11.18.2013

Coconut flour Herb Flatbread

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The recipe pile

Do you ever feel like even if you try and try and try…the pile of  “things to do” will never get smaller. That my friends, is the definition of blogging. Don’t get me wrong. I love writing and sharing my knowledge and recipes, but once in a while I get overwhelmed.

Take my recipe pile for example. It actually used to be a real pile of coconut-oil stained post-it notes. Last month I roughly typed up the hard to read recipes and counted over 20 recipes! It was quite fulfilling seeing the recipes I spent so much time concocting last year in clean writing. I even has most of the pictures already taken too.

The hard part is juggling everything together (blogging, researching, recipe making, emails and social media…). I will tell you a little secret. I have about 186 unread comments that need to be read and responded to. I have about 300 emails that need to be read (you know the ones that actually are important and can’t just be deleted).

I can’t get caught up thinking “I will never be on top of things”…because honestly I don’t think I will. I have learned to accept that and just do what I can, when I can. I hope you understand.

Grain free & dairy free 

A few days ago I asked several of you on Facebook if you were dairy free. I got an overwhelming response that YES most of you are dairy free and prefer using coconut milk in cooked recipes. I made this recipe with both raw milk and coconut milk. I think my family preferred the recipe with coconut milk because it was lighter. You can certainly choose what you want to use, but I think the homemade coconut milk or this one (no additives) or this one (BPA-free) would taste great even if you are not dairy free.

A note on the coconut flour. I have found that my favorite brand is this one. Why? Because it is very fluffy and almost powdery (like real flour) instead of heavy like coconut flour is known to be. Also make sure to let the batter sit so the coconut flour can absorb all the liquid first. If you use a denser coconut flour like this one, be sure to sift the flour (you can use a sifter or a fine mesh sieve) so the recipe turns out the same.

This recipe is pretty simple and was inspired by my coconut flour pizza crust. You may think its exactly the same, but actually it is quite different with the herbs and olive oil added. I think it deserves its own recipe.

Flatbread

I know many of you can’t have cheese or nightshades so I did not want to specify that this “flatbread” was a pizza crust. I don’t like to limit your creativity with a recipe like this by putting the words “pizza crust” into the title. Half the time we make this, no pizza ingredients are in sight. Actually, this flatbread was first created because my sister could not eat nightshades on her elimination/GAPS diet. This herb flatbread was sliced up and used to be dipped into olive oil with a bit of sea salt added.  I don’t think we made enough because it was gone in 5 minutes.

Freezing

The second time we made this, I tripled the recipe and froze small flat breads to be warmed up after school or work. I stored them in these gallon sized plastic bags and layered unbleached parchment paper in-between the flatbread (you can fit a few in each bag if you do it this way). All you need to do then, is turn on the oven to 375 and bake until warm and crispy.

Bread substitute 

I think many of you former bread eaters will really like to have this SUPER easy recipe around for a “bread alternative”. Everyone knows that fresh bread tastes the best, right? I would consider this recipe easy and can me made in about 30 min (including cooking time).

Layer some leftover meat, homemade mayo, fresh veggies and you have yourself a sandwich! Feel free to use this as a crust for pizza (my recipe) if that is what you are craving too. This coconut flour herb flatbread is GAPS friendly too.

Enjoy getting creative.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

3 eggs

1 cup coconut milk (homemade or buy here) or organic whole milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

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2. Mix together the coconut flour, sea salt, herbs, & garlic powder in a bowl.

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3. Whisk the eggs and coconut milk in a separate bowl.

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4. Pour the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture.

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5. Stir until no clumps are left. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes (so the coconut flour absorbs all the liquid). It should resemble a thick paste like the picture above.

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Here is the unbleached parchment paper that I used (click here)

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6. Prepare your pan. I drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of pan (10 x 15 ” rimmed pan) and then place the parchment paper (oil first helps the corners stick). I also drizzled some olive oil on top of the paper and spread it out with a pastry brush. The olive oil is optional but it gives a nice flavor to the flatbread.

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7. Scrape all the batter out of the bowl onto the prepared pan. Spread it evenly across the whole cookie sheet with a spatula. You don’t want the batter too thick or else it may not cook all the way though.

*Another idea would be to create mini flatbreads but they would require less cooking time of course.

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8. Place cookie sheet in the oven for about 25-30 min, depending on how crunchy you like the edges. Mine was golden brown on top and was just the right texture.

*This coconut flour flatbread gets softer with time, so if you like it a bit crispy, eat it soon after it comes out of the oven.

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9. To remove the parchment paper, just pinch the corner and pull it right out. Cut into slices or any size that you choose.

*Tip: let the crusts cool all the way to room temperate before freezing

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

disclosure 3
11.11.2013

Healing update #7

June…July…August…September…October…November. Where did the time go? I feel like my life is on hold (which is why it is so hard for me to post this update, because it feels like nothing has changed). As much as it seems like my routine has been like this forever, I look back and try to remember that things have changed (for the better).

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Time passes by…

Let’s start with June. June was anticipation. Waiting for answers. Excited to figure everything out.

July was shock. I was in shock that I flew on a plane without getting “too” sick. But reality struck and I was left burned out like I have never felt before. Little did I know the price I was about to pay for 1 day worth of travel. I got answers from my Dr. and I held on tight, believing it was THE answer. I think I held on a little too tight. I thought it was as easy as just “fixing” the problem, but I was abruptly reminded I don’t have control.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Prov. 3:5&6

August was still. After traumas from July, I just could not take another step. Sleep was the word and the only activity I wanted.

September was routine. Sleep, eat, detox, repeat.

October was lost & Peace. Honestly, its really hard for me to remember what I did, but I can remember that it was really a peaceful month. Somewhere in my brain are the lost memories of October. hmm…..

November is… I’m living it right now.

Acceptance

It used to be hard to look back and remember only one swim, a few days at the beach and little sunshine. I can’t look at life regretting what I haven’t done. Yes it’s sad for a second but I get over it fast…really fast. Why is it so hard to understand why I wouldn’t have it any other way? I don’t want to do things I know I cant have right now. That includes an energetic body, a clear mind, endurance, etc.

People always associate “giving in” as being a failure. I disagree. I believe the only way to fully heal and become who you were designed to be, is to give in. Give in to what your body is telling you, even if you don’t want to. Give in to your quirks and don’t hold back to please people. Being ok with not finishing what you started or not “giving it your all” can be good. For me, this comes as a challenge. Physically, when I knew I could not finish treatments, I viewed myself as a failure. It was hard to explain to people that my reason was exhaustion. “Oh there is a simple fix for that: sleep more!” I’m afraid that does not cut it.

I dreamt of a “fix” to my failing health for as long as I can remember, and the minute I experienced this “fix”, I knew I was done. That “done” feeling went beyond just the treatment. I felt “done” in life (no not “done” like dying…let me explain). I was done searching for answers that were so hard to reach. I was done trying to hold myself up each day. I was done trying to fix my problem with little or no success. I was done trying to please people. I was done feeling guilty for things I could not do. I was done thinking and processing (which explains the lack of posting). I was done trying to fix my problem with everything I had. I gave up doing it on my own and put my trust somewhere else…

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:4

Giving into your body

The day I “gave up” I slept a long long tim (17-ish hours). For days  weeks I felt every step was a marathon, every word was a speech, every dish to wash was a tower. I stopped everything, no chiropractor, no ozone treatments, no exercise, no sauna, no researching, no reading (or very little), no doctors appotiments, no NAET, no leaving the house.

Seriously. As the days went on, I felt like I was failing my purpose in life. My “roles” in life a a sister, a blogger, a researcher, a friend all went out the window. Basically I had entered survival mode. What does survival mode look like? Sleeping a lot, eating when you have the energy to cook, and doing only the best you can do. I can’t say Im out of “survival mode” but its a start just being able to sit down and write this. Though, it is very hard… I don’t like typing this all out. Maybe because I am realizing that the end does not seem near and that maybe I have even back tracked! It is taking me days to gather the brain power, but I know I need to write it down for me and you.

What is Life?

You may think Im missing out on life. But what is “life” anyways? Life used to be a school day or a accomplished feeling of a run and completed tasks. A day full of cooking or meeting new people. A days worth of research and understanding for something I did not know existed. I never really wondered what taking the next step would feel like or if the next breath was filled with “safe” air. I see things more clearly now. Every breath is precious. Every conversation counts. Each day is not easy, but each second matters more then it ever did. It’s how you view life and the way you soak in every moment that matters most.

I have SO much to tell you!

Ok enough with all my thoughts about my situation. Let me pick up where I last left you in my “healing journey”. One reason I have been procrastinating is because sooo much has happened, it’s overwhelming. Not just that, but I have to put words to all my actions and the reasoning behind them. Here I go!

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Genetics

Let me get started. In healing update #6 I have all those test results that Dr. Mullan (the genetic Dr.) ran. I got those and held onto them. I saw on paper that I am toxic, and struggling to function. I knew the only option (in her professional opinion) was to take supplements to help my detox pathways, but we all know I can’t do that. That was a big stumbling block and it was so big I never followed up. Sometimes I kick myself and say “what a waste”, but really it was not because I needed proof and it may still some in handy in the future. The genetic 23 and me test will never change, so thats a good thing. If I ever want to dive into the gentic world and figure out all my issues, I have the option.

Right now going down the genetic path is #1 depressing: because its all about pointing out what is wrong with the way I’m made. #2 pointless: I cant take the supplements needed to fix these mutations. #3 Epigenetics: that means your genetics can change (or be expressed) based on your environment and your daily habits (Im hoping I can change a few things around!). Learn more here.

Taking the plunge

In desperate need for SOMEONE who understands, I decided it was time to search outside hometown radius. I ended up going to Missouri to see Dr. Yu. I know I know…I not only came out of my “bubble” but I went on a plane!! Crazy! Honestly, I could have not done it without everyone’s prayers, so thank you.  I still am in awe I did that, and am also happy it’s over and done with.

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Before the trip I read his book, which helped me understand a lot more too. He is like the dream doctor I thought would have all the answers. It was a reality check to go because I saw that “these doctors” are just human. They don’t hold the key or answers. All they can do us help. He did say most of my health problems, from what he tested were due to my cavitations.

Cavitations:

What are cavitations you ask? In simple words, they are are hole in the bone (after a tooth has been extracted) and are often filled with bacteria, fungi, and mercury.  If you want to learn more click here.

Improper extraction and not removing the ligament (which most oral surgeons and dentists don’t do anyways) creates the growth of the cavitation in the jaw bone. Overtime the bacteria that was stuck in the socket and tissues make little or big holes in jawbone and create a chronic infection. After the tissue heals over, it’s very hard to get to his infection that is now spreading through the lymphatic system affecting other systems and organs in the body.

Back to my story —> I got all 4 wisdom teeth out from a regular oral surgeon when I was 17. Looking back I did get a lot more sick after 2 1/2 rounds of antibiotics before the surgery and after due to an infection in the lower left jaw. (I now know antibiotics can severely impair the liver and detox pathways). But, I was confused when Dr Yu told me this, because I was pretty mess up before this surgery .

What did the Dr. find?

So Dr. Yu found cavitations under tooth #17 and #20. At their clinic the took all these cool alternative testing and scans. They took a thermograph and could tell from the white areas around my mouth and sinuses that there was a infection. They hooked me up to different electronic tests and basically it showed my body was functioning pretty well (what?!), despite the way I feel. He did take a hair test and said depending on the results and if I had heavy metals, then that could play a big role in my health mystery (a hair test takes a few weeks to get the results back).

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I would also recommend this book to understand the full tooth-body connection. I have it and learned ALOT of information about how my teeth really impact how my body functions.

Tooth-organ Meridian chart:

Before you read any further, you have to look at this tooth-organ-meridican chart. Each tooth (or actually the position the tooth is in, is part of a complete meridian that runs through the whole body.)

 

 

EDS (electoral dermal screening)

Dr Yu. used EDS (electoral dermal screening) on my fingers and toes to determine if the meridians corresponding to different organs were off balance or not. Learn about EDS here (a.k.a. Acupuncture meridian assesment) or view the video above.

At first, Dr. Yu did the EDS points and nothing unusual showed up. He said that is probably because I do so many therapies at home to help balance my body ( RIFE, NAET, etc..). So then the goal was to try and unbalance my body to get the “real” results. He got up and pulled out this light box thing. He started to roll a metal roller over my head and body. First the frequency was a purple light. Then he did a yellow light. He rolled 2 opposing colors on me to confuse any bacteria out of “hiding”. I think it works because the bacteria or parasites are attracted to the frequency and then thrown off guard when he runs the opposing one.

He ran the EDS again and started to do some of his “own points” he calls it. If you read his book here, this will all make more sense. He is very skilled at testing with EDS (he has kinda mastered the techniques). Anyways, this time a few things did show up with a few
systems/organs. I can’t remember exactly what systems but he did not make it a big deal. I think one was the allergy point.

View the interactive Tooth-Merdian Chart HERE!

Digging deeper

Dr. Yu then had me touch each tooth socket with my finger and tested me as I did this. Right away the EDS reading went off the chart (indicating an imbalance) specifically on tooth #20 and #17. #17 was the wisdom tooth socket that got infected and #20 was a tooth that had no adult tooth underneath it (I was born like this) and got infected and I had it pulled when I was about 16.

He said my immune system or allergy point is not balanced and tried to balance it by hooking me up to this new German machine that balances meridians. I’m not sure exactly if it helped, but I just went with the flow. Maybe it helped me cope on the flight home?

Overall my thoughts about this appointment are that, I finally had an answer to all my problems…or so I thought. This doctor is brilliant but things got in the way of the next appointment, and honestly it was not meant to be that I went back right now in my life. I am so thankful he lead me in the right direction and searched hard even though he considered me a “mystery”.

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Test Results:

A few weeks after that trip I got my test results from the hair analysis lab (from analytical research labs) and the ELISA food test. I already had a hair test done by doctors data (this exact test <–which showed very high mercury) but he wanted this lab (ARL) because they don’t wash the hair sample. I now know that’s important because seeing the minerals is half the part of the analysis. (I will talk more about this hair analysis and the results in healing update #8).

The ELISA food test showed I had several allergies (not surprising)! It was deceiving because some things I knew for a fact I was allergic to but they showed up fine. I’m guessing thats because I have not eaten them in years so the antibodies were not visible on a blood test.

Oh I forgot to mention that when I was in Missouri seeing DR. Yu, he sent me to a dentist 5 min away to get an x ray. I hate getting x rays but I had to do it. (Here is a cool post about combating radiation if you are interested.) I then returned to him with the x ray but he said he could see no visible cavitations in the x-ray and that I should bring it to my dentist at home. He recommended his holistic dentist down the block to do the cavitation surgery. I tried to explain I live in MN, but since he could not recommend anyone else other then this holistic dentist, he said to get another option because he cannot “diagnose” me. Hint hint… It’s a legal thing.

The Holistic Dentist

Ok so I’m back in MN and scheduled an appt with my holistic dentist. I decide I want to see the head dentist who is harder to get into, but I knew would understand my situation more. This clinic does not do cavitation surgery but instead ozone therapy. I was I skeptical at first after hearing that Dr. Yu instructed me to look into cavitation surgery. I did hours of research looking into therapies, solutions and clinics for cavitations. I was so torn, it all became confusing knowing what was really the right path.

Ozone for cavitations

I finally accepted that ozone is the better way to go, because there is always a change of reinfection with surgery…and it’s much more stressful on the body (of course, it’s surgery!!). I always knew that if this did not work, then I can always consider surgery. The ozone almost seemed “too easy” of a solution, well that’s what I thought. But after talking to my holistic dentist, he told me that patients he has seen, heard stories about, and worked with personally do better with ozone. I was relieved too because the only close cavitation surgeon was a 7 hour drive. **ahem! Im getting ahead of myself. Sorry.**

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Hello, I’m Dr. T…

So I go to my first appointment and met Dr. Tchetter (pronounced cheddar). I can tell right away he is very intuitive and alittle quirky  (always the qualities of a good doctor, right?). He takes a look at my x ray and points out that I not only have cavitations in those two spots but also in all the other extractions from my wisdom teeth surgery. Now I’m thinking…”Great 5 cavitations in my jaw!”. He points out the the one in the bottom left is for sure the biggest (the spot where I got the nasty infection a few weeks after my surgery).

He explains that the ozone treatment is pretty effective and continues to tell me stories of patients who got better from these treatments. He even tells me of this one story of a girl my age with pretty much allergies to everything like me. Her family built her an underground house where she stayed for 3 years. After the 3 years of staying in her “safe” environment, Dr. T saw her and she was all better. He said she did this to let her body heal naturally and “reset” her immune system, and the only was she could do that was to remove all reactants. This story freaked me out (but at the same time…something connected), how could someone not come outside for 3 years? Little did I know this would be a similar situation for my future (I will explain).

The ozone procedure:

Back to the ozone treatments. It works like this. I go in for a few “tester” appointments to see if I react appropriately to ozone. They give me a fraction on the dose and inject it into the gums around the cavitations (like teeny-tiny). Since I have sinus issues, he planed on doing extra injections in the upper gums close to the nose. Then he will do the full doses and inject all the way into the jawbone (not sure exactly how this is done because I stopped after the second treatment).

Heavy Metals 

Then it’s my turn and I pretty much tell him my whole life story and how I got to where I am today. He is nodding his head saying “ahh” and has this look like he knows exactly what is going on. He asks a few questions and concludes that it probably all started with my mom (like other doctors suspected in the past). I know for a fact she has heavy metals because they showed up in her recent hair test. She probably had a lot more 20 years ago when she was pregnant with me.

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As a 2 year old my enamel on my teeth would crumble, scary right? I was sent to the dentist and they filled tooth #20 and #29 (they are mirror to each other on the bottom). The were filled with …… Mercury fillings!!! Nooooo! My stomach dropped when I found this out, I was devastated, but I guess relived at the same time (that its not all in my head)! The picture above is my dentist when I was little….yeah I’m thinking the SAME thing!!! agghh. 

I think these 2 mercury filled teeth fell out around the age of 6, so that’s like 4 years of mercury vapors. Funny thing, I may still have those toxic teeth in a tiny little container, in an envelope, in a little box, in a bigger box, stuffed in the back of my closet. You know those little tooth containers to collect all your teeth that fell out? I’m not going to even try to dig those things out, let alone touch them.

Connecting the Dots

So that situation contributed to a huge host of issues and that’s probably why I was diagnosed as OCD at age 2 and put on some medicines that make all holistic doctors cringe and say “that was unnecessary…really?”. These meds are known to potentially damage the liver… which they probably did for me.

Dr. T explains I was/am probably allergic or sensitive to mercury more then most. That just escalated and created more food allergies and behavioral issues. He kept asking me if I went crazy, he was sure at some point I should have. I told him I got braces as a teenager for about 5 years (stubborn headgear!). He said the nickle content is very high and probably intoxicated my brain even more, creating more allergies and a depressed immune system. Then came the tooth extraction of my dead #20. Then the wisdom teeth surgery after my braces came off and now I’m left with 5 cavitations that are feeding infectious bacteria into my lymph systems. My body is under chronic stress 24/7. Below are the spots and tooth numbers that were removed from my mouth (the improper way) so they each developed a cavitation “hole in the bone”.

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Toxic waste dumps

I told him my sinuses are an issue and he explained that mercury like to lodge itself in 3 main places. The lower back, the lower jaw and the sinuses. My sinuses are full of mercury from years of chewing and vapors being released. I read an article about a dentist who did a cavitation surgery and did not close the incision but instead put a strip or gauze over it for 24 hours. After that time he tested the gauze and found incredibly high amounts of mercury on the gauze. This confirms that the cavitations are pretty much toxic waste dumps of mercury as well! Yuck.

After our good talk, I was hopeful. He also checked for cavities and I have 2 small ones he is going to “watch”.  We talked about making impressions of my teeth to get a “tray” fitted for them so each time I come in, they can put ozone in the trays that cover my teeth. This is suppose to help reverse tooth decay, kill bacteria, and prevent any cavities from getting worse. I was afraid of reacting to the plaster they needed to make the impression, so we put this idea on hold. If you are curious about ozone for tooth decay read about it here. Its a fairly new practice, so you may not find a ton of info.

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Reverse tooth decay

I also have weakening enamel on several teeth (they look like little chips or holes on the top of my tooth and are REALLY sensitive). I’m determined to heal both cavities and the enamel. If you read this book, you will know its possible too. I just have to find a way to start absorbing minerals and make them available for my teeth. Im currently eating bison bone marrow every day (as suggested in this article), to heal my tooth decay. Out of the suggestions in the chart below, I can only eat grass-fed bone marrow. But, hey at least I have one of the “Tooth-Decay-Reversing- Protocol foods!”

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Here are my thoughts posted on my Instagram right after the appointment:

“When chronic health problems started at 12 years old I never thought I would be the one with the “mystery” case that no doctor could figure out. I never thought I would have to go through so much and in the process have big pieces of my life taken from me. Yesterday I found out my #teeth are a big culprit. Not the whole picture- but a very big one. I can now dream of #gettingbetter . Teeth #17 and#20 have infections under in the jaw bone. Once in the #jawbone these infections can spread throughout the body and infect any organ. Usually it damages the meridian it lies along. In my case my#thyroid, #digestivesystem, #energy, small and large#intestines, #stomach, #spleen #lymph #eczema all all just symptoms of my infections. The “normal” dentist never found them and neither did an x ray. My new doctor ran several energetic meridian testing, thermography of my face, and light therapy to find out what the problem was and narrowed it down to these two teeth. I am #thankingGod for revealing these #piecestomypuzzle”

Starting Ozone therapy

I came back to the holistic dentist 2 weeks later and started my first ozone “tester” treatment. The dentist’s assistant mixed some olive oil in the ozone bottles and hooked me up to start breathing it in (the ozone machine is pictured below). The olive oil is so I don’t breath it directly into my lungs. I was fine with that and then they did the ears.

Since I seemed ok with that, he decided to inject a little bit of pure ozone into my gums and upper jaw for my sinuses. 13 injections total. He was using a tiny amount to start off with. He tested me with kinesiology to see if I was ok with the pure anesthetic with no additive. I was very hesitant and questioned his judgement several times. Right after swabbing the anesthetic on, I felt strange. My mouth was wide open and he started with all the injections. There was pressure, but I kept thinking back to when he swabbed with the anesthetic, THAT was the painful part. I did not think twice about the needle or 13 injections. (This was only a matter or seconds from start to finish but it felt like forever.)

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Surprise attack

After I closed my mouth and swallowed, I was in for a surprise. My throat started to close! I panicked and gasped for air, they rushed to grab me water and directed me to “swish and spit“. I did this until I could breath. What a scary experience, but at least I made it through and learned to carry my epi pen next time (I have never had to use it yet). Better safe the sorry. I will be honest, I HATE anesthetic, it literally makes me crazy. I promise that is the last time I ever let someone convince me it’s “safe” or whatever. I know he did not know and this experience proved to Dr. T how sensitive I am.

The first time I met him, he mentioned I was “wise beyond my years” and could tell I was very in-tune with my body and instincts. I think after this incident, he trusts my instincts 100%, which can be hard for any doctor.

Going crazy

On the car ride home, my body was going crazy. I was shaking and I could not stop moving my legs and arms and everything. My brain was spinning and I felt like I was going crazy. My face was very swollen and it was so uncomfortable. I just kept crying and blabbering “something is wrong, I need help”! I was obviously reacting badly to the anesthetic.

My mom knew the ER was going to be NO help in this situation. This was a physical and neurological crisis and a chiropractor would actually help. Too bad all 3 chiropractors we have gone to were closed or had no openings (even for an emergency). I went home and drank spoonfuls of powdered activated charcoal (I should have brought it with me).

Panic mode

I still was delirious and kept falling against the wall or on the floor. I think my brother was pretty freaked out for me. My words
were jumbled and not making sense. My mom then thought to call a local chiropractor 4 min from our house that our friends knew, but we never have been to. This is risky territory especially for me. I’m very picky who touches my neck because I have had too many chiropractors “mess me up”. I had no control in this situation and I believe it was all part of Gods greater plan for me.

We were all in panic mode and as the phone rang to see if they had an opening at 6pm of a Friday (I’m sure my mom said a little prayer, begging for anything to fix this terrible situation). We had never been to him, but their office answered with compassion and
accepted to see me even after hours. I’m not sure why, but I kept fight back saying I did not need to go, when clearly I did. Good thing my mom knows me well enough to talk me into going.

….. To be continued healing update #8

Whew! That was a a lot to tell you. Thanks for sticking with me. I want to say that after all these appointments (despite how tragic or stressful they were), I was SOOO relieved to get some answers. I am proud of myself for trying and would not have had it any other way. I thought I had everything figured out. I did have a lot figured out, but not everything. Only time and experiences can tell what will happen. Nothing went as planned for me, and thats ok. Just because some things did not work out for me, does not mean it will not for you. Actually I have a good friend who got the cavitation ozone treatments done 3x over a period of months and she is doing MUCH better (I will post her story soon!) So you see, every body is different, and you will not know unless you try 🙂

~Stay Gutsy Caroline

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11.10.2013

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (dairy, egg & grain-free)

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Allergies don’t have to ruin your holiday traditions…

A few years ago, after my mom and I started the GAPS diet, we felt like the holiday food traditions were ruined. “Good bye pumpkin-pie, mash potatoes, cheese and bread, and stuffing.” It was not until last year that we decided “Hey, why can’t we just find our own “safe” recipes to celebrate with?” Traditions are allowed to be tweaked, right? OF COURSE!

As we set out to search for new “allergy-friendly” and GAPS legal holiday foods, I got a wee bit overwhelmed. I had to search on tons of sites and in the end we only made 1 or 2 recipes. This year since my brother has joined the allergy group, I think that calls for a FULL allergy-free holiday feast.

I came across this book and was sure this was the holiday cookbook to use. It’s called Season’s Eatings: 62 Core Plan & Advanced Plan Menu Options for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

For the main meal it has everything from grain-free rolls to coconut flour stuffing to potato-free “mashed potatoes”. The Dessert section is filled with GAPS-friendly treats like your traditional pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies, and homemade truffles. YUM!

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Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake:

Elise from Healing Cuisine was so nice to let me share one of her favorite recipes in her book Season’s Eatings. It’s pumpkin pie cheesecake! The recipe is dairy-egg-grain-free so you can eat it even with all your allergies. She also has made a fun video you can watch where she shows you how to make this Pumpkin pie cheesecake! Enjoy 🙂

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INGREDIENTS:

**SERVES 12**

2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree (homemade or can)

2 cups raw cashews, soaked 2 hours

6 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup organic full-fat coconut milk (no additives)

1 tsp organic vanilla extract (I like to use 1 vanilla bean)

3 Tbsp spoonable stevia powder (I bet you could replace it with a few spoonfuls of raw honey)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Vanilla Crumb Pie Crust pg 44 (in the book Season’s Eating’s)

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak raw cashews for at least 2 hours. Rinse under filtered water until water runs clear. Process all ingredients on High in blender until smooth. Taste and add more stevia/sea salt/vanilla/spices as preferred.

2. Pour into prepared Vanilla Crumb Pie Shell. (I recommend using a 9 inch spring form pan). Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving or freeze for 1 hour. Garnish each slice with a scoop of Coconut Whipped Cream, pg 57 (in the book Season’s Eating’s). <— Here is my recipe for coconut whipped cream too.

 

About the Book:

SEASON’S EATINGS HOLIDAY E-BOOK ($13.95)

62 recipes including:

  • 46 Advanced Plan Recipes
  • 62 Core Plan Recipes
  • Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free

A complete recipe book to help you plan your Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday menus! Quick and easy recipes: Appetizers & Snacks, Salads & Sauces, Side Dishes, Main Course options, Bread & Rolls, Desserts, Cookies & Bars, Frostings & Icings, and Beverages. Also includes Making Shopping Easy tips, sugar/stevia/xylitol conversion chart, and advice for eliminating holiday stress. Season’s Eatings is your complete holiday cookbook guide!

 Click Here to Buy

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~Stay Gusty, Caroline

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11.04.2013

Grain-free, egg-free & dairy-free (GAPS) breakfast Ideas

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Rise and shine! Its Breakfast time…well if you already ate breakfast, you can eat it again tomorrow & ever day after that :).

The first time I took grains out of my diet several years ago I remember clearly panicking. WHAT WILL I EAT? To me, breakfast was the hardest to change because I used to eat cereal, oatmeal , granola, toast. I then learned there were eggs and yogurt to eat instead, so I was ok. Fast forward a few months later and my body was telling me I had to be dairy free! “There goes my yogurt” I thought. I was not surprised that eggs followed quickly onto my list of food allergies.

*note: Those of you who know me well, know Im allergic most things now. You may not know that only about 5 years ago, I was eating “normal” and doing things most kids do. If I would have kept eating these foods, I have no idea what would have happened to me.

Why does every breakfast item contain eggs, dairy, or grain?

It’s a big bummer if you grew up eating yogurt, toast, cereal, and eggs and now you have food allergies. I remember how long it took to first break the habit. Then there was an emotional connection to break. Breakfast smells and the taste of sweet yogurt and fruit, or the ice cold milk and the crunchy cereal. It just felt “right” to start the day like that. Then there was the psychological part of it. I would look in disgust at vegetables or meats early in the morning. I could not even smell them. Little did I know that is exactly what I would be eating a year from then! I thought it was all or nothing and had no idea “grain free cinnamon cereal” or “dairy free chocolate milk shakes” or “blueberry pudding even existed.

No more “cold meat and veggie breakfasts”

I dont know about you, but my breakfast staple is meat and some sort of veggies. Yeah pretty boring, but its hard to find recipes or things you can eat with food allergies. When I started to read the Fall into Health books (sale only for 3 more days!), I was immediately drawn to the breakfast one. The pictures looked so good, I felt like I could just pick them right out of the screen! I was shocked to find that “normal” breakfast items can be made even without eggs, dairy, and grain without having to eat leftover meat each morning.

Awake!

The name of this grain, dairy, and egg free cookbook is Awaken:30+ Egg Free and Grain Free Breakfasts by Karen Sorenson. Before I got the book, I found it on Amazon and took a sneak peak at the pictures. Oh my…so delicious looking! I think Karen should be nominated as a allergy-free-breakfast star!

GAPS friendly

I have some good news for all you GAPS people! This book is GAPS friendly! You may be asking, “what do they use instead of eggs?” Instead of eggs, the recipe uses chia or flax seeds. The GAPS addresses the use of these seeds and this is what they sayFlax and chia seeds and oils are allowed on the Full GAPS diet. As a whole seed they are very fibrous and should not be consumed until diarrhoea has cleared completely”.

That just means you have to be on the Full GAPS diet to eat the chia seed recipes. Don’t worry, it’s only in a select handful of the recipes. Honey can easily be substituted in the few recipes that contain a granulated sugar like coconut crystals. Have you ever dried making your own dry honey crystals? (<– I think Im going to have to try this now!).

Can you guess?

I bet you will never guess some of the ingredients to make these recipies? It takes lots of creativity to perfect such awesome allergy free recipes. The apple sauce is not really made with apples! Can you guess what its made of? See that creamy bowl of grits..thats not real grits. What about that very berry bowl of porridge? The ingredients in this book really are surprising, and you will take a double look. I think these recipes will teach you to start using your fresh ingredients in a whole new way!

*Remember, Im only giving you sneak peaks, and there are tons more recipes in the book. 

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Sweet egg/grain/dairy FREE  Breakfast ideas

  • “Apple” sauce
  • Chocolate milkshake
  • Blueberry “porridge”
  • Overnight strawberry pudding

savory

Savory egg/grain/dairy FREE  Breakfast ideas

  • Bacon twists
  • Breakfast “grits”
  • Skillet “Scramble”
  • “Hash browns”

Cinnamon Nut cereal Recipe:

Ok ok I will stop teasing you with all the recipe pictures and actually give you a recipe to try yourself. Finally a grain free “cereal” is created! This is for all you cereal lovers-at-heart. This recipe is taken directly form the cookbook Awaken:30+ Egg Free and Grain Free Breakfasts. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients :

⅔ cup sliced raw almonds (150 mL)

⅔ cup chopped raw walnuts (150 mL)

⅔ cup chopped raw pecans (150 mL)

3 Tbsp coconut oil (45 mL)

3 Tbsp equivalent sweetener (45 mL) <—vanilla honey would taste good!

1 Tbsp cinnamon (15 mL)

 

Directions :

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C).

2. Heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan over medium low heat.

3. Add the sweetener and spices and cook until the sweetener has dissolved, stirring occasionally.

4. Place the raw nuts in a large bowl and pour the spice mixture over the nuts and stir to evenly coat.

5. Spread the mixed nuts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

7. Allow to cool and break into chunks.

8. Serve in a bowl with dairy free milk of choice (unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk (make it here), etc.).*

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Are you ready to get the rest of these recipes?

Buy this book for under $1 in the Fall into health sale! Or you can just buy Awaken for $9.99 HERE.

You will not only get this book, but 46 more books (a lot of them are paleo/grain-free/allergy free/ real food recipe books!) <–look at all of them HERE. Did I mention the sale comes with online cooking classes, meal plans, magazines, and coupons.

Take a look the Fall into Health sale review post and everything it includes. Don’t forget, the sale ends on November 7!

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~Stay Gusty, Caroline

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11.03.2013

GAPS desserts & inspiration

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I hope your Sunday is going well. I thought I would post some inspiring quotes and cooking/healthy living images for you! I am making my way through the new Fall into Health Sale Bundle books and I can’t help but think… “maybe I should write an e-book someday?” Im flipping through the pages of excellent photos and drool-worthy nourishing foods and can’t stop thinking about my own creations in the kitchen.

GAPS/Grain-free desserts!

Im going to tell you something, and I bet you will not be surprised. The most searched recipes on my site are the desserts! That is because they are fun to make together as a family and they taste sweet!

The Fall into Health Sale has lots of recipe books (look at the books here) and many of them are grain-free /GAPS friendly. I searched through a few of them looking for recipes you my be excited about! I think the Grain free cinnamon cereal looks quite good, don’t you? I plan on sharing a recipe or two this coming week with you, so make sure to subscribe to my daily post so you don’t miss it.

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Recipe pictures are taken from these books:

Awaken: 30+ Egg-free & Grain-free Breakfasts – Karen Sorenson of Living Low Carb… One Day at a Time ($9.99)

Indulge and Heal: 40 Nourishing Treats without Grains, Dairy, Nuts & Refined Sugar – Lauren Geertsen of Empowered Sustenance ($9.99)

Paleo Treats: Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Sugar-free, Nut-free – Suzanne Perazzini of Strands of My Life ($12.95)

Grain-free Breads, Snacks & Desserts – Jill Tieman of Real Food Forager  ($29.95)

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Don’t forget, you don’t have to pay the real price for these books. This week only you can get not only these 4 books, but 43 more along with podcasts, online cooking classes, meal plans, and coupons all for $39. Cool huh?!

Inspiration…

The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is that I really want to get back into the kitchen cooking (after my long break to focus 100% on healing my body). I miss mixing up random ingredients and watching it form into something really good. I miss taking pictures and running around the house, trying to find the perfect light. I love editing the pictures and finally posting my recipe to share with YOU. I enjoy getting comments from mom’s who finally have a happy kid because they get “safe” banana bread or chocolate chips. It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment and joy.

What’s next?

So these pictures are not just for you to be inspired be for me as well. Feel free to comment below to tell me what kinds of recipes you want to see next!

 

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Daily giveaway:

Don’t forget that the Fall into Health sale is putting on FREE daily giveaways for you to enter.

Click here to enter into Sunday’s giveaway.

Take a look at the prizes below. I think this is just as good as yesterday’s giveaway, don’t you think?

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The Grand prize giveaway is a 3 FitBit Wireless Activity Trackers – $100 each — to 3 winners

In addition, our sponsors are giving away:

  • 20 Nick’s Sticks from Wild Mountain Paleo Market(grass-fed beef and free-range turkey) — a $65 value
  • 1 10-lb. bag of To Your Health Sprouted Spelt Flour– a $50 value
  • 1 Cultures for Health Cheesemaking Kit — a $30 value

6 Winners! woo-hoo!

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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