Pasta Puttanesca

This is my new favorite 'pasta' recipe.  It is sooo good!  It combines some of my favorite flavors: olives, capers, and..... anchovies.  I never knew I liked anchovies until I had them on Balthazar's amazing Salad Nicoise. If you think you don't like anchovies - you are wrong,  you do like them. Just a few added to a dish, melted into some oil or butter, add a certain je ne sais quoi. Enough about the anchovies - here is the recipe.

 

I make my 'pasta' with thinly shredded cabbage. Zucchini that has been peeled into 'spaghetti' would also work, as would gluten free or regular pasta. The sauce freezes well if you want to make extra and have some for a quick dinner one night.

Pasta Puttenesca

Make the 'pasta' first:

Ingredients:

1 head of green cabbage 

1/2 c. chicken stock (approximately)

1 tablespoon butter/chicken fat/oil, if needed

sea salt to taste

 

Slice the cabbage finely so it resembles noodles. Saute in chicken stock and fat for about 15-20 minutes until al-dente.
While the cabbage is cooking, prepare the sauce:

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grass fed butter

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 anchovy filets, drained

1 yellow onion, minced

1 red pepper, chopped

 7-8 cremini mushrooms, chopped

15- 20 pitted black olives, chopped

 3 tablespoons capers, with brine

1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

15 oz jar of crushed tomatoes (Eden Organic is great)

Black pepper to taste

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic and anchovies. Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil/butter and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes. Add onions, mushrooms, peppers and sautee until tender. Add olives, capers, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes and then add the parsley, reserving some for garnish.

Serve it up and enjoy!

 

Healing Episode or Just a Fluke?

I mentioned in my 8 month update post (here) that I really wasn't feeling too great in January. It seemed like everything I ate, and I mean EVERYTHING seemed to cause bloating, pain, etc.  In addition to the digestive problems, my skin broke out like crazy - Like it has never done before on this diet. Luckily, I was in California visiting Kathryn and her family so they were the only ones who got to see the horror of my skin flare up.  I am being dramatic, I know, but it really was distressing.  The other strange thing that happened was that my chest broke out in the same rash I have been having since April 2009 when all of these food problems started.  There were so, so many days in between 2009-2012 that I would have to change what I was going to wear to work in order to cover up my skin with a high necked shirt. One of the great things about the GAPS diet was that the skin 'rash' totally disappeared once I started the following the protocol. This January was the first time it has been back in 8 months.

To top it all off, the last week in January I woke up covered in tiny pin-prick bruises from the chest down.  Known medically as petechiae, it is tiny hemorrhaging of blood vessels bleeding into your skin. I have had petechiae before - in fact, I usually have it almost constantly on my calves - or rather it showed up approximately 3-4 years ago or so (some sort of connection to this food issue? I've never thought about it, but maybe).  It tends to show up when I exercise and I've never thought much about it other than being hopeful that it would be one of the things the GAPS diet curred.  I asked a dermatologist about it in 2011 and he didn't know what they were and didn't seem to be concerned so I just figured it was one more oddity.

Well, like I said, I'd had them on my calves before, but I've never had hundreds of them all over my body.  Google, WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, even Wikipedia said that unexplained petechia is not a good thing.  Basically it could be a sign of a bunch of different auto-immune disorders, a bunch of crazy infectious diseases, and some other unmentionable things.  Needless to say, I was a little freaked out and decided to do what the websites told me to do - seek medical attention.

The doctors I saw were freaked out too.  Not outwardly of course, but anytime a doctor turns your blood work around in less than a day, you know they are freaked out. My blood work was all fine and dandy so they did a biopsy too and kept going over 'medications' I take (none, of course) to see if that could be a cause. I just got the biopsy results back earlier this week and it was fine too - the dermatologist said she didn't see signs of inflammation and that she wasn't concerned.  I mentioned that maybe the bruises could have been caused by drinking cranberry tea - which I was drinking on and off for about two weeks.  Cranberries contain salicylic acid - an active ingredient of aspirin. Aspirin can cause petechiae.  Tumeric root - something I was adding to my smoothies  in the morning is also a blood thinner.  So maybe the combination of them both caused an all-over response? I wouldn't think that I was taking a high enough dose of either to have a reaction and the doctor agreed, but that seems to be the only likely explanation.  The only other thought is that maybe its some sort of healing response?  Who knows. The doctor just said to pay attention and see if they come back.

Oddly enough, yesterday I saw some on my back, along my spine after taking Pilate's class. I get my stitches out tomorrow so I'll have to let the dermatologist know.  The good news is that despite exercising I haven't had any on my calves - so maybe its fixing itself? Or maybe I'm being naive.

Blizzard of 2013 - Banana Nut Bread

Have you noticed a trend in all of my baked goods?

That's right, they all contain banana. That's because bananas are the easiest source of sugar for me to digest so I use them any time I need to sweeten something.  Thankfully, I don't even notice anymore that every dessert I make tastes like bananas.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I feel as though I probably have candida overgrowth in some way and even though my tests didn't show this. In doing some more research on how to get candida back in line, I downloaded a candida diet food list from WholeApproach. Do you know what fruit is on the list to avoid? Bananas. And mango.  The two fruits I eat the most of. Hmmm... surprising? I think not.

Well until the day comes that I decide to give up bananas I am going to enjoy eating them! Feed the yeast I guess.

We had a big snowstorm on Friday and into Saturday. It was the perfect excuse to bake something. Typically, when I bake, I tend to throw a little of this and a little of that together and see if it works. Of course, sometimes it works great and other times I end up wasting ingredients.  This time, I decided to let someone else do the work.  The recipe I used can be found here at Small Foot Print Family.  I kept the recipe the same except for omiting the arrowroot flour/starch and the extra sweetener.  I also added vanilla extract and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger).  Though my pictures don't do it justice - these came out really well.  They were even approved my the grain and sugar eating husband - which is equal to success in my book.

This blog is one of my new favorites too - she has lots of great articles and ideas worth reading if you have the time.

 

Chocolate Banana Pancakes (Grain Free)

I hate to brag, but I may have mastered the art of grain free, sugar free pancakes. I know. That is saying a lot.  Oddly enough, chocolate (in the form of cocoa or cacao powder) is allowed on the GAPS diet although it is not allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) which is very similar to GAPS.  Cocoa/cacao is suppose to be for those individuals in 'advanced' GAPS.  Whether or not I fall into that category is debatable, however, I am not willing to live without chocolate in some form! 

See information below from Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride on the GAPS diet FAQ page.

"Cocoa is SCD illegal. However, I find that many people can start having it occasionally on the Full GAPS Diet, once the digestive symptoms are gone. Find pure organic cocoa powder. Mixing the powder with some honey and sour cream makes a delicious dessert, and you can add it to your homemade ice cream or cakes. After trying it for the first time, observe your patient for any reactions. Cocoa is very rich in magnesium and some essential amino acids and, unless your digestive system is not ready for it, there is no need to avoid it."

Enough said.

Chocolate Banana Pancakes (Grain Free)

1 medium banana (approximately 230 grams)
2 pastured eggs
1/4 c. raw organic cacao powder
1/8 c. almond flour
1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/16th teaspoon baking powder
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth.  Heat a little coconut oil/butter/ghee in a saute pan over medium-low heat.  Cook batter until edges firm and bubbles appear. Makes approximately 4 fluffy pancakes.

Long Overdue Update - GAPS Diet at 8 months

I realize I have been delinquent in writing an update as to how everything is going on the GAPS diet.

I have been sitting in front of the computer for basically the last hour staring at that first sentence and trying to figure out where to go from there.  I think that was why I haven't posted an update in a while. Not that I don't have much to say, but that because I have been a little frustrated about the progress I feel I should have made so far on this diet and I really didn't want to get down or not believe in the diet's ability to work - because I think positive thought can go a long way in healing.  But it is time for an update.  I mean, it has been 8 months since I started the diet last May. Hard to believe it has been that long.

I was lucky enough to spend the last week visiting Kathryn in Coronado and so had time to think and talk about how everything is going with her and the girls and really think about how everything has been going for me and what I am going to do going forward.

Thinking back on the initial stages of the diet I realize that I definitely had die off - fatigue, headaches, achy muscles, etc.  I also felt like I had improvement in digesting foods I had trouble eating (carrots, apple, even small amounts of honey) - which would make sense if bad bugs died.  And don't get me wrong, I have been pleased with the fact that the rash/acne that appears on my chest and that I have been dealing with on and off for the past three years really has totally gone away on this diet (except for the week I was in CA, of course. It, along with my face, seemed to breakout like crazy!) - not sure why that happened.  Now though, with regards to the food, I feel like I am kind of back to where I was before - having reactions and not knowing what I am eating that is causing them.

Could this be due to some food poisoning I had in the middle of December (a salad I ate on a business trip - not fun) that lasted about 12 days?  Could it be that there is something else going on that is preventing me from seeing more dramatic results?

I know it took my gut a long time to get damaged and it would make sense that it would take a while to get back to normal so I am trying not to get discouraged. I have read that for adults it typically takes 18 months to heal, but could be up to three years. I am not considering stopping the diet, I am just wondering if I need to make tweaks and get more strict - i.e. soup at least one meal a day or drinking a cup of broth at least once per day, reducing overall fruit/nut consumption.

You may have read Kathryn's blog post about parasites - if not, read it here.  Basically, from all of the reading I have done on parasites, I figure there is a good chance I have them in some form or another. In my pre-GAPS days I described my favorite food as sushi. That statement alone probably means I have parasites.  So that is a consideration I need to make.

Another thing that has been sitting in the back of my head is the fact that back in January of 2011, my acupuncturist recommended I try a 4 week 'detox' and after I completed it I was 'cured' - I could eat apples, carrots, pears, plain sugar even!  I never tried eating gluten (too scared, but I bet I could have). Then in early April 2011 it all started coming back.  I even tried the same program again a few months later and it didn't seem to do anything.

Here is the detox that I followed:

4R GI Restoration Program

Follow steps 1, 2, & 3 for 30 days.  Then follow steps 2, 3 & 4 ongoing.

1. Remove: remove the bad bacteria, fungus or parasites in the GI system
- Eliminate gluten and dairy for 30 days
- use herbs such as Coptis Root or Goldenseal for 15 days (2,000 mg/day not taken with meals) Ginger, garlic, and sour plum (umeboshi kill parasites (take ongoing until symptoms go away)

2. Replace: boost digestive enzymes that may be inadequate
- Drink lemon juice and water, Swedish Bitters, ginger (in food or tea, or take a digestive enzyme supplement.

3. Reinoculate: reintroduce desirable GI microflora with probiotics
- Take a supplement of acidophilus/lactobacillus (refrigerated capsule or powdered form) and or eat fermented foods such as lacto-fermented raw sauerkraut, pickles (not the kind on the shelf in the grocery store), miso soup, etc.

4. Regenerate: rebuild and heal the GI mucosa/lining
- Take a cold water fish oil supplement (4,000-6,000 mg/day) or flax seed oil (for vegetarians).
- Take a supplement of Tumeric (2,000-4,000 mg/day) also can be used as a spice in food.
- Take L-Glutamine (5,000-10,000 mg/day - powdered form is best).

For me, my acupuncturist recommended I take Goldenseal for the first 15 days and then take Swedish Bitters for the second 15 days.  She also recommended that I substitute Dandelion Root instead of Garlic in step 1.

So if this detox worked to eliminate my food issues - for a period of time at least - then whatever is wrong with my gut is most likely bacterial or parasitic and the herbs just were not strong enough, or long enough, to kill them.

The other thought I've been thinking of late (typically at around 1 o'clock in the morning when I should be sleeping!) is that maybe I have yeast overgrowth, also known as candida.  I have entertained the idea of candida since 2009 when I did a very scientific at-home test where you spit your saliva into a glass in the early morning before you have eaten or rinsed your mouth and observe what happens.  I even made Alex do it so I would have something to compare mine with. Per the test, I had signs of yeast overgrowth. So why didn't I take that route immediately, attack this thing as if it was candida? I don't really know.  I think I got caught up in going to doctors, getting tests, etc. and kind of just forgot about it. Also, I had a test done in early 2012 that showed no signs of candida or of parasites so that kind of just removed it further from my mind. However, I just don't think that there is a way that I don't have an issue with parasites and/or candida.

So here is what I have figured are my options:

1. I can go back on the intro diet, but will it be enough to kill off everything? Probably not.
2. I can do an herbal parasite cleanse (more research needed on my end)
3. I can incorporate an anti-yeast.anti-candida diet into the GAPS diet and look into candida cleanses.
4. I can find an alternative doctor/naturapath who could help with a parasite/candida cleanse.
5. I can see a real doctor. And by real, I mean one with an MD after their name.  This would make some people happy, but would probably just be the equivalent of throwing money down the drain based on my past experiences.

So with that said, I am going to be better about posting and keeping things updated on here.  I have some new receipes that I will be posting soon too!

HCL, Goat Milk Kefir and Ilumination

We've just spent the past week with Emily! How lovely to have a week-long visit with my sister - sightseeing, playing and of course the conversations! Some of our experimentation this week involved HCL supplementation (for low stomach acid) and perhaps we will both post on that later.

Though I intended to make her some sort of offal treat (ha!), I didn't get the chance. Plenty of heart and liver in the freezer that just didn't make it into the pan. I am sure she was so disappointed! However, I did share some of my dried liver capsules with her, so there was that. Incidentally, L will take some of the powder if I mix it with honey. We call it dream powder because of its ability to give you dreams and help you remember them (all those B vitamins!). We are careful to take it before noon, as we don't want the B vitamin energy boost to last well into the night.

Emily, as you may know, uses goat milk kefir at home and since we got some for her we patch tested it on me and the girls last night. And....N and I don't have a rash, but L sure does. It wasn't really evident in the morning, but it has become more pronounced as the day has gone on.

I always, always enjoy the conversations I have with my sisters and the treat of in-person conversation for a whole week was just so wonderful. I know the ripple effect of our visit will last a long time, no doubt bringing us both further illumination!

Coconut Yogurt!

We have been feasting on coconut yogurt this past week. Yogurt is one of the reasons I bought a dehydrator and it has taken me this long to actually make it. It's easy, tasty and probiotic, and this yogurt has gelatin in it, so that's quite GAPS friendly.

I referenced two recipes to make our yogurt: this and this

I more closely follow the Gutsy recipe. However, I am not using the meat of a fresh coconut, nor flavoring with vanilla. I also used a raw, live, vegan coconut yogurt I found at our co-op as a starter. It had coconut milk, lemon juice, agave and Body Ecology starter in it. Agave is not GAPS legal, but read the list on So Delicious and you find lots of things that aren't GAPS legal, so I went with the one raw, live, vegan one.

Unlike both recipes, I aerobically ferment the yogurt in my Pickl-it Jars in the dehydrator set to 105F for 24 hours. THe longer ferment is supposed to give you the greatest ammount of probiotic benefit. I put a bit of extra honey in to feed the bacteria and I do heat the honey so it is not raw - I am not sure if raw honey would cause problems with the ferment since it would contain enzymes and anti-microbial properties.

N and L are really enjoying the feasting and it is lovely to have them enjoying a GAPS- friendly ferment. We have topped the yogurt with pomegranate seeds (they are ripe and in season here) and it is good!

Hope this encourages you to try making your own yogurt too!