Let’s face it, we all have a sweet tooth and now and again we need a little sweet fix. I’ve found with minimal effort, these treats really hit the spot.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

• two tablespoons of chia seeds in a bowl
• add a cup of water (you can use coconut milk, almond milk, or your milk of choice)
• stir to disperse the seeds
• allow it to gel (I like to keep it overnight, but 30 minutes is usually sufficient)
• add about two tablespoons of organic, 100% cocoa powder
• stevia to taste
• stir it up
• experiment: you can add cinnamon, greens powder (NanoGreens) or reds powder (NanoReds), or maca powder for an extra nutritional boost!
• eat up!

Chocolate Banana Ice-Cream

• take one overripe banana
• mash it up in a bowl (almost looks like applesauce)
• add some 100%, organic cocoa powder (one tablespoon is sufficient)
• add stevia powder to taste (you may not need any at all)
• if you want straight-up banana flavor, omit the cocoa
• add cinnamon for some extra oomph!
• freeze overnight
• remove from freezer, thaw
• indulge!

It’s Spring! That means time for spring-cleaning and the annual YinOva Spring Cleanse.  Because I usually eat greek yogurt and fruit, or eggs in the morning (and I’m usually in a rush) I’ve found the hardest meal to adhere to on the cleanse is breakfast. Here are some fast, healthy, and cleanse-friendly breakfast options. They’re listed from the most time-consuming (still only 30 minutes) to the quickest.

Maple Riz Au Lait

3 c Almond milk

¼ c Maple syrup

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1 tbsp Vanilla extract

3 c cooked Brown rice

1/3 c Raisins

1/3 c Pecans, chopped and toasted

½ c Apples, diced

In a medium saucepan, bring the almond milk and maple syrup to a boil. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add the rice and simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 20 mins). Top with the raisins, pecans, and apples and serve.

Berry Quinoa

1 c Almond milk

1 c Water

1 c Quinoa

½ tsp Ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg

½ c Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries (or a mix)

1/3 c Pecans, chopped and toasted

4 tsp Honey

Combine milk and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, add the quinoa, reduce to a simmer and cover until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).  Let stand for 5 minutess. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, berries and pecans. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Berry Breakfast Crunch

1/3 c Almonds

1/8 c Pistachios

½ c Walnuts

1/3 c Oats

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ Dried cranberries

Assorted fruit

Almond or Coconut milk

Combine almonds through cranberries in a food processor and blend to desired texture.  Top the fruit of your choice with the crumble mixture and add milk.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 Banana

1/8 c Peanut butter (be sure to use an organic variety with no added sugar)

½ c Almond or coconut milk

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

In anticipation of the YinOva Cleanse, many on our staff are seeking to overcome and  break-free of their coffee habits. For some coffee is purely about the caffeine, for others it’s about the ritual, the aroma and the taste. But, regardless of why you love coffee, overcoming the addiction is challenging to say the least! Today, I spoke with Klara about her apprehension surrounding the cleanse, primarily because it means giving up coffee!

ML: So I’ve been hearing lots of grunts from many of you regarding your coffee habit and its conflict with the cleanse. Why is it that you are so nervous about giving up coffee? What is it about coffee that you love so much?

KK: For me the love for coffee comes from the pleasing sensory experience of it. I find the aroma of coffee to be warm and soothing, and I adore the bitter smoky taste. Just thinking about not having it for a month makes me miss it already!

ML: Do you have it throughout the day or just in the morning?

KK: Coffee has become an integral part of my morning ritual, one that started out of enjoyment but unfortunately now has become habit. I feel like I’ve gotten to a place of needing it to start my day, and I know that’s unhealthy. Withdrawal from coffee is difficult, and I’ve never been a morning person so thats why I’m nervous about having to give it up! This cleanse will be a good opportunity for me to take a break and reset my morning ritual. Yikes!

ML: The cleanse will be a perfect opportunity for you to reboot your body and rebalance your system. Who wants to be addicted to any one food or drink? You know there are lots of great coffee alternatives out there like Cafix, which I make every morning and I must say, I don’t miss the coffee at all. I also use Teeccino which comes in “teabags,” making it super simple to brew. I haven’t tried Kaffree Roma or Pero which I hear are suitable alternatives as well. And I totally want to try the one that Jill mentioned, the one that’s made with Cordyceps, which should give a great, natural energy boost. Will you try one of these alternatives or totally forego the “coffeeness” and try a tea?

KK: I’ve taken a break from coffee in the past and made the switch to Earl Grey tea, with which a little splash of almond milk was a nice substitution. Back then I didn’t know there were all these healthy coffee alternatives outside of black teas, so I’m really excited to experiment with them. It would be so wonderful to have something that retains the coffeeness! My plan is not to revert back to daily coffee use once the cleanse is over so I’m eager to find good healthy substitutions for both the pleasing experience and the energy boost.

ML: Speaking of energy boost, what are your thoughts on Yerba Mate, it has some caffeine but it’s said to be even healthier than green tea!?

KK: I have tried Yerba Mate and it’s a very strong smoky flavor that I wasn’t so drawn to. There are great health benefits from the many nutrients it contains and I think it’s worth trying. I guess for me the enjoyment factor is #1 .

ML You’re such a hedonist :) I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the alternative options!

In this feature series, “What Does Your Acupuncturist Eat?”, Kelsey peaks into the refrigerators of our YinOva team to get a glimpse of what they eat.

Laurel Axen Carroll is a woman in motion. She is a YinOva acupuncturist, certified herbalist, labor support doula, graduate level professor, personal trainer, Pilates mat instructor and avid surfer. She also owns a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school with her husband in their neighborhood of Rockaway Park, New York. Last but not least, she is the proud mother of two girls ages six and four, who just like their mother are “fearless danger seekers.”

With a packed schedule and array of people to care for, one must wonder how she manages to find time to cook dinner, or even go grocery shopping for that matter. Well, in true Laurel fashion, she does it all while remaining modest to an extreme.

Thank you for welcoming me into your family’s refrigerator.  Looking around, it appears you shop mainly organic. Why is that?

I try to buy mainly organic, local food to reduce the amount of pesticides and hormones my family and I consume. I’m lenient about some foods but I’m serious about produce, eggs, milk, meat and cheese being organic. I also like that organic companies are trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

You prefer organic produce, but I see a lot of frozen vegetables in the freezer. Can you explain?

I am pretty serious about eating seasonally. Currently, you can get food shipped from around the world that is “in season” but I stick to more local food for its quality and environmental thoughtfulness. This is why I cook a lot of frozen, organic, “once were in season” veggies in the winter.

How do you make sure your growing girls are getting the nutrition they need? Are they open to trying different foods?

My older daughter is very adventurous, while my younger would happily subsist on penne noodles forever. So to start, I always serve carrots and chickpeas or hummus with meals for additional protein. That being said, I try to make sure every meal has a few colors. We mainly eat meat and vegetables, and exclude grains. If we do have pasta I limit it to the earlier half of the day and make sure it’s filled with cheese, meat or spinach to avoid a ‘carb crash’.

We tried the Paleo diet last year and since then have incorporated elements of it into our diet such as substituting grains with starchy vegetables. In the Fall and Winter we eat a lot of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and brussel spouts. We all train at the family’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school and work up healthy appetites.

You have a very thoughtful approach to maintaining a well-rounded diet. Now, I’m curious about the nitpicky details of your refrigerator. What are the seeds in the glass jar with a red lid?

Flax seeds. My husband and I usually add them to yogurt along with chia seeds and raisins. We grind them up to make them more digestible and sometimes I just swill back a mouthful. They have been shown to help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. They’re also a great source of Omega-3 essential fatty, lignans, fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium.

That’s a lot good from one seed! There appears to be some “health formulas” in your refrigerator. Are any of those for your kids? Are they willing to take them?

With a little help, yes. I use apple juice for dispensing Chinese herbal tinctures like Jia Jian Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Quiet Calm, as well as Pure Essentials B Vitamins. Our kids also eat fish oil in a gummy form of Nordic berries, while my husband and I drink Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil. It’s a realistic compromise.

I would say that local raw honey is my #1 immune booster for the family. Since the bees pollinate from local flowers, their honey has small traces of local allergens giving a similar effect as receiving an allergy shot. Raw honey also has many antibiotic properties that prevent the formation of ulcers and certain kinds of cancer. It’s a fun, tasty way to keep the kids, and me, healthy.

It seems you’ve mastered the art of keeping healthy, happy kids! Back to the details, what is Maca Powder?

It’s my husband’s. It’s said to be a super food from the Andes that boosts testosterone and helps with fertility. Legend has it that when the conquistadors went to the Andes they were having trouble reproducing in the altitude so the locals gave them Maca and things turned around. Unfortunately, it was truly undrinkable and has been neglected.

Talking about neglected, what’s in the glass that looks like milk?

Just an abandoned glass of milk. I despise wasting food. I know the Maca Power has been neglected…

I think you can cut yourself some slack considering the depth of your food supply. I’m curious, how has being an acupuncturist changed your attitudes on nutrition?

Becoming an acupuncturist made me a lot healthier about my eating, in that I became a lot more open minded. Like a typical teenager I was a vegetarian, watching what I ate and basically surviving on raw food, nuts, brown rice and steamed broccoli. I found that I was pretty addicted to sugar and café negro. I was cold all the time and pretty moody. Now I see that I was protein deficient. Once I started acupuncture school I saw women like me with menstrual irregularities and symptoms of cold, fatigue, PMS and worrying. I learned about the traditional Chinese medicinal diet that included a lot more warm foods. I remember thinking that I couldn’t possibly eat meat ever again then being surprised when a meatball didn’t make me feel sick, but rather contently full. Now I pretty much eat everything in moderation. The only things I really avoid too much of are sugar, wheat and grains. That being said, I still eat the occasional slice of pizza at New Park Pizza in Howard Beach.

Thank you so much for inviting me into your family’s refrigerator. I really learned a lot. Before we end, do you have any last comments about your philosophies on food and its presence in your life?

I never take food for granted. I’ve traveled a lot and seen people living on very meager food supplies with very little choices. I’m very grateful to have quality foods and choices at my fingertips. We pray before we eat and I like to instill a notion of gratitude for our abundance.

Urinary tract infections, or UTI’s, are most commonly seen as an infection of the urethra and bladder but if left untreated can develop into a more serious infection of the kidneys. They are caused by germs, usually the bacteria E. Coli from the digestive system, entering the urinary tract through the urethra and spreading to the bladder. Because women have shorter urethras, they are more susceptible to urinary tract infections than men. Symptoms of a UTI include frequent urination or urgency to urinate, cloudy urine that may have a foul odor, pain, pressure, or burning with urination, and fever. Urinary tract infections may become a chronic problem, as bacteria from a previous infection may remain hidden in the folds of the bladder wall and lead to future infections. UTI’s can also be caused by sexual activity, pregnancy, birth control pills, and a lack of estrogen, which can allow the bacteria that causes UTI’s to grow more easily in the vagina and urethra.

Tips to help treat a current infection and prevent future infections:

• Drink plenty of water
• Urinate when needed, do not hold it!!
• Urinate before and after sexual activity to prevent the spread of bacteria into the urinary tract
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, caffeine, and soft drinks
• Avoid sugar
• Avoid carbohydrates

Helpful Foods:

• Studies have shown that cranberries, and blueberries to a lesser extent, can be quite helpful in treating and preventing urinary tract infections. They contain a compound called proanthocyanidin, which prevents E. Coli from adhering to the bladder walls. However, sugar can exacerbate the infection so be sure to drink unsweetened cranberry juice and, if using dried cranberries, make sure they are also unsweetened or sweetened naturally with apple juice.
• Yogurt is another super food in the fight against the UTI. It contains probiotics, helpful bacteria, which reduce the harmful bacteria not only in the urinary tract but also throughout the body, including the digestive system and vagina. Yogurt can be especially helpful in preventing a yeast infection that may occur from antibiotics used to treat the UTI. Please note: not all yogurts have active probiotics, check the label. Also avoid sweetened yogurts because they have added sugars, instead, sweeten it yourself.
• Foods high in fiber such as oats, lentils, beans, and nuts are helpful in naturally flushing the body of harmful bacteria.
• Omega 3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation, an uncomfortable symptom of UTI’s. These can be found in cold-water fish such as salmon or in fish oil supplements.
• Foods rich in antioxidants including tomatoes, squash, and bell peppers.
• Vitamin A boosts immunity, and can be found in leafy greens, root vegetables, and peas.

Here is a day’s worth of recipes containing foods helpful in treating and preventing UTI’s. Because having a UTI is stressful enough, these recipes are ensured to be quick and easy to prepare and can be easily adjusted to serve one person or four. The recipes contain a short and simple list of ingredients, making them budget-friendly as well. Also, I repeated the same ingredients in more than one recipe to make for a speedy trip to the grocery store.

Breakfast:

Berry Smoothie

Serves: 1, Preparation time: 5 minutes

¼ c frozen cranberries

¼ c frozen blueberries

½ c greek yogurt (I prefer the full fat or 2% version because it contains more protein and less sugar)

½ c unsweetened orange juice

Mix together in a blender and puree until smooth.  A proanthocyanidin and probiotic rich smoothie- perfect for helping cure that irritating UTI.

Lunch:

Lentil Vegetable Salad

Serves 2, Preparation time: 15 minutes

½ c lentils

¼ c bulgar wheat

1 large carrot, grated (grate 2 and put half aside for the dinner recipe)

½ red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup cherry tomatoes, diced

½ lemon, juiced

1 tbsp olive oil

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan bring to boil 1 cup of water. Once the water is boiling add the lentils, cover and reduce to a simmer. After 5 minutes, add the bulgar wheat. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. While the lentils and bulgar are cooking, cut up the vegetables and parsley. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the parlsey, vegetables, lentils and bulgar. Season with salt and pepper. Because this salad doesn’t require constant refrigeration it can easily be brought to work for lunch and used later in the week as a side dish at dinner.

Dinner:

Serves 4, Preparation time: 25 minutes

Kale Slaw

1 head kale, shredded

1 large carrot, grated

½ red onion

½ lemon, juiced

1 tbsp greek yogurt

1 tbsp olive oil

In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon, yogurt, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the kale, carrot, and onion and toss to coat. (QUICK TIP: make the dressing in the same bowl you plan to serve the salad, then wash 1 bowl later instead of 2.)

Voila! A healthy and tasty side dish full of antioxidants, Vitamin A, and probiotics!

Cranberry-Orange Glazed Salmon

½ c cranberries (fresh or frozen)

½ orange, juiced (or use the juice from the morning’s smoothie)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tsp olive oil

4 (6-ounce salmon filets)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the broiler.

In a medium saucepan combine the cranberries, orange juice, soy sauce, and water. Bring a to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let cook uncovered for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, put the salmon filets on a broiler pan. (QUICK TIP: cover the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up later.) Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Once the cranberry mixture is done, divide it evenly and spread onto the 4 salmon fillets. Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

In this feature series, “What Does Your Acupuncturist Eat?”, Kelsey peaks into the refrigerators of our YinOva team to get a glimpse of what they eat.

As a YinOva acupuncturist, certified herbalist, labor doula, massage therapist and student of both Western and Eastern medicine, Klara Kadar understands the importance of a comprehensive, well-balanced career. This belief translates naturally to her philosophy on food. Even with a busy schedule, Klara makes time to enjoy the experience of cooking with her boyfriend. She welcomes us into her refrigerator with the same openness she extends to her patients.

Your refrigerator is so beautiful with its neatly organized shelves of colorful foods. Is it hard keeping a refrigerator stocked in the city?

YES! We try to avoid overstocking and love fresh ingredients so we must go to the grocery store about four times a week. That’s a lot, right? I think it’s worth the time for quality food since having a long shelf life probably means it’s not the best for you.

From the looks of it, the time commitment is paying off. I’m curious why you choose packaged Poland Spring Water?

Getting the packaged water is a compromise for me because I don’t like to be wasteful. We used to have a Britta filtered pitcher but I found that both my boyfriend and I were not drinking nearly enough water either because the pitcher wasn’t full or we wanted to leave some for the other person. As an experiment we bought one of these big jugs and honestly now we finally get our eight glasses a day. So we’ve stuck to it for the sake of our hydration needs.

It seems worth the compromise. Is it safe to guess you cook at home often?

We cook most nights. We both love cooking, especially together. It’s fun yet relaxing and the best way to control what we’re putting in our bodies. I also find that even with more expensive ingredients the overall cost is far less than eating or ordering out. To me dining out is for special occasions and celebrations.

What are some common meals you cook at home?

Some cooking staples are rosemary roast chicken with carrots and potatoes, quinoa stir-fry with chicken and veggies, lamb burgers with tzatziki sauce, tilapia and sautéed spinach, and roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. We can get pretty elaborate with our meals!

And it also means leftovers! I’ve got to know, what’s in the blue pot?

Its leftover Cream of Mushroom Soup. It’s my boyfriend’s favorite and a nice hearty winter soup. Oddly enough, I never liked mushrooms until I made this Julia Child’s recipe and now I eat them all the time. I suppose I just had to eat them the right way, which is a bit heavy on the butter but so very delicious!

There are some items I’m not too familiar with. What do you use the shredded coconut for?

I use it mostly for baking. It’s rich in healthy fats, fiber and it adds a nice flavor and texture to muffins, cookies and crusts. I’ll also toss a handful in a bowl of oatmeal or granola. I recently found a recipe to make your own coconut milk out of the shreddings, so I’m excited to try that!

What’s hiding behind the pickles?

Brewer’s Yeast flakes I bought for a detox regiment a few months back. They are high in proteins and B-complex and surprisingly tasty so I still sprinkle them over salads and stir-fries.

What’s “cultured milk”?

It’s a fermented dairy product that’s very cleansing to the digestive system and full of beneficial bacteria, yeast, vitamins, minerals (B12, Vit. K, Biotin) and complete proteins. There’s a lot of research on the benefits Kefir has for AIDS, chronic fatigue, cancer, sleep disorders, depression and digestion. I had cultured milk as a kid when I spent summers with family in Hungary and was really excited when Kefir emerged on the American market! I personally love the natural sour taste but you can buy flavored ones as well. I generally have some in the morning as it sets my digestion right for the day, but I’ll sneak in a few sips whenever the mood strikes.

Aside from sneaking cultured milk, do you have any other weird food cravings or obsessions?

I have many— roasted seaweed, dark chocolate, raspberries, bread and wine. Not all at once, of course! In general though, the obsession is more with cooking and trying new things. I could spend hours on TasteSpotting looking through recipes I want to try. It always keeps me excited!

Do you think being Hungarian has shaped some of your philosophies on food?

Coming from a culture that eats all parts of the animal, I was raised to never be wasteful with food. That can be challenging at times but you learn to get creative with leftovers. I feel really fortunate to have had the childhood I did. The food I ate was grown in my grandmother’s garden or bred and raised on nearby land. The hens we got our eggs from were the same ones I played with. That experience instilled within me a deep appreciation for food that I still carry with me today.

It’s great to hear about your excitement with the cooking experience. Any last comments you’d like to share about food?

Food is an essential and enjoyable part of life. Feeling guilty towards eating is far unhealthier than the food itself and takes away from the pleasure that was sought in the first place. Cultivating a healthy balance between moderation and indulgence is vital. Learning to appreciate and savor the delicacy of foods and flavors can safeguard us from overeating, and opens us up to one of life’s greatest pleasures! Lastly, to me personally, food is best enjoyed when made by your own hands or those of a loved one.

Lots of us enjoy trying something fresh for the New Year.  And since many of you have been buzzing about going gluten-free, we thought we’d explore it further.  If you feel like you don’t understand all the fuss, you are not alone.  With so much media attention, going gluten-free is quickly becoming a fad diet that people are just latching onto.  Many people believe that if they just switched to gluten-free foods, they will lose weight.  While this is not entirely true, we do find a lot of our patients benefit from a gluten-free diet and some have a legitimate gluten sensitivity.  If you are sensitive to gluten (99% of gluten sensitive people are not aware of it), removing it from your diet will change your life!  If you are not gluten sensitive, replacing foods with gluten-free junk food may actually be adding to a weight problem, as many of these foods are highly processed and high in calories, carbs and fat.

Do you know what gluten is?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats.  Gluten is not inherently bad, it is only when our body reacts negatively that it can cause problems.  And these problems can be completely unrelated to digestion.  That being said, digestive problems like irritable bowl disease, chronic constipation or loose stool, and inflammatory bowl diseases like ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease can all be associated with or exacerbated by food sensitivities.  The New England Journal of Medicine lists 55 other seemingly unrelated conditions associated with gluten sensitivity including: osteoporosis, anemia, rosacea, chronic fatigue, restless leg syndrome, canker sores, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, eczema and psoriasis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and almost all other autoimmune diseases.  It can also be linked to depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines, epilepsy, neuropathy, and autism.

Gluten sensitivity historically has been thought of in the medical world as Celiac Disease.  It was rarely diagnosed, and was often only considered in children who had chronic diarrhea.  But we are discovering symptoms appearing to be unrelated to a digestive imbalance can actually be cause by eating something as normal as a piece of bread.

Why this sudden increase in gluten intolerance?  It is likely due to the genetic modification of wheat and other grains recently introduced in our agriculture and diet.  Almost all wheat flour in America has been genetically modified to have a much higher gluten content than ever before, making our breads doughy and fluffy.  The down side of all this gooey dough is that many of us who may have a minor sensitivity to gluten are reacting much more intensely than before.

If you’ve been suffering from chronic fatigue, MS, depression or any of the above mentioned symptoms and haven’t been able to find relief, it might be worth it to try a gluten-free lifestyle.  There are many drugs and treatments available to treat the manifestations of gluten sensitivity, but the only way to truly cure yourself, if this is indeed your problem, is to completely avoid gluten.

The real problem with consuming gluten when your body is sensitive is that the reaction creates inflammation in the body.  Inflammation is at the root of all the major killers in our medical system including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  Recent studies have come out showing you don’t have to have full blown celiac to be at risk for complications associated with gluten sensitivity.  Even just having the antibodies circulating, without inflammation in the gut or testing positive for celiac, increases risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and other related inflammatory diseases by up to 35%.

Discovering whether or not you are sensitive to gluten can be done in several different ways.  The simplest and cheapest is to completely remove gluten from your diet for at least two (and up to six) weeks.  If after 2-6 weeks some of your symptoms have disappeared, or if you notice you feel more energized and clear headed, you may have a sensitivity to gluten.  You can test your theory by adding it back into your diet and seeing how you feel in the following days.  If you notice your symptoms returning, you are sensitive to gluten and would benefit from avoiding it most of the time.  If you are keeping track on your own, it is helpful to keep a food journal to record what you ate and how you felt afterward.  A doctor who is well acquainted with gluten sensitivities can also test your blood and/or saliva for antibodies related to gluten or for the genes associated with celiac.

Some tips to follow when adapting a gluten-free lifestyle:

• Avoid any product made with wheat, barley, rye, kamut or oats (bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, pastries, cookies, pretzels, flour tortillas, pie crusts, etc.)

• Hidden sources of gluten include the following: soy sauce, BBQ sauce, “meat-free” meat, couscous, beer, whiskey, envelope and stamp adhesive (!), some lipsticks, and soups thickened with flour.

• When in doubt at a restaurant, mention to your server that you are gluten sensitive and ask for guidance with the menu.

• Try products made with brown rice, corn, amaranth, millet, potato, tapioca starch, soy, garbanzo bean flour, and quinoa.

• Try wheat-free tamari sauce instead of soy sauce and thicken your soups with corn starch.

• Look for the “gluten-free” label, but keep in mind that just because it’s gluten-free, doesn’t make it calorie free.

With recent research suggesting a link between obesity and the overuse of antibiotics, we thought it might be a fitting time to discuss probiotics.  When we take antibiotics, we alter our community of healthy intestinal bacteria.  It may surprise you to learn that the bacteria in our bodies out number our human cells by a ratio of 10:1.  This may sound like a massive amount of microorganisms, but let’s explore the ways in which these unseen creatures help us out (in a very necessary and healthy way).

1. Healthy bacteria in the gut (also called Probiotics) help boost our immune system by taking up real estate and nutrients that would otherwise be vacant for invading bacteria (like Salmonella or E. coli).
2. Probiotics interact with our immune systems locally in our intestines, at other mucus membranes in the body, and even systemically to help our immunity stay or become strong.
3. They maintain and strengthen the intestinal barrier, making sure we only absorb nutrients and not other particles that may cause adverse reactions (a syndrome called “leaky gut”).
4. They help regulate bowel motility, blood flow to the colon, and also produce essential nutrients that nourish the colon tissue.
5. They help our bodies make Vitamin K and B Vitamins and help us absorb Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc.
6. They play an important role in the detoxification process.
7. Some strains of these helpful microorganisms also produce enzymes that help us digest common allergens like gluten, dairy, and soy.

Many traditional diets have ample sources of these microorganisms…fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, and miso to name a few.  We can also get them from just simply eating unprocessed organic fruits, veggies, and grains.  The typical modern diet however is very processed, pasteurized, irradiated, bleached, and medicated, so it is a good idea to add a quality probiotic to your daily routine, especially if you are struggling to eat whole organic unprocessed foods at every meal (which we of course suggest you strive to do).

In Chinese medicine having a healthy and strong digestive system is the best way to maintain a healthy weight.  When we are digesting and absorbing nutrients efficiently, we are creating qi from our food easily and feel energized, focused and satisfied.  When our digestion is weak, we feel sluggish, crave carbs, and often feel too tired to exercise.   Our immune systems might also be weak, slowing us down with every cold or flu that comes along.  Taking steps to improve the health of our digestive systems (as well as our dietary choices) will improve our quality of life on multiple levels.  Adding a probiotic is one way to improve your digestive health.

A good quality probiotic should:

• Be purchased from a reputable source (quality health food store, Naturopathic Physician, Chiropractor, Nutritionist, Acupuncturist, or other distributor of pharmaceutical grade supplements).

• Have delivery technology that protects it from digestive juices in the stomach, so the live cultures can get to your intestines.

• Be either freeze-dried or refrigerated.

• Be free of common allergens (dairy, gluten, corn, soy), preservatives, binders, and fillers.

• Contain inulin (food for the good bacteria; also called “prebiotics”) to support and maintain the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.

• Have laboratory tested verification of purity, potency and stability.

Independent analysis of many brands of probiotics consistently reveals inactive strains.  While buying a cheap probiotic may seem like it is saving you money, it can actually be a waste as you may be purchasing capsules filled with dead bacteria.   Gross!

At the YinOva Center, we always look for ways for you to spend your health dollars wisely.  In order to help simplify your choice of a good quality probiotic, we have spent many hours researching brands and have chosen to carry one at our center that we trust.   Klaire Labs backs their products with rigorous testing to ensure efficacy, purity, potency, and stability.  They also offer a diverse array of products to meet specific needs.  We currently stock a very potent complete spectrum probiotic, a Women’s focused blend (targeted to prevent yeast infections and urinary bladder infections), a prebiotic blend, and a high potency digestive enzyme to assist our patients with known or suspected food allergies.

I love the rhythms of the country and the way the passage of time is marked by the fruits and vegetables we grow and the foods we eat. I look forward to each crop from the early summer peas and beans to the autumn pumpkins and squashes. However, nothing generates more excitement in our house than the apple harvest and recently Noah and I took advantage of a sunny fall day to pick enough apples and pears to last us through the winter.

In Chinese medicine both apples and pears are considered to be cooling and moistening and are used medicinally to treat inflammation and dryness. Modern scientific research seems to agree with the old adage that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” because various studies have shown that apples can protect women from osteoporosis and breast cancer whilst also preventing asthma and lowering cholesterol. Pears meanwhile can treat a sore throat, reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and lower blood pressure.

We spent a happy afternoon picking the fruit and arrived home tired and in the mood for an apple crumble and some home-made pear juice. Suitably fortified, we set about preserving the rest of the fruit for later use. We canned the pears in spiced red wine  and the apples in syrup to be used as pie filling and talked about how happy we will be to open these jars during a freezing New York winter and briefly recapture the autumn sunshine.

Canning is daunting the first time you do it, but it’s actually very simple and it makes economic sense to use fruits when they are plentiful and cheap and preserve them to eat the rest of the year. Our grandmas did this because they had to and I’m happy to carry on the tradition and even pass it on to the next generation. My daughter Emma has inherited a passion for preserving and is an enthusiastic jam maker. You can read her favorite jam recipe here.

Apple or Pear Crumble

Ingredients:

Topping
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts eg. walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds (or a mixture of all three)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/3 cup of date sugar, if you are avoiding processed sugars)
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour (or gluten free bake mix, if you are avoiding gluten)

Filling
5 tablespoons canola oil
3 1/2 pounds ripe pears or apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Prepare the topping by combining the oats, nuts, brown sugar and flour (or gluten free bake mix) in a medium bowl.
• Stir in the oil and mix until all the topping ingredients are moist.
• Prepare the filling by combining the pears, maple syrup, cardamom, raisins (or dried cranberries), cornflour and lemon juice into a large pie dish. Mix well.
• Sprinkle the topping over the pears.
• Bake the crumble for 45 minutes. The pears should be soft, the juices should be bubbling and the crumble topping should be golden and crisp.
• Take the crumble out of the oven. Ideally it should stand for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop but this never happens in our household where everyone digs in the minute the crumble is ready.

When I go to a restaurant and look over a menu, I can be rather indecisive. One question that I never linger on though is “would you like that mild, medium or hot?” Hot peppers are a favorite seasoning in our house, and we grow them from seed in our garden. This year we had a bumper crop.

Whether it is the blazing heat of summer or the depth of winter, we often use peppers in our recipes. For thousands of years, people from South America to North Africa have created spectacular dishes, using hot peppers to bring on a little fire.

Peppers like these habaneros we are growing, also have medicinal qualities. They have been used in traditional herbal remedies for centuries and today there is an ever-growing selection of over-the-counter products that make use of their healing powers.

The active ingredient in peppers is called Capsaicin and it is the compound that gives them their heat. Chemically it hyper-stimulates sensory nerves which causes the burning sensation on your tongue and other sensitive tissues. In controlled amounts though it can be used topically to reduce the pain associated with arthritis, shingles and the neuropathy of diabetes. This analgesic ability comes from capsaicin’s effect on your body’s neuropeptide substance P, which is involved in the transmission of nerve pain. Also, as a local irritant, capsaicin in the right amounts can dilate capillaries and promote circulation.

Taken internally, the health benefits of capsaicin in peppers continues to be studied and has been shown to have many potential benefits. These include

• Thinning mucous secretions in some respiratory conditions

• Treatment of prostate and lung cancer

• Risk reduction of atherosclerosis

• Diminishing the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia

• Reduce insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes

• Treatment of cluster headaches

In traditional Chinese medicine peppers that contain capsaicin are, predictably categorized as hot and spicy. Like ginger and cinnamon they are by nature therapeutically warming, promote circulation, and can help relieve pain, depending on how and in what amounts they are taken. Before taking a new herb it’s always a good idea to talk with a qualified practitioner. However there are lots of sensible ways to use the healing power of hot peppers on your own. Of course cooking with peppers is fun and once you find one that’s to your taste, they can add tremendous flavor –not just bite- to dishes. In my pozole recipe, there are 5 different kinds of pepper, balanced for taste.

Here is another recipe – for topical use ONLY. It is a safe, easy to make massage oil which is great for achy muscles & joints, especially for those of you who like to run outside in the cooler weather but benefit from warm applications (did someone say marathon?). A recent article at Well+Good NYC illustrates how the heat and the circulation this oil promotes can keep you on the road at times when cold therapy would only tighten muscles up.

This is an oil that can be used to massage along large muscles or any place that feels creaky. It’s great for joints that ache in cold damp weather. Of course, use common sense precautions: it should feel warm but not burn. If you think it’s irritating your skin, stop using it and wash with a gentle soap.

1 quart Olive Oil
1/2 oz cloves
3/4 oz Cayenne Peppers

• Chop and crush peppers and cloves.
• Add to oil.
• Bake in an oven on a low heat for 2 hours.
• After it has cooled add one capsule of vitamin E as a preservative.
• Strain and bottle.
• Use as a massage oil (external use only)

This is a quick one to make. It feels good and has a nice nutty smell. Make sure to have small bottles to decant into because there is enough here to give to friends.

I just love me some groceries…

“We are proud to have film maker and activist Penelope Jagesser Chaffer joining us on the blog today.”  – Jill

I’m so glad to be writing this post.  It’s probably the number one question I get asked: “How can you feed a family frugally if you are living an organic, non-toxic life?”  My lovely friends at Healthy Child recently ran this great post on how to live a non-toxic life without spending a fortune, so I know it’s something that we are all trying to work out.  I’ve conjured up some very creative ideas in my insistence that my family not be exposed to environmental toxins yet still lead a great life in a fabulous city.  If you have any tips to add, have any questions or just have a comment, please don’t hesitate to leave me a note below.  Enjoy! x

GROCERIES

These tips will work everywhere from the farmer’s market to a big chain like Whole Foods.

Helpful Tips:

Join an online savings club like livingsocial or Groupon.

Cut coupons from your regular grocery store.

Subscribe to your local organic store, or join their food club.

Best yet, join your local food co-op.  They require you to work in the store (usually only for an hour a month) and for that you get hugely discounted organic, fair trade food.  This could well be the place for the cheapest, yet best food anywhere.

Visit your local farmer’s market.

Check out the specials and base your week’s menu planning around these deals.  Suffice to say menu planning is critical if you are looking to rein in the costs.

Buy organic in bulk.  So much cheaper than buying branded, packaged goods. From rice to beans to nuts and dried fruit, you will not believe your eyes. One pound of organic rolled oats will cost less than $2.  Holy smorgasbord!

Buy whole organic whole grains, fruit, vegetables, condiments etc and make meals from scratch. Processed food is more expensive so embrace your inner domestic goddess and get jiggy in that kitchen!

Have a great repertoire of nutritious, delicious recipes on hand.  Unless you are very experienced in the kitchen, the family meal is not the time to play Iron Chef.  One of my favorite new books is Laurie David’s “Family Dinner”.  This just rocks the house down.

Make extras and freeze.  My freezer is my number 2 culinary weapon in my fight against expensive meals, right after my stove.

Rock a rolling pin and a hammer.  It might sound mad, but I can stretch a pack of organic chicken legs by taking a hammer and a big knife and reducing each leg to 4 or 5 pieces.  That way one leg can feed several kids.  Organic chicken breasts and thighs get walloped by the rolling pin (place beneath some wax paper else flying chicken meat will end up your nose) which instantly enlarges them to 3 times their previous size.  One piece can often be used in the recipe and the rest frozen. Priceless. I also get to work out my arms and any residual annoyance on those chicken breasts so I get peace of mind too!

I don’t grow my own produce but that’s because I’m navigating small windowsills in a Brooklyn apartment.  If you have access to a patch of land, go get those fingers dirty.  (Make sure to get your local city government to let you know if lead is an issue for soil in your area.)

Shop online.  Amazon and other online retailers often have great deals and I pay a little each year for free two-day delivery, which works out much cheaper than the cost of a subway ticket or parking space.

I always get my children to help prepare a meal.  Need to get those husks off your (organic) corn? Weighing beans on a scale?  There’s so much your child can actually do in the kitchen!  Stirring a pot (under your keen supervision) is amazingly empowering for any child-the proximity to the stove and doing something grown up impresses even the most nonchalant of kids.

Things to AVOID:

Buying any thing tinned.  The vast majority of tins sold around the world are lined with BPA (Eden Foods and Wild Planet have a selection BPA free cans.) NEVER BUY TINNED TOMATOES! They are acidic so they leach even more BPA than regular goods.  If you must buy processed tomatoes, you need to get them in a jar or carton (although there’s no guarantee that the tomatoes used here haven’t come from a tin in the first place.)  I buy my ‘matos organic fresh and make my tomato-based sauces and soups from scratch.

Buying anything processed that’s within a day of its sell-by date or buying fresh produce about to thrown out.  Those 12 peaches for a $1 might look like a great value until they spend an afternoon in a hot car/bus/subway train going home and start supporting the league of mold by the next day.

Buying conventional corn/soy/pineapple ANYTHING.  The vast majority (as in over 90% of these crops in the US are genetically modified.)  Don’t be fooled.

Buying conventional red meat or dairy.  Full of all sorts of nasties – this is a great area to use your coupons.

Buying conventional tomatoes or any of the dirty dozen mostly sprayed produce.  According to the book “Tomatoland”, (and you must read it) tomatoes are sprayed with over 100 pesticides and the tomato industry in Florida is linked to human slavery.  I kid you not.  Note that tomatoes do not turn up on the Dirty Dozen, so use this tool with care.

Lastly, avoid going shopping hungry.  Always have a pack of rice cakes or some other healthy snack in your bag.  If you are going with children, which I suggest you do (children should know where their food comes from), make sure you feed them before and have water and a healthy snack on hand.

Penelope:

Penelope Jagessar Chaffer is a BAFTA-nominated, award winning documentary filmmaker behind Toxic Baby™, a writer and a children’s environmental health advocate.  She is a Healthy Child Parent Ambassador and 2010 Mom on a Mission winner.   The scrumptious baby in the pictures is Oceana, Penelope’s beautiful baby girl.

Ever pick up a book or magazine because it claims to have the secrets for the “perfect” way to eat?  Are you constantly changing your diet based on what science or the media is telling you is healthy?  What is a “perfect diet” anyway?

In America, we tend to think there is this one right way to eat or live (and we are “discovering” it all the time).  We’re such perfectionists!  But what if that scientifically-proven healthy diet or way of life saps your energy and makes you feel unwell.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, everyone has a unique combination of imbalances that manifest when we are exposed to stress.  Some of us get headaches or other pains, while others have trouble sleeping, problems with digestion, mood, bowel movements or our menstrual cycles.  Any symptom is an indication of an underlying imbalance…a way for our bodies to communicate the need for assistance.  Predictable patterns of symptoms often emerge accompanying these imbalances, so I guess even if we are all unique and different, at least we fall apart in a fairly predictable pattern…according to TCM.

With all the lovely unique people around, how is it we think there is one diet that is appropriate for everyone?  TCM practitioners often give dietary recommendations in addition to using acupuncture and Chinese herbs to encourage healing.  In other words, once you understand how your body tends to fall apart, you should adapt a lifestyle and diet that supports those weaknesses, especially during times of stress.  Essentially, we all need the diet that is supportive of our unique bodies, and it may change as we age and evolve.

The responsibility then falls on us to find our own “perfect” diet and lifestyle.  Thankfully there are many resources available to assist us in this process, but the best resource is actually you!  Start paying attention to how you feel with your current diet.  If you’ve tried several diets, you probably know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t for your body.

Let’s stop relying so much on what we are told our bodies need and start listening to what they are telling us.  With your unique perfect diet you should feel energized all day and get appropriately tired as the night winds down.  You should fall asleep and stay asleep until it is time to start your day.  You should have at least one bowel movement a day (which should be formed, soft, and easy to pass), and feel energized (not bloated, gassy, or tired) after eating.  Occasionally, changing our diet is not enough to improve how we feel and it is necessary to incorporate other healing modalities like herbs, supplements, acupuncture, homeopathy or pharmaceuticals.

Where to start…I like Michael Pollan’s take on nutrition: “Eat food.  Not too much. Mostly Plants.”

Eat REAL foods that come from the ground or have a mother.

Eat CLEAN foods that have grown and been raised without pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics.

Eat BALANCED meals containing lots of organic fruits and vegetables, some meat or vegetable protein, whole grains, clean fish, and healthy plant fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, walnuts, flax etc.).

Need specifics?  Consult a Nutritionist or your acupuncturist or check out books by Michael Pollan (we like Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto for a more in-depth guide) or Dr. Andrew Weil (Eating Well For Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Bringing Health and Pleasure Back to Eating).

If you are having symptoms, especially digestive symptoms, eczema or psoriasis, headaches, fatigue, poor immunity, foggy headedness, or depression, you may want to consider experimenting with a dairy, gluten, sugar or soy free diet.  It may take more than reading a book or magazine, but once you figure out your “perfect” diet to support your unique body, it will change your life!

This is barely a recipe. In fact I almost didn’t share it with you because it’s so simple. However it tasted good, looked pretty and is cheap and nutritious. It’s also an ideal soup to make as the season changes because it’s light enough to evoke the taste of summer and warming enough to serve as the autumn weather sets in.

This is really a very adaptable recipe and I often make it to use up the contents of the vegetable drawer in my fridge. I called this version End of Summer Soup because I used some of the summer vegetables that are still growing in our garden and combined them with some of the winter root vegetables that we are just starting to harvest. I’m giving you a list of ingredients so you can see what I used this time but really it’s just a guideline so please adapt it to suit what you have on hand. I’ve also given amounts but don’t bother to measure anything because this is not the kind of soup that need precision.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

Approx. 1 cup of anything in the allium family, chopped – (I used a combination of onions, leeks and garlic)

3 tbsp mixed fresh herbs, chopped or 3/4 tbsp of dried herbs (I used sage, thyme and tarragon)

4 sticks of celery, chopped

4 mushrooms, chopped

Approx. 2 cups of root vegetables, chopped (I used sweet potato, carrots and turnips)

Approx. 1 1/2 cups softer vegetables, chopped (I used summer squash and red pepper)

1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used garbanzo)

5 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

Vegetable broth to cover (about 8 cups)

Approx. 1/2 cup parsley and chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large soup pot saute the onions, leeks and garlic in the olive oil over a gentle heat for 5 – 8 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Then add the chopped herbs (except parsley and chives which go in at the end). Add the root vegetables and cover the pot. Sweat the vegetables over a low heat for 5 minutes to extract some of their juices. Then pour on the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the soft vegetables and the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for a further three minutes (the idea is to use the tomatoes to give the soup some sweetness but cook them briefly so they don’t break up and make the broth taste too much of tomato). Add the parsley and chives, adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if necessary and serve.

Serves 6

It’s that time of year again!

Our children are heading back to school. We Moms often have some mixed feelings around this. Most of our YinOva Moms tell me they feel a bit wistful that summer is over whilst at the same time breathing a giant sigh of relief as everyone gets back into routine. At this time of year patients usually tell me that they want to get off on the right foot and ask advice about putting some healthy habits in place. So here’s some back to school advice gleaned from our YinOva Moms (both staff and patients) as we wish you all a healthy transition into fall.

Get a healthy start

We’re all familiar with the morning rush but making time for a proper breakfast is an essential start to the day. It’ll help your children arrive at school alert and able to concentrate.

Unfortunately many quick and easy breakfasts are full of sugar and empty calories. As a general rule it’s best for children to start the day with some protein such as eggs, nut butter, milk or yogurt and some high fiber carbohydrates such as grains, wholegrain tortillas, whole wheat bread or healthy cereals. You can round this our with some fruit – bananas go particularly well with nut butter and whole wheat bread for example.

Check out this blog from our archive which has plenty of healthy and kid-friendly breakfast ideas.

Nutritious Packed Lunches

We’ve talked about packed lunches before on the YinOva Blog so for some good ideas and helpful advice check out this blog from our archive.

If you’re having trouble planning your child’s lunches ask them for some input. Sit down with your kids and talk to them about which foods are healthy and which foods won’t help their body as much. Get their agreement about which foods to eat regularly, which to only eat occasionally and which to avoid altogether. Then make a list of things they want to eat. Help them understand balance by getting them to pick proteins they like as well as grains and fruit and vegetables and get their ideas about how to combine these.

As important as what you put in a healthy lunchbox is what you leave out, so give the following a miss:-

• High fructose corn syrup
• Fruit juice from concentrate
• Artificial sweeteners
• Partially-hydrogenated oils
• Trans-fats
• Nitrites
• White or bleached flour products

Some ideas from our own YinOva acupuncturists include:-

• Leftover grains (eg Brown Rice) with leftover steamed veggies and low sodium tomato sauce
• Hummus or other bean dip with whole grain crackers and veggies to dip into it and a banana for desert.
• Greek yogurt with veggie chips to dip into it and a small bag of trail mix.
• A whole grain, rice, or corn pita, no nitrate lunch meat, lettuce, sliced tomato and hummus.
• Wholewheat pasta salad with tuna and veggies and some veganaise and apple sauce on the side.
• A whole grain, rice, or corn tortilla with mashed avocado, beans and rice.
• Rice crackers with nut butter and a bag of cut veggies and some seedless grapes.

We’d love to hear your own ideas for packed lunches so please share in the comments.

Exercise

When I was young we did PE every day but these days many schools have had to cut their PE programs and academic pressure means that children get less exercise than they used to. Children’s lives have also become more sedentary with TV and computer games replacing outdoor play. Staying fit is important for mental health and concentration as well as physical health and well being. Make sure your kids get some kind of exercise everyday, either by encouraging them to participate in organized sports or by letting them ride their bikes or run around in the park.

Herbs and Supplements

Being in a stuffy classroom with lots of other kids means that our children are particularly susceptible to colds and flu. Support their immune systems by adopting some of the healthy habits above and also by making sure that they take some useful supplements. This blog from our archive looks at how some of the supplements and herbs we stock here at the YinOva Center can be used to support your kids.

My own personal Mom trick is to give them a probiotic which will not only support good digestion by promoting beneficial intestinal flora but has been shown to boost the immune system and help them fight infectious diseases.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a great way to address many childhood ailments and disorders. Check out this blog article by a YinOva Mom who came to our center for acupuncture and Chinese herbs which successfully treated her child’s eczema.  We use acupuncture to treat kids for weak immunity, repeated ear infections, digestive problems, asthma and behavioral problems.

Mom’s who are new to acupuncture worry that their kids will be upset by the needles but this is rarely the case. This video shows me treating some of our YinOva kids and should reassure you that fer from being scary, acupuncture can be fun.

Few things are more comforting than a boiled egg with toast soldiers, a sandwich on crusty bread or a cake with afternoon tea. But for the millions of people who suffer from gluten intolerance these pleasures are denied.

At the YinOva Center we’re familiar with the territory. Quite a number of our patients are allergic to gluten and suffer from inflammation when they eat wheat. Some of these people have full blown Celiac Disease, which is a common autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine, and some are just mildly gluten intolerant. These patients feel better if they avoid wheat, barley and rye which used to mean missing out on some favorite foods. These days, however, there are such great gluten-free alternatives that no one need feel deprived.

I made this gluten-free summer squash bread to use up an over-abundance of patty pan squash from our garden and make a tasty treat for a friend with a wheat allergy. Using Pamela’s Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix I was able to accommodate my friend’s allergy without sacrificing taste and by using agave nectar I managed to avoid processed sugar too. The result was a moist loaf that wasn’t too sweet.

A word of warning about baking with agave nectar: When I first made this loaf I used 1 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup of agave nectar. This gave a a sweet loaf with a cake-like texture. For health reasons I wanted to make the cake less sweet, less high calorie and without processed sugar so chose I chose to substitute a small amount of agave nectar for the cup of sugar. This gave a loaf that was more moist and less sweet. More like a tea bread. We loved it but if you like a sweeter cake and don’t mind using sugar, feel free to use it instead. One more word of warning a loaf baked with agave nectar will seem rather too moist when it first comes out of the oven but does dry out as it cools.

Ingredients

2 cups Pamela’s Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
3/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups grated summer squash
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Grease a loaf pan
• Grate the summer squash and put it in a colander over the sink to drain off some of it’s moisture.
• In a large mixing bowl mix together the baking mix, ground flax seed, ground cardamon, ground nutmeg, lemon zest and salt
• In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, agave nectar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until combined
• Fold in the grated summer squash and almonds
• Bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean

Enjoy!