3 Favorite Picks from the Farmers (+Recipe)

bethdorsey — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 05:05:56 +0000

Summertime is always so much fun at the farmers market. There is an abundance of tasty fresh fruit and veggies, not to mention the beautiful flowers and much much more….

This weeks favorites are….

Stone Fruit: Get them before they are gone!! The Cal Red peaches are to die for and the Dapple Dandy pluots are super tasty as well.

Next up:

Beautiful fresh flowers...the Dahlias are my favorite…and the Gladiolus.

Last farmers market favorite….

TOMATOES!!…

Sweet Red Tomatoes

Of course tomatoes are abundant right now, all kinds…heirloom, dry farmed, cherry you name it! So, here is one of my favorite recipes that’s more stunning with all these different types of tomatoes. You can wow your guests with this simple yet beautiful salad or it is totally delicious to eat on its own. I always add some balls of fresh mozzarella or feel free to serve it with some nice grilled ciabatta bread to soak up the goodness.

The Mothership Tomato Salad

From Jamie Oliver’s Jamie At Home

serves 4

2 1/4 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

a good pinch of dried oregano

red wine or balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped (*optional)

You should get a mixture of different, tasty, local tomatoes in all different shapes, sizes and colors. The flavor is brought out of salting the tomatoes, so don’t skip this bit. Some people get worried about putting this much salt of their food, but the bulk of it will drop off, leaving you with really beautiful, intensely flavored tomatoes.

If you can get hold of some dried flowering oregano then do, as it has the most heavenly flavor. Feel free to use the dried stuff that you get in a little container, but it can taste a bit like sawdust when compared to the fruity, fragrant flavor you get from the flowering variety. Oregano is also great to grow in the garden.

Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that’s really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won’t be drawn into the tomatoes, instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.

Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using one part vinegar to three parts oil, the garlic and the chilli. Drizzle the tomateos with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.

Enjoy!!!

Fertile Ground Workshop!

bethdorsey — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 18:00:25 +0000

Hi All,
I’m so excited to present, with Sheila Walsh Dunton, our Fertile Ground workshop! This is going to be an AH-mazing day filled with TONS of information to prepare your body for pregnancy. Whether you are thinking of getting pregnant, trying to get pregnant or wanting to get pregnant yesterday then this is the workshop for you! Check out the flyer for more information and spread the word.

flyer-sheiela-2

Protein Smoothie, Without the Powder

bethdorsey — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:25:08 +0000

Please forgive my horrible picture taking. As you can see, I am new to this, so it will only get better (hopefully!).

I came across this recipe from one of my favorite blogs to which I often refer my patients, The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. I love this recipe because it allows you to make a protein smoothie without using any protein powder. What’s wrong with protein powder you ask? Some are of course better than others, however they still have a huge laundry list of ingredients, some of which are ok and many that are less to be desired. One of the hardest pieces about finding a good protein powder is the kind of sweetener they use. If you are trying to find one that is low on the glycemic index or that doesn’t have much sugar, I find they often use either artificial sweetener, fructose, corn syrup, cane sugar you name it…..not to mention finding one with optimal ingredients AND that tastes good too!

In this recipe, the nuts are soaked overnight, at least 8-10 hours. Why is this important?

Unlike grains, nuts contain smaller amounts of phytic acid. Their real issue for us is having high amounts of enzyme inhibitors. These enzymes are useful to seeds and nuts because it prevents them from sprouting prematurely. But they can really strain your digestive system.

Soaking your nuts in water will neutralize these enzyme inhibitors, and also help encourage the production of beneficial enzymes. These enzymes, in turn, increase many vitamins, especially B vitamins. Your nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver, mouth, muscles, gastrointestinal tract, and brain depend on the B vitamins for proper functioning. The B vitamins are coenzymes that are involved in energy production.

It also makes these nuts much easier to digest and the nutrients more easily absorbed. Soaking nuts and seeds is a traditional method of preparation.

Recipe adapted from the blog I referred to above…

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Almond Smoothie

Make sure to plan ahead of time when making this smoothie. You need to soak the nuts for 8-10 hours. It’s best done before going to bed so they can soak overnight. In the morning be sure to drain off the soaking water and rinse well in a colander. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. The fruit is amazing right now at the farmers markets, use what is in season! Yum.

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight

1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

1 or 2 peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon raw honey or a few drops of stevia (optional, I opted out on this due to the natural yummy sweetness of the fruit)

Place the almonds and water into a high-powered blender or a blender fitted with a sharp blade (vita mix is excellent). Add water and blend until very smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Then add the rest and drink up!

Satisfied Customer!

If you are getting on the nut and seed soaking kick, then make sure to soak more almonds and you can make homemade almond milk. This is the only milk product my 20 month daughter will drink now. No more store bought, the taste difference is amazing!

If you want to have some nuts or seeds for snacks, but you can’t digest them raw very well… then:

you can add sea salt to your filtered water and nuts, leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a stainless steel baking pan and place n a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container. Recipe ala Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions.

Day of Giving June 19th 9-1!

bethdorsey — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:50:37 +0000

Come receive mini treatments and/or consultations this Saturday, June 19th at our Day of Giving. This is our opportunity to give back to the community and offer our services FOR FREE. Choose from Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Foot Reflexology or better yet stay for the day and receive them all! There will be food and many fantastic raffle prizes and 10% off supplements. I look forward to seeing you there.

4841 Soquel Dr. Soquel, Ca 95073

Celine Dion pregnant with help from Acupuncture!

bethdorsey — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:24:30 +0000

http://www.examiner.com/x-50072-Portland-Wellness-Examiner~y2010m5d31-Celine-Dion-uses-acupuncture-and-IVF-to-get-pregnant-with-twins" target="_blank">CLICK HERE for full story

After undergoing 6 in-vitro fertilization attempts and one painful miscarriage, Celine Dion is finally pregnant with twins. What did she do differently this time? Acupuncture. Acupuncture? How can acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) really help with the success of IVF and getting pregnant?

Acupuncture and TCM are extremely effective for those wishing to become pregnant naturally or with ART (assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF). More and more eastern and western medical doctors are joining forces to help their patients achieve optimal health as well as a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Patients can prepare for the IVF process by optimizing their reproductive health using general principles of TCM. This is ideally done 3 months prior the IVF procedure, however any amount of time will be helpful. TCM can regulate hormones and lower elevated FSH levels, increase ovarian function and the quality of eggs produced, reduce the side effects of hormone treatments, increase blood flow to the endometrial lining and thereby enhance the chances of a successful implantation. Acupuncture and TCM are also helpful with the stress and emotional components that arise when trying to conceive.

One of the most important and popular implementations of TCM during an IVF treatment is what is commonly referred to as Pre and Post Transfer Treatments. The chances of conception increase when reproductive specific Acupuncture is administered prior to and shortly after the embryo is transfered to the uterus during an IVF treatment. Post-transfer treatments can be done even the following day. A recent German study showed that conception rates increased to 51% when acupuncture is administered before and after transfers, as compared to only 36% when transfers are done without acupuncture. Given the financial and emotional investment of an IVF treatment, TCM is a highly effective tool explore as an option when undergoing IVF.

To find a Licensed Acupuncturist that specializes in reproductive medicine, check out the aborm.org.

My new favorite: Seaweed Salad

bethdorsey — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:02:52 +0000

Seaweed Salad

I had the pleasure of teaching a class about Nutrition for Preconception with my colleague Rachel S. and Naturopathic doctor Carly. Carly provided our class with a great taster and recipe for her Seaweed Salad and it is now one of my favorite go to’s. My advice, double the recipe if you want to have leftovers.

Benefits of Seaweed: According to Paul Pitchford’s book Healing with Whole Foods.

Sea plants contain 10 to 20 times the minerals of land plants and an abundance of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Arame and Hijiki have a very cooling thermal nautre; salty flavor; moistens dryness; softens hardened areas and masses in the body; benefits the thyroid.

They are one of the richest sources of iodine; highly concentrated in iron and calcium; excellent for alleviating high blood pressure; builds bones and teeth.

p.s. stand by for my Nutrition for Preconception and Nutrition for Optimal Pregnancy courses beginning in July ‘10.

SEAWEED SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup arame or hikki seaweed, soaked in water 10 minutes and drained

1/2 cup carrot grated

1/2 cup beets grated

2 scallions diced

2-3 red radishes or 1 inch knob of daikon, slivered

Dressing:

2tbs sesame oil

1 tbs mirin

1 tsp tamari

1 tbs brown rice vinegar

1 inch ginger minced/chopped

1 clove garlic crushed/chopped

8 sprigs finely chopped cilantro leaves & stems

1tbs diced red chilli or flakes (half a red chilli)

1 tbs flax oil (optional, if eating immediately)

Garnish:

1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seed

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl

Combine dressing with salad and mix well

American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine

bethdorsey — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:48:50 +0000

It’s official, I am now a fellow of ABORM, the American Board of Oriental and Reproductive Medicine. What is ABORM and what exactly does this mean?

ABORM is an advanced examination created by leading Reproductive Endocrinologists and Acupuncturists in infertility treatment in order to meet the patient and physician demand for a demonstration of knowledge of care in this field. ABORM is dedicated to establishing the highest standards for integrating Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of reproductive health.

For me, ABORM is just another way to bridge the gap between western and eastern medicine and offer a truly integrative approach for treating infertility for both men and women.

As an ABORM fellow, I am committed to staying abreast of the most current research related to Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine as it relates to the treatment of infertility.

I continue to intend on working in partnership with ob/gyns and/or reproductive endocrinologist to offer the most comprehensive care.