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Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup

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This Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup is an amazingly cozy soup. It’s got it all — lemony zing, a creamy texture, and healing ingredients. This is perfect for a cold autumn or winter day.
creamy lemon rice soup

My name is Stacey and I’m a soup addict. I could eat soup all day everyday, all year round. Sometimes I like a thinner brothy soup, other times I like a creamy cozy soup. This one falls into the latter category — this Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup is thick, velvety, comforting, and hearty.

I think I’ve always loved soups. When I was a kid, my favorite soup was wonton soup from the local Chinese restaurant — I would eat that first and sometimes as my only food (with those crispy crunchy fried noodles) instead of all of the other food that was ordered.

As an adult, my tastes have changed… okay, maybe not that much because I would probably still love that wonton soup…

One of my favorite soups and one of my all-time most-requested recipes is my White Bean And Kale Soup. It too is creamy and hearty. So, it makes sense that the creaminess in this lemon rice soup is achieved the same way — with white beans. What you taste in this soup is lemony goodness, but there are blended up beans hidden in here, making for an extra creamy and delicious and nutritious soup.

I like to use bone broth in place of regular broth in all of my soups. Bone broth is so good for so many things, it seems silly not to make this easy switch. I have been using store-bought bone broth lately, but I intend to start making my own again. If you want to make homemade bone broth, try out this recipe from my friend Daniela at Calm Eats.

If you need an even better reason to try this soup, white beans are good at boosting energy and calming the mind. They can help improve your memory and can lower cholesterol. And, they are a great source of protein. So, this soup is a slam dunk.

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There are other foods too that can help you reduce anxiety and stress. Download my free ebook now to learn all about them.

creamy lemon rice soup

Here are some of the great healing ingredients in this Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup recipe:

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus.  You can make your own bone broth, but you don’t have to anymore. Bone broth is now available in tons of markets. (See the recipe below for the awesome ready-made bone broth I used in this soup recipe.) It’s sold in boxes just like chicken or vegetable broth. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day. Sometimes I’ll have a hot cup of bone broth first thing in the morning for a quick healing pick me up.

White beans are good at boosting energy and calming the mind. They can help improve your memory and can lower cholesterol. And, they are a great source of protein.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Celery actually helps stop bleeding — so if you or anyone you know has just had surgery, start adding celery to your dishes! Celery is also great to help lower blood pressure and it’s been known to help with insomnia.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

creamy lemon rice soup

Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup
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Recipe type: grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free
Cuisine: soup
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This Grain-Free Creamy Lemon Rice Soup is so rich and delicious. It's the coziest healing soup that's perfect for those cool autumn and winter days.
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbs ghee (or can use unsalted butter)
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 15-oz can white beans, undrained
  • 4 cups bone broth, divided
  • 1 cup water
  • juice of 2 small lemons
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup orzo (I use grain-free chickpea orzo, or if not grain-free can substitute rice)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 Tbs snipped fresh dill
Instructions
  1. Heat ghee in a large soup pot over med heat.
  2. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and sauce until the veggies start to soften, about 5 mins.
  3. Stir in the white beans and ½ cup broth, and sauce, stirring, for 2 mins.
  4. Transfer this mixture to a blender and whiz it up until creamy, or use a stick blender until creamy.
  5. Pour the pureed bean mixture back into the pot and stir in 3-1/2 cups broth and 1 cup of water.
  6. Add the lemon juice.
  7. Add bay leaves and salt. Add a generous amount of black pepper.
  8. Let simmer 20 mins.
  9. Add spinach and orzo and cook until the orzo is al dente.
  10. Stir in the parsley and dill.
  11. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

creamy lemon rice soup

 

 

 

Healthy Gumbo

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This Healthy Gumbo recipe really is amazing. It’s got all the taste of a traditional gumbo, but no gluten or other unhealthy ingredients. This one’s a crowd pleaser every time!
Healthy Gumbo

If you are anything like me, after the holidays, all you want to eat is something that doesn’t taste like traditional holiday food. After Thanksgiving, I don’t want anything that resembles turkey, cranberry sauce, etc. After New Years, all I want is something healthy. You get what I mean…

This Healthy Gumbo takes me straight back to New Orleans, which is a place that I love. I love the food, of course, but even more, I love the people. Friendly people, delicious food, fun bars, oysters in the street… what’s not to love. I love foods that bring back fond travel memories and this is a great one.

A pot of gumbo is one of the most comforting things you can make. The aroma, the taste, the Louisiana feels… it’s all so good. And, it has none of the flavors of my traditional holiday foods. And it’s kind of odd, but I find that even people who don’t usually love spicy foods, love this gumbo. You can make it as spicy or as mild as you like, but I like mine fairly spicy so that’s how I make it and nobody complains.

This year, I made a big pot of this Healthy Gumbo after Thanksgiving. I cut up my leftover turkey and tossed that in. On a non-leftovers weekend, it’s also easy to roast some chicken and use that, or even easier: grab a cooked rotisserie chicken and ta-da… an easy-peasy  meal awaits.

I like to use pre-cooked sausage to make this soup even easier to prepare. You can use rice in your gumbo if you are a purist, but I like to use cauliflower rice. Honestly, absolutely nobody knew it wasn’t real rice when I served it to them.

And, what is really awesome is that this soup, even though it’s spicy and loaded with goodies, does not upset my digestion because it has no gluten and no other ingredients that upset my digestion.

If you love spice like I do, you should also try my recipe for Spicy Chickpea Turkey And Tomato Stew!

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healthy gumbo

healthy gumbo

Steve loves this Healthy Gumbo so much, he offered to be the model, so you know it’s got to be great!

Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this Healthy Gumbo recipe:

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Ghee is one of the best fats to cook with. Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. It contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia.

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus.  You can make your own bone broth, but you don’t have to anymore. Bone broth is now available in tons of markets. (See the recipe below for the awesome ready-made bone broth I used in this soup recipe.) It’s sold in boxes just like chicken or vegetable broth. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day. Sometimes I’ll have a hot cup of bone broth first thing in the morning for a quick healing pick me up.

Hot peppers contain more vitamin C than any other vegetable and they are good at fighting off the common cold. So, if you like spice, as I do, use a generous amount of whatever hot pepper seasonings you like.  In the recipe below, I put down Creole Seasoning as an ingredient, but oftentimes I will make my own and amp up the cayenne and smoked paprika. The main component of hot peppers is capsaicin. Capsaicin actually works with your body and mind to make you feel happy. It’s also good for reducing swelling and can relieve arthritic joint pain. If you have high blood pressure, check with your doctor before eating too many hot peppers because they can actually raise the blood pressure in some people.

healthy gumbo

Healthy Gumbo
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Recipe type: gluten free, nut free
Cuisine: soup, stew, comfort food
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This Healthy Gumbo is so simple and delicious. It has all the taste and feel of a traditional Louisiana gumbo, but it's gluten free and healing.
Ingredients
  • 3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12-oz fully-cooked spicy sausage links (I used chorizo), sliced
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 8 Tbs ghee (or can use unsalted butter)
  • 5 Tbs gluten-free flour (I used white flour, but I assume other flours would work well too)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, diced or shredded
  • 1 Tbs Creole seasoning
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 qt chicken bone broth
  • 2 cups cauliflower rice
  • 1 bay leaf
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the sausage,
  2. Saute, stirring often, until the sausage browns a bit.
  3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a bowl.
  4. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, about 5 mins.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, add this mixture to the sausage in the bowl.
  6. Add 4 Tbs ghee or butter to the pot. Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for about 6 mins, or until the flour gets to be a medium brown color.
  7. Now add the sausage and veggies back into the pot. Stir to combine. Add the Creole seasoning and the smoked paprika, and stir well.
  8. Add the cooked chicken or turkey and stir to coat.
  9. Add the bone broth and the bay leaf to the pot.
  10. Stir in the cauliflower rice.
  11. Cover and simmer 10 mins. Then uncover and simmer 10 mins.
  12. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

healthy gumbo

 

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup

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This Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup is like a hug in a bowl. And when you dunk your sandwich in it, you’ll be in comfort food heaven. This one’s for the whole family.
Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup

When I first started my blog many, many years ago, I did it so that I could easily share my recipes with family and friends. And this Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup recipes was one of the catalysts for this whole blogging life of mine. This soup was and still is my family’s favorite soup.

Usually I serve this soup with dairy free grilled cheese sammies or quesadillas, but this time I just made a whole big bunch of sourdough croutons and loaded up the top. OMG this is like having a dunked sammie right in the bowl.

I remember when I first came up with this recipe. When my kids were younger I used to sometimes get the urge to cook them some of the foods that I loved as a child. And I loved Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Let’s face it though, there was no way I was going to open up a can of soup or a can of Spaghetti-Os for them. But what I could do was to easily create the best Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup ever.

This soup is a great last minute weeknight dinner. It is so easy to make and it comes together really quickly. You’ve really got to try it.

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections. ⁠These are great reasons why you should be eating more tomatoes.

Free healthy digestion ebook

There are lots of foods that can really help your digestion — tomatoes are just one of them. Download my free ebook all about healthy digestion here.

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup

Here are some of the amazing ingredients in this simple Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup recipe:

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections. ⁠These are great reasons why you should be eating more tomatoes.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup
Print
Recipe type: paleo, whole30, dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free, gluten-free, vegetarian
Cuisine: soup, comfort food
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
This Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup is like a hug in a bowl; it's the best comfort food ever. Serve it with a sandwich for dipping and you will be so happy.
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbs ghee (or can substitute butter)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbs flour of choice (I like to use either tapioca flour or rice flour)
  • 2 tsp coconut sugar (or can substitute white or brown sugar)
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • sourdough croutons, for topping, optional (To make these croutons, cut bread into cubes, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and then sauté until crispy.)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil and ghee in a large soup pot.
  2. Add onions and garlic and a little salt and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add flour, and stir for 1 minute.
  4. Add coconut sugar, broth, tomatoes and thyme. Generously season with salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
  6. Ladle soup into a blender until the blender is half full. Cover with a dish cloth and hold the cloth tightly around the top while you blend. The cloth will allow steam to escape; just make sure you hold it tightly so you don't get burned.
  7. Blend until totally smooth. Repeat with rest of soup.
  8. Return all blended soup to the pot and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  9. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons.
  10. Enjoy!

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Soup

How To Make Perfect Eggs Every Time

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Eggs are nature’s perfect food. Cooking them perfectly every time is easy. Read below to learn how to make perfect eggs every time. Yes. Every. Single. Time.
How To Make Perfect Eggs Every Time

Eggs have always been one of my favorite foods. They make me happy. They really are easy to make perfectly if you know a few simple tricks.

Eggs make everything taste better. When in doubt, crack an egg on it. When my kids were young, the way I got them to eat foods they didn’t think they liked, was to put a fried egg on top. We had chicken topped with eggs and salad topped with eggs, and oatmeal topped with eggs. We had savory yogurt bowls with eggs. We had eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The first thing we were taught in cooking school was how to make scrambled eggs and omelets. I thought this was a no-brainer, but it’s not. Yes, everyone can cook eggs, but not everyone can cook great eggs.⁠
⁠
So, what’s the trick?⁠ Well, it depends what kind of eggs you are making…

Let’s Learn How To Make Perfect Eggs Every Time

Scrambled Eggs And Omelets

For scrambled eggs and omelets, movement is key. You’ve got to keep those eggs in motion while they are in the pan. And use low heat. Shake the pan. Stir the eggs. Shake more. Stir more. For an omelet, you keep this up until the eggs are beginning to set and only then do you let it be. Once it starts to set, add your fillings, fold and let it rest until fully cooked. For scrambled eggs, you never stop moving.⁠
⁠
Easy peasy. Creamy and delicious. Every time. I used to give cooking lessons and this simple lesson floored everyone because you really can taste the difference. ⁠

Sunny Side Up Eggs

What fat are you cooking your eggs in? This is a big factor in how to make perfect eggs every time. Why? Because, a sunny side up egg needs crispy edges. It’s a must. ⁠I like to cook my eggs in extra-virgin olive oil. This is healthy and it gives the egg those perfectly yummy crispy edges. And, for a buttery taste, I’ll add a little ghee to the oil in the pan. Get that fat hot and then gently crack your eggs into the pan. Don’t touch them. At all. Just let them cook over medium-low heat until the whites are just cooked through and the yolk is still runny. Ah… there’s nothing better.

These are the perfect eggs to slide onto your salad or on top of your chicken cutlets… or anything else. These are the perfectly photogenic Instagram-worthy eggs you see everywhere.

My go-to meal is often pasta topped with eggs, or sautéed veggies topped with eggs. Always awesome.

Over Easy Eggs

Follow the directions for sunny-side up eggs, but gently flip them over half way through. Cook only until the whites are set. Don’t let them go any longer or you’ll have a hard yolk. Been there, done that… so disappointing.

Hard Boiled Eggs (And Softer Boiled Eggs)

I have tried every trick and every cooking method to achieve the perfect hard boiled egg. For me, my perfect hard boiled egg isn’t so hard. I love a 7 minute egg. These come out jammy — you know, like the ones in ramen bowls. But if you like yours to be more traditionally boiled, cook yours for 11 minutes.

Here’s what you do: Place your eggs in a small pot. Cover them by an inch with cold water. I like to put salt in the pot because I read that helps if the eggs crack. Honestly, I have no idea if this works or not, but it makes me feel better to do it. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Set your timer. When that timer goes off, immediately drain the pot and put the eggs in a bowl of cold water with ice in it. This really does make peeling them so much easier.

Did you know the fresher your eggs, the harder they are to peel? This is why sometimes organic eggs or farm fresh eggs can be such a pain in the butt, but put them in ice water, and you’re good to go.

Poached Eggs

Ah… the elusive perfect poached egg. Yes, you can learn how to make perfect eggs every time even when we are talking about poached eggs. One of the beautiful things about poaching eggs is that you can get really creative and poach them in whatever liquid you like. There’s no need to stick to plain water if you are feeling creative. Broth, wine, tomato sauce… they are all great poaching liquids.

Here’s what you do: fill a pan with a few inches of water. I find that a wide pan is easiest. I like to use a sautés pan with high sides. Add a spoonful of vinegar  to the liquid. Bring it to a gentle simmer. Crack your eggs into small ramekins or glasses. One egg per vessel. Slide the eggs into the liquid by actually placing the side of the ramekin into the water and letting it start to fill with water as the egg gently slides into the liquid in the pan. Repeat with the remaining eggs, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Take a wooden spoon and very gently push any whispy whites back on top or closer to the yolks of the eggs. Do this until they stay there.

Set your timer for exactly 3-1/2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon when done. Yum.

If you are in the market for a new pan, here’s one of my favorite pans for almost everything, including poached eggs.

everyone-loves-eggs-and-you-should-too

The health benefits of eggs are amazing. You can read all about that here.

I’m on a big customized-recipe-creation kick right now… let me customize an egg recipe for you that will work for whatever’s going on in your body now… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. I’ve got a quick egg dish with your name on it…  So CLICK HERE to be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation.

How To Make Perfect Eggs Every Time

 

 

Healthy Chicken Piccata

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This Chicken Piccata is going to quickly become your new go-to recipe. It’s simple, healthy, and delicious… and it makes for some awesome leftovers.
healthy chicken piccata

Chicken Piccata. Even just the name reminds me of my past. I remember going to old-school Italian restaurants with my family and my favorite thing to order was chicken piccata. But Healthy Chicken Piccata was never a thing. Who knows what ingredients and preparations they used to get it to taste so amazingly delicious… but it definitely wasn’t anything akin to healthy.

I kind of miss those old red-sauce places. You know the ones — they had plastic red and white checkered tablecloths with centerpieces that were made from old wine bottles with candles and all the wax dripped down the sides and hardened. Here in Manhattan there are some of these places left, but you really have to search hard for them.

Calling all of my New York City people: if you know of any of these awesome Italian restaurants, please let me know — I would love to try them. Just being in this environment and smelling all of the amazing aromas coming from some of these grandma-run kitchens, puts me in a good mood and de-stresses me.

A good chicken piccata needs to be lemony and a little buttery. The chicken needs to have a tasty coating and there should be lots of capers all around. And it needs to be cozy, warming, and comforting. This recipe accomplishes all of that while still keeping it healthy. And OMG, it is so good!

And, I have to tell you, this kind of comfort food can be really de-stressing.

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Speaking of reducing stress (which… I mean, who isn’t trying to do this?), if you haven’t already done so, you can download my free ebook all about how to use foods to reduce your stress.

healthy chicken piccata

Keep scrolling for the recipe… but I feel the need to tell you here that capers are one of the foods that can stimulate the happiness center of your brain and can help with your stress levels!

healthy chicken piccata

Here are some of the great healing ingredients in this recipe for Healthy Chicken Piccata:

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Lemon peels contain calcium, potassium and vitamin C. Lemons are good for your stomach, they help detoxify your body, they balance your pH and they act as an antibacterial. If you have a sore throat or a cough, go for lemons to make things better. Lemons are great for quenching your thirst, and, in China, many years ago, hypertension was treated by drinking tea made from lemon peels. This recipe uses zested lemon peel and lemon juice. This recipe uses both the juice and the zest.

Chicken is something I push people to buy organic if possible. Organic chicken is a great, healthy protein to give you energy, lessen the pain of some types of arthritis, and boost your system when you are particularly weak — like after surgery or childbirth. People who have some conditions that we consider “excess heat” conditions should limit the amount of chicken they eat. So, if you have an illness that gives you a bright red tongue or severe dryness in your body, check with your doctor first. For example, if you have a lot of burning stomach acid, you should avoid chicken for awhile…

Capers, although small in size, are a big source of anti-oxidants, and they actually can make you feel better emotionally because they activate the “happiness” center of your brain.

Ghee is one of the best fats to cook with. Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

healthy chicken piccata

Healthy Chicken Piccata
Print
Recipe type: nut free, gluten free
Cuisine: chicken, Italian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This Healthy Chicken Piccata recipe is going to quickly become your go-to chicken recipe anytime you need a quick delicious meal.
Ingredients
  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups flour of your choice (I used sprouted quinoa flour because that's what I had on hand, but you can use tapioca flour, rice flour, or any non-sweet flour)
  • 2 Tbs dried minced onion flakes
  • ¼ cup ghee (you may not need this much, but have it on hand)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (you may not need this much, but have it on hand)
  • juice and zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 Tbs capers
  • 1-1/4 cups chicken stock or bone broth
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Put the flour in a shallow pie plate. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper and the dried minced onion flakes. Stir to combine.
  3. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture so that it's well coated on all sides.
  4. Heat 2 Tbs of ghee and 2 Tbs of oil in a large pan over med heat. When hot, add the chicken and let brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other side, about 5-mins per side. Then, cover, reduce heat, and let cook for another few minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate -- you may have to repeat with any remaining chicken.
  6. When all of the chicken is cooked and removed from the pan, add the shallot and garlic to the drippings in the pan and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  7. Add the capers, lemon juice and zest to the pan. Now add the broth. Simmer for about 5 mins or until the sauce is reduced a bit.
  8. Stir in 1 or 2 Tbs of ghee and let simmer 1 min.
  9. Add the chicken back into the pan, sprinkle parsley on top, and serve it right in the pan.
  10. Enjoy!

healthy chicken piccata

Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti

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This healthy creamy butternut squash spaghetti is amazing. The sauce is do delicious and the texture is like velvet. And… it’s good for your digestive system and your brain!
vegan creamy butternut squash spaghetti

Sometimes when I have a dinner party I figure out what to cook based on color. If I already have planned several dishes, I’ll look at them and decide what other dish would look best alongside them. I am embarrassed to say that this way of dinner planning may have been brought on by the Instagram-like-grid in my head.

I was never a big social media fan, and I started using Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter out of necessity. I wanted my business to grow so I had to grow with it.

Fast forward several years… and I am on my phone waayyyyyyy too much. Instagram is my current favorite. BUT, OMG, get the grid out of my head… please!

I mean, come on, I’m a chef. I’m a healer. Shouldn’t I choose my food based on taste? Ummmm….. nah. Especially when I use these dinner events to recipe test things I have never made before, so I really don’t know if they’ll even be edible.

This beautiful sunshine-yellow Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti filled a need for a bright color on my table. And I knew I wanted to try out a new pasta sauce. Two birds, one stone.

Before I finish patting myself on the back, I should tell you that this wasn’t really a risk because one of my favorite sites — The Feed Feed published a recipe for butternut squash spaghetti so I had a great starting place.

I’m a butternut squash lover so I usually have some on hand at this time of year. But a lot of times I’ll make it as an easy side dish: Simple Roasted Butternut Squash. I keep staring at the squash and I can’t decide what to make, so I tend to go back to what I know. But this pasta was calling my name, and I’m so glad I listened.

And, butternut squash is really good for you.  It’s a good fever reducer, it can lessen stomach pain and it can be a comfort during pregnancy when the baby feels like she’s doing acrobatics. It’s also rich in carotenoids and Vitamin B6. This means it’s good for your heart and can help lower bad cholesterol. And, because butternut squash can help reduce inflammation in the body, it benefits almost everyone.

Have I convinced you yet?

vegan creamy butternut squash spaghetti

This Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta is a no-brainer. It’s easy. It’s delicious. It’s pretty. And it’s great for your digestion: the butternut squash, the sage, the oats (I used oat milk in mine) — each of these ingredients will soothe your digestion. For more help with digestive issues, you can download my free ebook all about healing your digestive system.

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vegan creamy butternut squash spaghetti

Here are some of the awesome healing ingredients in this recipe for Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti:

Butternut squash is more than just a delicious vegetable; it’s really good for you. It’s a good fever reducer, it can lessen stomach pain and it can be a comfort during pregnancy when the baby feels like she’s doing acrobatics. It’s also rich in carotenoids and Vitamin B6. This means it’s good for your heart and can help lower bad cholesterol. And, because butternut squash can help reduce inflammation in the body, it benefits almost everyone.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

It really is true that an apple a day is a good thing. Apples help to strengthen your heart. They are also good for your digestion and they can help eliminate mucus when you have a cold. So, the combination of apples and cinnamon together are great for this time of year when everyone seems to be getting sick. Apples have a high antioxidant content, especially Granny Smiths and Red Delicious. This, combined with the fact that they have a lot of healthy fiber, is why apples are good at fighting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and some cancers. They have also been shown to help ward off diabetes, high cholesterol and gallstones.

Oats are great for the digestive system — they make you feel better if you are feeling bloated or have indigestion. This ancient grain can also help reduce some types of swelling in the body and, a little known tidbit: they can be eaten to help stop lactation. I used oat milk in this recipe — feel free to substitute whatever milk makes you happy.

Sage is great for your digestion, especially if you have loose stools. It’s also good for memory loss and for Alzheimer’s.

vegan creamy butternut squash spaghetti

Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti
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Recipe type: simple, vegetarian, grain-free option, gluten-free option, nut free
Cuisine: pasta, sauce
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti is simple to make, delicious to eat, and just look how pretty it is! It's the prettiest comfort food ever!
Ingredients
  • 6 Tbs ghee (or can substitute butter)
  • sea salt, to taste
  • 1 lge red onion, chopped
  • 1 red apple, peeled and chopped
  • 2-3/4 lb butternut squash cubes
  • 3 sage leaves, chopped
  • 2 cups unsweetened oat milk (can substitute whatever milk you like)
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 15 oz dairy-free cheddar cheese, grated or sliced (I used Violife Mature Cheddar Cheese)
  • 1-1/2 lb. spaghetti of choice
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta al dente. NOTE: I have made this recipe with Banza Chickpea Pasta, and also with whole grain sprouted pastas -- both are awesome.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion. Season with salt. Sauce, stirring, 5 mins.
  3. Add the apple, squash, sage, milk, and broth. Cover and simmer 20 mins, or until squash is softened.
  4. Transfer the mixture (in batches) to your blender and whiz it up until very creamy. NOTE: when blending hot liquids it's a good idea to place a clean dish towel over the top of the blender, hold it tightly to the blender canister, and blend like this so the steam can escape and you won't burn yourself.
  5. Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot. Simmer over med-low heat and add the cheese. Stir until melted.
  6. Toss the pasta with the sauce and enjoy!

healthy creamy butternut squash spaghetti

Gluten-Free Apple Cake

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This gluten-free apple cake is amazing! There are NO grains in the cake itself and I used gluten free oats for the topping. This one is a keeper — it’s so delicious and everyone can eat it!gluten free apple cake

I scare people when I bake. I mean, I literally scare them. I often burn things, the end result sometimes tastes… ummm… less than delicious, and I have even started fires in the oven. And yes, I did go to cooking school…

I’m a great cook because I can taste as I go and I don’t have to measure. But when it comes to baking, all bets are off  because I tend to treat baking like cooking and it just doesn’t work that way. You know… science.

But, every now and then I really get in the mood to bake something. I attribute this to my obsession with the Great British Baking Show. I can sit here and binge a ton of those shows and it truly makes me want to be a better baker. Oh, and if anyone knows where to buy Pru’s blue eyeglasses, pleeeaaaassseeee let me know because I really want them…  So, one day after watching a few episodes, I got that baking yen. So I started to peruse a ton of recipes that I have saved up and I figured I’d try my hand at combining recipes for several apple cakes until I got the desired result.

The cake needed to taste great. I wanted it to be healthy. It had to have great texture. In short I wanted it to not taste like a healthy dessert but rather like something I would actually be proud to serve.

It took some time, but this Gluten Free Apple Cake is the result. It’s great. Really. And not just great “for me”. It got the seal of approval from my family and they are the ones who are most scared to try my baked goods. This just goes to show you that anything is possible.

This Gluten Free Apple Cake is now tied with my Flourless Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies for my favorite dessert.

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gluten free apple cake

Here are some of the healing ingredients in this recipe for Gluten Free Apple Cake:

Almond flour is great. In Chinese medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten free and make the best grain free flour! Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation.

Buckwheat is great to eat if you have diarrhea. It also helps lower blood pressure, stops some types of sweating, and has a good amount of vitamin E. It also contains antioxidants that can help fight cancer and heart disease. Buckwheat is a seed, not a grain, so no inflammation here! I used some buckwheat flour in this cake.

It really is true that an apple a day is a good thing. Apples help to strengthen your heart. They are also good for your digestion and they can help eliminate mucus when you have a cold. So, the combination of apples and cinnamon together are great for this time of year when everyone seems to be getting sick. Apples have a high antioxidant content, especially Granny Smiths and Red Delicious. This, combined with the fact that they have a lot of healthy fiber, is why apples are good at fighting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and some cancers. They have also been shown to help ward off diabetes, high cholesterol and gallstones.

Oats are great for the digestive system — they make you feel better if you are feeling bloated or have indigestion. This ancient grain can also help reduce some types of swelling in the body and, a little known tidbit: they can be eaten to help stop lactation. Just make sure to buy gluten-free oats if that’s your preference.

Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

Cinnamon is one of the best herbs to warm the body. It’s great if you have a cold. If you are nauseous or have diarrhea, go for the cinnamon. It also gives you energy and helps with menstrual pain. Cinnamon is a Chinese herb: “gui zhi” is the cinnamon twig and “rou gui” is the cinnamon bark. Both are warming and are used for a variety of ailments. In the winter I add cinnamon to all sorts of foods. It helps with the common cold, swelling, various menstrual issues and some aches and pains. Be careful with it if you have a fever because it is so warming. Here’s an article about the benefits of cinnamon from Well-Being Secrets.

gluten free apple cake

If you make any of this recipe for Gluten Free Apple Cake, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.

Gluten-Free Apple Cake
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Recipe type: cake, dessert
Cuisine: gluten free
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9
This gluten free apple cake is delicious, healthy, and has all the feels of fall. You will love it!
Ingredients
  • 1-1/3 cups almond flour
  • ⅓ cup buckwheat flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca flour
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp baking soda (make sure it's gluten-free if that is your need)
  • 1 tsp baking powder (make sure it's gluten-free if that is your need)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup oat milk (or can use another milk of choice -- again, make sure gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt (I used cashew yogurt)
  • 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 green apple, peeled and finely diced
  • For the topping:
  • 3 Tbs melted ghee
  • 5 Tbs coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, combine all of the flours, ½ cup coconut sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
  5. Add the contents of the small bowl to the large bowl. Stir until combined.
  6. Stir in the yogurt, vinegar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and diced apple.
  7. Spread the contents into the prepared baking pan.
  8. Make the topping: stir together the ghee, oats, 5 Tbs coconut sugar, and the oats.
  9. Spread the topping evenly over the top of the batter.
  10. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
  11. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
  12. Cut into squares and enjoy!

gluten free apple cake

Spicy Ground Turkey Pasta

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This Spicy Ground Turkey Pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner — it’s so easy and so delicious!

spicy ground turkey pasta

I love spice. And because of this love, if you open my refrigerator and look on the door shelves, you’ll see a ridiculous variety of  different jars and bottles of various spice blends, sauces, and pastes. When I’m ready to cook, I unload this mass of ingredients onto my counter and I begin. This makes me sometimes think twice about making my favorite spicy dishes when I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

But, now… things have gotten way easier…

I found my new spice blend obsession: Ayoba-Yo Spice Blend.  It’s a rare thing for me to be willing to give up my trusted spice jars, but this spice blend is so good that I’ve been able to streamline my cooking so much. This single jar is a blend of sea salt, coriander, worcestershire powder, and black pepper. And, it’s flavorful enough to use on it’s own without adding a ton of other ingredients.

As an aside, I should tell you that Ayoba-Yo makes amazing bags of Biltong (which is their version of jerky). It’s soft and spiced perfectly and really is the perfect on-the-go Paleo snack.

This Spicy Ground Turkey Pasta is so simple to make. I made it this past Saturday morning, stored it in the fridge, and then we ate it later for dinner. It’s so good!

I added some Asian flavors to this pasta, because that’s the mood I was in. The addition of ginger, rice vinegar, and aminos, really complements the spice blend. Yum.

It would be just as easy to customize this pasta with Mexican, Italian, or Indian flavors. So many pastas, so little time…

I used a grain-free chickpea pasta for this dish (see the recipe below for details). Sometimes when I do this, my family is not too happy (they like traditional pasta better), but because of the spice blend, nobody could tell it was chickpea pasta! This is the mark of an awesome recipe.

spicy ground turkey pasta

Serve this pasta with my favorite Caesar salad, and you’ll be smiling from ear to ear!

spicy ground turkey pasta

Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this recipe for Spicy Ground Turkey Pasta:

Turkey is a healthy meat. Make sure you buy organic turkey for the highest nutritional benefits. Recent research has shown turkey helps lower the risk of pancreatic cancer; however I did read some research that suggests that if you eat the skin along with the meat, some of this value is reduced, so don’t eat too much skin — this recipe uses ground turkey so it has no skin involved… Turkey also has a great protein-to-fat ratio, so it keeps you feeling full with less potential for weight gain. It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B and selenium. And, in Chinese medicine, turkey is thought of as a qi-booster, so it can be good for low energy levels.

Coriander is the main ingredient of the Ayoba-Yo spice blend, and that’s a great thing because it’s so good for digestion.

Ginger is  a Chinese herb. In it’s raw form it’s called Sheng Jiang. This herb is especially good during cold weather months and also during seasonal changes. So, when winter is trying to turn into spring, and we (those of us on the east coast) get some of those cold, raw, damp days, ginger will make you feel better and will help boost your immune system. And, when summer is turning into fall, or fall is turning into winter,  those are great times to add ginger into your diet, to prevent those winter colds that seem to pop up often.

Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

spicy ground turkey pasta

Spicy Ground Turkey Pasta
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Recipe type: grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free
Cuisine: pasta, meat, simple, Asian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This spicy ground turkey pasta is a great quick meal with tons of flavor and tons of health benefits.
Ingredients
  • 8-oz pasta (I used a grain-free chickpea pasta), cooked al dente, and drained
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling at the end
  • 1 Tbs Ayoba-Yo spice blend
  • 1 Tbs tomato paste
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp date or coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbs coconut aminos
  • 1 Tbs ghee
  • fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 Tbs oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  2. Add the meat, and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. When the meat is not pink any longer, add the Ayoba-Yo spice blend and the tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.
  5. Stir in the ginger, sugar, vinegar, and aminos.
  6. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer 10 mins.
  7. Remove from heat, and stir in the ghee and the cooked pasta.
  8. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

spicy ground turkey pasta

Paleo Creamy Carrot Soup

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Creamy. Delicate. Flavorful. Delicious. Healthy. And, so easy! This paleo creamy carrot soup is all these things and more…

paleo blender carrot soup

I am not a winter person. I always wanted to be a winter person, but alas… I am not.

I tried to like skiing. It looks so cool and sexy when I see other people do it. I hate heights and I don’t enjoy being cold, so this didn’t go so well for me.

I don’t like having to bundle up in heavy layers each time I want to go out. It actually annoys me…

But, I do love a good sweater and a cute pair of boots.

And, I do love winter food. Comfort food. Stew. Cups of hot lattes, superfood creamy drinks, and hot tea make me really happy.

The best of all: SOUP.

I love a good hearty, chunky soup like my White Bean And Kale Soup or Spring Vegetable Soup… but, every now and then I love a creamy, light, delicate, velvety soup. The taste and the texture make me smile.

This paleo creamy carrot soup has all of the requisite characteristics to be one of my favorite soups. The original recipe is amazing and it’s from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks.

I love to take a creamy soup like this one and add some toppings that add texture. I topped this velvety paleo creamy carrot soup with crunchy buckwheat groats and pomegranate seeds. The combination of the crunchy with the smooth makes each spoonful so good!

I love creating customized recipes for people. And soup’s an easy one! I want you to sign up for a free phone consultation with me… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. So CLICK HERE to be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation… I’d love to create a soup just for you and your needs.

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So, instead of skiing, I’m the one who stays in front of the fireplace. Or, even better, in front of the stove stirring a pot of soup, while everyone else is outside building up an appetite. And, I am more than happy with this arrangement… a little music, a roaring fireplace, a hot toddy or a cuppa something healing… I’m happy as a clam…

I like to serve a creamy, warming veggie casserole of some sort with this soup… something like a Paleo Brussels Sprouts Gratin. Yum. And, if you want to keep the soup vegan too, just swap out the ghee for olive oil or coconut oil.

paleo blender carrot soup

You can top this soup with whatever you like. A pile of microgreens and a drizzle of truffle oil would be awesome. Or, how about some chopped pistachio nuts with some lemon zest? The possibilities are endless…

paleo blender carrot soup

This simple paleo creamy carrot soup doesn’t have too many ingredients, but the few ingredients it does have, really pack a healing punch:

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for this soup.

Onions are great for your immune system; they are a natural antihistamine. Recently, I recommended that a patient with bronchitis put sliced raw onions in her socks when she went to sleep… she woke up so much better; they actually can rid the body of bacteria. (I know I’ve told you this before, but it really is awesome!) Onion is a superhero in the food world!

Ghee is one of the best fats to cook with. Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible. It contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

paleo blender carrot soup

Paleo Creamy Carrot Soup
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Recipe type: soup, paleo, whole30, comfort food, vegetarian
Cuisine: Recipe adapted from: 101 Cookbooks
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This paleo creamy carrot soup is really easy to make and deliciously healthy to eat. It's velvety smooth and rich in flavor. It will help your digestion and your immune system!
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs ghee (or substitute olive or coconut oil for vegan)
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • sea salt, to taste
  • 1 Tbs red curry paste
  • 2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-in pieces
  • 1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk
  • 14 oz water (just fill up the coconut milk can)
  • Optional toppings: hemp seeds, raw buckwheat groats, pomegranate seeds, microgreens, lemon zest, truffle oil (whatever makes you smile). I topped mine with buckwheat groats and pomegranate seeds.
Instructions
  1. Heat the ghee in a large soup pot over med heat.
  2. Add the onion and season it with salt.
  3. Saute, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 mins.
  4. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring 1 min.
  5. Add the carrots, and stir for 1 min.
  6. Add the coconut milk and the water.
  7. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 mins. Then, cover and simmer an additional 10- to- 15 mins or until the carrots are tender.
  8. Transfer mixture to a blender, or use a hand blender to blend until smooth.
  9. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle on the toppings of your choice.
  10. Enjoy

paleo creamy carrot soup

The Healthy Cooking Oils You Should Be Using

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When it comes to your health, there are strict dos and don’ts when it comes to cooking oils. Read ahead to learn about the healthy cooking oils you should be using.

the healthy cooking oils you should be using

 

If you knew that just by adding a few healthy everyday ingredients to your diet, you could substantially boost your heart health and your brain health, would you try it? Of course you would. Well, these healthy cooking oils you should be using are all readily accessible, fairy inexpensive, and will do just that.

My favorite conference of the year is David Wolfe’s Longevity Conference. Each year, I come away with so much information, but there always seems to be a few take-aways that all of the experts at the conference agree on. This year, one of those things was the amazing benefits of olive oil and other healthy cooking oils. So, I’ve taken the research and whittled it down for you. Keep reading to learn about the healthy cooking oils you should be using now.

My passion is helping you heal yourself with food and herbs. It’s truly my calling. When I was studying for my Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine, I knew that all of these amazing tenets of Eastern Medicine could be applied to food and used as everyday healing agents for so many people. I knew that if I combined what I was learning about the properties of food and herbs with what I already knew from my chef’s training, it would be life-changing.

And it is. My training in both Eastern and Western medicine, combined with my obsession with food and cooking, has given me a unique skillset that has helped so many people. And I want to help you. Nothing aggravates me more than knowing that these tools exist but that so many of you have not been taught them. Especially when the benefits are so easily accessible to everyone — like in these healthy cooking oils you should be using.

Everyone should know how to heal themselves with food and herbs. This should not be a secret.

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If you eat the right foods for your unique body and circumstances, you can heal yourself. All you need is the correct information. And I’m here to give it to you. So, read on and learn how you can easily start to heal yourself with ingredients are easy to get and easy to use. And, if you want me to create a healthy lifestyle plan specifically for your unique needs, sign up for a free phone consultation and we can chat about it.

Food really is medicine!

Why Is It Important To Use Healthy Food Oils?

First let me just say that it is so important that you make sure you have healthy fats in your diet. And, NO, fat does not make you fat. In fact, low-fat diets do not help you lose weight. Current research is also clear that healthy fats do not increase your risk of disease or heart problems.

One of the simplest ways to get healthy fats into your diet, is with cooking oils. You can saute your food in them, make salad dressings and sauces with them, add them to smoothies, and drizzle some of them on top of whatever you are eating.

Below, you can see some basic reasons why you need healthy fats in your diet. Then, keep scrolling, and you’ll see the list of healthy cooking oils you should be using. Go out, buy one or two…

Here’s how healthy fats work for you, not against you:

1. Youthful Skin

Yup, fewer wrinkles, better elasticity, and a healthy complexion are yours for the asking… all you need to do is consume a good amount of healthy fats. You are what you eat, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the look and quality of your skin. Our cell walls are made up of fats and it’s these fats that keep our skin looking youthful and glowing. By the way, this is true for your hair too…

2. Boosted Immune System

I know that traditionally, when we talk about immune-boosting foods, we talk about things like ginger, turmeric, and the like. But, healthy fats play an important role in keeping your immune system at a high level. To keep you healthy, your white blood cells need to be able to fight bacteria and viruses. When you deprive your white blood cells of healthy fats, they cannot do their job properly. So, feed them. With healthy fats. You’ll have a much better chance of boosting your immune system enough to stay healthy even when people around you are sick.

3. Brain Health

Your brain needs healthy fats.  Because your brain is made up of about 60% fat, it needs fat to feed on. When you deprive your brain of fats, it’s impossible for this organ to perform at the high level it is capable of. Think: memory, focus, concentration… if you are having some issues in this area, perhaps you are not giving your brain the healthy fat it craves.

4. Heart Health

Yes, fat is good for your heart. There is no evidence that saturated fats increases the risk of heart disease. In fact, evidence is to the contrary. Healthy fats can raise your good/protective cholesterol levels way up, thereby protecting your heart and arteries. Some of these healthy fats can even help to lower your bad cholesterol.

5. Boosted Energy Level

Fats provide your body with more energy than carbohydrates. I’d rather eat a meal with healthy fats than a traditional carbohydrate-loading meal before physical activity. Healthy fats keep you full and satisfied and they keep your energized.

6. Weight Loss

The start of the obesity epidemic in the United States coincided with the introduction of low fat-and non-fat foods in the marketplace. These foods upped the sugar content to make up for their lack of fats. I tell my clients all the time that if you want to lose weight you have to add healthy fats into your diet. This is a hard concept to embrace for lifetime yo-yo dieters who have been calorie-counting forever. But the results don’t lie. And I’m telling you, you will lose weight if you cut out sugar and embrace the correct healthy fats for your body’s needs.

Add These Oils To Your Pantry:

1. Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has a mild taste and is a perfect multi-purpose oil. You can use it to cook with, to make dressings with, and to drizzle on top of your salads, vegetables, and everything on your plate. Avocados raise good cholesterol while simultaneously lowering bad cholesterol.  They also contain vitamin E and are great for your skin.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has gotten a bad rap in terms of raising cholesterol, but it raises the good kind of heart-protective cholesterol, not the bad kind. This oil can be used to cook with and  you can add a spoonful to your shakes, smoothies, and soups. Coconut oil will boost your energy level very quickly, so add it to whatever you are eating or drinking whenever you need a boost. This oil is not a neutral flavored oil; it sometimes has a distinct coconut taste, so it may not be good for all of your recipes.  I like to bake with it, and I find it especially good when cooking Asian food — Thai curry… yum…

One thing to keep in mind about coconut oil is that it is  solid unless heated. So, if you need it in a liquid form, you’ll have to melt it… which is a very quick process.

3. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Extra-virgin olive oil is amazing. It is good for just about everything. It is great for your heart and has even been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks when added into a healthy diet. It’s also good for your brain, and can reduce some of the inflammation in your body. I recommend buying extra-virgin olive oil because it is less processed than some other olive oils. Also, with olive oils, sometimes you get what you pay for, so if you are able to taste the oils before you buy, that’s a great thing to do.

One of the important messages I came home from the Longevity Conference with, is to drizzle a hefty amount of olive oil on everything. Really. If you cook a plate of food, before you eat it, drizzle a good quality extra-virgin olive oil all over the top of the food. We’ve been going through a lot of olive oil in my house…

Use extra-virgin olive oil primarily for salad dressings, drizzling on top of foods, and for cooking things that don’t require a very high heat.  I cook with extra-virgin olive oil all the time, but I switch to a different fat if I need to cook on extremely high heat for a lengthy period of time — this is because extra-virgin olive oil does not have a high smoking point and can burn.

4. Nut Oils

There are many types of healthy and delicious nut oils available. Try out some walnut oil, hazelnut oil, or macadamia nut oil. These oils are best used in non-cooked foods. These nut oils can be the base of delicious salad dressings and adding a healthy drizzle of a delicious nut oil to the top of your cooked foods can really make the taste pop.

Nuts have the ability to lower bad cholesterol and enhance brain performance, and nut oils are an easy way to reap these benefits.

5. Ghee

Ghee is not technically an oil, but I’m including it in this list because it’s one of the best fats to cook with. Ghee is a clarified butter that has had the milk solids removed and it is lactose free. And, it has the delicious taste of butter.  It has a high smoking point, and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I recommend buying organic ghee if possible.

Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

I love to add a spoonful of ghee to my coffee or tea, blend it up, and drink it for a great energy boost in the morning.

Try Some Of These Recipes With Healthy Oils:

Seafood Salad With Garlic And Oil

the healthy cooking oils you should be using

 

Bulletproof Coffee

bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates

 

The World’s Best Nut Butter Recipe

world's best nut butter recipe

The healthy benefits in healthy fats and healthy oils can be truly amazing.  And, if you combine these fats/oils with the right foods and supplements, you really have a powerful healing protocol. One of my favorite things to do is to introduce my clients to the healing powers of everyday ingredients because the results can be so amazing. If you’d like a free phone consultation, please go to my calendar now and pick a time slot that works for you. We can discuss herbs and food that will help whatever your concerns are. It’s only food — it’s not rocket science — together we can help you live your best life.

Another article you may be interested in is:  5 Ways Coconut Water Can Improve Your Life.

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