Portobellos- Preheat oven to 400F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wipe mushrooms with a damp towl to clean. Discard stems and rub smooth side with olive oil. Place smooth side down on cookie sheet and sprinkle insides with italian herbs, pepper and pinch of salt. Roast for about 8-10mins. until soft. Remove and set aside.

OR....

Grilling Portobellos- Grill on high heat for approx 10-12 minutes. I like to marinate my mushrooms in some olive oil and garlic for about half an hr before grilling.

Assembling- Slice bread and lightly toast. Spread aioli on toast and top with roasted portobello, roasted red peppers, avocado and lettuce. Spread mustard on second piece of toast and top sandwich. Serve warm.

Take a really big bite and enjoy!!!

Nature provides all we need

I attended an amazing seminar this weekend on Pediatric care which was taught by Dr. Robert Abell, a Naturopathic Doctor who lives out in Austin, Texas. He shared some amazing protocols for treating childhood ailments, but he also shared a great story about a 6 year old boy he treated back in 2001. It was quite a jaw dropper. So...the story goes....in 2001, this 6 year old boy came into his office and had been diagnosed with asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis. He was on approximately 10 different medications to treat his 'diseases' and had been taking these meds continually for 3 years...not one day break from his meds! AND....if he missed a day of his meds, his sinusitis got really bad. So...this isn't the worst part. This child had SEVEN nasal/respiratory surgeries!!! SEVEN!!!! Can you imagine the trauma this poor child had been through almost his entire life!? With each surgery, his parents were told that there is no way...NO WAY....that his infections would recur....BUT....they always did! So....they go to visit Dr. Abell in April 2001. He starts the boy off on some very simple protocols...some probiotics and some UNDA numbers. UNDA numbers are a combination of plant remedies in a homeopathic dilution.....remedies the way nature intended! So, 2 weeks go by, the little boy is doing great. Another 2 weeks go by, he's still great and then Dr. Abell gets him off all his meds! His parents obviously freak out, fearing that their son will get an infection from being off of his meds, but no.....he's perfectly fine! So finally, after treating the boy for about a year, and giving him some very simple protocols, their son is CURED of asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis. To this day, the boy who is now 15 has never had ANY respiratory problems. The best part is that he was treated initially by 'TOP' UCLA physicians. The mother wrote a letter to these doctors asking for them to contact Dr. Abell and discuss the protocols he used to cure their son and not once did he recieve a call. So even though Dr. Abell isn't reading my blog....I would just like to applaud him and all the Naturopathic Doctors who truly understand disease, physiology and work to treat root causes of disease, not just symptoms. I truly believe we can always rely on nature to heal.

Oh Sweet Sugar....

Glazed doughnuts, chocolate chip cookies, pecan pie, creamy puddings, cakes, candies...oh the joy of sweetness! We all love to indulge in a sweet treat, but a treat no longer it is! We eat sugar waaaaay to often. In the old days, sweets were truly a treat and were few and far between. Generally, these treats were sweetened with raw honey, or real maple syrup...the good stuff! Nowadays, our sugar fix comes from highly refined sugar. This highly processed sugar is virtually in every packaged food in the grocery store and probably lurking in all of your cupboards! It also goes under the alias- high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltodextrin, maltose...just to name a few. Consuming just 4 tablespoons of sugar a day has been linked to numerous diseases and imbalances in the body. Here are just a few:

- Lowers ability of enzymes to function
- Impairs structure of DNA
- Raises adrenaline levels in children
- SIX tablespoons paralyzes phagocytes, which suppresses the immune system by almost 90%
- Causes hormonal imbalance
- Contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection
- Causes free radical formation in the blood stream
- Increases fasting levels of glucose in the blood
- Candidiasis (yeast infections)
- Overstresses the pancreas, causing damage

These are just 10, of the 124 known diseases and imbalances caused by sugar! Not only do you need to worry about processed sugar, but you also need to be watchful of artificial sweeteners! Aspartame, sucralose, cyclamate, acesulfame potassium...these are definite NO NO'S!!! The fact that they are called ARTIFICIAL says it all!! Do we really need to consume something unnatural, something foreign to the body, something ARTIFICIALLY made??!! NO WAY! These artificial substances are known neuro toxins. What this means is that they can actually alter brain chemistry and specifically act on nerve cells...not a good thing! You must avoid these at all costs. Even though we may be consuming small amounts of these artificial substances at a given time, consuming them on a daily basis, day after day, adds up to quite a bit over the years!

Lately, I've been using stevia or xylitol, more plant based natural sweeteners. But above all, my favorite is agave nectar! This sweet treat comes from the cactus plant, and I like to add it to my tea or even my baking. The dark agave tastes similar to maple syrup and it is yummy!

The best sweet fix of all is FRUIT! Fruit is nature's candy. Aside from being sweet, fruit is loaded fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and lots of supportive nutrients. So ditch the sugar, and eat more fruit to fix your sweet tooth!