Sometimes I just need to eat red meat. Often when I’m pre-menstrual, to be honest, or feeling tired, or want extra protein. I love a good juicy steak, nice and pink in the center, with a crunchy char on the outside. But I also get intimidated by cooking a steak. Like, it has to be perfect if I’m gonna do it. This dish has far less pressure for me, and reminds me of my family. We call it “housie”. It’s a Lebanese dish that is usually made as a filling for meat pies or put in other things - but I like to make it on it’s own in a skillet and serve it over rice when I’m feeling cozy. I usually serve it with a big spinach salad for some fresh, light flavor, as it’s a very savory dish. This is a great dish to help build blood quality and uses warming spices - cinnamon, allspice, pepper - to invigorate the body and help prevent stagnation. 

Qualities: Warming, Invigorating, Building.

Housie with Rice:

1 lb ground bison or grass fed beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter

½ C toasted pine nuts

2 tsp spice blend (equal parts cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper)

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

sea salt to taste

Jasmine rice, cooked per instructions. 

Cook ground meat in a skillet until most redness is cooked through. Drain the meat and set aside. Heat butter and cook onions in butter until soft and clear; add meat into skillet again and cook another minute; add parsley and spice blend and toss mixture with spices to coat well; add pine nuts and cook another minute while mixing all together and salt to taste. Serve in bowls over rice with more parsley on top. It’s also very good with some plain tart yogurt served on the side :)

Butter Is Back! →

Two articles last week on how we view dietary fats, and how that should change! I love my butter and coconut oil and whole milk yogurt. But even with the increase in saturated fats, you still need to take care with over-consuming refined carbs and sugar, as the combination of both can still lead to weight gain and poor health. I agree that sugars and refined foods are the real villains these days. 

Here is another breakdown on the Well Blog. 

This quote pretty much sums up my view on the subject: 

“The single macronutrient approach is outdated,” said Dr. Hu, who was not involved in the study. “I think future dietary guidelines will put more and more emphasis on real food rather than giving an absolute upper limit or cutoff point for certain macronutrients.”

Real food. Not from boxes or cans. Not from the convenience store. Not with added sugars and fake dyes. I like how this doctor is looking at the whole picture, and not just isolating one dietary fad that claims to be the cure-all for our problems. Nutrition science has evolved (and keeps evolving) since the 1980s folks, stay tuned! 

Seasonal allergies, coughs, runny noses, and flu seem to be sticking around a lot longer this year! If you are having trouble keeping your immune system healthy and stable, try a good Fire Cider recipe to keep in your kitchen for the whole family. Fire Cider has been used traditionally for centuries to drive out colds and fight infection, using many different hot and spicy Western herbs steeped in vinegar (or alcohol). Usually you would make this at the beginning of the cold and flu season, but better late then never. Rosemary Gladstar can show you how to make a beautiful and effective Fire Cider to ward off colds and flus in the video above, or try this classic recipe:

Fire Cider:

• 1 part onion, chopped
• 1 part grated horseradish root
• 1 part ginger, peeled and diced 
• 1 part garlic, chopped
• 2-3 cayenne peppers
• Enough apple cider to cover the herbs
• Honey to taste

Combine all herb and pepper ingredients into a large mason jar with a tight lid. It should come to about halfway full. Cover the herbs with vinegar and allow to steep for up to 1 month. After the steeping process, strain the liquid from the mixture and discard the herbs. Mix in a few tablespoons of local honey to the strained Fire Cider and store in the fridge (you can use the same jar if needed). It should taste spicy, and bit sweet. 

Autumn: The Metal Phase and Season of the Lungs

Autumn is associated with Metal in Chinese medicine. It is a phase of declining energy in nature, the world and all beings preparing for Winter, the weather becoming dry and cooler, the high activity of Summer coming to an end. We associate the Lungs as the primary organ of Autumn and the Metal phase. The Lungs are affected easily by this drier air and often will get thrown out of balance producing coughs and colds, allergies may be exacerbated, and skin conditions may aggravate. Protect your Lungs by taking preventative herbs, doing steam inhalations, and practicing qi gong breathing exercises! 

Foods for Fall nourish the Spleen and Stomach, which in turn nourish the Lungs as well. Sweet potato, winter squashes, warming spices, pears, and radishes will all benefit your Lung system. 

On an emotional level, melancholy and grief are emotions relevant to the Metal phase of Autumn. Fall is a good time to begin to recoil from the outgoing summer months and to begin to slow down (if ever so slightly) to harness our energy as we will need it for the winter months. It is a good time to be more introspective and to work on resolving, or at least coming to terms with, any underlying emotional issues. Walks in the crisp dry air with deep breaths will aid this immensely. :)

Fall 1-Day Detox

As the seasons change in Spring and Fall, it’s a great time to do a cleanse for your body and mind. This 1-Day detoxing cleanse doesn’t require you to commit much time and is a great introduction to cleansing for someone who may not have tried it before. I LOVE the flavors in this 1-Day plan – lots of spice and fall fruits help set the tone for Fall. In addition to the dietary detox, get 20-30 minutes of brisk walking in during your 1-Day cleanse, avoiding hard exercise. I would also highly recommend turning off your iPhone or smartphone for at least 20 minutes during your cleanse day. This gives us a detox for our hearts and minds as well. It’s crazy to me that we have all come to this (myself included), but I think effective meditation for the 21st century may actually just be the practice of turning off our devices for a short period each day - that’s all the way off, not just silenced. Go ahead - throw caution to the wind! - try it and see how it makes you feel. I promise, we will all be here when you turn it back on. 

Fall 1-Day Detox:

56 oz filtered water

8 oz unsweetened organic cranberry juice

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (like Bragg’s brand)

¾ C fresh squeezed orange juice

¼ C lemon juice

Bring water and cranberry juice to a boil in a large pot. Mix the 3 spices together in a cheesecloth bag and add this into the pot - simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Remove spice bag, add vinegar, OJ,  lemon juice and mix well. Alternate drinking 1 C filtered water and 1 C juice mixture throughout the day, until you have had 8 C of juice mixture. Additionally, take 1 tsp psyllium husks mixed in either your water or juice at the beginning and end of the day. 

If it is your first time for a fast, even just 1 day, make sure you monitor how you feel and EAT something if you have an energy crash - vegetables or fruits are best to stay in keeping with the detox theme. If you are pregnant, nursing, ill, or under large amounts of stress - please do not fast. 

Just 1 day folks. Clear your mind, clear your body. Embrace the change that brings us into a new season. ♡

Turmeric Tea Recipe →

I have talked about the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric before here, and wanted to share another related post from one of my favorite cooking blogs. Looking forward to trying this sometime! 

Shake Up your Morning

I often think to myself, “Ugh - I should use my Vitamix more.” We spent a good bit of cash on this thing, it has amazing powers, and I love it… but since the baby I find myself looking at it more than using it. So, let’s change that. Morning shakes are the easiest thing to make for breakfast. I’ve been on an eggs/avocado/toast kick lately myself, but I do have several smoothie/juice recipes I turn to time and again for lighter fare. Maybe you could use some shake ideas too! Here are 3 of my favorite blends (complete with ridiculous names as they do in juice bar culture)- remember, keeping a mix of veggies and fruits is ideal to avoid too much sugar in the morning:

#1 // The DealBreaker: 

½ cucumber, skinned, seeded and cut lengthwise

2 handfuls spinach

1 C coconut water

¾ C frozen blueberries

1 spoonful peanut or almond butter

1 Tbsp flaxseed or hempseed oil

*go ahead and add some protein powder if you want! 

#2 // The Mezmerizer:

1 C frozen pineapple or mango

1 C coconut water

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled

½ tsp Turmeric powder

squeeze of lime juice

*this lady is tropical, add some plain yogurt if you want! 

#3 // The Ommmm:

2 handfuls spinach 

2 Tbsp parsley leaves

½ cucumber, skinned, seeded and cut lengthwise

1 C coconut water

½ apple, skinned and sliced (green for more sour taste, red more sweet)

Squeeze of lemon

*anyone on a detox? this one fits the bill perfectly!

Food Facts:  Flax oil, Turmeric, Ginger root, & parsley are what I call “medical” food ingredients. All anti-inflammatory, especially the turmeric, and fitting for cleansing the body of toxins and excess accumulation we acquire over time eating fatty foods, animal products, dairy, bad oils, or processed ingredients. Happy blending! 

Clean Up Your Gut! News from NPR →

Mice that got microbe transplants from obese humans gained more weight and accumulated more fat than mice that received microbes from lean humans. The findings, though preliminary, suggest a future path for obesity treatment.

Skin health is just as important as the health of our gut. In fact, skin health should be considered internal health, as Chinese medicine says the skin is the “outer lung”. Your skin is actually the largest organ of your body, coming in contact with thousands of chemicals, environmental agents, germs… not the mention all the food you eat. Your skin “breathes” and sweats out toxins, and is a very important tool in cleansing the body. So, why are we so harsh with our skin – slathering it with sunscreens, makeup, harsh chemical peels, Botox, fragrances, hairspray residue, tanning lotions, acne treatments and more? There is the definite pressure of living up to the high standards of appearance and beauty we have in our culture… but the best approach is one that takes the root cause in mind and treats more than just the outer symptoms.  Once I transitioned all my skincare products over to organic and natural sources, my skin cleared up greatly and has never felt better to this day. Learning how to eat well was the first step, and discovering organic products that nourished my skin instead of beating it into submission was the next step! Here are a few of my favorite products that I use daily for optimal skin nourishment. Nothing fancy, but several active ingredients really infuse my skin with the healing nutrients it needs:

Rose // Homeopathy states that “like treats like”, and rose is a great example of this. Red treats red. Rosewater and oil are perfect for soothing redness and inflammation of the skin, it smells lovely, and will hydrate your skin during dry or cold months. Rosewater is also used in some cultures as eye drops for red eyes. 

Aloe // Aloe has commonly been used for wound healing for centuries in herbal medicine. It has a wonderful healing effect on the skin, and also in the gut when taken internally. 

Calendula // Did you know that calendula flowers are edible? Calendula also is used medicinally for wound healing, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor remedies. It has been studied as an acne remedy, with astounding powers in healing irritated tissue, and when taken internally can treat constipation and abdominal cramping. 

MSM // MSM is a sulfur compound and has been studied for its effects on stress, mucus membranes, GI conditions, and allergies. In addition to being present in some skincare products, it is also sold as a dietary supplement for these reasons. 

Jojoba oil // Often, acne and blemishes can occur when TOO LITTLE oils are present in the skin. Jojoba oil helps my skin stay hydrated and nourished so my sebaceous glands don’t over-produce and cause acne breakouts. 

Weleda Skincare and Inventive Organics (locally made in Austin!) are two of my absolute favorite skincare lines. Most of my skincare products come from these brands and they always leave me wanting to try more. Check out all of the products they have to offer - skincare, haircare, men’s products, medicinals and more. 

The farmer’s market always gives me inspiration for cooking on weeks I feel less than motivated to do much in the kitchen. No energy? No time? Bored with the usual meal rotation? Head to the market for a breath of fresh air and new ideas. Perfect heirloom tomatoes and fragrant basil made a divine caprese salad that I could eat daily until the end of the season. This is a great low-carb seasonal dish to throw together on nights when you don’t want to cook or want to indulge your taste buds in pure summer flavors. Healthy doesn’t have to mean labor intensive, bland, or boring. This is the perfect example of natural flavor bursting at the seams! So simple, delicious, beautiful and EASY. Crenshaw melons have a great crispness to them and are the classic melons to wrap with prosciutto and skewer several together like a kabob - then serve with this caprese salad for a full on Italian feast. Glass of rosé anyone?

Caprese Salad:

Ripe heirloom tomatoes or tomatoes on-the-vine, sliced

Fresh mozzarella, sliced in rounds

Fresh basil leaves

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Layer tomato, basil leaf, and mozzarella over and over again in a platter until you have as much as you can eat and more. You always need more than you think as it disappears FAST. Drizzle with good oil and aged balsamic, crack your salt and pepper and dig in. 

Health at Home →

Health.com offers a few fun ways to use natural foods for medicinal and beauty purposes at home! 

Homemade Cough Syrup

My husband was the first, then passed it on to me, then our poor little babe got his first baby cough last week. While it’s truly heartbreaking to see a 3 month old try to cough up phlegm from his little baby lungs, children are the best responders to herbal remedies and will often not need any further treatment if you catch things quickly - of course, if they are running fever over 100.4 or have labored breathing, that’s a definite visit to your MD. But his cough is all but gone now, and all it seemed to take was some pediatric herbs, some nasal rinse, a lot of patting on the back, and some time. For yourself, try this simple adult concoction to break up your own phlegm and ease a sore throat:

2 parts Local, raw honey

½ part Lemon juice

½ part Apple Cider Vinegar

Pinch of Ginger or Cayenne powder

Mix up a batch of this to your preferred taste (~¼ C) and keep it for a few days, taking spoonfuls up to 3-4x day as needed for cough. ♥