If you’ve gone dairy-free for healing food allergies and a leaky gut (a cause of autoimmunity and thyroid disease), you may be concerned about calcium intake and not getting enough to support your bones and teeth. Don’t worry — there are plenty of non-dairy sources of calcium full of taste and nutrition to incorporate or emphasize in your diet.

dairy-free calcium sources:

• canned wild-caught fish (with the bones. the bones disintegrate when you cook/eat them)
• greens and green vegetables
• nuts and seeds, especially sesame seeds/tahini
• seaweed (only if your thyroid can tolerate)
• water kefir made with egg shells
• bone broth (also happens to heal Leaky Gut — a cause for thyroid disease and autoimmunity)

There’s also evidence mounting that the amount of calcium a person eats in a day may not be as important as the other nutrients she’s eating it with. That is, co-factors like Vitamin D and Vitamin K2 (found in animal fats) are essential for calcium absorption. So be sure to eat adequate thyroid-stimulating and immune-supporting fats each day to maximize calcium intake.

food ideas:

(As always, homemade ensures better nutrition!)

• baba ghanouj made with tahini
• hummus made with tahini
• grain-free salmon cakes
• cup of bone broth as a snack
• sardine salad (á la tuna salad) mashed with mayo, herbs, and lemon
• homemade nut milks with the pulp
• water kefir flavored with fruit of your choice
• seaweed snacks (often toasted with sesame oil)
• dairy-free cheeze sauce/dip made with hemp seeds, cashews, almonds, or macadamia nuts
• raw dark greens salad topped with soft-boiled eggs and probiotic vinaigrette
• green beans almondine
• chili made with bone broth
• water kefir “Icee”: blended with ice and frozen fruit
• green juice made in your juicer
• mock tuna salad nut paté
• seaweed salad (using a gluten-free and/or soy-free “soy sauce” substitute)
• almond flour pancakes
• herb-only salad: parsley, basil, cilantro, mint tossed in a light dressing
• smoothie made with homemade nut milk, nut butter of your choice, fruit and dark greens

Q: from a holistic perspective, which foods do i need to emphasize during pregnancy?

• eat only whole foods: Unprocessed, unrefined, foods in their whole form that come from the earth. Organic foods are always best.
• drink filtered water: Fluoride in water slows growth and mental functioning, causes thyroid disorders, impairs anti-oxidant defense systems, can damage the hippocampus, and accumulates in pineal gland. Chlorine in water damages your gut flora and causes infections and Leaky Gut (a cause for autoimmunity and thyroid disease).
• eat folate: Mainstream medicine advocates eating lots of folic acid — the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate to prevent neural tube defects. Green vegetables are high in folate and are a common favorite, but fermented/probiotic foods often have higher levels of folate — with added benefits. Fermented foods are superior because they help heal your Leaky Gut (a cause for autoimmunity/thyroid disease), build up your healthy flora so your baby (if born vaginally and breastfed) will be exposed to this healthy bacteria and will avoid infections, asthma, allergies, digestive problems, and colic — and chronic illness later on.
  • fermented foods include: (real) yogurt, kefir, water kefir, kombucha, raw pickles, raw sauerkraut, raw kimchi
  • find these in the refrigerated section of health food stores
  • make your own fermented vegetables very simply: glass jar, inverted shot glass, salt water, any spices you like, any veggie you like, allow to ferment on counter for 1-4 weeks until bubbly and soured
  • your flora exposes your child to it’s first dose of bacteria, via vaginal delivery, breastfeeding, and daily touching/kissing
  • exposure to mom’s healthy bacteria reduces inflammatory illnesses: skin problems like eczema/rashes/cradle cap, breathing issues like asthma and allergies, reduces infection rate, and reduces possibility of future illnesses
  • serve fermented foods alongside meals, chop pickles or sauerkraut and add to salad (veggie salad, tuna, egg, or chicken salad, guacamole dip, salsa), have for snacks, use as an acid in a homemade vinaigrette

• eat lots of fats (also sources of protein): Fats are essential for brain development, immune, hormonal and neurological function.
  • fats to emphasize: cholesterol and saturated fat from healthy sources, and omega 3′s
  • low blood cholesterol for mom and low dietary cholesterol intake are associated with impaired fetal development and preterm birth
  • sources of cholesterol and saturated fat to emphasize: organic, pastured, wild-caught, and grass-fed proteins and their oils, coconut oil, raw dairy (if you can tolerate)
  • omega 3′s: wild-caught fish and seafood, cod liver oil
  • monounsaturated fats: avocado and olive oil
  • avoid canola and soy oil (damaging to the immune system, often rancid, affect hormonal balance)

Prenatal nutrition can be really confusing. On the one hand, pregnant moms are told to limit foods like fish, seafood, salt, and fat and cholesterol, all while emphasizing grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, soy products, and lean meats. But did you know that the very foods we’re told to limit actually are essential for building a healthy baby? That’s right, and such phobias and myths around prenatal nutrition can be easily dispelled by seeing food through a holistic lens and taking a historical perspective on meals.

Join Midwife Salli Gonzalez (LM, CPM) and I as we reveal which foods moms-to-be and those wanting to conceive should be eating. They may just surprise you!

This FREE class will be held at 7:00 pm on Monday April 30th at Go, Baby, Go! children’s boutique in San Antonio, TX.

Though I still monitored my thyroid numbers after being in remission, I’m paying special attention to them recently. That’s because my partner Chuck and I are expecting our first little one! Yes, we’re going to be parents this late summer/early fall and I wanted to let you all in on the big news!

I’m taking extra precautions to keep my thyroid in check during this pregnancy and am also amping up my diet to include “sacred foods” (read: superfoods) for pregnant and nursing mothers. I’m also happy that I’m able to bring all this information back to my clients who are pregnant or wanting to conceive.

I’ll be sending out blurbs of good info on thyroid, pregnancy, and autoimmunity holistic nutrition, as well as the natural birthing choices we’re opting for on Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to follow me there.

Thank you in advance for your support, love, prayers, and advice. I am so happy to be connected with you all. ;)

Liz

But if you’re anything like me, you go through lots of these healthy oils and fats and end up with empty greasy containers and throw them away or recycle. Instead of tossing them, I’ve started saving these jars. Why? Well, because even though they may be empty, there’s technically still alot of life left in them — for basting, greasing, and coating pots, pans, and food. I avoid those propellant sprays that help to grease pans and tins because most contain soy and canola oil (among other chemicals).

Use a food brush to wipe the inside of those greasy jars, get the brush well-coated, and then swipe onto cookie sheets, muffin tins, roasted chicken, fish, vegetables, and anything else that requires a little fat. It’s simple, economical, eco-friendly, and above all, so much healthier than canola and soy oils. Your immune system and thyroid will thank you.

schedule your free consultation and get the specific nutrition direction you need to reach your thyroid and autoimmune health goals

San Antonio, TX/local class

Sunday February 12th at 4:00 PM

how to make probiotic milk kefir and water kefir!

Probiotics are your lifeline to good and better health! Probiotics are healing for food allergies, inflammation in the body, chemical sensitivities, toxic overload (exposure to chemicals), environmental allergies, autoimmune disease, acid reflux, hormonal imbalances, blood sugar irregularities, mood and brain health, digestion, the immune system — leaving you less susceptible to colds/flu’s/food poisoning and infections, low B vitamin levels, low energy and fatigue, low Vitamin D levels, and so much more!

But probiotics aren’t just supplements that come in a bottle. They also happen to be found in delicious food and drinks that you can easily (and affordably!) incorporate into your everyday life and diet. Instead of spending money on probiotic supplements, learn to make your own yummy probiotic drinks for very little money and effort! Your body will absorb them better, you will save money immediately, and you’ll be able to continue making them for the rest of your life.

February 12th, 2012 4:00 pm Come learn the secrets to making probiotic drinks: Milk kefir and water kefir; two ancient beverages that people have been making for thousands of years, but whose traditions have been forgotten by our modern society.

Milk kefir is a thick, yogurt-like drink made with a symbiotic culture of healthy bacteria and yeast. The bacteria feed off the sugars in milk to produce lactic acid, acetic acid, and others, giving it a distinctively tangy flavor. Because of this, it contains little-to-no lactose and is easy to digest. Although cow’s milk is most commonly used, many other “milks” can easily be used, including almond, goat, and coconut. The fermenting process increases the nutrient values of vitamins B and C. Aside from drinking, there are many uses for milk kefir in cooking and baking, lending a deliciously sour taste and tenderizing effect on food and baked goods. Store-bought yogurt simply cannot compete with its nutritive and healing powers.

Water kefir is a fruity and bubbly only slightly sweet beverage. Water kefir is made from “grains”, which look like little clear crystals and are a symbiotic balance of healthy yeast and bacteria (probiotics). These grains are placed in a sugar water solution with high-mineral ingredients, and left to ferment. The bacteria eat the sugar, making the drink low-carb and low-calorie. The resulting flavor is a champagne-like (non-alcoholic) drink that tastes like fruit and offers loads of health benefits! Great alternative to soda and sugary drinks.

WHAT’s included in the class:

• In-person tutorial on how to make milk kefir (will be using coconut milk — a non-cow’s-milk source)
• In-person tutorial on how to make water kefir
• Your own station/work space complete with all supplies and ingredients for making milk kefir and water kefir in class:One batch each of milk kefir and water kefir that you make in class and take home to continue to ferment
  • Glass jars and lids, coconut milk, milk kefir grains, wooden spoons, water kefir grains, dried fruit, sugar, water
• Milk kefir grains for you to take home (to be able to make milk kefir for the rest of your life)
• Water kefir grains for you to take home (to be able to make water kefir for the rest of your life)
• Printed instructions for making each so you can have them on hand and readily accessible for your next batch
• Lots of milk kefir and water kefir to drink during class!

COST OF CLASS:

• $35 per person
• You must RSVP and pay in advance to reserve your spot and your supplies*
• Make a payment in advance via PayPal, by clicking below

• Class is limited to 10 people; reserve your spot now

*Due to limited space, only paying class participants will have access to the class location and will be emailed the address of class once your payment is made. Location is at Liz’s home office in the Beacon Hill area of San Antonio, TX.

1. perfect for sauteing food stove top (obvious one!)
2. stimulates the thyroid and metabolism (take 1 tablespoon orally daily)
3. adds healthy fat and lowers the glycemic index of fruit smoothies
4. oil pulling liquid (swish around in mouth to resolve gum and throat infections)
5. a basting liquid for roasted meat (roasted chicken with coconut oil is delish!)
6. moisturizes skin by applying topically
7. heals nail infections by applying a small amount to nails everyday
8. removes eye make-up
9. conditions dry hair
10. thickens “raw food” desserts and treats (once refrigerated)
11. wards off colds and flus when taken orally or eaten in food
12. makes toothpaste, once mixed with baking soda (and maybe food grade essential oils)
13. lubricant (wink-wink)
14. diaper rash relief for babies when applied topically
15. heals cuts and scrapes when applied topically
16. lessens hives when applied topically
17. heals ear infections when applied as an ear oil inside canal
18. helps seasonal allergies when applied inside of nose
19. controls cravings when eaten daily
20. balances blood sugar thanks to the medium-chain fatty acids (healthy fats)
21. fights intestinal infections like candida, H. pylori, SIBO when eaten daily
22. perfect replacement for butter in any recipe (exchange for equal parts)
23. repels insects when combined with an essential oil
24. greases pans and muffin tins without the use of canned propellant oils
25. seasons cast iron cookware
26. best frying oil due to its high-temperature burning point
27. makes an excellent homemade deodorant
28. lymphatic mover/detox-er (when massaged into skin daily)
29. lip balm
30. delicious for popping homemade popcorn

which of these have you tried? which do you want to try?

Want your own 54 oz jar of this coconut wonder food? Email Liz (LizSchau@Gmail.com) to schedule a free consultation. We’ll talk about your health concerns, health goals, and my Health Counseling Program for ladies with thyroid and autoimmune disease. Get the specific diretion to make 2012 your healthiest year yet.

ready to claim your 54 oz of organic coconut oil?
—> click here, email me to set-up a free consult to chat <—

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!

Allergen-free eats are a hallmark of an effective thyroid or autoimmune disease diet. That is, eliminating foods your body is reacting to, such as gluten and dairy help to ease these illnesses and reduce symptoms. While giving up gluten and dairy is a therapeutic step in your health journey, it can also prove difficult for many people. After all, breads, pastas, baked goods, cheese, butter, milk — they’re the very foods we’ve grown up on and grown to love. They’re the common denominator in nearly every comfort food and it can be hard to imagine a cuisine without them. So, before you take the leap and go dairy-free for optimum healing, consider switching to these safer dairy choices:

1. Ghee: Ghee is butter that has had the casein and lactose skimmed off. The resulting product is a clear butter oil that is great for high-heat cooking and baking. Use in place of butter or oil in any recipe. Ghee has been used as a food and medicinal remedy in India for thousands of years. Also, because ghee is a healthy saturated fat and contains cholesterol, as well as natural iodine (as do all animal products), it’s a very healthy choice for the thyroid. I suggest purchasing from Purity Farms or Pure Indian Foods.
   
2. Milk kefir: Milk kefir is a homemade yogurt-like product that is made with the use of milk kefir grains — tiny cauliflower-looking balls that are a symbiotic balance of healthy yeasts and bacteria. These yeast and bacteria are probiotic and eat the sugars in milk. Simply place milk kefir grain in a glass of high-quality milk, allow to sit on the counter for about a day, and the end result is a tangy yogurt. Because the sugars in the milk are converted to lactic acid, milk kefir is a superior dairy product and highly therapeutic. Recent studies on lactic acid (as found in all fermented probiotic foods) have uncovered it’s ancient, yet medicinal wisdom. Purchase organic milk kefir grains from a small seller on Etsy or via Cultures for Health.
   
3. Raw goats milk or sheeps milk cheeses: Milk from goats and sheep contain a considerably less amount of casein — the milk protein that is known to over-stimulate the immune system in those with autoimmune disease (note that all milk contains some casein, including human breast milk). Finding a milk with a lower casein ratio is what’s important here. Because sheep and goats are naturally smaller animals, they inherently have lower amounts of casein in their milk. Cows, and their milk and cheeses on the other hand, contain much more casein because they are larger animals — much bigger than humans. Choose cheeses that are raw and have not been pasteurized; pasteurization of dairy products distorts the proteins, confuses our bodies, and causes autoimmune attack. Most likely, the only raw cheeses you’ll be able to find are organic, grass-fed, or beyond organic so there’s no reason to worry about contamination.

Which of these new dairy products will you begin to use?