Lactose Intolerant? Try Homemade Oat Milk

For those of you out there that can't tolerate cow or goat milk because of a lactose intolerance, you often end up seeking out alternatives and come across things like overpriced oat or rice milk. Well here's a cheap and easy way to get a better quality, better tasting, version of what's in stores, without all those pesky preservatives.

It really is the easiest thing to make. All of the ingredients are most likely already in your kitchen.

All you need is:

1 cup Porridge Oats (not instant oats)
1 tbsp Demerara Sugar, Honey or Agave Nectar (sweeten to taste)
1 tsp Olive or Sunflower Oil
6 cups warm water



Once you've got all the ingredients just add them in any order and blend for about 10 seconds. The mixture should turn white (like in the picture). If it's still clear your water isn't warm enough. Then strain into a pitcher and you're done. Use in hot and cold cereals or drink it straight.

For a stronger flavor and thicker oat milk let it set for about 30 minutes. You can also make your own rice or almond milk too. Just follow the same instructions as above only add 2 cups cooked brown rice or 500g ground almonds instead. Let the almonds set longer than the rice or oats to get the full flavor.

Beating Depression-A Healthy Start to 2009!

Hello everyone. Hope you all had a fabulous holiday season. Now that we're all back to the daily grind and trying to stick to those New Year's resolutions. Losing weight is usually the most popular on the list, so why not schedule a consultation with me at my new location. If you're in Ireland, anywhere near Co. Galway, I'm running my practice out of The Elmtree Clinic in Oranmore.

My resolution was to get fit (again). To do this I've cut out the junk foods I indulged in over the holidays and went back to healthy eating. Plus I've incorporated 60 minutes of Yoga into my daily routine. In just a couple days I've already noticed a difference. My 'baggy jeans' are baggy again and I feel toned and strong. You know what they say "muscle has memory". Well mine are thrilled that I've stopped neglecting them for the couch and TV. My mood has elevated and so has my energy level. I had no idea how much my lack physical activity and healthy diet were effecting me. I was fit for so long that I just took it for granted. Taking the last year off of the intense workouts I'd been doing for years really took its toll. So I'm happy to say I'm bouncing back nicely and plan to keep up this pace forever.

Letting your physical fitness slip away is doing yourself a tremendous disservice. Your body and mind will suffer for it. Depression is a commonly misdiagnosed problem. Doctors say it's a chemical imbalance that's permanent so you need to take anti-depressants the rest of your life. Well I'm here to tell you that's FALSE! Depression usually stems from an unhealthy digestive tract. Your gut talks to your brain 2/3 of the time. What is your gut saying?

Steps to Take to Beat Depression

• Make sure you're taking in enough water and fiber to keep your bowels moving
• Take Probiotics to digest and uptake your B-Vitamins essential for the central nervous system
  
• Eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables (Source of B-Vitamins)
  
• Exercise DAILY at least 30 minutes-Yoga highly recommended
  
• Remove all fast foods from your diet-pizza is allowed on your cheat day
  
• Increase intake of Omega fatty acids through fish or seed oils-fats feed the brain
  
• Eat a combo of fats, protein, and carbs in every meal or snack. They work together.

For more great tips contact me. There are several options you can take other than popping prescription drugs. They do more harm than good and quickly damage your liver.

B.A.R.F. Bone And Raw Food Diet for your Pets

There is a lot of controversy around the BARF diet for pets. I can now say from experience that it is by far the best diet. I have seen such an improvement in my kitten from incorporating raw food into his diet. And think about it. What did they get in the wild? Byproducts, preservatives, additives, and artificial ingredients? I think not. They got raw, nutrient packed food right from the source.

When I first got my little guy, Liam, he was extremely sick as were two of his siblings. Unfortunately we lost the other two boys from what I can only assume was some kind of viral infection. It caused them to stop eating and drinking, have watery diarrhea, and eventually succumb to their illness within 24 hours of us getting them. Luckily Liam fought for his life. He ate every time I fed him. I mainly fed him raw fish and chicken, and some hard boiled egg. I also supplemented infant probiotics and a baby multivitamin/mineral liquid supplement. I gave him Colloidal Silver to kill the infection as well as Oregon Grape Root to boost his immune system.

I didn't give him loads of supplements as it can clog the kidneys. I gave them sparingly and always with food to make sure they were digested and absorbed properly. But I do have to say with the raw food diet his coat is shiny and doesn't shed much and his eyes have changed from a dull brown to a bright yellowish green. And he's as healthy as an ox and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

I did start him on a very high quality kibble <name withheld> that I used to sell in the States. Unfortunately, through process of elimination, I found out he had a horrible reaction to it because he kept breaking out in sores on his neck. With cats, skin sores, biting or pulling out hair, or even just jumping up as if being bitten by something are all indicators of a food allergy. Always check for fleas first, but 9 times out of 10 it's the food. The kibble I sold in the States is different from the one out here. It has the same name but the two brothers that own the companies apparently don't use the same ingredients.

Once I buy my own food grinder I will be making all of his food myself. I still use a good quality kibble, that he has no reaction to, but supplement it with raw fish or chicken at every meal. In Ireland they don't sell organ meats, other than liver, at the butcher's or the supermarkets. So what I will have to do is source it from a butcher and find out what day they get their shipment and pick it up THAT day. It's illegal for them to hold it for me so I have to time it right.

Just a quick note about liver. It's extremely high in Vitamin A and giving too much can cause liver stones. So to avoid that but make sure they still get their Vitamin A, give them a small portion twice a week. This will give them enough in the meat source but don't forget you can give them the vegetable source, Beta Carotene, from carrots as well. It will also add a little sweetness to the food. My little guy ate some crushed carrots and broccoli when I drizzled some olive oil on top. They aren't herbivores and what little vegetation they do get is from the partially digested contents in their prey's stomach and intestines. Yum!

Visit one of these great websites for raw cat food recipes. If you don't want to make your own pet food there are several raw food manufacturers currently in the US. Do some research and see if there is a retailer nearby. One fabulous company I found was Primal Pet Foods. They have really high quality foods and treats. Instructions on how to feed are also on the package. You can even order online from one of their "Online Stores".

Good luck and give me testimonials on your success.

Shocking News About Garlic

Garlic, Allium sativum L, is in the onion family Alliaceae. It's used for cooking and medicinal purposes. Up until recently I thought there were no side effects other than upset stomach from a sulphur sensitivity. This is just not so.

I had a consultation with a 4 year old femle client the other day and through kinesiology found that she has a virus present. Well, being 4 and unable to swallow pills (without testing her) I suggested rubbing fresh garlic on the soles of her feet just before bed. It's an excellent anitbacteria and viral as well as having many other healing/cleansing properties. So her Mother did what I suggested and in less than a minute her daugher was screaming in pain and pleading with her to remove it. Thinking her daughter was just being dramatic as kids can be, I know I've witnessed it loads of times, she removed it and put her to bed.

In the morning she went to her daughters beside and looked at her foot again to see if there really was a problem. Unbelievably she had what appeared to be a red burn mark on her skin the size of the clove of garlic. By the end of the day her cheeks were flushed as well.

Ruling out that she's a vampire, I went and searched for other known cases of garlic sensitivity. Apparently it's a known fact that the allicin (sulphur compound) present in crushed garlic can cause symptoms of 'skin irritation, reddening and even blistering. Low level intolerance or excessive intake can result in heartburn or flatulence.'

I'd recommended it to clients before and even heard of other people doing it for their kids with no ill effects. Garlic is still the number one thing I recommend to small children and infants to relieve colds, flus, fevers, and any bacterial/viral infections because of it's fast healing benefits. Plus it doesn't need to be ingested. Just be careful and heed a word of warning.

If you are going to apply garlic to the feet, please do a patch test if a kinesiologist is not available. If you notice any signs of sensitivity, wash the area immediately and apply aloe. This should counteract any blistering.

Another way we found there was a sulfer allergy was her reaction to her inhaler for asthma. It too contains a sulphite that when ingested causes her to become angry and tempermental. She was described as "being a totally different person" when on the inhaler. I asked the mother to consult her doctor to see if a change could be made. She then told me the doctors told her there were no other alternatives.

Now I don't for one single second believe there is only 1 asthma inhaler drug for acute symptoms on the market. I don't mess with emergency situations as natural health is slow healing over a period of time, so I told her to call other doctors here and even in other countries for their advice on the matter. Remember this: Doctor's are glorified sales people. They will never speak of a drug they are not promoting because they have no knowledge of it. That doesn't mean the drugs don't exist, it simply means they aren't aware of it and don't get a kickback from recommending it. Please go to several sources for information, hit the web, and get yourself educated on matters of health for you and your children. Never hand over full responsibility for the health and welfare of yourself and others to anyone. If something sounds odd or untrue, do the research. Information is there for the taking and no one has more access to information than you.

What Is Canola Oil?

Canola oil, a.k.a. rapeseed oil, safe or toxic? OK you have to read this entire link as well as the 'additional infomation' and draw your own conclusion.

WOW! Personally, The Truth link on the bottom of the urban legend page sealed the deal for me. If this person could be any more full of sh*t I would be amazed. Hydrogenated fats aren't unhealthy? WTF?? And no I don't believe for a second that the FDA does what's best for Americans. It does what's best for their almighty pocketbook. Where did they get this bozo?

Wikipedia clears a few things up that "The Truth" idiot rants about. For example, there is no such thing as a canola plant. It's a rapeseed plant renamed canola (Canadian Oil, low, acid) because of the negative connotations the word rape has with North Americans. For flips' sake it's still called rapeseed oil in Europe.

Bottom line is, if you want an oil from a plant that's genetically modified to resist herbacides with just as many negative connotations as positive, by all means consume. For me, I'll err on the side of caution and stick to my good ole olive and grapeseed oils. Yummmm!

Sprouted Wheat Instead Of Processed Grains

Sprouted wheat breads are a healthy alternative to the processed grain breads sold in all supermarkets. The help with blood sugar levels, gluten allergies, and mucoid plaque.

Sprout People have a recipe website for all types of sprouted grains and vegetables.

Now I'm hungry.

If anyone tries any of these recipes please leave a comment and tell us which ones and how yummy it turned out.

Can't Get The Kids To Eat Their Veggies? Try These Ideas...

Getting kids to eat nutrient dense foods is as easy as pulling teeth. With all of the media reports on television and magazine advertizing, it’s no wonder kids don’t know the correct things to eat. They are persuaded by colorful boxes and fun shaped foods. This causes a huge dilemma when it comes to their nutrition. Parents need to take a more educated active approach to feeding their children. Quick fast food meals on the go and sitting in front of the television while eating are two ways this country has had a breakdown in communicating proper nutrition. The educating starts with the parents at birth. Breast feeding will start the child off right with the correct levels of fatty acids, carbohydrates, and protein. When a child is not introduced to improper nutrition it has nothing toxic to crave or become addicted to.

Here are some creative ideas to help parents that didn’t start their child’s nutrition at birth but they want to make a change. For children age 2 to 10 try a blindfold test. Make a game out of it where you blind fold your child and get them to try different foods based on their taste and consistency, not what they look like. Most children won’t try a new food because of how it looks. It might be a strange color or shape or just not look appealing as in the case of guacamole. If you make it a fun game kids will want to play more often and you get to try almost anything on them. Write down what they loved and hated to make sure you incorporate the right ingredients in your meals. This will ensure a clean plate at the end of every meal. Be sure not to try any foods that aren’t nutrient dense. You are trying to get them on whole and raw foods so putting processed foods like cookies or crackers in the mix will only confuse them on what good nutrition is.

Another way to educate children ages 6 through 15 on proper nutrition is to have a parent/child switch night. This means they make dinner for you. Give them a list to go by of many wholesome ingredients and have them find them in the grocery store. Make sure to read all labels with them as well. This will get them to understand what ingredients are nutritious and what are processed. At home the children can put the ingredients together and a parents can assist with things like cutting of ingredients and stove preparation if necessary. The children will take pride in what they have prepared and find cooking to be more fun then necessity. This will also educate them on how to make a proper breakfast and lunch for themselves as well. Have them pick out their own ingredients for the next days breakfast from a list you have prepared. They can also pack their own lunches the night before. That will ensure they are excited about eating their lunch and not want to trade or buy lunch at school. As we are well aware school lunches lack the nutrition necessary for growing minds and bodies. They are simply fillers that don’t satisfy hunger therefore leading to snacking on junk foods like chips and cookies.

A way to expand on the parent/child switch night is having an actual dinner party with many children and parents. The kids can prepare hor d’oeuvres, appetizers, main dishes, and even desserts making sure they stay under a certain calorie count or portion size. When the children see the parents reaction to all of the delicious foods they will feel a sense of pride and want to continue eating healthfully. They may even want to make parent/child switch night happen at least once a week or more.

Parents or teachers can also give kids ages 10 through 18 a processed food to investigate. The internet is an excellent tool to use for this project. Have the child write down the ingredients on a package and individually look up every one. If the ingredient cannot be recognized as being “natural” or “healthy” they should be advised to avoid it altogether. Plus they should have them look up the effects those ingredients have on the human body, such as sugar. Even though we all know exactly what sugar is and where it comes from, we don’t necessarily know what it does to us. Teachers should have several books on hand for children to reference on body systems. When they read what ingredients they are consuming and see the sources of them, they will understand the detrimental effects they can have on their health. They need to be taught that they are made up of organic matter and need to be nourished, or fueled, by things that the body can recognize. Also have them start a chart for the foods they eat and how it makes them feel. After every meal do they feel; full or hungry, tired or energized, or have an upset stomach or easy digestion. Getting children to listen to their bodies is the best way to change their eating habits. When they realize that sugary processed foods have a negative impact on their mental and physical performance, they are less likely to indulge in them.

Quick Delicious Recipe That's Healthy

So I made this fantastic version of Peanut Thai sauce. Here are the ingredients (Note: you can/should use organic whenever possible)

Natural Peanut Butter (should have peanut, salt, and oil)
Olive Oil
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Fresh lemon juice
Red Pepper Flakes
Water

The order of ingrients goes from most to least. The peanut butter is a majority of the sauce so use at least 1/2 the jar for 2-3 servings. All other ingredients use to taste (usually just a teaspoon to a tablespoon each). I like it spicy so I add more pepper flakes than some. Have fun with it. Its delicious and with enough water added it makes a nice thin sauce to sauteed veggies and Chinese noodles. Other options would be adding organic free range beef or chicken, shrimp, or even tofu.

It takes all of 5 minutes to make once it's heated and smooth. Be sure to watch it closely because the sauce can burn easily.

When you make it let me know how it comes out.

Enjoy!