Soups

Fall Butternut Squash Cinnamon and Ginger Soup

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I adapted this recipe from a Bon Appetit on Epicurous. I made this recipe vegan because I wanted to save my last bit of bone broth for later tonight. I also changed up some ingredients based on what I had in the fridge and pantry. I’m very happy with the way it came out, it’s very sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy with all my favorite fall flavors.

Fall Butternut Squash Cinnamon and Ginger Soup
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups of chopped butternut squash (this is rough estimate as I used what was left in the fridge. Costco and Trader Joes has them pre-chopped)
  • 1 tsp of saigon cinnamon (saigon cinnamon is strong tasting, so up amount if desired or using a different variety of cinnamon)
  • 3 slices of fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp of coconut sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 small red onions (I got these from a farmer's market, 1 red onion from a supermarket would be close in amount)
  • a sprinkle of chives
  • 2 cups of water (or bone both if paleo)
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Let ingredients boil until soft, after ten minutes garlic should be read to add to pot.
  2. Use an immersion blender or vitamix to blend ingredients. Add sea salt to taste.
  3. Garnish with fresh chives

Health & Wellness

Hormonal Acne Cures and Recommended Reading

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My nerve pain doesn’t change very much, but my skin is extremely sensitive to what I eat and put on my face. When I was growing up, I never put face wash or creams on my face, and I played soccer all the time, which gave me great skin in my teenage years. As an adult, I’ve started using moisturizer and makeup, along with gong on and coming off birth control, all of which did a number on my skin. So, I oftentimes adjust my diet based on how my skin looks, as bad skin can be a indication of bad internal health. My stress hormones (cortisol) are high from being in pain, and I don’t take birth control to regulate hormones. So I started taking Chaste Tree Berry Extract (aka Vitex), an adrenal health herbal supplement, and Vitamin D3, which is actually not a vitamin but a hormone to regulate my hormones. I’ve only been on these for a few weeks, but so far I’ve had a lot less deep cystic pimples showing up around my chin and mouth. The Chaste Tree Berry Extract was recommended to my at the blog The Love Vitamin by Tracy Raftl.

I just finished Tracy’s book Ultimate Secrets to Acne, and her information of fixing your internal and external health to clear up acne is something that even non acne sufferers should read. I’ve read a lot of health books, and oftentimes disagree which something they write, but had no issues with her food recommendations. I also started making a manuka honey and hemp oil face wash that she mentioned in her book. (Her book recommended using jojoba oil, but links to her website which has some great information about different oils including hemp oil) I’m also reading Clear for Life by Seppo Puusa, which I also received in the ebook bundle Harvest Your Health. He goes into depth on supplements and dosage which I really liked, and like Tracy, he talks about how soaps (which are mostly alkaline) damage the natural acid barrier of the skin creating sensitivity and a better environment for bacteria.  Plus, they have harmful chemicals that can contribute or even cause hormonal health problems.

On October 7th, I will be offering the ebook bundle Harvest Your Health for a discount for one week, which includes several skincare books including Ultimate Secrects to Acne, Clear Skin for Life, The Holistic Mama’s Guide to Homemade Skin Care, and Homemade Health and Beauty. In the name of full disclosure, I am an affiliate and will get a small percentage if you link from my site. I personally love the ebooks I received, and would not endorse this event if I didn’t already plan to buy Tracy’s ebook. The bundle also includes some amazing gluten-free, vegan, and paleo cookbooks. If you don’t wish to spend money, Chris Kessler has a great article series on Skin Health on his blog that I highly recommend you check out.

Sides

Vegan Mashed Broccoli

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Growing up I loved mashed potatoes. I’ve been known to eat a whole bowl of it from Thanksgiving leftovers. Now that I’m trying to follow a low glycemic diet, I’ve found a lot of other yummy vegetables to mash. One of my favorite go-to recipes, in addition to mashed garlic and rosemary cauliflower, is mashed broccoli. Surprisingly, all it needs is a little salt and pepper to taste. For a Paleo recipe, use bone broth instead of water.

Vegan Mashed Broccoli
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • ⅓ cup of water
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. Boil/Steam broccoli in a pot with water, until soft.
  2. Use an immersion blender or Vitamix to blend broccoli, water, salt and pepper.
  3. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2-4

Sides

Paleo and Gluten Free Coconut Date Mousse

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I’ve had an amazing coconut date mousse at Cafe Gratitude and attempted to recreate it at home. Their food is pretty expensive, so I was very pleased that this came out so well. I don’t recommend using a low fat coconut milk. The fat from the coconut milk and the fiber from the dates keeps this from turning into jello, unless that’s what you want.

Paleo and Gluten Free Coconut Date Mousse
 
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Ingredients
  • 7 dates (use more or less depending on sweet preferences and size of dates)
  • 1 tbsp of gelatin (Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin )
  • 1 can of coconut milk (Native Forest unsweetened classic )
  • ½ cup of water
Instructions
  1. Dissolve 1 tbsp of gelatin in water. I like to slowly whisk the gelatin into water with a fork, until it becomes a gel.
  2. Add gelatin mixture to a pan with coconut milk
  3. Heat until you see steam start to rise, don't boil or you will ruin the gelatin. This will make sure the gelatin is dissolved.
  4. Add liquid and dates to blender, taste test and add extra dates if desired.
  5. Chill in the fridge for 4 to six hours or until firm.
Notes
A half hour in the freezer will work for impatient people like me.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2
Health & Wellness

Top Five Ways to Increase Your Collagen Naturally

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I’ve recently found that many of the supplements recommended for acne help the formation of healthy collagen which is important for joint health and treating pain. Although I am still learning about the importance of healthy connective tissue when dealing with pain, I will share with you what I’ve discovered so far to increase collagen naturally. As an added benefit, consuming these nutrients will make your skin clearer and younger looking without all the expensive creams containing harmful ingredients.  

1. Make bone broth full of gelatin. You can also buy gelatin and collagen hydrolysate powder from Great Lakes.

2. Take Silica which is a mineral important for collagen production. I like Eideon Ionic Minerals.

3. A Chelated Zinc supplement will help in the formation of protein and collagen.

4. Vitamin C is more well know for promoting healthy collagen. Try a Buffered Vitamin C powder for added minerals which can be easier on the digestive system.

5. Vitamin A will help repair skin tissue by responding to environmental conditions within the body and signaling fibroblasts (the stem cells of connective tissue) to manufacture an appropriate collagen type.

Source:
Vitamins & Minerals That Aid in Collagen Formation
Liquid Silica Mineral Supplement
Top Ten Reasons to Drink Bone Broth
Nutrition for Healthy Skin Part 1 by Chris Kresser

Desserts

Mango Lime Pudding

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I’ve been trying to get more gelatin in my diet, so I decided to experiment with Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin in addition to making bone broth. I’m currently reading The MELT Method by Sue Hitzmann which focuses on self massage techniques for connective tissue, and since gelatin is great for connective tissue it should help people who are in chronic pain. The Great Lakes brand is from a grass-fed beef source and is a kosher product. I am also putting their collagen hydrolysate into my morning green smoothie, for a tiny bit of added protein that is high in the amino acids glycine and proline. Since these amino acids are found more in organ meat and bone broth, than muscle meats, many people may benefit from supplementing if they don’t want to eat or can’t afford those foods. This supplement and protein powder are also very reasonably priced, especially in comparison to designer protein powders that have a long list of questionable ingredients.

I’ve also noticed that since I started making these puddings, I’ve had a decreased craving for processed healthy desserts from whole foods. Since these can be expensive, and it’s healthier to cook and use your own ingredients anyway, I’m very glad I decided to start adding puddings into my arsenal of healthy recipes.

Mango Lime Pudding
 
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Ingredients
  • 1.5 bag of frozen mango
  • 1 tbsp of gelatin
  • juice from 3 limes
  • 3 tbsp of grade b maple syrup or other sweetener (optional)
Instructions
  1. Slowly mix gelatin in a small amount of cold water.
  2. Add water to stove to slowly heat, and completely dissolved gelatin. Do not boil it will break down it's ability to gel. Just heat until you start to see steam.
  3. Blend mango, lime juice, maple syrup and add dissolved gelatin water.
  4. Pour into cups and refridgerate for a few hours, or if impatient a half hour in the freezer will be okay.

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