Swedish Meatballs (Keto, Grain-free!)
Enjoy!!!
In health,
Rebecca
The “health food” destroying your gut
There is a tiny protein called WGA that I’d like to tell you about today because it is one of the worst offenders to your gut health, hormones, and immune system.
You can’t be healthy and free of symptoms if your gut isn’t functioning properly.
Your gut is where you take all the good stuff you eat and drink and transform it into the many building blocks your body needs to make energy, sleep well, maintain a healthy weight, build muscle, and clear out toxins that need clearing out daily so you can thrive.
So let’s talk about WGA.
What is WGA and where is it found?
WGA stands for wheat germ agglutinin. It’s a lectin (a type of protein) found in wheat that protects it from being eaten by predators (including humans).
How WGA derails your best health intentions
This lectin, like other lectins, are indigestible–they can withstand the acidity of your stomach. Unlike the lectins in some other foods like rice and many beans which can be pressure cooked and mostly destroyed, this is not true of WGA. What about sprouting it? Nope. Sprouted wheat breads are actually higher in WGA (non-wheat sprouted options tend to be a healthier option).
According to many Functional Medicine experts including Dr. Hagmeyer and Dr. Mercola, there are some toxic effects of WGA that are essential to know.
1) Can cause systemic inflammation in your body– this is at the root of strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, asthma, and other diseases.
2) Damages the immune system– studies show its connection to autoimmune disorders.
3) Can be toxic to the nervous system– your nervous system controls and coordinates all activities of the body.
4) Can disrupt hormones.
5) Can be damaging to the heart. (activated platelets, increased clotting)
6) Promotes gut inflammation and impairs absorption of vitamins and minerals
There are countless other ways that WGA impairs good health, but this list is a good start.
I hope you found this information helpful.
Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca
Why fish oil is the worst supplement you can take
Fish oil is the #1 top selling dietary supplement currently on the market. Americans spend 1 billion dollars a year fish oil supplements because we think it is improving our heart health, brain health, and reducing inflammation.
Today I’d like to share how we have been misled when it comes to the benefits of fish oil and how it is actually harmful for your health. I encourage you to watch this video where Dr. Brian Peskin, medical scientist from MIT, discusses exactly why fish oil supplementation is NOT the miracle supplement we’ve been led to believe. Personally, I was mortified to learn that:
- People using this supplement experienced a dramatic rise in diabetes, autoimmune system problems, and cardiovascular issues.
- Overuse of this supplement produces harmful effects that mimic long-term steroid use.
- Over 15,000 studies ALL SHOW this supplement fails to work.
This research isn’t brand new, but hasn’t gained traction until now.
Here are some reasons to reconsider taking fish oil supplementation or talk with your doctor right away if they recommended supplementation for you.
- Shortens lifespan. Fish oil oxidizes or becomes damaged at room temperature. When we take in concentrated amounts of fish oil from supplements, versus small quantities from seafood, it introduces large quantities of damaged oil into your body. This damaged oil starts to damage your cells and decrease the ability of your cells to function properly. Your antioxidants, like Vitamin C and E and glutathione, spring into action to try to protect your cells, but they get depleted in the process. When your antioxidants get depleted, they aren’t available to protect you effectively against other kinds of cellular damage from the environment, toxins or even cancer cells.
- Speaking of cancer, a study from Harvard that was published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute also found that taking fish oil supplements led to increases in prostate cancer.
- Repeated studies find that “Omega-3 supplements did nothing to reduce heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from heart disease for folks with increased risk.”
- Fish oils and Omega-3 supplements are very processed and prone to oxidative damage.
If your head is swarming right now, I know exactly how you feel. This is discouraging and disappointing news. However, it’s also a blessing in disguise and empowering to learn what actions you can take to protect yourself.
So if you’re not going to take fish oil, what could you do instead?
For starters, eat real, whole food including seafood, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, eggs, and algae. Sophisticated as many supplements are, we repeatedly discover that they just aren’t as good as what nature come up with. The way that foods deliver health benefits to your body is superior than relying on supplements to do the work.
We have repeatedly found that when we try to extract the part of the food or plant that seems to contain the “cure all”, we miss the mark. Now, I’m not saying that supplements aren’t helpful, they absolutely can be, but food is powerful medicine. Make the best food choices that you can rather than mediocre food choices and lots of supplements.
Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca
Meatball Soup
This recipe is very customizable! Make about 6 quarts of beef stock in advance (cook beef bones in a large pot of water for 12 hours with a little vinegar or lemon juice to help release the minerals from the bones).
Use whatever blend of ground meats you prefer (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, buffalo, venison, ostrich, goat). I used the following ingredients, but this soup is delicious no matter what! 🙂
Ingredients for meatballs:
Mix the following in a large bowl:
- 1.5 pounds grass-fed beef
- 1 pound pastured pork
- 1 pound ground “pet food” (ground beef and ground organ meat)
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1-2 T italian herbs (blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
- 1 T red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp fennel seed
- Optional, egg to bind the meatballs if they seem dry when you are forming them.
For the soup:
- 6 quarts beef bone broth
- 2 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 zucchini, 1 large red bell pepper, 1-2 cups mushrooms.
- Large can crushed tomatoes (organic preferred)
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- 1-4 cups leafy greens of choice
- Optional: Chives, onion and garlic to taste
How to:
Form golfball sized meatballs and drop into soup stock, medium heat. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, 1 bunch of Italian parsley (finely chopped), chives or onion and garlic to your tasting preference (it’s also perfectly tasty without them). Add your favorite vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces and cook for 45 mins. For the last 10 minutes its cooking, add some spinach or other leafy greens (kale, chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens).
Serve in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese (optional).
Enjoy!
What stress and gas have in common
Are you struggling with symptoms like bloating and gas? Low energy? Extra pounds that just won’t seem to go away?
Ugh, these symptoms are awful and yet SO common. Nearly every client that I’ve ever worked with in the last 16 years has had at least one of them.
Today, I want to share with you some insider information on a little hormone called CRH that may just be the reason you continue to experience symptoms. I’ll also share 3 tools to help you rebalance this hormone and start feeling better.
CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone, is the hormonal precursor to cortisol~our primary stress hormone.
CRH does a lot of important things in your body and I want to be clear that neither CRH or cortisol are the bad guy. However, when you encounter stress often, as many of us do, and you don’t have tools to minimize your stress on the regular, that’s when your health goes downhill and you start to see and feel symptoms.
2 big ways that CRH cause weight imbalance and gut issues
- CRH lowers your stomach acid HCL. You need to have healthy levels of HCL in your stomach so that you can properly digest your food to make energy and think clearly. It’s also a really important part of your immune system and kills bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that you come in contact with through food, water and life. If you don’t have enough HCL and you get an infection, this can cause symptoms like gas, bloating, low energy, and excess body fat.
- Imbalanced CRH decreases growth hormone, considered by many to be the “fountain of youth hormone”. Among many things, growth hormone helps us maintain healthy muscle to fat ratio and have more energy.
Best advice?
You aren’t immune to stress. None of us are. Your body gets stressed from all kinds of things: poor diet, not drinking enough water, lack of or too much movement, job stress, relationship stress, financial stress, feeling overwhelmed…the list goes on and on! And I want to be clear that there’s no such thing as life without stress. We need some challenges in order to get stronger and not die of boredom, but if you are having symptoms, your body is telling you that things have gotten out of hand. You can act now, or wait until it gets a lot worse, but it won’t just improve on its own.
3 tools to help you rebalance
- Take reset breaks often throughout your day. A reset break can be as simple as a few deep breaths or something like Pleasure Meditation (a 1-3 minute joyful stress reduction practice).
- Get a good night’s sleep. Aim to get to bed by 11pm (earlier if you have to be up earlier in the morning). Research shows that 7-8 hrs of sleep each night does wonders for your mind, body and gut and that we need a minimum of 7 hours per night to sustain health.
- Customize your diet. Eating the foods that work best for you is a key part of reducing weight, gas and low energy. Start a food journal so you can begin to notice the foods that work best for your body or even better, get in touch with me to test for your optimal diet.
Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!
~Rebecca
Dandelion Caramel Nut Tea
Oh my goodness, I have to tell you about this delicious tea that’s loaded with health benefits!
One of my dear clients brought me a couple of bags as a gift last week and besides being suuuuper tasty, it’s also good for you.
What’s so good about it?
Dandelion root is a key ingredient to Teeccino Dandelion Caramel Nut tea and it’s loaded with benefits such as:
- Stimulates bile, a necessary digestive agent
- Increases the clearing of toxins through the liver
- Improves blood sugar balance and insulin production
- Is rich in fiber (this tea contains inulin which is a prebiotic soluble fiber that feeds your gut flora)
- Is high in antioxidants so helps protect your cells against damage
- Also, this tea is certified gluten-free & caffeine free
Find more dandelion root benefits here.
What’s it taste like?
Like chicory root coffee mixed with a subtle caramel flavor. Seriously yummy.
I love to share information like this with my clients and with you because when I know that when you’ve got tools in your toolkit for how to take better care of yourself and fix your symptoms all while enjoying yourself and not feeling deprived, that’s what we call a win! That’s the path to creating awesome health.
Want even more guidance and support? Are you someone whose health symptoms are stopping you from living life fully?I’d love to hear from you! Click here and tell me how I can help.
Until next time, I’m wishing you Unstoppable Health!
~Rebecca
Anti-Inflammatory Chocolate Pudding
I hope you had an amazing holiday!
Today I have a gift for you to help you have unstoppable health in 2018.
I enjoyed this delicious pudding with my family over the holidays and I think you will find it satisfying and full of anti-inflammatory ingredients. Feeling amazing is a huge part of having unstoppable health and I truly want that for you!
Ingredients:
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (or organic cream if you prefer)
- 4 tablespoons organic cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 4 tablespoons Lakanto or Swerve (organic erythritol blend) or sweetener of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons gelatin (my preferred is by Vital Proteins)
- 4 tablespoons cold water
How to:
- Heat the coconut milk, cocoa, sweetener, and vanilla on medium-low heat in a medium sized pot and mix well with a whisk.
- In a bowl, mix the gelatin and cold water thoroughly and add to the pot. Mix well.
- When warm, pour into 4 small bowls or mugs.
- Chill in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes or until pudding is firm.
- Optionally, top with whipped coconut cream or cream.
Enjoy!
This pudding has easily assimilated protein, fat, is naturally low in carbohydrate, and is high in minerals and anti-inflammatory amino acids. I hope you love it!
If you’re interested in having more great recipes like this as well as a customized plan so that you can regain your health, fix your symptoms, and get the most out of your life, I’d love to talk with you. Please email me at rebecca@choosinghealthnow.com and let me know what health struggles you’re going through so we can make 2018 YOUR year to shine.
Until next time, I’m wishing you Unstoppable Health!
In health, & happiness
~Rebecca
Fat burning keto egg nog
I’ve always loved egg nog, but for me and so many people I care about, sugar is a real problem. And c’mon, it’s so easy to use the holidays as an excuse to revert to habits that just don’t get you to where you want to be with your health. My solution to this is to simply upgrade the recipe or tradition so that it’s aligned with what you truly want, not just what works in the moment.
If you love egg nog like I do, then you’re going to love this recipe upgrade! Instead of experiencing a sugar crash afterward, you can feel more energized and kick your metabolism into fat burning mode.
Fat Burning Keto Egg Nog
- 1 cup almond or coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 2 cups heavy cream (if you like it lighter then use 1.5 cups of cream and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk)
- 4 eggs (you may also use egg yolks only if you prefer)
- 3-4 tablespoons erythritol or Lakanto OR 35-48 drops SweetLeaf liquid stevia, plain or vanilla creme (to your desired sweetness liking)
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best!)
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Optional: dash of MCT oil
How to: Blend all ingredients in blender or with a hand blender thoroughly. Serves 4.
Enjoy this great recipe. Happy Holidays!
In health,
Rebecca
Mummy Hot Dogs
Here’s another fun Halloween recipe you and your kiddos are sure to enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 package of grass-fed beef hot dogs (I love the sugar-free ones by U.S. Wellness Meats), OR chicken or turkey dogs if you prefer
- 1 large sweet potato (preferably a hanna white sweet potato)
- 3-4 Tablespoons of Ghee OR bacon fat OR duck fat OR coconut oil
- Small amount of ketchup, mayo or mustard for eyes (after cooked)
- OPTIONAL on the side: Sauerkraut
How to:
- Preheat oven to 350
- Use a spiral slicer to slice the sweet potato into long curly noodles and place on a cookie sheet (This is the one I have).
- Cut hot dogs in half and wrap with a small amount of sweet potato noodles, leaving a little opening so you can add a couple dots for eyes after baking
- Lay on greased cooking rack or cookie sheet
- Melt fat on low heat and drizzle over your mummies
- Bake for 20-25 mins
- OPTIONAL: Put the oven on BROIL for 3-7 mins until they get a little crispy (watch them so they don’t burn).
- Remove from oven, put on a plate and add eyes to the mummies with sauce of choice
- Serve with mustard and sauerkraut…or any other vegetable for that matter!
Enjoy!
Greek Lamb with Tzatziki Sauce
Do you love Greek food? Then you’ve got to give this simple recipe a try!
Greek Lamb Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground lamb
- 1/4 red onion finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried onion powder)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- dash of black pepper
How to:
Add all ingredients to a large skillet and cook on medium heat, mixing with spatula so that ingredients are well-combined. Cook until meat is fully cooked, about 8 minutes.
Tzatziki Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1-2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- dash of salt and pepper
How to:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl.
Serve with a side salad and top both the lamb and salad with tzatziki sauce.
Optional toppings are kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
Yum!
