Recipes

Glutamine for low blood sugar and calming effects

April 29, 2013 By Trudy Scott 85 Comments

Nicole is an NTP (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) and fire-fighter paramedic and has problems with blood sugar control. Diabetes runs in her family. We met at the recent 2013 NTA (Nutritional Therapy Association conference) where I had a booth to promote my services and book The Antianxiety Food Solution. I also presented on the Role of Inflammation in Anxiety, Stress and Depression – which covered amongst other factors, the amino acids.

Nicole came by my booth after my presentation and she wanted to try the glutamine because of low blood sugar symptoms. The results she experienced were great!

You can watch this video to hear how powerful glutamine was for Nicole – she saw results in around 5 minutes. I really like to get testimonials like this because when I talk about the profound and quick effects of the amazing amino acids it almost sounds too good to be true! But in this case (and the majority of cases), it really is true!

Nicole says “I get irritable, I get shaky and I get to the point that if I don’t get food NOW I think I’m going to hurt something!”

She tried the glutamine and in under 5 minutes she went from that feeling to: “I’m ok. I feel happy, I feel calm, I feel I can make it longer without needing food right away.”

She finished up by saying “I’m impressed at how well that worked for me” and she plans to share the benefits of this amino acid with her clients who may have blood sugar issues and the associated symptoms of shakiness between meals, irritability, a frantic need for something to eat and often an intense desire for something sweet.

Signs of low blood sugar include:

Irritability, agitation, nervousness
Shaky between meals or when you skip a meal
Poor memory, focus and fatigue
Intense sweet craving at various times of the day
Feeling stressed & overwhelmed
Waking in the night (low blood sugar is one of many causes of insomnia)

When you have stable blood sugar, you will feel grounded, experience less overwhelm and stress and have no cravings – if your cravings are blood sugar related. Cravings can also be due to low serotonin, low endorphins, low catecholamines and low GABA, and even as a result of candida or yeast overgrowth. For many of my clients it may even be a combination of the above.

Naturally, making food changes can help a great deal as you can read in this blog post on low blood sugar and anxiety.

Eat Naked Margaret Floyd interviewed by Trudy Scott

April 12, 2013 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

I’d love to introduce you to Margaret Floyd, author of Eat Naked: Unprocessed, unpolluted, and undressed eating for a healthier, sexier you and its follow up cookbook, The Naked Foods Cookbook: The whole foods, healthy fats, gluten-free guide to losing weight and feeling great, which she co-authored with Chef and husband, James Barry.

We met last year at the Weston A. Price conference and saw each other again at the recent Nutritional Therapy Association conference, where I interviewed her about her two fabulous books! (I also met her lovely husband James and delightful daughter Sia)

You can watch this video to hear why she wrote this book…

You’ll hear Margaret talk about: real clean food… misconceptions about food… healthy food… simplify… and plenty of recipes

Margaret wrote Eat Naked for her clients and to educate the public at large. This book is an excellent introduction for people who are completely new to the concept of real nourishing food. And if you have been on this path for a while, you’ll receive validation and some interesting new facts. This book also meshes so perfectly with the eating message in the first chapter of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution and is a perfect companion for those who are familiar with my work, and yet want and need more detail, and more “meat” (no pun intended!).

You may be in for some pleasant surprises if you’ve given up meat for health reasons and no longer eat butter – and yet secretly long for these foods. They are back on the menu, but with the emphasis of quality of course! I knew I was in for a treat when I read Margaret’s dedication to her gamma: “You were right, butter is better.”

Here are a few of my favorite parts of Eat Naked:

It’s for people who love food, want to eat well and don’t have loads of time
It covers all the bad stuff: hydrogenated oils, sugar and HFCS, artificial sweeteners, soy
It covers all the good stuff: organic produce with some great information on pesticides and climate change and why canned tomatoes are a good choice
It addresses some interesting aspects of red meat: the Certified Humane Label, the sustainability of meat and a nice review of grass-finished
The discussion on eliminating sugar! (why? because as you’ve heard from me many times, sugar is toxic, addicting, and can contribute to anxiety and depression)
How to transition to this way of eating and how to shop naked (don’t you just love the play on words!?)
Many delicious and yet simple recipes (try the Eggs on a Bed of Greens)

I LOVE recipe books and The Naked Foods Cookbook is a happy addition to my collection and is one I’ll use and recommend to clients. It fits the bill of having simple, fast and delicious recipes with the added bonus of them being super-nourishing too.

Finally, don’t you just love the covers of these books and the concept of naked undressed food!? How can that not make you fall in love with real food all over again!? And as Margaret says, eat like this and soon you’ll be proud to see your naked body!

Here are links to purchase these books on Amazon: Eat Naked: Unprocessed, unpolluted, and undressed eating for a healthier, sexier you and the cookbook, The Naked Foods Cookbook: The whole foods, healthy fats, gluten-free guide to losing weight and feeling great

Margaret Floyd is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified GAPS Practitioner and Healing Foods Specialist based in the Los Angeles area. She’s a passionate advocate for the healing power of a real, whole-foods diet, and works with clients all over North America and Europe to regain their health and vitality through food and lifestyle.

Bite-sized carob heart recipe for Valentine’s Day

February 8, 2013 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

carob-hearts

Enjoy this healthy treat for Valentine’s Day! Make your honey and the kids some of these yummy bite-sized carob hearts and you’ll all be smiling instead of feeling like you over-did it on the chocolates and candies.

1 cup organic almonds, soaked
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
½ cup organic dates
½ cup organic raisins, soaked
½ cup carob powder
½ cup coconut oil
4-5 teaspoons water from the soaked raisins

Soak almonds and pumpkin seeds overnight (or 4-6 hours) and then drain and rinse. Place raisins in a small bowl, cover with hot water for about 10 minutes. Save both the raisins and the raisin water in two separate bowls. In a food processor grind almonds and pumpkin seeds until fine. You can also use your blender and use the “grind” option. Remove nuts/seeds from the food processor or blender and add dates, raisins, carob, coconut oil (first melt this on low heat on the stove) and vanilla. Blend this well. Now transfer the nuts and fruit mix to a bowl and mix. Add 4-5 teaspoons of the raisin water, if necessary, until the mixture is the consistency of very thick cookie dough. Roll into 1 inch balls and then shape into bite-sized hearts. If you make these at another time of the year, just make them into bite-sized balls.

This recipe is thanks to Frances Holmes, one of my dear friends and a nutritionist colleague. She used to make them for us when I worked in Julia Ross’ Recovery Systems Clinic in Mill Valley. Frances says: “Add pizzazz by rolling the balls in coconut, cinnamon, carob, toasted sesame seeds or any other tasty thing your little heart desires. You can also be creative and add flavored essential oils, or spices like cardamom as well.”

Once they have been coated, chill for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator, or until the balls slightly harden. And Frances says “These little delightful bites freeze well too!”

I have modified the original recipe: I used half the carob powder and replaced 1/2 cup almonds with 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds. Some optional additions: 1/3 cup whey protein powder; substitute some of the almonds with walnuts; add I T ginger to 1/3 of the batch; add ground mint leaves to 1/3 of the batch.

And here are some of the few healthy reasons for selecting these over store-bought candy:

Dates and raisins have health benefits like iron, fiber and are naturally sweet
Coconut oil is healthy fat that is delicious and helps offset the effects of the sugar in the dried fruit
Carob is a healthy magnesium-rich naturally caffeine-free alternative to cocoa and chocolate. The caffeine in chocolate affects some people and makes them anxious. If you can eat chocolate do make sure it’s dark chocolate
Almonds are a source of protein and fats and vitamin E
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of tryptophan and zinc (a functional food made from pumpkin seeds has been shown to help with social anxiety and insomnia). You can read more about soaking and pumpkin seeds here
Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium and magnesium and add a delicious crunch
Coconut flakes add a delicious tropical flavor and crunch

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Vitaclay slow cooker beef stew recipe and why I love this slow cooker

January 23, 2013 By Trudy Scott 41 Comments

vitaclay_ladies

I’ve been searching for a good slow cooker for some time. As well as convenience and of course taste, quality and safe materials are always a big factor when it comes to cooking materials. So when I came across the Vitaclay crockpot at the recent Weston A Price conference I was excited! And the more I read about this crockpot the more excited I got. Let me first share a yummy recipe and then I’ll share why I love this crock!

Vitaclay crockpot beef stew

Place 2 lbs (1 kg) of uncooked beef cubes into the bottom of the crock
Place 2 chopped onions and 4 cloves chopped garlic on top of this
Place 1 lb (1/2 kg) of chopped carrots and 4-6 chopped celery sticks on top of the onions/garlic
Don‘t stir but rather leave the veggies on top so they kind of steam and don’t get too mushy.

Mix the following and pour over everything: 4 cups water or beef stock, plus 2 T olive oil, 1T sea salt and 2 T paprika.

Place the lid on the crock, close the cover and hit SLOW COOKING. The default is STEW /2 hours. The clock will begin the countdown from 2 hours to 0. It will beep when the 2 hours is up and will switch to warming mode.

Cook for 2 hours – the meat will be super-tender and the veggies will be nicely cooked. You’ll start to smell the wonderful aroma of home-cooked stew after about an hour of cooking.

Why I love my Vitaclay slow cooker:

the ease of use and they look really great
the aroma and flavor of slow-cooked is awesome, plus those gorgeous home-cooked aromas get your digestive juices going
it is non-toxic and doesn’t contain Teflon or lead. I’m always looking for good products that I can share with my clients and wanted to be sure about this one. Of course I turned to Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Home Safe Home (one of my absolute favorite books) and found this very useful information about the best non-toxic slow cooker: “This is a nontoxic slow cooker”;“only one I know of that does not have a finish that could contain lead”; “made from zisha clay, which is a famous Chinese clay, known for its purity. It has been used for centuries to make teapots because of their ability to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of tea. Zisha clay is also structurally strong without glazing and does not crack when subjected to large and sudden temperature differences.”
They are tested for purity after they are made. I did have some concerns about pollutants from China and found this comment by Dadd in the above blog: “The raw materials for zisha clay are buried deep underground, sometimes under heavy sedimentary rock formations. Processing of raw material involves removing the clay from the from it’s underground storage, drying it under the sun, and then pulverizing the dried clay pieces into fine particles. The clay powder is then passed through a screen to isolate clay particles of the finest grit size. The screened clay is mixed with water to a thick paste and vacuum processed to remove air bubbles and some of the moisture. The quality and quantity of water is critical in that it determines the quality of the stoneware products produced. After this processing, the clay is then ready to be formed into pots.

Because the clay is mined from underground, it would not be affected by air or water pollution in the region. However, the water it is mixed with could add pollutants to the finished product. Since the quality of the water affects the quality of the finished stoneware, it’s very likely that good quality water would be used.

I called Vita-Clay and was told that their pots are tested for toxics AFTER they are made, to ensure that no toxic substances are present that might leach into food.”

Since I am doing a review of this product I do have one negative comment: There is a definite new burning rubber smell the first time you use it. I did a quick google search and was told it’s typical. Fortunately the smell faded in about 10 minutes. I would have loved the supplier to have done something in the factory to prevent us having to smell this!

In the interests of full disclosure, the above Vitaclay link is my affiliate link but I only recommend products that I would use myself. I do hope you enjoy it as much as we are enjoying it!

Trudy Scott (CN), Certified Nutritionist is the founder of www.everywomanover29.com, a thriving nutrition practice with a focus on food, mood and women’s health. Trudy educates women about the amazing healing powers of food and nutrients and helps them find natural solutions for anxiety and other mood problems. Trudy’s goal for all her clients (and all women): “You can be your healthiest, look your best and feel on-top-of-the-world emotionally!”

Roasted eggplant pate recipe

August 21, 2012 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

1 eggplant, chopped into cubes
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (or more if you like a stronger flavor)
3 small sweet peppers or 1 large green/red/yellow pepper, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Cayenne or chili pepper (optional to spice it up)
Tomato, chopped (optional to add during blending)
2 T tahini (sesame paste)

Add chopped vegetables, seas salt and pepper to a casserole dish and add olive oil. Stir well to make sure everything is covered in olive oil. Bake/roast covered at 350F for 45 minutes, stirring at least every 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add to a blender with the tahini. Blend to a fine paste and spoon into a loaf pan and leave to set in the fridge. Serve as a pate with crackers or chopped fresh veggies (like carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and celery) or as a side-serving for a main meal.

Option: serve warm immediately after you’ve removed it from the oven and blended it. It makes a nice “sauce” for serving over baked potatoes or other vegetables.

This recipe was inspired by the produce box we get each week. Right now eggplants, tomatoes and peppers are in season!

We are a member of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm Fresh to You. As stated on their site, CSA’s are a great way to get organic produce and support local farmers.

As people are becoming increasingly interested about where their food comes from and how it was grown, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is becoming a popular alternative for getting high quality food from a trusted local farm, Farm Fresh To You. By joining our CSA, families are connecting directly to our farm, Capay Organic, and are receiving regular deliveries of nutrient rich, mouth watering, organic produce delivered directly to their home or office.

If you’re in Northern California, contact Farm Fresh to You with promo code 6164 and you’ll get $10 off your delivery. If you’re elsewhere, use the Local Harvest site to find CSAs and farmer’s markets in your area.

Note: Please do keep in mind that eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, paprika, cayenne pepper and potatoes (just white potatoes, not sweet potatoes) are in the nightshade family, together with tomatillos, garden huckleberry, tamarillos, pepinos and pimentos. Tobacco and withania are also in the nightshade family. Some people are affected adversely by nightshades, so if you suffer from joint pain or arthritis, you may find that nightshade removal may reduce your symptoms.

Salmon Pate Recipe for Summer

May 29, 2012 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

2 small cans of wild Alaskan pink salmon (totaling 12oz/340g)
1T gelatin
½ cup chicken stock, heated (home-made is best)
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 t lemon juice
4 small onions, finely chopped
½ cup fresh raw cream
Sea salt and pepper

Mix gelatin with hot chicken stock. In a blender, blend the following: gelatin/stock, undrained salmon, onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning. Add cream and stir. Pour into lightly oiled fish molds (use one large or 3 small fish molds). Refrigerate and tip onto the serving plate just before eating. Serve with rice crackers, whole-grain wheat crackers (if tolerated) and fresh veggies like chopped carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and celery.

I’d like to give credit to Suzy for this wonderful recipe (which I have modified slightly). She is an old friend of mine and I’m so thrilled that we just reconnected on Facebook after being out of touch for 20 years! I was so impressed when she served it at a dinner party in Johannesburg, South Africa, a LONG time ago. In fact, everything Suzy served at dinner parties was amazing! Here’s to sitting down together at a dinner party in the near future!

May you enjoy this and other wonderful food with your friends and family!