recipes

Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology, a new recipe book by Dr. Izabella Wentz

March 28, 2019 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

The beautiful new recipe book Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health (my Amazon link) by Thyroid Pharmacist, Dr. Izabella Wentz, just launched and I want to make sure you know about it and to also share some recipes with you.

I just got my copy and I’m excited to try out some of the yummy nutrient-dense and healing recipes. Flipping through it quickly I know already that I’ll be making the Morrocan Lamb Stew, the Truffled veggies and Cilantro-Lime Guacomole (it looks like a nice spin with some different flavors), the Liver Pate (this recipe has cinnamon!), the Zucchini Bread and the Mango Salsa (yuuummmm – I love mango and adore it in a spicy salsa). I’ll also make the Farinata bread (made with garbanzo beans) and Bacon and Chive Scalloped Potatoes for my family (I have SIBO and will enjoy them soon too I hope). I could go on and on…

Here is the Bacon and Chive Scalloped Potatoes recipe for you to try…

Dr. Izabella recently shared the AI Very Berry Pie recipe on Facebook and gave me permission to share it here too. She wrote that she created it when she was pregnant with their son (and why!) and more about the ingredients and nutrients:

I needed something yummy and nutrient dense! Initially the cookbook wasn’t going to have a dessert section but it ended up with 14 dessert recipes inspired by my sweet boy 😊 You can thank him and my pregnancy cravings.

The pie is filled with berries and the crust is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free. This was a huge hit at all of our parties. I hope you enjoy it! AI Very Berry Pie has the texture of a crumbly shortcake and even browns like a traditional pie. The secret to the yummy texture is the palm shortening, which can be used in Paleo baking instead of butter, while the maple syrup allows for a nice light brown color. Cassava flour is a fantastic gluten-free substitute for this kind of baking. I chose a mix of berries to include in this pie because of their antioxidant status; however, you can replace the fruit in the filling with apples, cherries, plums, peaches, or any other type of fruit you like.

I do love the blurb that Dr. Izabella includes with each recipe with a bit of the backstory and all the nutrients and health benefits we’ll be getting. The recipe photos are superb too!

Here is the recipe for the AI Very Berry Pie

Ingredients
CRUST
3 cups cassava flour
1 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ cup maple syrup
1⅓ cup palm shortening

FILLING
5 cups mixed berries (halved strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
¼ cup maple syrup (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a stand mixer, mix the cassava flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.
Add the maple syrup and mix, until the texture becomes crumbly.
Add the palm shortening, 1⁄3 cup at a time, until the crust reaches a pliable texture.
Divide the dough in thirds; reserve two-thirds for the base, and one-third for the pie top.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin (used specifically for gf baking)
Gently press 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of a 9-inch round pie pan to create the pie base and another third of the pie dough onto the sides of the pie pan.
Toss the berries with maple syrup, if added sweetness is desired
Roll out the remaining third of the crust and place on top
Bake for 15-20 minutes until fruit is cooked through and crust Browned

Here is the official book blurb:

When I was in pharmacy school, I discovered that food has a profound impact on our healing and that what we put in our bodies will either heal us or make us sicker. In the same way that we use pharmaceuticals to impact our biology, we can use food as our medicine. I call this concept food pharmacology. Food is one of the most powerful tools in your healing journey.” – Dr. Izabella Wentz

More than 35 million Americans currently suffer from Hashimoto’s—the country’s fastest-growing autoimmune disease, which affects the thyroid gland and causes the body to attack its own cells. Many individuals with or without a formal diagnosis suffer daily symptoms, including chronic cough, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, persistent pain, hair loss, brain fog, and forgetfulness.

Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology (my Amazon link) combines Dr. Izabella Wentz’s revolutionary and proven approach to reversing thyroid symptoms with delicious, easy-to-use recipes that delight the taste buds while they heal the body. Inside you will discover:

125 delicious and nutritious recipes for salads, smoothies, bone broths and crockpot and bibimbap-style meals, with thyroid-supporting nutrient details on every page

Over 100 stunning food and lifestyle photographs

Tips for revamping your kitchen and pantry

An FAQ for easy reference and quick answers

Easy-to-use, personalized meal plans and food rotation schedules to accommodate any diet

Successfully transforming the lives of thousands, Dr. Izabella Wentz makes it easier than ever before to live a life free from the suffering of autoimmune disease.

I recommend this book if you have hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or another autoimmune condition and want specific autoimmune-friendly recipes. Many of the recipes can be modified to low-FODMAP if you have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). If you do have oxalate issues you’ll need to adjust the recipes that use nut flours, greens like spinach, berries etc.

Even if you don’t have a thyroid or autoimmune condition it’s a lovely recipe book if you are looking for new nutrient-dense and healing recipes and some inspiration to get cooking!

Keep in mind, this book is way more than a recipe book. It’s also a nutrition guide with detailed information about how to improve your digestion and nutrient absorption; assessments and protocols; a discussion about the vegan/vegetarian diet and why a paleo-type diet with grass-fed red meat is beneficial if you have Hashimoto’s; why beets are good for you if you have the MTHFR gene mutation; crucial nutrients for thyroid function; when lab testing says you’re not gluten sensitive and much more.

You can purchase your copy of Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology here (my Amazon link) or at your favorite bookstore.

Big congratulations to my brilliant friend Izabella Wentz!

If you have your copy already, what recipes are you most excited to try out? Or have you already tried some recipes? Do let us know.

Healing PCOS: a new book by Amy Medling

May 4, 2018 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

Big congrats to my friend and colleague Amy Medling on the launch of her book this week: “Healing PCOS: A 21-Day Plan for Reclaiming Your Health and Life with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” This is a proven 21-day diet and lifestyle plan to help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) take back control of their health and resolve their symptoms from a certified health coach and founder of the large PCOS Diva online community.

I’m excited to share this book as a PCOS resource for you because anxiety and depression are common symptoms with PCOS – as a result of insulin resistance, low blood sugar and high cortisol:

In the short term, insulin resistance is at the heart of most PCOS symptoms, including infertility, obesity, hirsutism [male-pattern hair growth in women], hyperandrogenism (elevated androgen levels), chronic fatigue syndrome, immune system defects, eating disorders, hypoglycemia [low blood sugar], gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and anxiety
many women with PCOS may naturally have higher cortisol levels. Being overweight also increases cortisol production. Raised levels of cortisol change the way your body manages other critical hormones, putting you at risk for insulin resistance, anxiety, depression, and thyroid dysfunction.

Anxiety symptoms can also be due to low progesterone, estrogen dominance, thyroid issues, and overall inflammation.

She shares so many gems: how it’s so important to begin your healing journey by establishing your PCOS Diva mindset and practicing mindfulness; that the best movement for women with PCOS is whatever you enjoy; that the best way to overcome gym anxiety is to think like a PCOS Diva i.e. don’t wait until you have lost weight and then go; the importance of the vagus nerve and improving vagal tone.

The sections on the difficulties of getting a diagnosis, testing and medications are invaluable.

The section describing the different types of inositol when it comes to PCOS is also excellent. She writes that research suggests that women with PCOS may not be able to efficiently convert other inositols to D-chiro-inositol (DCI).

When I shared the new book announcement on Facebook, Katie Moon Bodily posted this:

I love the opening paragraph that defines what a PCOS Diva is. She is full of hope, chooses to thrive, takes charge, advocates for herself, and looks beyond physical management and also cares for her mind and spirit. I love that Amy starts with retraining the mind before she dives in to making physical changes—unless you change the way you think, the changes won’t last. Her words are full of hope and encouragement. She holds your hand through the changes so that you do t get overwhelmed and start to feel like “hey, I CAN do this!” Everything she does impresses me, and it’s so exciting to see it all compiled into one book!

I have to agree! As well as being a fabulous practical PCOS resource, it is a wonderfully hopeful and encouraging book and you can feel her warm support with you throughout the book. I really love the opening pages where Amy says this:

I deserve to be a PCOS Diva. I need to be a PCOS Diva.

A PCOS Diva is a woman with hope. She has taken charge of her health and happiness and takes steps every day to enhance both. She chooses to thrive with PCOS and is empowered by the knowledge she gathers as she educates herself about PCOS.

Here is the official blurb:

“PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders, and the most common cause of female infertility, affecting roughly five million American women. Because it’s symptoms are widespread—including stubborn weight gain, acne, mood swings, abnormal hair loss or growth, and irregular menstrual cycles—women suffering from PCOS are often misdiagnosed and treated with “Band-Aid” pharmaceuticals with uncomfortable side effects that only mask PCOS’s root causes. While there is no cure for PCOS, women can learn to control their symptoms naturally. In this welcome guide, Amy Medling shows how to combine an anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing diet, daily movement, and stress-reducing self-care to successfully treat their PCOS.

Grounded in the latest medical research and filled with the knowledge she’s acquired dealing with PCOS herself and working with thousands of women, Healing PCOS offers women small, manageable steps that help alleviate their symptoms and control the inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and insulin resistance that underlie the condition. Amy’s revolutionary program consists of:

A 21-day anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing and gluten-free meal plan, including meal prep and plan-ahead tips to make eating this way simple and fast
85 delicious recipes—half fan favorites and half new dishes
Daily self-care exercises, including meditation and journaling prompts

Amy has helped tens of thousands of women with PCOS take back control of their health and their lives through lasting, healing, and sustainable lifestyle change. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have struggled with PCOS, her revolutionary program can now work for you.”

Get access to chapter 1 of Healing PCOS here

Grab your copy of Healing PCOS on Amazon (my link)

Feel free to post questions below and do let us know which steps have helped you (or your patients/clients).

Free Thyroid Cookbook & other thyroid resources

July 14, 2015 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

I’m always trying to find and create the very best resources for you to make you healthier, happier and calmer! A few months ago, my friend and thyroid pharmacist, Dr. Izabella Wentz asked me to help contribute to The Thyroid Bundle!

I immediately responded, YES!

You may recall our great thyroid interview on Season 1 of the Anxiety Summit. As a thyroid patient herself, Dr. Wentz has struggled with fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, and countless other symptoms, including anxiety. She was determined to get her life back, found the answers and now helps others do the same!

Along with 30 other experts, I’ve personally contributed some of my favorite thyroid healing recipes to the Thyroid E-cookbook that we are giving away to you for free, to get you started on the right path!

If you have personally struggled with your own thyroid diet … this is one resource you simply just don’t want to pass up.

Whether you’re just dipping your toes in or looking for more recipes, this free thyroid e-cookbook is both inspiring and practical, with more than 80 recipes, plus inspirational stories and quotes from people who have helped countless others transform their health.

You don’t want to miss this! You can grab the Thyroid E-cookbook (at no charge) here:
https://nm197.isrefer.com/go/TB/trudyscottcn

We’ve each also contributed additional resources to The Thyroid Bundle which will be available to you at a special price for a limited time (until July 21st)

This is my contribution: “How Zinc and Vitamin B6 Prevent Pyroluria and Social Anxiety” (as heard on season 2 of the Anxiety Summit)

You may wonder – what is the connection between anxiety/social anxiety and the thyroid?

I’m contributing this transcript/eBook as part of The Thyroid Bundle because we often find that anxiety, panic attacks and social anxiety go hand in hand with thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

I work primarily with anxious women and around 80% have signs of low zinc and low vitamin B6 and possibly pyroluria. Many of these same women have a thyroid disorder.

We often see these pyroluria/social anxiety symptoms in someone who has hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis:

Being anxious, shy, or fearful
Having bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion
Frequent fatigue
Being prone to iron anemia or low ferritin levels
Tending to have cold hands or feet
Reduced amount of hair on your head, eyebrows, or eyelashes, or prematurely gray hair
Tending to have morning constipation
Your face looking swollen when you’re under a lot of stress

You can see the complete Pyroluria Questionnaire here.

Low zinc and low vitamin B6 are common in anxiety and are the key nutrients for addressing pyroluria. We also know that low zinc and low vitamin B6 (together with other nutrients) are common when you have a thyroid disorder (as stated in this 2015 paper: Metabolic disorders and nutritional status in autoimmune thyroid diseases

Malnutrition or the presence of numerous nutritional deficiencies in a patient’s body can be the cause of thyroid disorders. Coexisting deficiencies of such elements as iodine, iron, selenium and zinc may impair the function of the thyroid gland. Other nutrient deficiencies usually observed in patients suffering from ATD [Autoimmune thyroid diseases] are: protein deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies (A, C, B6, B5, B1) and mineral deficiencies (phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chromium).

Izabella writes about zinc being a common deficiency and how it’s needed to form TSH and for the conversion of T4 into the active T3 form – Nutrient Depletions in Hashimoto’s: Zinc

Zinc is an essential element to our well-being. Zinc acts as a catalyst in about 100 different enzyme reactions required by our body, and is involved in DNA synthesis, immune function, protein synthesis, and cell division. It is required for proper sense of taste and smell, detoxification, wound healing, and thyroid function. Zinc is not stored in the body, thus a daily intake of zinc is required to maintain sufficient levels.

One in four individuals in the general population may be zinc deficient, and most people with hypothyroidism are in fact zinc deficient. Zinc deficiency prevents the conversion of T4 into the active T3 version. This perpetuates the vicious cycle by a slowed metabolism of proteins.

Zinc is also needed to form TSH, and may become depleted in those with hypothyroidism who are constantly producing more TSH.

I’d like to add that my clients who do have pyroluria, do better with no copper in any of their supplements. So in this instance, Izabella’s recommendation of “1 mg of copper for every 15 mg of zinc” would not apply.

As I mentioned, you don’t want to miss this! You can grab the Thyroid E-cookbook (no cost) and check out The Thyroid Bundle (special low price until July 21st) here:
https://nm197.isrefer.com/go/TB/trudyscottcn

I’m thrilled to be part of this and love what Dr. Izabella Wentz has pulled together! I know you will love it too! Be sure to pay this forward and share with your friends and family!