Tag: paleo Page 1 of 2

SWEET POTATO CAKES

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On September 4, 2014

In Recipes

Sweet potato cakes are delicious! They are a perfect side dish served with breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and grated

1/4 cup grated onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder

1 egg

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/4 cup coconut flour or rice flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons coconut oil

Directions

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients.
Using a large spoon, scoop out the mixture and place it into a large greased skillet over medium-high heat.
Gently press out the scoops to form patties.
Fry a few at a time, until golden brown and slightly crispy. About 3-5 minutes on each side.

Tip – After shredding, squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the potatoes.

I hope you enjoy!

Jenna

TROPICAL GREENS SMOOTHIE

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On July 28, 2014

In Recipes

During the hot summer months I enjoy starting the day with a bright and refreshing smoothie. What do you like to put in your smoothie?

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced mango

Juice of 1-2 small limes

1 peeled cucumber

1-2 green figs (Trader Joe’s has Organic Green Figs in the freezer section)

1-4 cup(s) of liquid: unsweetened almond milk, coconut water or celery water. Adjust amount of liquid to your taste and thickness desired.

Large handful of cilantro leaves (no stems please)

Large handful of baby spinach

Preparing your Tropical Greens Smoothie

Place the cilantro leaves, cucumber, figs, baby spinach and almond milk in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.

Add the mango and lime juice and purée once more until you get the consistency you like.

Pour your smoothie into a chilled glass and enjoy!

Blessings,

Jenna

SPINACH CILANTRO MEATBALLS

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On June 30, 2014

In Recipes

I am always on the lookout for healthy, easy and practical recipes for my family. This meatball recipe is ideal because it is easy to make, delicious and can be frozen for future use! The meatballs are perfect for school lunches, summer picnics, dinner…you name it.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground meat (grass-fed beef, organic chicken, organic dark meat turkey, bison)

1/2 of a Vidalia onion, finely chopped

1 tsp ground Celtic sea salt

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

2 cups organic baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup fresh organic cilantro, finely chopped

2 eggs (beaten)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Roll the mixture into medium-sized balls and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes, until cooked all the way through and meatballs are beginning to brown.

Serves: about 30 medium meatballs

Tip: The meatballs can be frozen in an airtight container for future meals. Just re-heat them in the oven and they are ready to be enjoyed!

Blessings,

Jenna

GRANNY SMITH CHICKEN RECIPE

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On June 12, 2014

In Recipes

This tasty dish is easy to make and is a big hit with my children! The combination of tartness from the Granny Smith apple mixed with the chicken is delicious.

Ingredients

Chicken tenderloins (2 packages)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
2T. coconut oil.
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 lg clove garlic, minced
2T. coconut aminos
1T. minced fresh parsley or 1t. dried parsley flakes
1/2t. thyme leaves
1 large Granny Smith green apple, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
4 cups fresh organic baby spinach

Directions

Season the chicken with pepper and salt.
Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet that has a cover, and brown the chicken pieces well on both sides.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until translucent.
Add the apples, coconut aminos, parsley and thyme and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the browned chicken and fresh spinach and simmer for an extra 5 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my children do!

Jenna

HOMEMADE PALEO ALMOND GRANOLA

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On May 27, 2014

In Recipes

It’s really hard to find a granola without oats. Even granola that says it’s made with gluten-free oats is questionable. In addition, most granolas are very high in sugar. Therefore, I have put together a recipe with no added sugar that is made with all natural and paleo ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons almonds (soaked*)

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (soaked*)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Handful of dried, fresh, or frozen organic blueberries (or other fruit of your choice)

Sprinkle of Vietnamese cinnamon

Pinch of Celtic salt

Add Ons:

Unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk

*Soaking Tips and Instructions:

Soak nuts and seeds:
1. To remove or reduce phytic acid.
2. To remove or reduce tannins.
3. To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
4. To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.
5. To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.
6. To break down gluten and make digestion easier.
7. To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.
8. To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
9. To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.
10. To prevent many health diseases and conditions.

Soak your nuts and seeds in water, salt water, or a warm water mixture with something acidic like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Within 7 to 24 hours the enzyme inhibitors are neutralized and the anti-nutrients are broken down regardless of the method you choose. Don’t forget to rinse the nuts and seeds with filtered water before storing, drying, or eating them.

If you choose to eat the nuts or seeds wet, make little batches and store them in the refrigerator. Or, you can dry the nuts and seeds in a dehydrator or oven on the lowest possible setting for 24 – 48 hours to remove all moisture.

Instructions:

Take 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin seeds and your almonds and pulse in the food processor a few times on low-speed until it reaches the consistency you like.

Put the mixture from the food processor into a bowl.

Add chia seeds, coconut flakes, blueberries, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the milk of your choosing and enjoy!

Blessings,

Jenna

ALMOND MEAL CRANBERRY PANCAKES

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On April 23, 2014

In Recipes

Ingredients

2 cups almond meal (or 1 ¾ cups almond flour and ¼ cup Millet flour)

½ c finely shredded unsweetened coconut

3 eggs

1 cup Native Forest coconut milk

2 T. coconut oil

1 apple, peeled and grated

¼ tsp fine Celtic or Himalayan salt

½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen organic cranberries (or other berries of choice)

Directions

Add all ingredients (except cranberries) to blender and mix well
Stir in ½ of cranberries
Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter onto a medium griddle greased with coconut oil. Cover pancakes while cooking to help them cook evenly all the way through. Make sure the pancakes are browned well before flipping.

Toppings

Syrup – I love maple syrup, however, I do try to limit sugar for myself and my family. I mix warmed coconut oil or cool/room temperature organic flaxseed oil with a small amount (about 1 tsp) maple syrup and pour over pancakes. This tastes sweet like syrup without all the sugar, but with the added benefits of the healthy oil.
Blueberries
Walnuts
Poached egg
Sliced avocado and a small dollop of pesto
Sliced avocado with dollop of lemon dill mayo
Dairy free yogurt and berries–unsweetened coconut or almond milk yogurt topped with raspberries is my current favorite

Adapted from Everyday Paleo by Sara Fragoso

Enjoy!

Jenna

PALEO CILANTRO, LIME, AVOCADO, CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On March 10, 2014

In Recipes

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro leaves, stems removed
2 cubed Hass ripe avocados, pits and skin removed
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 of a fresh squeezed lime
1/2 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Place the cooked shredded chicken in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2. Mix the cilantro, lime juice, avocado, olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper in a bowl (use a food processor if you want a smoother blend).

3. Pour the avocado and cilantro mixture into the mixing bowl with the shredded chicken and toss well to coat.

4. Taste and add additional sea salt and ground black pepper if desired.

5. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

DAIRY – A HIDDEN SOURCE OF GLUTEN?

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On March 6, 2014

In Healthy Diet

Introduction:

Did you try eating a gluten-free diet without seeing significant improvement in your health? Yesterday, in my post, I spoke about one of the possible reasons for this. Removing corn from your diet is important in order to truly be “gluten-free.” Today, I want to explain another reason some people don’t see improvement in their persistent health problems simply by eliminating gluten from their diet… dairy. Removing dairy from your diet is another important step in order to truly determine if a gluten-free diet is key for your healing.

Researchers have identified that dairy proteins can affect as much as 50% of those with gluten problems. A quote from a research study is listed below:

“Patients with celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet may still have gastrointestinal symptoms. On clinical grounds cow’s milk (CM) protein sensitivity may be suspected…A mucosal inflammatory response similar to that elicited by gluten was produced by CM protein in about 50% of the patients with celiac disease. Casein, in particular, seems to be involved in this reaction.”

Source: Clin Exp Immunol. 2007 Mar;147(3):449-55.

Reasons Why Dairy Causes an Inflammatory Reaction:

Processing of dairy alters the casein protein creating a molecule that resembles gluten, thus creating an inflammatory response.
Cows eat large quantities of GMO corn and grain based foods. It is likely that these grain based proteins (including gluten) make their way into the milk, thus creating an inflammatory reaction.
Gluten can cause intestinal permeability. When this happens, people often times become allergic to the foods that they consume most often. Dairy is often a major staple used by those on a gluten-free diet and therefore, many develop an allergic response to dairy.
Those with gluten induced intestinal damage tend to have a hard time breaking down the sugars and proteins in dairy. This can cause tremendous GI distress, gas, distention, bloating, and pain. The undigested dairy materials can rot in the gut. This can also lead to disruption in the healthy bacterial counts of the gut.

Should You Eat Dairy Products on a Gluten Free Diet?

I would encourage a dairy free diet for at least 6 months when initially going gluten-free. This will allow time for your digestive system to heal.

Guidelines to Follow if You are Going to Include Dairy in Your Gluten Free Diet:

Buy grass-fed dairy only.
Be sure your dairy comes from animals who are antibiotics and hormone free.
Buy dairy in the raw form. If you want to pasteurize it, heat it up yourself on your stove at home.

Closing:

Remember, just because your doctor’s test did not show you have a sensitivity to gluten, there’s no guarantee that gluten is not slowing down your healing. Health is a choice we make every moment – what we choose to put in and around us, conversations we choose to listen to, things we choose to eat and drink – all impact the rate at which we heal. You have the power to choose the rate of your healing by the simple choices you make every day.

Through Applied Kinesiology, I can determine the foods most optimal for your healing – what to limit and what to avoid completely.

Source: Gluten Free Society

GLUTEN FREE DIET DIDN’T WORK FOR YOU? CONSIDER THIS…

By Jenna Lynn Blaze

On March 5, 2014

In Healthy Diet

Many times, my clients will tell me that a gluten-free diet did not improve their health in any noticeable way. However, when I ask them a few follow-up questions, I often discover what may be the reason they did not see their negative symptoms improve. One of the biggest reasons for this is that people who go on a gluten-free diet tend to begin eating large amounts of corn.

Corn is in virtually all of the pre-packaged gluten-free foods (they contain corn gluten or corn byproducts). In addition, corn is used in the production of sweeteners, shampoos, soaps, plastics, fuels, etc. On top of that, all of our domesticated farm animals are fed staple diets of genetically modified corn. The only way to avoid eating corn in your beef is to buy grass-fed. It is easy to see why the typical American is eating an over-abundance of corn in their diet.

Since 1978, there have been a number of studies investigating whether or not corn gluten is a problem for patients with gluten sensitivity. There are multiple studies showing that corn has a negative effect on patients with celiac disease. Here is a quote from a recent study:

“Maize is used as an alternative to wheat to elaborate foodstuffs for celiac patients in a gluten-free diet. However, some maize prolamins (zeins) contain amino acid sequences that resemble the wheat gluten immunodominant peptides… “

At this point there is ample evidence to consider corn gluten as a major contributor to gluten related illnesses. Regardless of gluten content, a diet high in corn is not conducive to good healing. A TRUE gluten-free diet eliminates all forms of gluten – including corn gluten.

If you even remotely suspect that you may be sensitive to gluten, I urge you to give the gluten-free diet a try (including the elimination of corn). Sadly, statistics show that those with gluten sensitivity will go on to develop 7 + autoimmune diseases in their lifetime.

In my next post, I will discuss another hidden source of gluten for those attempting to follow a gluten-free diet. Stay tuned.

Blessings,

Jenice

Source: Gluten Free Society