Medical Medium, Gina LaVerde's Blog: Body, Mind and Spirit Nourishment
originally posted April 12, 2016
In my sweet hometown Chicago, blizzards happen in April. In the spring. The husband and I thought we could be part-time mid-westerners, because we see the irreplaceable value of our children’s grandparents and extended (crazy) family (who still lives there despite the obvious weather problems). We lasted four long cold months (beginning of spring through the end of summer). Read more
Hey Bliss Bombs,
I’m so excited to share the release of this awesome new fermented foods book with you. I had the grand opportunity of contributing recipes alongside experts, health advocates and chefs like Donna Gates and Kevin Gianni.
Happy Healing Heart Pink Full Moon in Scorpio! It just so happens to be Earth Day and the beginning of Passover as well. So, we’ve got a lot to celebrate and a lot to “deal with” energetically. First, Have your Cake! Read more
Fermented or probiotic foods are all the rage right now because we are finally recognizing their power to help heal and re-establish balance in our gut bacteria.
Digestive health is the basis for all health, as 80% of our immune system lives within the microorganisms in our gut. Our digestion is ruled by these tiny micro-organisms, called micro biome that literally outnumber our own cells 10:1. That’s right, our bodies are made up of about 10 times more bacteria than cells.
Dougie and I began our Monday Moon-day celebration with a calming, warming winter drink that both supports the immune system and aids in gentle cleansing. Plus, to us…it’s pure deliciousness. Read more
Even people who don’t Ike their vegetables seem to flip over kale chips. A tiny bag of them at the Santa Monica Co-op is about 8 bucks. And, if you’ve ever bought them, you know you don’t really wanna share yours. These crunchy, salty bites of BLISS are all the rave in the raw food community.
Yet, with so many of us dealing with low thyroid function, it’s important to know that raw cruciferous veggies do contain goitrogens, which are thyroid inhibitors. Too many raw cruciferous vegetables like kale, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts can slow your thyroid function.
Remember that your thyroid is responsible for energy, speed of digestion, hormone balance, sex drive and more! Most people notice the effect in their depleted energy levels. They get tired. You might need a major nap after downing a handful of raw kale chips if they are slowing your thyroid.
Plenty of peeps seem to do just fine with them. But, my clients tend to be very sensitive and dealing with complicated autoimmune issues. So, I try to come up with recipes that are more easily digestible than what’s popular. Yet just as yummy.
I’ve learned that fermenting allows you to enjoy these enzyme-rich foods in their raw form without the negative effects– because the fermentation process pre-digests the vegetables. But, fermented kale chips don’t taste so great!
I believe this recipe is a little bit healthier for our ever-loving-thyroids because it gets broken down a little and then dehydrated at a higher temperature. They are delish! I’m mucho sensitive, and I can eat a whole batch with no problemo.
I’ll have more info coming up on thyroid and adrenal health as I’m going to be experimenting with balancing my own endocrine system.
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We like to keep our kale leaves whole when using dinosaur kale, and we tear them apart by hand if using the more leafy kind.
Clean up your kale and cut off the fibrous stem part. Then, let it dry naturally.
Use your taste buds to help you gauge the amount of spices to use. Taste as you go. I like a lot of spice. Give your kale a good massage with lemons, apple cider vinegar, oil and the spice mixture. Then allow it to marinate overnight in a covered glass bowl or pan.
Then, line up your chips so that none are touching and air can circulate, and dehydrate these beauties at a slightly warmer temp. I do 150 degrees in my Excalibur dehydrator until crispy. It takes about 5 hours.
Or, you can line your kale up on a pizza pan or non toxic baking dish and bake at your lowest temp until crispy.
These are so delicious!
Gina
Have you seen my new book, “Are You Eating Your Bugs?” I’d love for you to get a free excerpt to help you analyze your digestive prowess. You can get it for free, here.
I’d love to help you create bliss in your life through healthy eating! Contact me for your personalized session!
Whip these chips up in a jiff and have a healthier snack for your family. Dip them in guacamole, hummus, seed cheese, or your favorite spread, and store in a paper bag. Plastic makes them all mushy. If you want to have a bunch on hand, it’s best to make extra dough and freeze until your ready to dehydrate and eat them– because they taste better this way. And they won’t last too long in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Process
Shred your zucchini and carrots in a food processor, add in chopped green onion, dill, celery seed and olive oil and sea salt — and process for about 1 minute. Your mixture should be slightly sticky.
Raw Method: Spoon cracker sized servings onto dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 5-6 hours. Flip your chips every two hours. I use an Excalibur dehydrator at 115 degrees.
Baked Method: Spoon cracker sized servings onto a greased pizza stone and bake on low for 2-3 hours or until crispy. Flip your chips after 1 hour.
Variations: add spinach, arugula, and vary the herbs for different flavors.
Have you seen my new book, “Are You Eating Your Bugs?” I’d love for you to get a free excerpt to help you analyze your digestive prowess. You can get it for free, here.
I’d love to help you create bliss in your life through healthy eating! Contact me for your personalized session!
Do you love figs? I do! And, besides eating them in the wildly delicious gluten-free newtons from the Santa Monica Co-op, I had to figure out what else to do with the things so that my obsession didn’t get boring. Naturally, I went to fermentation. I’ve tried to ferment almost everything you can think of from green beans to chocolate to spice mixes and teas. It’s not always a success. But, this my dears…this figgy frenzy was a fermentation feat for my record book. In fact, I often serve this in my classes and bring it to parties.
Figs are full of sugar, so naturally they have what it takes to feed the healthy probiotics in the fermentation process. Leaving them to ferment for 24 hours doesn’t produce alcohol for me. So, it’s all good. The fermentation simply breaks down the sugar and makes the whole shabang easier to digest, and also offers you some healing pro-bugs for your beautious digestive tract.
Fermentation also makes the minerals and fiber more bioavailable to you. That means that your body will actually accept more nourishment from these delicious fruits in their fermented state.
Figs are very alkalizing and have the energy to help your stomach, spleen and pancreas do their jobs, and get food and fluids moving through and balanced. No wonder why I love them so. I found myself having spleen/stomach problems a while back. Sweet foods have a necessary role in health besides providing us with caloric energy and enjoyment. They can be very supportive and tonifying. Of course, the more figgy love you have, the closer to the bathroom I recommend you stay. The little guys can also be quite a laxative.
If you’re on a candida cleanse or doing Body Ecology, you may feel the need to stray from all sugars. We did that for a while and it worked for us. However, when I started adding in more fermented foods and fermenting salad dressings and stuff like that– our whole family came to be able to process sugar much better. In fact, we also became able to process fats, proteins, and carbs much better too. We no longer think sugar is evil. We like it. And our adventures into fermentation have taken away all of those wicked cravings for the sugar beast.
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Note: you may also dig adding some fig bits to your chocolates. I do.
Have a gorgeous day,
Gina
Have you seen my new book, “Are You Eating Your Bugs?” I’d love for you to get a free excerpt to help you analyze your digestive prowess. You can get it for free, here.
I’d love to help you create bliss in your life through healthy eating! Contact me for your personalized session!
Good Morning Loves!
Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day here in the US, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the BLISS I’ve experienced from a high raw vegan lifestyle. This is the kind of EATING that opens your MIND. In that light, we have a guest post today from Allison Brooks, who shares a mix of past info and modern science. Max Gerson was using raw juices to cure cancer in the 50s, and finally, we have modern science to support those of us on that healing path. YUM!
By Allison, Brooks
Get Juiced!
Not in the steroid sense, but sorta…
Many people today don’t understand how food really works with our bodies (or at least I didn’t). Most of us know that there are healthy foods, processed foods, fuel foods, and then those fast-foods, but not everyone knows how those foods work with our body.
It wasn’t until the document, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, came out that I learned what phytochemicals, lycopene, and other foreign words were. But after some research I learned how these natural chemicals interact with our body to promote healthy function, and that all my “natural” foods weren’t so natural anymore.
Many of these natural mixes and chemistry-knowledge have led many naturopathic and homeopathic practitioners to produce immune boosters to help the body during its weakest times. These range from common cold remedies, to post-workout relief, and to more serious issues like cancer. This does not mean that these juices cure cancer, but instead aid the body and keep it strong during very intense conventional treatments.
Many doctors see that benefits from these natural juices and have recommended patients with a low-survivability rate cancer, such as non-hodgkin’s lymphoma or pleural mesothelioma, to practice juicing with specific recipes or take classes to learn the helpful components of each ingredient. This is not only a healthy addition for patients, but it also gives them a sense of control when life might seem out of their reach.
So today, I have listed a couple of yummy recipes to spur any cleanse, detox, immune boost, or just healthy treat for all you “Bliss Bombs.” The best part is that the prep time is just a matter of seconds. Hope you enjoy!!
This juice is a great way to stay healthy Turkey Day, but still enjoy the yummy-ness.
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Enjoy!
This juice has been studied, and used in cancer hospitals to give patients a healthy boost and delicious treat. It is rich in antioxidants and great for digestion, and its a little taste of paradise.
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My name is Allison Brooks and I am a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. I earned my B.S. in Biomedical Anthropology and have continued my research to work towards a completed ethnography. I mainly focus on the effects of biomedicalization on different cultures, but I do branch off into other fields of anthropology.
If you’re looking for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink to sip at parties this summer, or to simply toast to your everyday bliss — you so have to try theses fermented recipes I just whipped up.
Fermented Orange Creamsicle
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Have you seen my new book, “Are You Eating Your Bugs?” I’d love for you to get a free excerpt to help you analyze your digestive prowess. You can get it for free, here.
I’d love to help you create bliss in your life through healthy eating! Contact me for your personalized session!
