MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: not applicable
Put all the ingredients in small food processor and process about a minute, until smooth.
4-7-8 Breath
Utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, can be done anywhere
Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.
Pick and Oil + an Acid + a flavor = YUMMY Salad Dressing
Oils-3 parts
Acid-1 part
Other Flavors
Whisk desired ingredients or shake in a jar. Toss salad.
Put the water and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Add the turmeric, ginger, cayenne, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and fluff with a fork until well combined. While quinoa is cooking, sauté onion, in olive oil until it it is translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté 3 more minutes. Add to the quinoa and transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature Add the pumpkin, dates, bell pepper, parsley, greens. Toss with Orange Vinaigrette Dressing until well combined. Taste; you may need to add a pinch or two of salt, a squeeze of lemon or orange juice, or a dash of olive oil.
The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, Rebecca Kats with Mat Edelson
MAKES ABOUT 20 TRUFFLES • PREP TIME: 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 2 hours in the refrigerator
Soak the diced apricots in cold water for 5 minutes.
Stir the boiling water into the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Using a small whisk, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and glossy.
Coarsely grind the almonds in a food processor, then add the dates, orange zest, salt, and the chocolate mixture and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; drain the apricots well and stir them into the chocolate mixture. Cover and chill for approximately 2 hours, until firm.
Scatter the coconut on a large plate. Scoop up approximately 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms, then roll it in the coconut to coat. Repeat with the remaining mixture, then place the truffles in an airtight container and chill thoroughly before serving.
Combine tahini and 1⁄4 cup lemon juice in food processor and whip the tahini. Squeeze roasted garlic into bowl, add olive oil and cumin and process until smooth. Taste and adjust. You may want more lemon or sal.t
Ready for something delish and super simple?
Toss thoroughly!
Guacamole is one of the dishes that I play with. I add ingredients that I like and then taste. I may want a bit more lemon or lime. If I don’t have a tomato, it doesn’t stop me. Sometimes I might add some chopped cilantro. It’s all about personal preference. Have fun with it!
Mix all in a bowl and serve. Best if served immediately.
MAKES 4 CUPS
Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until tomatoes and peppers are charred, about 7 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Peel the roasted garlic. Transfer to a blender along with the charred tomatoes, onion, peppers, and 1 tablespoon salt. Puree until smooth. For a thinner consistency, add water as needed. Season with salt to taste.
www.marthastewart.com
Chickpea Snack Bites
2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained, rinsed, and mixed with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the chickpeas, salt, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, egg, olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth and well combined, scraping the sides occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the rice, bell pepper, and parsley.
Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon with a small melon baller scoop or a spoon (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and drop on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pat them down to create a round patty. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the patties start to get dry and crisp on the outside. They will firm up as they cool.
Variations: For a crispy burger, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the patties for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. For a vegan burger, substitute 1 tablespoon tahini for the egg.
Adapted from Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers, rebeccakatz.com
Adapted from Healthy Mind, Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson
MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: not applicable
Put all the ingredients in a small food processor and process about a minute, until smooth.
Healthy Queso Dip (Dairy-free, Soy-free)
makes about 2 1/2 cups
*Raw cashews have a very mild and neutral flavor that works well in this recipe. Try to avoid using roasted cashews, which have a stronger cashew flavor.
Directions:
In a high-speed blender, or food processor, combine the first six ingredients, plus the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies. (I was able to get about 1/4 cup of liquid from the can.)
Dextoxinista.com
It is incredibly hot in San Antonio! With a heat index of 104 on June 1st, it looks like the start to a brutal summer!
How are you coping with the summer heat? Are you keeping yourself hydrated? Even if you are in air conditioning all day, hydration is crucial. Water is a critical nutrient. Without it, we will die within days. Water is essential for cellular homeostasis and life.
How much you should drink depends on activity, environmental conditions and your health. When you are adequately hydrated you will rarely feel thirsty and urine will be light yellow to clear.
Though it is very individual I typically recommend folks drink 1/2 their body weight in ounces of water. (So, if you weigh 150lbs drink 75 oz of water.)
It is possible but rare in a healthy adult eating an average American diet.
With repeated exposure to hot environments, the body adapts to heat stress and the risk for heat stress-related illness is reduced. Grab your water and some fresh fruits and vegetables and head to the pool, the lake, the river or the beach and have fun this summer!
If you have any other tip for staying cool, please share in the comments below or on my Facebook page.
Stay Cool!
Lynda
Did you know that according to the American Heart Association, the majority of Americans eat about 20 teaspoons of sugar a day?
Did you know they actually recommend 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men? This means that we are eating more than 2-3 times the recommended amount of added sugar every day. One 12 ounce soft drink has 10 teaspoons!
Sugar hides in most processed foods. It can be tricky because the label ingredients don’t say “sugar”. It may say corn syrup, rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, agave or any ingredient ending in “ose”, like dextrose, listed in grams.
Hint: To find out how many teaspoons of sugar you are getting, divide the number of grams by 4.
Try this next time you're in the grocery store. Go on a little scavenger hunt – read the ingredients of foods before you put them in your cart. Is more sugar lurking in your food than you thought?
What about honey, maple syrup, agave and other natural sugars? They do have some nutritional benefit AND they count as added sugar. If you use them in your food and drinks or they appear on the food label, include them in your daily total of added sugar.
What about the sugar in fruits and vegetables? Sugar occurs naturally in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and even skim milk – all foods that can be included in a heart-healthy diet. In general, there is no need to worry about the natural sugars in whole foods like these.
Excess sugar adds to inflammation which increases our risk for heart attack and stroke, cancer, diabetes, joint pain and other chronic diseases.
I know! I am human too! I have this conversation everyday in my office. Here is what I recommend:
As always, let me know how it goes! If you find this on social media, please feel free to comment. I always respond and I am happy to answer your questions!
Enjoy!
Keepin' it healthy! Some serious satisfaction for that sweet tooth!
Try them and let me know how they turn out.
Love,
Lynda
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a 24-cup mini muffin tin by generously oiling each muffin cup, or line each cup with two paper liners to make it easier to remove.
Put the almond flour, maple sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Toss with your fingers until completely combined and the mixture is lump free.
Put the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly add the oil and honey while whisking constantly. Add the vanilla and almond extract and whisk until well combined. Pour into the almond flour mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in the strawberries. Fill the muffin tin ½-¾ full, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. If you didn’t use paper liners, gently run a knife or small offset spatula around the edges of the muffins to help release them.
Adapted from https://www.rebeccakatz.com/recipe-box/gluten-free-blueberry-mini-muffins
My personal mission is to create space for wellness in my life.
This is a daily practice that includes my home, my clinical practice, this newsletter, my relationships, and my teaching.
We are each precious and unique individuals. We have an incredible ability to heal and be well.
When we give our bodies nourishing building blocks, we create a safe space for healing within ourselves.
It's miraculous that with nourishing food, restorative sleep, challenging or soothing movement, relaxing meditation or simple quiet and loving relationships with ourselves and others, our bodies, minds and hearts heal.
Now, it can’t all happen at once. Wellness is a lifelong process. It's great to start anywhere!
I recommend choosing one of the following practices to incorporate into your life for the next 3 days:
I would absolutely love hearing from you about your learnings and I'm here for you and totally dedicated to helping co-create sustainable health and wellness! So don't hesitate to reach out!
My best,
Lynda
P.S. I have added some new wellness tips & recipes and information about my Free Nutrition Class! Hope to see you there!
A simple slaw recipe for healing oxidative stress.
As our body processes oxygen, a natural byproduct is produced called free radicals is produced. Free radicals stimulate repair to our cells, help cleanse our blood, and fight off bacteria. However, when there are too many free radicals, our repair process gets overwhelmed. This is called oxidative stress.
Antioxidants to the rescue! Did you know that our bodies have a built in mechanism for healing oxidative stress given the proper antioxidant rich nutrients? Antioxidants help to inhibit oxidation and lower free radicals!
Cruciferous vegetables are great oxidative stress busters. Cabbage, kale, bok choy, turnips, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes brussels and arugula are cruciferous vegetables. Their secret weapon is sulforaphane. But like every superhero, sulforaphane doesn't act alone. The raw cruciferous vegetables have the sulforaphane precursor, called glucoraphanin which mixes with the enzyme, myrosinase when you chew or chop them and produces sulforaphane in the stomach. Problem is, when you cook them, the myrosinase is destroyed. Kind of like kryptonite and Superman's power. How do we protect the myrosinase from the heat? Chop your cruciferous vegetables and let them sit 40 minutes before you cook them. The myrosinase does its job and sulforaphane can stand up to the kryptonite, ugh, I mean heat. An easy method is to chop your cruciferous veggies in the morning, let the magic happen during the day, and cook them for dinner.
So are you ready to experience the power of antioxidants? The following is one of my favorite healing recipes! No need to pre chop because this is all raw. Every ingredient in this salad and dressing has antioxidant power. Do let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
Lynda
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss with the dressing.
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together or put in a lidded jar and shake.
“I love my Cheat Days. I can eat six doughnuts and not feel guilty.”
When I asked the patient who said this what she meant by “cheat days,” and who was cheating who, she explained that it was the one day of the week she could break her restricted diet and eat whatever she wanted. It was a guilt free day of total indulgence that was kind of a free pass.
Understanding food guilt and shame, I was worried that having “cheat days” wouldn’t build the type of freedom my client was actually looking for in relationship to food.
I certainly know all of the “right” things to eat and yet, sometimes, I eat the “wrong” things. Even talking this way builds up a sense of shame which is why I think it's vital that our culture moves away from “moral” eating: right vs wrong, cheating vs restriction, good vs bad.
I pose a new alternative to the "cheat day." I am advocating for Cherish Days.
What is a Cherish Day?
Cherish means that we protect or care for someone, something, or ourselves in a loving manner. Replacing Cheat Days with Cherish days means we bring the loving intention along with us when we include something that doesn’t normally fit in our diet. Instead of saying “I can eat six doughnuts and not feel guilty,” try inteniontally eating and fully enjoying a delicious donut on a beautiful plate with a cup of tea or coffee with your favorite people. Or all by yourself. Make it an act of love, not cheating.
And you don’t have to stop with food!
A Cherish Day can be a day where you intentionally act lovingly or kindly towards yourself in any area of life you restrict the most: food, time, relationships, or fun.
Try giving or receiving a hug, enjoying five minutes of quiet, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face or not picking up the phone.
As we cherish ourselves and commit to cherishing acts, we nourish and celebrate our truest selves. We can breathe love and beauty into our soul.
For the next month, replace your cheat day with a cherish day and let me know what happens.
Lynda Sherland, APRN, FNP is a Family Nurse Practitioner practicing at Integrative Family Medicine in San Antonio, TX. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Integrative Medicine Fellowship Program created by Dr. Andrew Weil.
Lynda is a primary care practitioner who provides integrative medicine consultation. Her mission is to create a safe space for healing. Her passion is food as medicine. She also speaks in the community and offers cooking classes that emphasize preparing delicious, nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory meals for people seeking the freedom to live their best life. Read More →
I have a Betty Crocker cookbook that was published in 1976. Over the years, I have adapted the "Favorite Pancake" to a gluten and dairy free, spiced up version that my family calls Special.
Part of the joy of cooking for me is taking the risk of having something come out differently than I thought it might. I see this as an opportunity to make changes and continue to create.
I hope that you will take this recipe and use it as is or feel free to play and change it to suit your tastes. You could add chopped nuts, berries, banana, grated apple; experiment with different flours, spices, sweetener (or none), or replace the vanilla with almond extract. And, if you are a purest, leave out the spices and vanilla.
Try them and let me know how they turn out.
Love,
Lynda
It's been a crazy month. It's been wonderful and exhausting...and wonderful. My daughter and 14-month-old grandson have been visiting. I watched a sleep deprived young mom trying to figure how to get some rest with a very active baby. I watched a strong-willed, active little boy insist on living his life to the fullest. I found myself pulled and sacrificing my own self care as I wanted to give my daughter some relief and thoroughly enjoy spending time with my grandson.
I see patients daily torn between meeting their responsibilities and taking care of themselves. It creates anxiety, poor sleep, and fatigue. Health begins to suffer. I am reminded of the caution on the airplane to put my oxygen mask on first before helping someone next to me. One way I put my oxygen mask on is through meditation and journaling. I spend 20 minutes upon awakening sitting in silence and then write 3 pages in my journal. I sometimes write about what I’m feeling, what I plan to do for the day, sometimes a creative story or blog post that I want to share with you. It’s very free form. Whatever comes to mind. There is no right or wrong. Just a place to leave my thoughts as I begin my day.
Sometimes my brain will not be still. At these times, I turn to guided imagery. According to Bellaruth Naparstek, guided imagery (sometimes called guided meditation, visualization, mental rehearsal and guided self-hypnosis) is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses the imagination in proactive, positive ways.
It can be as simple as an athlete’s 5-second pause, just before leaping off the diving board, imagining how a perfect dive feels when slicing through the water. Or it can be as complex as imagining the busy, focused buzz of thousands of loyal immune cells, swarming out of the thymus gland on a search and destroy mission to wipe out unsuspecting cancer cells.
I have found that as I listen to the imagery on a regular basis, my brain has something to focus on besides my own thoughts. Guided imagery builds new neural pathways in the brain, reduces stress and anxiety and can lower blood pressure.
Want to try some guided imagery? Here are some free ones from UCLA.
Well, I hope you have an amazing day! I'm here if you need me, so feel free to reach out for a free consult.
My best,
Lynda
P.S. I have added some new recipes, including INSANELY DELICIOUS gluten/dairy free BROWNIES and information about my Free Nutrition Class below! Hope to see you there!
Lynda Sherland, APRN, FNP, Integrative Nurse Practitioner
Integrative Family Medicine
18720 Stone Oak Parkway
San Antonio, TX
(210) 888-1817
About Lynda
Lynda Sherland, APRN, FNP is a Family Nurse Practitioner practicing at Integrative Family Medicine in San Antonio, TX. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Integrative Medicine Fellowship Program created by Dr. Andrew Weil.
Lynda is a primary care practitioner who provides integrative medicine consultation. Her mission is to create safe space for healing. Her passion is food as medicine. She also speaks in the community and offers cooking classes that emphasize preparing delicious, nutrient dense, anti inflammatory meals for people seeking the freedom to live their best life. Read More →