Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Sauteed Kohlrabi

So after last week's CSA pickup, I'm sure most people were wondering...what is this vegetable? Well, it's a German turnip and tastes similar to cabbage, but can be cooked like potatoes!

This recipe makes a great side dish or can be eaten instead of homefries for breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 Kohlrabi bulb
1/2 small onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Pepper to taste
Dash of Paprika
1 tbsp Olive oil

Preparation:
Cut off the leaves on the kohlrabi. Trim off the bottom of the bulb slightly. Cut into 2 inch cubes if strong enough. (If cannot cut it-boil entire bulb and then chop later). Put kohlrabi in water and boil for 20-30 min until soft. Sautee chopped onions and garlic in olive oil until softened. Chop cooked kohlrabi into small bite-sized chunks, then add to the pan. Add sea salt, pepper, paprika to taste. Sautee until slightly browned. Serve warm.

Alternative- Kohlrabi mash:
After kohrabi and onion/garlic mixture is sauteed, put in blender and puree with 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk. Serve as a side dish.

Berry Pie with Whipped Topping

Berry Pie with Whipped Topping


This is a new and improved version of the last Berry Meringue recipe posted. It has a yummy dairy free whipped topping and nutty crust! Can be eaten for dessert or as a substitute for a yogurt snack.


Filling Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
3 stalks of rhubard
Liquid Stevia (5-10 drops) - NOW or Sweet Leaf brand.
Organic vanilla extract (with no sugar or HFCS)

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 dates (pits removed)
4 dashes cinnamon

Whipped Topping (dairy free)
1 can of coconut milk (not lite)
1 tbsp organic vanilla extract
1 tsp xanthan gum
10 drops English Toffee or Vanilla flavored Stevia or 3 tbsp xylitol

Preparation:
Crust
(prepare while the berries are cooking)
Soak the nuts and dates separately for at least 3 hrs and strain (save some of the date water to use for the puree as needed). Using a food processor, puree the nuts and dates together. Add 1-2 tbsp date water to improve the consistency as needed. Puree should NOT be a paste, but should look finely chopped. Press the mixture into a glass or ceramic pie plate using the bottom of a cup or large spoon.

Berry Filling:Cut up strawberries into slices. Cut rhubard into chunks. Put all the berries in a saucepan and cook on medium/low heat for 20-25 minutes until rhubard softens. Add 3-5 drops of stevia extract and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Whip 2 egg whites with an eletric mixer until peaks form. Add 1-3 drops of Stevia extract to the egg whites. Put the berries in 2-3 small ramekins or a pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 10-15 minutes. Chill in refridgerator 30 min.

Whipped Topping
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Chill for 30 min, then add the whipped topping to the top of the pie.

ENJOY!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Berry Meringue (sugar, dairy and gluten free!)

Each week that I pick up my veggies and fruit from Cider Hill farm, I will be sharing a recipe with you. This is my latest yummy dessert creation that I whipped up last night! It's so easy and healthy!!

Berry Meringue
1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
3 stalks of rhubard
Liquid Stevia (5-10 drops) - NOW or Sweet Leaf brand.
Organic vanilla extract (with no sugar or HFCS)
2 egg whites

Cut up strawberries into slices. Cut rhubard into chunks. Put all the berries in a saucepan and cook on medium/low heat for 20-25 minutes until rhubard softens. Add 3-5 drops of stevia extract and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Whip 2 egg whites with an eletric mixer until peaks form. Add 1-3 drops of Stevia extract to the egg whites. Put the berries in 2-3 small ramekins or a pie plate. Spoon the egg white meringue mixture on top of the berries. Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 10-15 minutes until the meringe browns lightly.  Serve warm.
ENJOY!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Why Should Children Have Chiropractic Care?

Written by Jeanne Ohm, D.C.
Tuesday, 01 March 2005 00:00

More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called “natural” birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.

Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked right away. As the infant grows, learning to hold up the head, sit, crawl and walk are all activities that affect spinal alignment and are important times to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.
As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nerve system will adversely affect the body’s ability to function at its best.
One of the most common reasons parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health.

Another sought out reason for care is the resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.

It is important to understand that the Doctor of Chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information.

The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being.

The Doctor of Chiropractic will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.
To enhance your child’s ability to function in a greater state of health, we can help you find a Doctor of Chiropractic near you who is dedicated to serving children with the utmost of care. Once your family has experienced the many benefits of chiropractic care—please help us tell others!

This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #05. http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/ 

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Big Breakfasts for Big Results

Big Breakfasts for Big Results


By Joe Wilkes – variation and edited by Dr. Jennah Dieter

Breakfast. It seems like forever since Mom told us breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but one study shows it's actually true—she wasn't just nagging us. Breakfast is a key component of weight management: A study presented at the 90th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society showed that participants who consumed large breakfasts high in protein and carbohydrates followed by a low-carb, low calorie diet for the rest of the day lost almost five times as much weight as the participants who followed a low-carb, high-protein diet throughout the day. So what's the big deal about breakfast? And what is a big breakfast anyway? It doesn't seem like the lumberjack special at the local diner would do much to get the pounds off, so what should we be eating?

The study supported the idea that when we wake up in the morning, our bodies want food. You've burned through all the fuel from the previous day, and now your body's ready to burn anything—even muscle—to get a jump-start on the day. And if you skip breakfast, muscle is indeed what your body will burn. Later in the day, your brain is still in starvation mode from breakfast (or lack thereof), so your body will store all the calories you eat as adipose tissue, or fat, to save up for the next day when you try to starve it again. This study also found that levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for controlling cravings, were much higher in the morning, which is why breakfast is the meal so many of us are willing to skip. But if our bodies are left unfed, our serotonin levels drop, and our bodies' craving for sweets begin to rise throughout the day.

But before you hit McDonald's for their 800-calorie Big Breakfast, or worse, their 1,150-calorie Deluxe Breakfast, or swing by Denny's for a 740-calorie Grand Slam or 950-calorie All-American Slam with hash browns, keep in mind, these weren't the breakfasts the study participants consumed.

The big-breakfast group had a 610-calorie breakfast as part of a 1,240-calorie day. Breakfasts included milk, lean meat, cheese, whole grains, a serving of healthy fat, and one ounce of chocolate or candy to defray the craving for sweets. The other group's participants consumed 1,085 calories per day as part of a high-protein, low-carb diet; only 290 of their daily calories were consumed at breakfast. Both groups were on their respective diets for eight months.

The high-protein group lost an average of nine pounds, but the big-breakfast group lost an average of 40 pounds. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the big-breakfast group complained less about cravings and hunger.

The big-breakfast group's breakfast consisted of 58 grams of carbs, 47 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat. Study reviewers attribute some of the success of the big-breakfast group to the fact that the protein and healthy fats eaten kept the participants full and reduced cravings. They also said that nutritional requirements were well met and that there weren't empty calories consumed, because the breakfasts included lots of whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy unsaturated fats. So bad news for the lumberjack-special devotees—a big plate of greasy hash browns, bacon, and biscuits with gravy isn't going to get the job done, unless the job we're discussing is clogging your arteries.


Here are some healthy big breakfasts, similar to the ones consumed by the study's participants.



Chicken and the Egg

2 large eggs, scrambled

2 slices sprouted grain toast

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled

1 grapefruit



Oats 'n' Berries Breakfast

1 cup cooked steel cut oats

1 cup fresh blueberries

3 oz. roasted turkey breast

1 large hard-boiled egg

1 oz. dark chocolate (no sugar added-Stevia sweetened)



Two Egg Sandwiches

2 sprouted grain English muffins, toasted

2 large poached eggs

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 slices Canadian bacon nitrate free, grilled



Cottage Cheese-sausage Breakfast

1 cup cottage cheese (2% milk fat)

1 cup sliced peaches, canned in juice, not syrup

1 slice sprouted grain toast

1/2 avocado

2 chicken sausage links, cooked





Reference:

http://teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/210#9632543

http://www.endo-society.org/media/ENDO-08/research/New-weight-loss-diet-recommends-high-carb.cfm

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Cans for Care: Dec. 7th, 2010
Pictured (from left to right): Dr. Jennah Dieter, Antoinette Whitney,
Angela Siemasko, Dr. Stephanie Rittenour, Jenn Simons

Thank you for your donations to Cans for Care!

The doctors and assistants at Healthcare Complete would like to thank our patients and community members for their generous donations to the Pettengill House as a part of our Cans for Care program. On December 7th, 2010 Healthcare Complete held a day-long event where patients donated non-perishable items in exchange for complimentary chiropractic adjustments and exams. The doctors and staff dressed up like Santa’s elves and reindeer and served over 60 children and adults! The day was filled with lots of cheer, healthy refreshments, holiday music and tree decorating!

Healthcare Complete has also teamed up with Shaw’s Supermarket in Newburyport to collect donations for the Pettengill house in Salisbury, MA. Customers can purchase one of the pre-packaged donation bags and place them in the collection bin at checkout. Each donor receives a gift certificate for a complimentary new patient examination at Healthcare Complete. We encourage you to continue the food drive by visiting the Newburyport Shaw’s and purchasing a donation bag.

All in all, patients have donated over 600 lbs of non-perishables and Shaw’s customers donated an estimated 900 lbs so far!  The doctors at Healthcare Complete have already delivered 2 car loads of donations! The Pettengill house was nearly overwhelmed with the donations and were grateful for the community support. Because of your support, we hope that fewer families will go hungry this holiday season!

Dr. Jennah Dieter, owner of Healthcare Complete, and her associate Dr. Stephanie Rittenour are dedicated to community outreach and run quarterly charitable programs in exchange for complimentary chiropractic care. Both doctors are also available for complimentary health lectures at your school, library or business. Please call our office to schedule your event. Healthcare Complete,
260 Merrimac St., Newburyport, MA 01950
, 978-499-WELL (9355).