Your Gut: Where Health Starts & Healing Begins

Gut dysfunction can be linked to virtually every disease and can cause conditions like fatigue, depression, food sensitivities, chronic pain, allergies and more. The Heal Your Gut Summit from January 18-25, will help you understand how these conditions are by and large preventable!

Why Attend? 
Your gut is the cornerstone of true health, which is why Dr. Josh Axe, Donna Gates and Dr. Eric Zielinski have gathered together more than 30 gut health experts from around the globe to share the evidence-based tools you need to regain control of your health!

Register for FREE here!

The Heal Your Gut Summit will teach you about: 

• Healing the gut to boost immunity and fight cancer 
• Losing weight by improving digestive health 
• Solutions to recover from irritable bowel syndrome 
• Balancing hormones and increasing libido 
• Reversing allergies and autoimmunity with foods and herbal remedies 

Attend and listen to the following experts (over 30 in all!): 
Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS: 5 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut 
Leo Galland, MD: Why Allergies Could Be Signaling Bigger Problems 
David Perlmutter, MD: Heal Your Gut by Going Grain Free 
Ty Bollinger: Boost Immunity with Gut-Immune-Cancer Connection 

Register today and you’ll get the following free gifts: 
Expert Talk #1: 5 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut, Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS 
Expert Talk #2: Boost Immunity with Gut-Immune-Cancer Connection, Ty Bollinger 
Expert Talk #3: Getting to The Root Cause of Thyroid Disease, Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP 
Expert Talk #4: Secrets to Overcome Candida & Yeast, Donna Gates, MEd, ABAAHP 

The Heal Your Gut Summit is online and FREE from January 18-25, 2016! 

Register for FREE today!


I’ll see you at the summit!

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Almond Butter Cookie Recipe

This is a very simple (only five ingredients) and quick recipe to make. The cookies come out soft and chewy when warm from the oven—great time to taste test. Once cooled they become crunchy—many favs this consistency.

I like chopped nuts in my cookies, so using crunchy almond butter makes one less ingredient to add. If you don't prefer the nuts, you can use creamy almond butter—your choice.

Once you add the almond butter to the sugar mixture, the batter gets real thick and clogs up the beaters. Because of the almond oil in the mixture it does not stick to the beaters and can be easily scrapped off with little waste.

In the picture above the cookies are spaced too close. They ended up "growing" into each other. The next batch was spaced three to a row—perfect.

Almond Butter Cookies

from Chris Pedersen

yield 18 cookies

category Dessert

cuisine Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Low-Glycemic

ingredients

1 large egg

1 C coconut sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla

1 C crunchy almond butter

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. Using electric mixer, beat egg, coconut sugar, baking powder and vanilla until creamy (about 1 minute). Add almond butter and mix well. The mixture will get thick.

3. Scoop batter using a teaspoon then form into a ball and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. 

4. Put a small amount of water in a small bowl. Dip a fork into water and then smash down cookie ball in a cross pattern.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cookies feel firm and slightly browned.

Enjoy making these cookies.  Just try to resist eating them all too quickly.

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Shop Online for Less

Happy New Year! 
Hope you are ready to enjoy 2016. Have you set some goals? Making some productive changes in your life? Perhaps adding more plant-based whole food to your eating?

Great! I'm cheering you on (crowd roar)!

For food, supplements, eco-friendly household and personal care products you buy on a regular basis (or even those occasional purchases), I have a great money saver for you.

I recently subscribed to Thrive Market and saved $79 over what I would have paid at my local discount market. Yup! That's right!

Example: Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar $2.95 at Thrive Market is $3.68 at my local discount grocer.

The Smart Way to Save Money on Healthy Food
Thrive Market offers something for anyone who wants to eat healthy and live well. Thrive has a really nice, curated mix of products to choose from that are the best-in-class organic, non-GMO, vegan, raw, paleo and gluten free. Whatever your healthy shopping desires may be, you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Like Costco or other warehouse clubs, Thrive Market is membership based. Thrive members purchase a membership for $59.95 per year. That’s just $5 per month, if you break it down. With a Thrive Market membership comes access to more than 3,000 (and growing) top organic, non-GMO, healthy products. You simply browse the website, fill your cart with whatever products you like, and have your order shipped directly to your home.

Go ahead, try out Thrive Market with a FREE one-month trial before you start paying the annual fee. Currently you get FREE shipping with orders over $49. Ready to start saving? Click here.

As a community conscious organization, for every paying member who joins, Thrive Market will donate one free membership to a family in need. This social mission taps into Thrive Market’s larger goal—making healthy food accessible for everyone.

Start your trial membership today! Click here.

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Wishing you a Blessed and Merry Christmas. I am grateful for you and your interest in being a healthier self. Looking forward to 2016, let me know what health area you'd like to learn more about—thank you to those I've already heard from. It would be great to hear what you found helpful from Healthy Journey Cafe this past year (scroll past the Related Posts to add your comments).

I'll be taking a break until after the New Year. Enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations with family and friends. Remember to be grateful for the blessings you have and share with those in your community who have little.

I'm thankful for my family and the addition of a new daughter-in-law this past June. What a joy! But we also endured the loss of loved ones this year, leaving holes in our lives that are impossible to fill.

Never the less, we have hope because Christmas is about remembering that God became man in a humble stable in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. The birth of Jesus marks God's long-planned and foretold redemption of man. Jesus Christ changed the course of history, but most importantly he changed my heart. The grace that God extended to me is available to all who desire His gift of eternal life. God only asks for your heart—that's it! He knows we can't be "good enough." He accepts us as we are—torn, tattered and broken. Really.

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Food Companies Respond to Consumer Pressure

In the short time I've been writing this blog, I'm thrilled to say the tide is turning. Manufacturers have seen a shrinking of their bottom line because YOU have voted with your shopping dollars and shunned foods that contain artificial ingredients (preservatives, coloring, etc) and too much sugar.

Last month an article in the New York Times reported that a seismic shift in how people eat has caused big food companies to scramble. Manufacturers are responding by changing their ingredients to reflect the demand for healthier food.

I originally wrote about the dangers of manufactured food, particularly in breakfast cereals, back in 2011 called The (Mad) Science of Food Packaging.

Let's look at what is coming out of the research labs of the food companies and celebrate the victories consumers have achieved.

In Food Makers Try to Paint With Nature's Palette, the Wall Street Journal reported how food companies were replacing artificial ingredients with real food alternatives in response to consumer demands for ingredients they might "find in their own pantries." The article sites General Mills' experience to change the artificial colors in Trix, a kid's breakfast cereal. The final color palette is minus two colors and looks very different from the un-natural colors of the artificially colored version, but now appears wholesome and natural. A step in the right direction.

Next we'd like to see them labeling any genetically modified ingredients, such as corn in the Trix. Or better yet, replacing with non-GMO sourced ingredients and getting verified by the non-GMO project.

In my blog The (Mad) Science of Food Packaging, I focussed on Kellogg's Froot Loops. Unfortunately Kellogg's is one year behind the progress of General Mills. They still show the same artificial ingredients. Oh wait... I see they changed Blue #2 to Blue #1. You can see the difference between artificial (Froot Loops in the title image) and natural (above in the Trix image and labeling).

I've copied the ingredients below:

Froot Loops Ingredients: Sugar, corn flour blend (whole grain yellow corn flour, degerminated yellow corn flour), wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, oat fiber, modified food starch, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed), salt, natural flavor, red 40, turmeric extract color, yellow 6, blue 1, annatto extract color, BHT for freshness.

At any rate, we have made a difference. These changes are because of YOU! Give yourself a pat on the back and continue to vote with your wallet.

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Give Yourself a Shot of Health

Instead of medications or getting a flu shot, boost your health with a daily shot of health. Taking two shots a day (even one shot a day) of this health drink—one in the morning and one in the evening—will give your immune system a kick. But don't expect it to make-up for an unhealthy diet of processed foods and sugar. Nope!

Shot of Health

from Ancestral Nutrition

yield ~14 shots

category Drink

cuisine Vegan

ingredients

1.5 C filtered water

7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)

Juice of 1 lemon or 1 drop lemon essential oil

1 Tbsp raw honey

5 Tbsp of collagen (if you have it)

directions

1. Combine in glass jar and shake until blended.

2. Store in fridge.

3. Take 1 to 2 shots (one morning, one evening) daily

I just took my shot for today and, I should add, it blows your hair back. Woo!

BTW if you use Bragg's ACV (which I highly encourage), you'll be getting a dose of prebiotics as well. Prebiotics is food for the good bacteria in your gut. For more information on pro and pre-biotics, read What's the Scoop on Probiotics and Prebiotics.

What healthy habits do you use to boost your immunity?

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Wisdom Wednesday

Fight inflammation by choosing the right foods.

Are you tired of having sore and painful joints, catching that perennial cold or flu, experiencing itchy, dry skin, off and on allergies?

You're suffering from inflammation and your immune system is not in top condition.

Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (salmon, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil)
• Fiber (beans, seeds, fruits and vegetables)
• Herbs (turmeric and other spices)
• Green Tea

Avoid/eliminate:

• Sugar
• Trans Fats (hydrogenated oils)
• Artificial Ingredients

You'll be amazed at how quickly your pains and problems go away.

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Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

I've got some great recipes for your fall and winter enjoyment. I hope I can get them all to you in time. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the many parties requiring a "dish to share."

Consider last week's Pear and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash the first installment. Please subscribe to this blog to get them all.

Here's a yummy bean recipe for those who love green beans, but don't love the milk-based ingredients or the bacon that seems to be the latest to add to veggie salads and side dishes. Whaa! Can anyone tell me what bacon is doing in a broccoli salad?

Did you hear or read that the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling us that processed meat is cancer-causing? Yeah! That means bacon with the added nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals.

Back to our recipe... You'll never miss the real bacon. Using shiitake mushrooms soaked in tamari, maple syrup and balsamic then roasted in smoked sea salt, you'll discover a whole new kind of wow you can add to a dish.

I discovered this great bacon substitute at the Soup Addict when I made the Vegetarian BLT Tacos with Shiitake Bacon. Check our other recipes at the Soup Addict. I know you'll find something to love. Karen is not a vegan nor vegetarian, but does post recipes that are—or can easily be modified, such as substituting items like butter with something appropriate for my diet.

Here's what the shiitake mushrooms look like after being soaked in the tamari, maple syrup and balsamic mixture and laid out to roast.

Don't fret if you don't have sherry vinegar for finishing off the cooked beans. You can use any vinegar you might have, for example, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

from Chris Pedersen

yield 4-6 servings

category Side Dish

cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp tamari or soy sauce

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt (smoked is best)

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4" (stems discarded)

1 Tbsp oilive oil

1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

1.5 lb. green beans, ends trimmed

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried majoram

2 tsp sherry vinegar

fresh ground pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack centered. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Whisk olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika and balsamic in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add shiitake slices, tossing until each piece is thoroughly coated.

3. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheet. Season generously with smoked salt. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes then flip over and roast another 10 minutes. Finished mushrooms should be dark and sizzling, but not charred.

4. Remove from oven and set aside.

5. Add olive oil to large skillet or wok on medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. 

6. Add green beans, salt and marjoram. Cook and stir 5 minutes or more until green beans are crisp to tender. Add cranberries, sprinkle sherry over beans and stir until beans are cookied, but not soft (about 5 minutes).

7. Season with pepper and serve with shiitake "bacon" sprinkled on top.

I had a little more shiitake mushroom bacon than I needed to put on the beans. If that happens, hold the extra back and add it to your organic eggs the next morning for a delicious change of pace. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that earlier.

What's your favorite recipe to take to a holiday party?

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It Takes Time & Patience...

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