We all are striving to lead a healthy life.  Sometimes we are good at it, sometimes we are bad.  How about we try to make our bad better?  If you want a healthy treat, or are looking for a cookie that will pass the kid test and the parent test – try this recipe.  I have made it a few times for family, friends and staff – each time people asked for more.  That isn’t the point obviously – don’t go eat the whole batch!  But do enjoy an occasional cookie that isn’t full of processed flours and sugars.

Ingredients

3 cups almond meal/flour – I make my own in the food processor or Vitamix.
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt – I used a pinch!
2 eggs
1/2 coconut sugar (recipe called for maple syrup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract – do not use artificial!
1/2 cup coconut oil – unrefined, cold-pressed
1.5 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla.
Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Melt coconut oil, pour into batter and mix.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop cookies onto lined baking sheet.  I used a spoon sized ball of dough.
Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

Enjoy!

This recipe is from Make it Paleo by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason.  It’s one of my favourite cookbooks,  I highly recommend it! Get it here.

It is simple and easy to make, and was a hit at the dinner table!

Ingredients

1 Onion, diced
5 Celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp coconut flour
1 can Organic coconut milk
1 cup organic chicken broth
1.5 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp Pepper
pinch of thyme,rosemary
5 cups of broccoli

Preparation:

Dice the onion, celery, garlic.  Cook in large soup pot with 1Tbsp coconut oil. Saute over medium until the onions are translucent.

Pour mixture into slow cooker.

Return soup pot to the heat and melt the remaining coconut oil.  Add the coconut flour 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring so that there are no lumps.

Add the coconut milk and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Add the chicken broth and spices.

Add the Broccoli.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

*I cooked mine for 6 hours but would have been done 5-6 hours.

Benefits of Coconut:

Improves digestion
Stimulates metabolism
Antimicrobial
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant
Heart Protective

Benefits of Broccoli:

Detoxifying
Lung Protective
Cholesterol Lowering
Bone Protective

If you have questions regarding your diet and need help with food sensitivities or allergies, see Dr. Sara Kinnon or Dr. Lindsey Jesswein for more information.

Here are some common foods and their fiber content:

2 slices Rye bread:  1.9g
2 slices whole wheat bread:  6.0g
Broccoli 3/4cup:  7.0g
Brussel Sprouts 3/4cup:   3.0g
Greens 1/2cup:  4.0g
Cooked Spinach 1/2c:  7.0g
Medium Yam with skin:  6.8g
Apple:   4.5g
Coconut 1Tbsp:   3.4g

So next time you reach for a cracker or a slice of bread – why not try some vegetables or fruit instead?  Need ideas?  Ask @DrSara!

Try this recipe from Well Fed:

Caramelized Coconut Chips:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Mix the salt and cinnamon with a fork and save for later.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat about 2 minutes.  Add the coconut flakes and distribute evenly so they form a single layer in the bottom of the pan.  Stir frequently.  They will crisp and brown quickly – take off when desired crispiness is achieved.  Then sprinkle with the cinnamon and salt and enjoy!

Sauteed Spinach:
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2-1cup spinach
1 clove garlic
pinch sea salt

Melt the coconut oil in a pan with the garlic.  Add the spinach and stir until soft and wilted.  Sprinkle sea salt and enjoy!

Spring is always a rejuvenating time of year.  Getting outside, breathing in fresh air is invigorating and inspiring…unless that air is causing your nose to run, eyes to itch and oh those endless sneezing fits!

Allergies are when your body deems something, such as tree or grass pollen foreign.  The mast cells then ‘explode’ and release histamine, which initiates the allergic response and leads to hay fever, asthma, or anaphylactoid reactions.

Treatment and prevention of allergies can be approached from a few different angles.  The most common treatment is with an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine.  Antihistamines are effective and often life-saving treatments that antagonize our histamine receptors.  For those with severe allergies, having an antihistamine on them in case of a reaction is necessary.  But what can you do to try and prevent allergies?

Traditional treatments are often based on skin scratch tests, typically done by an Allergist.  What this involves is poking the surface of the skin with a small amount of the allergen and seeing if the body responds.  A hive, or mosquito bite like bump, is indicative of an allergy.  What is offered then is a treatment plan based on allergy avoidance, antihistamines, and possible allergy shots.  Allergy shots are intended to desensitize the person to the allergy, making their subsequent exposures less severe or nonexistent.  They are a small, controlled amount of allergen that is given intramuscularly.

There are many alternatives to antihistamines. From a naturopathic medicine perspective, your ND will want to identify what you are allergic to, and form a treatment plan on stabilizing and restoring the immune response. While skin scratch tests are great for the immediate hypersensitivity, or IgE, reaction, there is a significant portion of the immune system that lines our digestive track.  Gut-Associated-Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) is a critical part of the allergic response and must be considered in treating allergies.  Measuring the immune response associated with our gut is more difficult and is typically done through a blood test.

Some people think that their digestive health is fine, but yet they suffer from hay fever.  Sometimes it is possible to have a cross reaction to a food.  That means that if you are allergic to grasses, you could potentially be allergic to a food that is from the same or similar plant family.  It is often referred to as Oral Allergy Syndrome.

How to minimize the reactions:

1) Identify allergies
2) Avoid, or decrease exposures to allergens
3) Vitamin C with bioflavonoids: 1g three times per day
3) Omega-3: 1.5g, with food, twice daily.
4) Probiotics: take in the evening, or at bedtime

Other options:

-Sublingual desensitization – oral drops placed under the tongue
-Herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine actions
-Homeopathic remedies to relieve hayfever symptoms

-Homeopathic Allergy shots: Dr. Sara Kinnon recommends 1 x per week for general prevention.  Injections can be increased or decreased in frequency as needed.  Add a B12 boost to it and see your energy improve too!

Treatments are not limited to this, but instead are tailored to each patient’s needs.

Coconut Apple Pudding

1 can full fat coconut milk – (BPA free can preferred)
2-3 apples – 3 small apples or 2 larger ones – peeled and chopped
1-4 Tbsp coconut oil – this is used to thicken the mixture so play with amount depending on your desired consistency.
1/2 tsp to 2 tsp Cinnamon – again the amount is up to you.

Bring the coconut milk and chopped apples to a boil.  Once the apples are soft, put the mixture and the coconut oil and cinnamon into the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into small containers and place in the fridge.  As the mixture cools, the consistency will be like pudding or yogurt.  This usually takes 12-24 hours.

optional: nuts, bananas, blueberries

Coconut is a powerful functional food that provides a low-glycemic energy source while protecting against viruses, bacteria, and fungus. It is stable at high temperatures, which means that it’s molecular structure does not change, thus reducing your exposure to free radicals.

When purchasing coconut oil, be sure to buy from a cold-pressed, non-GMO source that is stored in glass.

Prolotherapy is the physician stimulated healing of tendons, ligaments and joints by means of injections.  These injections work by initiating the wound-healing  cascade by means of micro-trauma.  What that means is that the injections are causing small micro-injuries, much like what happens in muscle building.  The subsequent result is an influx of wound repairing cells and activity, stimulating collagen and connective tissues to repair themselves.  The injections can use a variety of substances ranging from dextrose to fish oil derivatives to platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) to stem cells.  The proliferant used depends in part on the location and tissue being treated to physician preference.

Conditions that may benefit from Prolotherapy:

-muscle tears and partial tears
-ligament injuries
-shoulder instability – dislocations/separations
-elbow overuse injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow
-chronic low back pain
-hip pain
-foot problems such as plantar fasciitis

Typically, the prolotherapy is required 3-6 times, although relief is often felt after the first treatment.  For athletes and those who are active but find themselves chronically injured or have a ‘bad shoulder’ that holds you back, you may want to consider prolotherapy.  Talk with Dr. Sara Kinnon in West Vancouver about whether or not the treatment is suitable for you.

MIC injections contain the following:

L-Methionine – L-Methionine is an essential amino acid.  An essential nutrient is one that cannot be manufactured by the body, it must be obtained from our diet.  It is involved in the breakdown of fat, increase the production of creatine so benefits both the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, and has been beneficial in treating skin conditions, neurological conditions, and  depression.

Inositol – Inositol is a carbohydrate.  It is not essential, as we are able to manufacture it.  It is also involved in the breakdown of fat.  It also reduces cholesterol, improves mood, and can aid in conditions like insomnia, anxiety, OCD, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, hair loss and vision loss.

Choline – Choline is an essential amine, often grouped with the B Vitamins.  It is a precursor for neurotransmitter production, and can be beneficial in improving mood, memory, liver disorders and endurance athletes.  Studies suggest most people are deficient in choline.

Methlycobalamin – Methylcobalamin is B12 in its active form.  B12 benefits mood, energy production, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, heart disease, and memory.

MIC injections are given intramuscularly and typically on a once weekly basis for a period of time.  If you have questions or are interested don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Sara Kinnon and the team at Bellevue Natural Health Clinic.

We hear a lot about flavonoids being good for us…but do you really know anything about them?  Let’s have a little chat about them!

Flavonoids are what gives the dark pigment to our favourite fruits and vegetables.  The reason we hear so much about them is because they have far reaching health benefits.  Not only are they potent antioxidants, but they also are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and protect against cancer, macular degeneration, allergies, asthma and many neurological (brain) conditions.

Who needs flavonoids?  We all do!  Eating a diet that is rich in colour will ensure you are getting flavonoids.  Dr. Sara Kinnon encourages patients to eat a rainbow of colour on their plate each day.  In the winter, flavonoids are even more effective with Vitamin C – they work together to increase their beneficial actions.

If you have any of the following symptoms or conditions, you may benefit from increased flavonoids in your diet and possible supplementation.
-Vascular health: bruise easily, frequent nose bleeds, hemorrhoids, varicose veins
-Immune health: allergies, asthma, frequent colds, frequent infections
-Eyesight: macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, night vision
-Migraines
-Diabetes
-Cancer
-Gum Disease
-Cardiovascular disease: cholesterol, heart attacks, carotid stenosis
-Water retention
-Skin/Joint: arthritis, aging, gout
-Arthritis
-Flu
-Gastrointestinal health: leaky gut, ulcers, h pylori
-Neuroprotective for: stroke, alzheimers
-Obesity
-Urinary tract infections

It is always best to eat good quality food.  Lifestyle factors coupled with environmental conditions suggest the supplementation is often beneficial.  Following the latest trend or recommendation is not always the best or smartest idea – seek advice from a professional in the field, such as Dr. Sara Kinnon.

We recommend Fruit Anthocyanins – a real-food powerhouse!  Fruit Anthocyanins is an organic blend of red grapes, elderberry, blueberry, aronia berry, pomegranate, and red raspberry.  There are no additives or preservatives,binders or lubricants added – its just the food.  One teaspoon is equivalent to a pint of organic berries.  Dr. Mitchell spent years researching and fine tuning his formula.  The berries in this blend work synergistcally together to increase the antioxidant capabilities.

Is there a rainbow on your plate?

If you have any questions – stop by Bellevue Natural Health Clinic and ask!

Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes and Lotion:

Are you stressed out this holiday season?  We don’t need an excuse to relax, we deserve to relax.  Whether you are overwhelmed with the holiday season, suffering from sore muscles or insomnia, or have a skin condition like eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis consider adding Ancient Minerals to your regime.  Ancient Minerals Magnesium is an ultra pure source of magnesium chloride that is well tolerated by even those with the most sensitive skin as well as young children.

So often these days we hear about contaminated products and rising levels of mercury and lead.  Not only are these in our food supply, but they are detected in high levels in many epsom salt products.  Ancient minerals is completely free of mercury, lead, arsenic and fluoride and is verified by third party testing.

Bath Flakes are perfect for increasing skin hydration, improving wound healing, and decreasing inflammation from exercise and allergies.  1-3 cups in a warm bath and a relaxing soak and you are well on your way to restoring your health.

Magnesium Lotion, oil, or gel are gentle alternatives, perfect for travel or those without access to a bath.  Apply liberally and feel the tension melt away.

NonToxic Skincare

Belmondo Skincare Line is a locally produced nontoxic skincare line.  Prevention is the best medicine and we often overlook the connection between our health and our skin.  Anything that we put on our skin will enter our system.  Most skincare products are actually full of chemicals linked to hormonal disruption, cancer, acne, and skin irritants.  Reducing our toxic load with what we have control over is one way to prevent disease.  Not only are the products free of toxins, but they are packaged in glass, reducing further exposure to plastics and the associated toxicities.  Good for the skin, and the planet!

Belmondo products are olive oil based and leave your skin velvety soft and smooth.  Our biggest sellers are The Cloud facial moisturizer, The Rain Cleanser, and The Petal Eye Cream.  Curious about them?  Consider the Travel Pack for small introductory sizes.

Q Energy Drink

We all need a boost every now and then, especially at this time of year.  Instead of reaching for that extra cup of coffee or the eggnog latte, we suggest Q Energy Drink.  This all natural energy drink is a safe alternative and is full of vitamins and herbs that improve fatigue, immune function and reduce inflammation.  Best of all it is not loaded with sugar or alternative sweeteners that are damaging to health and associated with energy crashes.  It comes in Wildberry or Lemon Lime and is also a locally produced product.

Stay tuned for more of our favourite things!

Happy Holidays!