Category Archives: article

what are “traditional foods”? and a sneak peak inside my kitchen!

Posted on December 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

I dedicate my time to showing ladies with thyroid and autoimmune disease what to eat and why. I love teaching them which foods have healing therapeutic powers, and how to eat real foods without spending tons of extra money. But have you ever wondered what I eat and what’s hiding inside my fridge and pantry? Well here’s your chance to get a sneak peak! Cheeseslave highlighted my home kitchen and my many healing foods in her Real Food Kitchen Tour this week! (<— click!) Do you make any of these foods?

I also divulged the secrets of “traditional foods” this week for the San Antonio Current newspaper in San Antonio families returning to traditional food practices with ‘One Bite At A Time‘ (<— click!) — a must read for everyone with thyroid and autoimmune diseases, whether or not you’re local here in SA. These are the foods we need to be eating for our hormonal and immune health, and the foods we need to get reacquainted with in our modern world (it would make our great-great-great grandmothers pretty happy!).

And finally, I created a hormone-balancing weekly menu for Naturally Knocked Up (<— click!) last week. Just what should you be eating to balance your hormones? Check it out!

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Posted in antinutrients, article, AUTOIMMUNE, autoimmune disease, candida, chemicals, chronic illness, dairy-free, diets, endocrine disruptors, energy, fats, fertility, food, food allergies, glands, gluten-free, grains, holistic, hormones, mind-body, nutrition, probiotic, thyroid, vitamins and supplements, water, whole food

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follow me on Food Fighter: the blog where eating gets political

Posted on July 9, 2011 | 5 Comments

You’re probably familiar by now with my passion for food and all things healthy. I do believe that what we eat has a dramatic impact on our health, and by tweaking which foods we’re emphasizing or avoiding, we can reap major health benefits.

But I am also interested in food for other reasons: food politics, meaning, how what we eat is often secretly dictated by government and policy. Just how does our government dictate what we should eat, what is healthful, normal, and accessible? Follow me as I explore these and bring you a brand of news and commentary where eating gets political: Food Fighter, on San Antonio Current.

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Posted in article, chronic illness, diets, food, nutrition, whole food

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dietary cholesterol: good for your thyroid and immune system?

Posted on July 6, 2011 | 2 Comments

While we’re continuosly encouraged by mainstream dieticians and physicians to avoid dietary cholesterol at all costs, there is much information and research to the contrary. In fact, dietary cholesterol (as found in animal products) is not ony stimulating to our thyroid gland, but it is anti-inflammatory, and fights infection — ie: modulates immunity. The only caveat is that you must be eating the correct form of cholesterol in the correct way; that burger from McDonalds won’t provide any therapeutic form of cholesterol for your body.

Just how should we be eating cholesterol to harness benefits? Read more about the virtues of dietary cholesterol at my guest post on Butterflies and Phoenixes: Dietary Cholesterol: Unsung Endocrine and Immune Hero?.

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Posted in article, AUTOIMMUNE, autoimmune disease, cancer, candida, chronic illness, diets, fats, fertility, food, glands, grains, hormones, nutrition, thyroid

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for specialized diets: true gluten- and dairy-free chocolate

Posted on June 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Even for those of us on specialized health diets, treats and sweets are still an essential part of life. Think about it: how many times have you been on a severely restrictive diet and ended up feeling deprived, or worse yet, guilty when you do choose to indulge in sweet foods?  Sure, there are certain times that irritating foods (like sugar) should be avoided completely, as part of a gut-healing protocol, but for those who don’t need to remain as strict, allowing yourself to enjoy a treat every now and then is actually good for you. Yes, allowing yourself to “be bad” is good for the soul.

An all-or-nothing approach to food can leave us feeling guilty, worthless, and much less powerful than we really are.  When we allow food to take the power from us, we forfeit a mental and emotional healing process that is essential in our physical wellbeing.

So what’s your favorite way to indulge? Mine has got to be dessert. Chocolate, specifically. One of my favorite allergen-free brands is Enjoy Life Foods; they’re a fabulous gluten- and dairy-free company offering an entire line of products aimed at those in the food allergic/intolerant community.

Whether it be adding their Semi-Sweet Mega Chocolate Chunks to your baked goods (think gf cookies, brownies, cakes, and icing), or ending your day sweet with naturally gf grains in the form of their Double Chocolate Crunch Granola, Enjoy Life Foods is one of the most reputable TRUE dairy- and gluten-free companies (don’t be fooled by others — lots of chocolate out there is actually contaminated by gluten or dairy). Oh, and by the way, the Mega Chocolate Chunks and Double Chocolate Crunch Granola also happen to be absolutely delicious and I have noooo problem grabbing a handful of either whenever I reallyneedsomethingsweet. While I don’t recommend eating sugary foods on a regular basis, these allergen-free foods are a perfect treat for those times when you simply have to indulge. And remember: when you do, savor and enjoy it.

What’s your favorite way to (safely) indulge?

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Posted in article, AUTOIMMUNE, autoimmune disease, candida, chronic illness, dairy-free, diets, food, food allergies, gluten-free, grains, mind-body, nutrition