Shepherd's Pie (recipe)

I found this recipe online, but I did a LOT of tweaking. I used fresh, organic produce and grass-fed, organic beef and butter. Coconut milk instead of milk. I eliminated all ingredients that are on my food sensitivities list, but listed them as options. No way am I going to use processed gravy mix on anything.

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes or sweet potatoes, peeled, diced, boiled (I used one of each.)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup coconut milk

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup red pepper
1 cup green beans
1 cup peas
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
2 cup corn kernels (optional)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
gravy mix (optional...yuck...no way)

Boil the potatoes until soft.

While the potatoes are boiling, sauteed the hamburger and all the ingredients listed under "hamburger". When cooked, place in baking dish.

When potatoes are done, place in bowl with butter and milk. Whip on high until mashed and fluffy. Frost the mashed potatoes on top of the hamburger. Add salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yum. Unfortunately. In order to keep my colon working I can't overeat. This is way, way, way too tempting especially with my weakness for anything with mashed potatoes. Tastes great!

Cauliflower Rice (recipe)

While waiting patiently for my new doctor to show, I sat in the hall outside her locked office reading old magazines filled with recipes for tarts, quiches, cakes, cookies, pasta and pies. Self torture. A recipe for cauliflower rice (or riced cauliflower) caught my eye. I thought of that cauliflower head sitting in my refrigerator rotting for lack of creative motivation and decided this would be a good time to try making this rice substitute.

Evidence of thievery

I also thought it was a good time to rip that page right out of the magazine. YES...Sorry. I'm still a recipe thief. It was an old magazine in a hallway! The magazine was torturing me. Maybe this was a subconscious need to express anger? Frustration? Yeah, I know I don't have any justification for this behavior, but I'm trying. I had been fasting for a blood draw and very hungry. Still no justification...

Unfortunately, the recipe begins at the riced cauliflower ingredient with little directions on how to get it riced. Initially I thought I could just crumble it with my hands, but that wasn't working so well. Cooking never comes easy to me unlike so many. So I did what any modern cook does these days - got online. Two ways to rice one's cauliflower is to grate it or food process it on the grating button. I tend to always opt for the nearest option or the one with less clean-up so I hand grated it. It was a mess with bits of cauliflower bouncing all over the kitchen. I'm still cleaning it up. I think throwing it in a food processor would be the least messy way to go.

Anyway, once it's all grated into fine bits, using paper towels blot off any excess moisture. I guess this is very important because you don't want your cauliflower rice to get soggy which it tends to do.

Here is the basic recipe although I tweaked it for convenience so it barely resembles the magazine's version: Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pot on medium to medium high. Chop up some scallions (yeah, I don't have scallions so I used green onions). Chop up some bits of red pepper (for color). Throw the scallion-onions and pepper bits in the oil and saute for a short time. Put about one teaspoon of salt and some pepper in the bowl of cauliflower, mix, then throw into the pot with the scallion-onions. Cook for about five minutes which is plenty of time to avoid sogginess. Serve.

It was really, really good! I enjoyed the texture. I think one could add all kinds of foods to the recipe for a variety of stir-fry flavors: Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Texas BBQ...

Yum! Breakfast.

In the above photo the Cauliflower Rice accompanies my ground turkey patty. You can see the bigger bits of cauliflower from my attempt to crumble it with my hands, but it all tasted marvelous.

Spicy Turkey Cabbage Wraps (recipe)

I've been reading Amy Myers' books The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection. Both good basic books on their respective subjects. Her "Myers Way" diet and lifestyle is very similar to Kharrazian's protocol except she allows sweet potatoes, shellfish, pork and all fruits.  And CHOCOLATE!!! She obviously didn't get the memo chocolate is a gluten cross-reactor. For anyone with weakened willpower for chocolate this could provide a justification for some bad behavior, but not me! Instead, I just lost all faith in her. Still, the books serve as refreshers on how to eat and how to live with an autoimmune disease, and specifically Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. For anyone newly diagnosed, this would be a life saver or at least set them on the right track.

Dr. Myers talks a lot about the failure of conventional medicine and gives all kinds of examples including her own personal story with Graves Disease and hyperthyroidism. Given only drastic options: poison, radiate, or surgically remove her thyroid, and desperate for relief with no other remedies in sight, she had her thyroid surgically removed. It is an atrocity how these conventional doctors are so eager to cut body parts out of us because they are too stupid or lazy to come up with better solutions. Having had my own close call with a butcher recently, I shiver at the thought.

Although I think both of these books are very good resources for newbies, I found them excessively repetitive. Every point she makes she repeats in every chapter, many times. One of the books I listened to it on tape in my car so perhaps this made the repeats more obvious. I kept yelling at the speakers, "YOU ALREADY SAID THAT A MILLION TIMES!" I fought the urge to fast forward with every repetition hoping I'd find new information but knowing I might miss it with each jump. I think if one were to remove all the repetition it would boil down to a very short book. And, she is a pill pusher. For every symptom, she has a corresponding drug that she promotes. Although she's all about removing toxins, she's failed to read the ingredients on her supplement bottles. She also doesn't address when her patients can't take drugs as so few profit-seeking doctors do.

BUT both books she has a whole chapter on recipes that comply with her diet regiment. Since I have recently added ground turkey and cabbage to my diet this one caught my eye. turkey is high in selenium which is a good, supportive nutrient. I've added my tweaks and notes in the recipe instructions below.

Spicy Turkey Cabbage Wraps

Ingredients:
8 intact cabbage leaves
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
10 stalks of asparagus
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
juice of one large orange wedge (about 2 tablespoons)
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped scallions

Fill a large pot half way with water, heat to boil.

In a large skillet, heat oil, saute garlic, ginger, and onion. Add asparagus and cook a few minutes. (I chopped the stalks into one inch pieces. I suppose I didn't have to do this and it might have been better in a wrap with long stalks, but I liked it better.) Add turkey, turmeric, and juice. When almost cooked completely, add basil and scallions. Cook until done.

When water in pot boils, add a few cabbage leaves at a time using tongs. I think to fill eight leaves it would spread the mix thin or make very small wraps. I'd be more inclined to use four and have more filling so it would suffice as a meal. Remove after 30 seconds I left in about 1 minute only because they didn't seem soft enough to roll. Fill with turkey mix, roll, serve. As the rolls sit, the leaves form around each other so they stay together making it somewhat easy to lift and eat.

She said it has a nice flavor and with those ingredients, I had high hopes. Maybe I've been eating too many herbs and spices, but it didn't seem to have much of a flavor at all. It wasn't bad. I think turkey is a bit flavorless anyway. The cabbage roll was messy even though it did stay together. I preferred eating the turkey mix without the cabbage roll, but I think I will experiment and place slices of cabbage IN the mix.

Gravy! OMG! (recipe)

Boy, I miss gravy. Mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. That was my comfort food for years. I lived off it through college. At every school I ever attended, the cafeterias sold little containers of mashed potatoes and gravy for twenty-five cents. A cheap and alternative option to a real lunch!

Fast forward 100 years and neither gravy nor mashed potatoes are on the Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist. Potatoes are not only nightshades and capable of creating health havoc, but they are also high in starch/sugar and lectins*, another misery-causing substance. To reduce the amount of lectins found in lectin-high foods with skins, it is advised to peel them as the skins have a greater lectin concentration. This is especially important for tomatoes and one reason Roma tomatoes were developed - less skin and more pulp.

Old-fashioned gravy like grandma used to make is all about the gluten: wheat flour. That's what gives it that creamy, soothing, comforting, sticky texture. Gluten is definitely not on my diet so gravy has been a forbidden for years. Besides, what would I put gravy on if I can't eat potatoes?

When my digestive tract failed a few months ago, there were few foods I could eat so I had to tweak the Hashimoto's diet. This caused me great stress as I had no idea how adding the few food choices I could tolerate would affect my health. Happy to say, so far I'm fine. I think. I hope. When I started a blended diet (yuck), I found sweet potatoes blend very nicely and creamy soups worked wonderfully. Sweet potatoes are higher in fiber and have a lower glycemic value than potatoes, however, they do have lectins and have low levels of goitrogens**. I have avoided them in the past.

People on grain-free diets are using cauliflower as a side dish alternative. It is especially popular as a rice substitute as the tiny bits are much like rice grains in terms of texture. Cauliflower is, however, a goitrogen. There is some debate over thyroid function being affected by goitrogens. From what I have read, cooking foods eliminates the goitrogens. It's only raw goitrogens that are problematic. If you have eaten a lot of raw goitrogens and experience feeling unusually cold, that's your thyroid being suppressed. Lately I've been drinking fresh cabbage juice which is supposed to heal my digestive tract and it never fails three hours later I'm hit with unexplained fatigue and the need to nap. It's hardly unexplained anymore.

Anyway, who would have thought cream of cauliflower soup would be the perfect GRAVY!!! It even looks like chicken or turkey gravy! Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 stalks of chopped celery
1 large, chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon chopped (one clove) garlic
2 cups homemade chicken broth with lots of fat
1 cup/can coconut milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry (optional)
salt and pepper

In a large pot, add olive oil and butter. Saute onion and garlic on medium heat until transparent. Add celery and cauliflower cooking slightly and stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat slightly, simmer covered until cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Blend in a blender until creamy. Return to pan adding curry and coconut milk. Bring to slow simmer and heat for another ten minutes. It will be really thick so stir it constantly. Add water or more coconut milk if thinner is preferred.

Pour over mashed sweet potatoes or potatoes, if you are so inclined. Also good over chicken or turkey or Thanksgiving dinner. I think I could pour this over everything! AND it makes a very good soup for those cold winter months!

YUM!


*Lectins are foods that are capable of penetrating the wall of the stomach causing leaking gut and inflammation. Most hazardous lectin-high foods include: beans of any kind, wheat, peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and cashews (which are actually beans...or drupes...so confusing!)

**Goitrogens are foods that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. Bad goitrogens: bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard and mustard greens, radishes, rutabagas, turnips. Foods with small amounts of goitrogens: bamboo shoots, peaches, peanuts, pears, pine nuts, spinach, strawberries, sweet potatoes.

Menu Samples for the Paleo/Hashimoto's Diet

Every now and then someone asks me what I eat and since this changes from time to time depending on what I've added or restricted in my diet, I thought I'd update.

Below are lists of meals. All food items are organic, healthy, and natural with meats grass-fed or wild-caught. There is no such thing as a specific breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. I eat whatever I eat whenever it feels right. These meals are in order of most often eaten, followed by snacks, treats/cheats, and drinks.

MEALS:

Mixed Salad with Lettuce, Avocado, Carrots, Zucchini, Sweet Peas, Basil, Red Peppers, and Orange/Lemon Juice Dressing.

Hamburger Patty with Jalapeno Peppers
Original Sauerkraut
Spicy Garlic Sauerkraut
Onions
Avocados
Olives (sometimes)

Baked Cod or Salmon *
Broccoli or Carrots or Peas or Mixed Vegetables

Baked Chicken with Tarragon and Olive Oil
Delicate Squash or Olive Oil-Fried Zucchini

Baked Chicken with Beans, Potatoes (sometimes), Garlic, Olive Oil, Lemons

Chicken with Broccoli, Beans, Red Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Basil, Coconut Milk, Chile Flakes *

Pot Roast with Carrots, Onions, Garlic, and Celery
Delicata Squash

Chicken Soup with Carrots, Celery, Garlic, and Onions

Sauteed Prawns with Onions, Red Peppers, Basil, Garlic and Coconut Milk *

Hamburger with Red Peppers, Onions, Jalapeno Peppers, Garlic, Zucchini, Cilantro, Oregano, Cumin, Chili Flakes, and Cayenne Pepper

Salmon Salad with Olives, Basil, Garlic, Canola Mayonnaise, Green Onions, Avocados and Lettuce

Chicken Salad with Chicken, Celery, Onions, and Canola Mayonnaise on Lettuce

* About once a month I eat rice with one of these meals. And you'll notice some of the not-so-Paleo foods below. I found if I don't eat some carbohydrates, my body stops digesting fat. Strange I know. I started losing a lot of weight, but I worried about not getting enough fat soluble vitamins, too. I spent way too much money on doctor's who had absolutely no clue why I wasn't digesting fat and finally figured it out myself through experimentation. So now I eat carbohydrates every now and then, not often: rice, popcorn, corn tortilla chips, potatoes.

SNACKS:

Apples
Almonds
Almond Butter
Blueberries
Blackberries (in season only)
Raspberries (in season only)
Plums (rarely, in season only)
Apricots (rarely, in season only)
Oranges (rarely)
Fresh Figs (rarely, in season only)

TREATS and CHEATS: 

Apple Crisp (Apples, Lemon Zest, Almonds, Coconut, Coconut Flour, Butter, Vanilla)
Blueberry Crisp (Blueberries, Lemon Zest, Almonds, Coconut, Coconut Flour, Butter, Vanilla)
Unsweetened Carob Chips (trying desperately to break this habit)
Yogurt (currently trying to replace carob with yogurt)
Corn Tortilla Chips (rarely)
Popcorn (rarely)
Watermelon (rarely)

DRINKS:

Water
Peppermint Tea
Fresh Lemonade

The Perfect Diet (For Me)

I've been asked about my diet and what I eat. After perusing the too many posts I've written on what I eat, how I eat, how it's changed and what does/doesn't work, I realized I really don't have a clear list of foods and practices. Granted, this is because with all the dietary experimenting I do in hopes of discovering the secret to perfect health, the list gets tweaked all the time. (I'm tweaking it as I speak....) However, this is my basic diet followed by the "rules."

Meat:  Cod, salmon, beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, chicken liver, oysters, tuna

Fruits:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, pears, grapefruit, limes, coconut, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, prunes, cherries

Vegetables:   Lettuce, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, peas, green beans

Herbs and Spices: Oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, black pepper, Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

Nuts: Almonds

Oils and fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, avocados

Other:  Coconut milk, peppermint tea

Notes:

Do not overeat. It creates inflammation and stress on your body triggering autoimmune responses. Eat every two hours to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Eat 80% fresh produce (if possible), 20% meat and everything else. Must have a little protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar.

All food must be organic and fresh. No canned, packaged or processed food.

All meat must be grass-fed, organic or wild-caught. I stay away from canned meats but on occasion I eat tuna. I buy only gluten free, wild caught tuna. Don't trust big-box grocery stores even if they claim it's healthy. Find a food co-op or source you can trust.

Stay away from pork and shellfish because they are toxic. I cheat with oysters but only because I've been told they are the cleanest shellfish and I live in the oyster capital of the world. I don't eat them often, and I don't have problems when I do.

No grains of any kind.

No gluten. Watch for hidden gluten in makeup, body products/lotions, chap stick, hamburger, spices, canned anything including tuna, supplements and thyroid medications.

No dairy.

No sweeteners of any kind including high glycemic fruits: dried fruit, mangoes, bananas, papayas, etc. as they are just as bad.

No high starch vegetables: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes

Avoid or rotate goitrogens like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts as they decrease your thyroid function. I rotate these things and cook them as cooking decreases the goitrogenic effect.

No mushrooms or fungi.

No legumes like peanuts, beans, lentils. (Fresh green peas and green beans are fine.)

Avoid lectins like tomatoes, cashews, beans, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas. Remove peels from fresh fruit (apples) and if I cheat with potatoes or sweet potatoes, remove the peels. This decreases the amount of lectins.

Drink as much water as possible with the goal of reaching the required number of ounces (your weight x .67 = number of ounces per day). Preferably clean water with natural minerals like artesian water. This is important for detoxification and hydration. 

Yes, now and then I cheat. And I pay for it. Sometimes.

Apple Crisp Poisoning

Nearly a year ago right at Christmas I discovered several dessert recipes almost compliant with the Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist. One of them was a glorious apple crisp recipe that maybe found under "apple crisp" in the index to the right.  It was healthy yet deliciously spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Around the same time I read that cinnamon lowers blood sugar. Well! As any proud American will tell you, if a little is good for you then a lot must be spectacular! This mindset is part of our capitalistic worldview. I began overindulging on this delectable and piling on the spices in lieu of sugar. What's not perfect about a sugar-free dessert filled with goodness as well as medicinal spices?  I thought I died and went to heaven.

Apple Crisp with Spices

A month later I began experiencing a sharp pain in my upper left abdominal area. The one stab pain every two weeks or so was tolerable...until a few months later when it didn't go away. For two hours the pain remained accompanied by a burning sensation through my chest area and excruciating back pain. I panicked.

Subsequently, I spent too much money on doctors who wanted me to spend more money on labs. Fear always makes one stupid. The stool test showed microscopic bleeding and my pancreas was not digesting fats. The blood labs showed kidney failure. The gastroenterologist ordered $3,000 worth of more tests. Not one doctor asked about my diet. Were these lab results connected to the abdominal pain and were they indicative of something serious?

The pain accompanied by burning and slight nausea became more frequent. I tried to track it with the foods I was eating, but few foods produced immediate side effects. The more frequent the symptoms, the more apparent it might be the apple crisp. Was something in the apple crisp causing the pain?  I decided to stop eating it to see if it would make a difference and after a few days all pain went away leaving a slight pressure reminding me it wasn't totally gone yet.

At the same time I started searching the internet for clues. Pancreatic insufficiency creating a lack of digestive enzymes can be caused by lifestyle habits such as junk food, sugar, alcohol, coffee or smoking. Hmmm...I don't do any of those. It can also be caused by gallstones blocking the bile ducts. I've never had a gallstone in my life, but I wouldn't rule it out. It can also be caused by pancreatic cancer. I hope not, but my blood labs aren't indicative of cancer. Pancreatic support involves taking pancreatic enzymes, or drugs, something I cannot do. Food sources for lipase, the enzyme I need, is avocados. I eat avocados daily so this didn't make sense.

It took me too long to connect the possible health issues with the spices. How can these simple, everyday cooking ingredients cause health problems? I guess that's like asking how can everyday products with fragrances cause health problems. I came across several articles warning readers of the side effects of common spices.

For instance, cardamom can create gallstones because our bodies do not absorb cardamom so easily. Whoa! Cinnamon does lower blood sugar which is the medicinal benefit, but too much cinnamon can cause LIVER and KIDNEY DAMAGE! One particular article stated one should never eat more than one teaspoon of cinnamon a day. As I said before, I was piling on the cinnamon, at least a tablespoon per recipe! Overdoses of nutmeg can not only cause sluggishness and miscarriages, but hallucinations! There are lots of documented cases of nutmeg overdoses and as a inexpensive high, drug-experimenting teenagers often end up in hospital emergency rooms. Allspice can cause not only allergic reactions, but gastrointestinal conditions like acid reflux, ulcers, and diverticulitis. It also poses a risk for promoting cancer!

Who would have thought these innocent, everyday dessert spices could reek so much havoc on your digestive system?? But you see, they are not just food flavorings. They are drugs. Since I am the one in a million who does not detox drugs due to weird-ass genetic mutations, I concluded aside from the known toxic side effects, they must be storing in my body rather than flushing out.

After a few days of no apple crisp and improved health, I thoughtlessly made a recipe which is also loaded with cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. I must have been in denial. Immediately the pain, nausea and burning returned. Hmmm...

I decided to do a liver-gallbladder-pancreas cleansing remedy. This involved drinking beet-apple-lemon juice mixed with olive oil every morning for several days. It sounds worse than it is (hold your breath and drink it down fast!!), but as a high-fructose concentrate, it can create some fatigue. After a few days, this seem to help.

Then I did the kidney/gallbladder stone remedy drinking 2 ounces of olive oil mixed with 2 ounces of lemon juice (double eeeewww). I have read all that oil enables the stones to just slide right out of the ducts and into the colon and I have heard if one is in the middle of a painful kidney stone or gallstone attack, this remedy will save you from an unnecessary surgery on the butcher's table. I didn't see any evidence this helped, but it couldn't have hurt.

A friend of mine said, "You know, you don't have to add spices to apple crisp." At first I thought, But then what would be the point? That would be like making chocolate cake without the chocolate. Who needs chocolate? Who needs spices? So I tried it. Apple crisp with no spices actually tastes better! I'm trying not to over do it on the new-and-improved Spiceless Crisp.

Spiceless Crisp - looks the same

Spiceless Crisp - yum!

My spice days are over and I'm learning too much of a good thing is never good. My diet is becoming more boring with each passing day, but...

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS FEELING GOOD DOES!

HOW Do I Eat This Thing?

To aid in fat digestion I am to eat bitters and artichokes. Well, I've never eaten an artichoke in my life and have had little desire to do so. Hmmm...does my body know something my brain doesn't? Artichokes are nightshades so there is some controversy. Some people tolerate them very well and others not so much. Maybe they'll end up like the parsnip experiment and create a whole lot of misery for me? Or not? I appreciate my doctor understanding my aversion to pills and opting to go the food route for natural healing so I will be brave. A little at a time.

I bought a can of artichokes hearts. They have a metallic taste and I'm pretty sure it's the canning process or the citric acid they use for a preservative. Yuck. An hour after I ate a few bites the back of my head started pounding. Artichoke-induced headaches? Maybe. Too coincidental to think otherwise.

So I bought a fresh artichoke! Can't get anymore natural that that. I asked the produce woman if she knew how to cook them and she went into great detail exclaiming how wonderful they are if you are so inclined to work at it. I got home and researched online. I'm going to add here it shouldn't be so hard to eat a food...

I followed steaming directions and for thirty minutes boiled the hell out of it. With the artichoke stem soft and squishing, I placed it on my plate, and with great anticipation proceeded to peel away the leaves.  So...WHAT do I eat? The produce woman said not to eat the hairy parts. OK. I don't want to eat the hairy parts. I'm not seeing what I'm supposed to eat! I've heard one must use their teeth and scrape the meat off the leaves. There's nothing on these leaves! They are skinny and hard!

I have failed in my artichoke-for-digestion experiment. Maybe that's a good thing?

Breakfast of Champions: Liver

I am the proud owner of a slab of cow's liver. Eeewww. Now don't get me wrong, as a child I grew up on beef having been raised on a small farm (you can read about that HERE) and actually liked liver as long as it was smothered in ketchup.

About a year ago after reading about the health benefits of liver, I attempted to cook a portion. It's definitely a cheap cut of meat, high in micronutrients, especially minerals. I didn't remember exactly how we cooked it during my childhood so I just threw it in the pan. It tasted like...well, let's just say it all ended up in the garbage along with the one bite I tasted.

There was a humorous anecdote in Reader's Digest about a little girl who was served liver and she asked, "Mommy, why are we eating diarrhea for dinner?" LOL! My thoughts exactly. Determined to eat like a Paleo cavewoman on the advice of many currently popular Paleo authors, I ventured forth.

As I stared at the meat case I asked anyone within hearing, "How does one make liver so it is edible?"

One woman told me she didn't think anyone should eat liver because it's the organ that filters and stores all the toxins. I told her I thought so, too, but according to The Paleo Mom (Sarah Ballantyne) book, The Paleo Approach, the liver does filter toxins, but it doesn't store them. Instead it "binds them, thereby rendering them inert, and then typically shuttles them to the kidneys for excretion in the urine but also to the gallbladder for secretion into the gastrointestinal tract and excretion in the stool." 

The Paleo Mom also explains, "While there may be some toxins present in liver from grain-fed, nonorganic, antibiotic-treated animals raised in CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations, or factory farms), those toxins are also present in the fat and muscle from those animals to a very similar degree as in the organs. (Some reports suggest that even more heavy metals sequester in muscle than in organs.)" So there you have it!

That is reassuring, sort of. Who does one believe? There are so many theories amongst the hundreds of authors, doctors, or diet gurus and they often conflict. For instance some say goitrogens suppress the thyroid, others say there is no evidence for that. Well, someone thought there was evidence at one time. Was it lost? Or is the misery due to detoxification cause for celebration or worry?  Or we should eat small, more frequent meals rather than fewer, larger meals? If the liver is so efficient at it's job, why are there so many people who have high heavy metals stored in their fat? In the end we must decide based on our common sense, personal experience, and our individual bodies. I have doubts so I'll start slowly and eat just a small amount.

The newly-enlightened woman then leaned closer and graciously imparted her liver-cooking knowledge upon me as if it were a cherished secret: Fry it on medium-high heat, each side for two minutes. Don't cook it all the way through or the texture will make it difficult to eat. It should be a little pink on the inside.

 

Eeeww...I don't eat pink meat. I visualize mad cow disease running rampant through my system. Or parasites burrowing into my brain. Both would render me a vegetable after a period of unthinkable torture and then kill me. Not the way I want to die.

We got to talking about chicken livers which were sold out (along with the elusive cow bones*), and she said fry those livers with onions and bacon. Oh! I could use the bacon grease for the liver oil and make it taste better? She said that would make it really fattening and I countered with that's the diet! Paleo people love their fat and bacon grease is gold. She laughed and said it must be wonderful to have a reason to eat bacon. Exactly!

Anticipating a bloody mess with mad cows running free, I ventured bravely ahead anyway. I was told by another shopper if you can't eat liver plain then chop it all up and add it to meatballs or another food. OR chop the raw liver into tiny pieces and swallowing them like vitamins. Eeeeww...is that safe? I've heard of people putting it in their smoothies raw, too. No way.

Anticipating failure, I cut off just a tiny piece in order to save the rest for meatballs or vitamins. I fried up bacon from grass-fed, non-steroidal pigs first as that would serve as my breakfast protein even if the liver didn't work out. The bloody liver sizzled. I counted aloud exactly two minutes on each side. It was still bloody. Gross. I kept thinking of all the rare steaks I've seen in my life and tried not to think about mad cow. I cut the cooked, slightly red liver in tiny bite-sized pieces and ate.

It was OK! The center, or blood parts, actually tasted like I remembered from childhood. The outer, overdone parts were tough and difficult. I wonder what raw liver tastes like?

Eeeewww! I don't remember it looking as bloody as this picture!
Maybe I was closing my eyes?

I washed it all down with a large salad.


It's only been two weeks, but I haven't cheated once on this AIP diet. I am amazed! However, I am desiring unsweetened carob chips - my formerly 20% Paleo cheats. It's been a long time since I've indulged and they are calling to me. It doesn't help that I'm feeling tired all the time and that just makes me want to cheat in hopes of some energy.


*I thought my co-op was just having a hard time getting cow bones as one of their employees once told me. Come to find out, the bones arrive every Tuesday and are sold out immediately due to the popularity of bone broth! And one must special order organic chicken livers and they only come in the 12 lb. size. They are not making this diet easy.

Parsnip Fries (recipe)

SEE WARNING AT BOTTOM OF POST!

This recipe is a great substitute for French fries.  They are quite good especially if potatoes are forbidden on your diet as they are on mine.

If you cut them thick, they are like French fries (although with that parsnip-ish taste), but if you slice them very thin and bake them until they are toasty, I think they'd make great crackers or parsnip-chips. If you are missing crunchy foods, this will satisfy. As you can see from the photo, if you don't cut them evenly one way or the other, the little skinny ones will burn before the bigger pieces cook completely. As mentioned in the instructions, they tend to burn easily. And they have a very bizarre smell. Not bad, just different. I've never been much of a parsnip connoisseur.

I found this recipe on my friend's Pinterest account and it is originally from Paleo Grubs.

Ingredients

4 medium parsnips, peeled

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp truffle oil (optional)

2 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Don't buy large parsnips as their cores are tough. Medium or small are preferred. Slice the peeled parsnips into thin fries.Toss in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the fries over and place back in the oven. Turn up the heat to 450 degrees F. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until crispy, watching closely to make sure that the fries do not burn.

Second batch...I tried cutting them all the same size and ended
up with less burnt pieces. I'm becoming a parsnip fries pro!

Place the fries in a large bowl and toss with the parsley and truffle oil. I don't add this stuff, but I'm sure it would make them even better. Serve warm, topped with additional sea salt if desired.

Yum.

Parsnip Chips...Really Yummy!

WARNING: After a few indulgences I realized I was reacting badly to parsnips. BADLY! Online you will find this is a common allergen creating life-threatening symptoms to some people so make sure you can eat parsnips before you indulge. Read other post on parsnips for more information.

Apple Crisp (recipe)

I love Apple Crisp. I think it was the first recipe I ever followed and the one I made most often over the years. I still have the card that was given to us in my 8th grade junior high home economics class. This card calls it "Apple Cobbler" but we always called it "Apple Crisp". The justification was cobblers were made with something more like pie crust, and crisp was the crumbly bits on the top. I suppose some call it "Apple Crumble" and the name depends on regional traditions.

I have no idea why I felt the need to save this card, but when it came to throwing away all my old gluten/sugar-filled recipes, I couldn't part with it. It's part of my personal history and it's OLD. I must be sentimental. Look at the butter stains all over it? Many, many years of use. Was there ever a time when I really ate a dessert with white flour biscuit mix (!), white and brown sugar, and butter? So evil. Ahhh, the memories! Apple crisp was what we always ate in the fall when the apples on the trees were ripe.

So when I came across this Paleo-style apple crisp recipe, I thought I'd give it a try. Then I tweaked it to perfection. There are some ingredients that are NOT on the Kharrazian Hashimoto's diet, but I have no problem with any of it so for me...it's perfect.

Apple Mixture Ingredients:
2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into variable-sized pieces
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup melted butter, organic, grass-fed
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons maple syrup (or other sweetener) (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the apple bits, lemon zest and juice, and spices together. Place in a baking dish and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes while you mix the topping ingredients in a separate bowl: almond meal, coconut, coconut flour, syrup/sugar and spices, pour melted butter over and mix well, refrigerate until cools and the butter hardens. Remove half baked apples and crumble topping over apple mixture. Bake for another 30 minutes. If the top isn't brown, turn oven up to 400 degrees and bake another ten minutes. (I've never had to do this as it's always brown.) Cool slightly. Eat warm. Serves 2 or 1 hungry person.

The first time I tried it I used a couple tablespoons of Grade B organic maple syrup and it was way TOO SWEET. Who would have ever thought I would think something is too sweet? So the second time I tried it I didn't use any sugar and it was great. I think it depends on the type of apples. Some are so sweet you wouldn't need any sweetener, but the topping is better with a little sweetener. It's very nutty so if you are on the GAPS, AIP, or any kind of leaky-gut-healing diet, this won't work for you, but it's perfectly Paleo and without the sugar it's even Paleo-Hashimoto's. Is it just like I remember? Heck no. But it's close enough. Maybe even better!

Yum.

Chicken and Zucchini Poppers (recipe)

This recipe is perfectly Paleo-Hashimoto's. Nothing in it that's not on my diet which is a rare find! This was found on the website One Lovely Life written by a woman who's family is gluten and dairy free.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. ground chicken

2 cups grated zucchini, leave peel on and grate on smallest

2 green onions, sliced

3-4 tablespoons cilantro, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)

olive oil for cooking

 

Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees. Mix chicken, zucchini, onions, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Drizzle and spread a bit of olive oil on a baking sheet.

 

 

 

 

Using a small scoop or heaped tablespoon and form into balls, place on baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, then broil on high for 2-3 minutes until tops are brown.

 

 

 



Serve warm with guacamole, salsa or dip.

As you can see from the photos I grated my zucchini on normal and I think the pieces of zucchini were too big. And my grocery co-op was out of ground chicken so I bought ground turkey. This was a fine substitution, but I eat turkey so infrequently it had a weird, gamey taste. Later I tried the recipe with the chicken and it was better. I am trying not to use cumin since it's on my forbidden list according to my mutated genes, and the recipe was great without it, but I think it would add some pizzazz for those of you who can use cumin.

These little poppers would be a great party appetizer.

Yum.

I Admit...I'm a Recipe Thief (Salmon Salad)

Have you ever been waiting in the lobby of a doctor's office, waiting, waiting, waiting. You decide to flip through a very outdated (non-smelly) magazine in the magazine rack just to look like you aren't bored and to avoid the others also waiting. There is a recipe in the magazine that actually fits within all the dietary restrictions you have. Of course, you have no paper or pen and a nurse will come out and take you away at any moment. You know once you leave, that recipe is lost forever. Or...you rip that page out of the magazine as quietly as possible, stuff it in your purse, and try to look innocent. Well, that's what I did. Good recipes are like gold: rare and precious. I don't know what's come over me. For a few brief moments I felt so guilty I almost changed my mind, then I just went for it. I never used to be like this. Anyway...Yatna the recipe thief.

Here is my modified version of the stolen recipe:

STOLEN SALMON SALAD

Ingredients:

5-7 ounces of salmon, cooked, cooled, deboned, chopped into little bits.
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped into tiny bits
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, the healthy kind, if possible
1 small clove of garlic, minced
5 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
2 green onions, chopped into tiny bits

2 ripe but firm avocados, cut in half, pitted
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Mix everything but the avocado and pine nuts in a bowl. Place salad on top of the avocado. Salt and pepper as you like and sprinkle with pine nuts. Eat.

Yum.

Salad Dressing (Recipe)

I love salads, but only if they are smothered in dressing. Preferably the creamy type, or the type that's not allowed on my diet. I used to eat lots of salad, but without good dressing I don't see the point. I've tried oil and vinegar and oil and lemon juice, but I'm not fond of the taste of raw olive oil or any oil. I can tolerate some apple cider vinegar, partly because I know vinegar is really good for adding acid to your stomach making digestion more efficient, but it still doesn't inspire me to eat salads no matter what I put in them.

 

The above salad includes green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, carrots, avocados, onions, broccoli, and red peppers.

One of the local hardware guys has volunteered to be my advisor on all things construction including the building of a tiny house. He won't do it for me or even do it if I pay him a whole lot of money. He's building a house so he doesn't want time taken away from getting his house done. He came over a week ago to offer some advice on a variety of construction projects I am planning. When I finished with my list he asked, "Is that it?"  Just then I spied the new bathroom faucet I purchased over two months ago just before I found out my plumber quit his job. That bathroom sink has been leaking in many places for a while. I've tried fixing it myself, but I can't get the knobs to turn. I think they might be rusted or something. Complications I don't know how to troubleshoot. "Hey, I can't get the water to turn off under my bathroom sink. Can you watch while I do it and you can give me advice or instruction if it goes wrong?"

He did for about two minutes, then told me to get out of the way. He fixed the whole thing and replaced the valves in about ten minutes. You can't imagine how appreciative I was as trying to find a plumber is near to impossible these days. I offered him money and he shook his head so I invited him for dinner. I know he's a junk food junkie so he asked first what was on the menu. As luck would have it I didn't eat lunch and had salmon steaks thawing in the fridge. SALMON! Hey, it could have been hot dogs or something less desirable! He might have preferred hot dogs, but he always tries to tell me he eats healthy aside from the junk. I asked if a salad was OK for a side dish, but I didn't have dressing. He asked if I have fresh lemon as lemon juice would be fine for him. Yep!

As we are sitting down to this magnificent feast and I hand him the fresh, squeezed lemon juice he says, "Sometimes I add orange juice to the lemon juice to make it less tart and more sweet."  Hmmm... that sounds interesting. I have an orange! It was heavenly! Squeeze one half lemon and one half orange. Pour it on. Truly yummy. And it's so easy. Who would have thought I'd get healthy recipe ideas from a constantly caffeinated processed food addict? He actually joked through the meal all the healthiness might make him drop dead.

As he was leaving I again thanked him (about the seventh time) for fixing the plumbing that had been sitting around waiting to be fixed for months, and he said in that smart-ass tone he always uses, "Yeah, how much money did that save you?" I always forget it doesn't pay to thank men too much or they assume you owe them. And not in a good way.

I responded, "A lot! How much money do you think a totally organic, fresh salad with wild-caught Alaska salmon, personally cooked and served by a charming, conversational hostess cost? Oh, and you don't have to do dishes either."

He laughed and said, "I'll trade work for food." I don't think he remembers he offered this once before, but when my eyes lit up he quickly backpedaled with "Just joking!"  I'd gladly cook for someone who would do all my construction for me.

Paleo/Caveman Diet with Hashimoto's Twist - Two Year Anniversary!

It's been just a little over two years since I started the Dr. Kharrazian Paleo-Hashimoto's diet and after writing my last post on the sacrifices we make to be healthy, I ventured over to the one year anniversary post I wrote in 2012 to review and reflect on my efforts.

What I'm eating now:

Meat, approved:  Lamb, cod, salmon, hamburger, eggs, chicken, tuna (gluten-free)

Meat, forbidden:  Oysters, prawns, clams, bacon

I've been going clam digging this year so my freezer is full. Honestly, I'd rather dig them rather than eating them. Maybe I'll find someone who wants them because I don't. I eat oysters or prawns maybe once a month and bacon is a special treat maybe once every two months for some variety. I have strange dreams when I eat shellfish so I avoid it, but other than that, I don't seem to have any reaction to these meats.

Fruits, winter:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, frozen blueberries, pears, grapefruit, limes

Fruits, summer: Apples, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, avocados, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, nectarines, lemons, pears

Fruits, forbidden:  Bananas

I have a banana about once a month in the winter when so much is unavailable. I avoid them because they are high in sugar and must be imported from far away. I prefer local produce. I have no reaction to them.

Watermelon is supposedly forbidden on the diet, but what I don't understand is it has a lower glycemic value than blueberries, yet blueberries are allowed. In the hot summer months, watermelon makes me feel good with all that extra hydration.

Vegetables, consistently:  Squash (all kinds), lettuce, onions, garlic, peppers, Brussels sprouts, ginger, herbs, broccoli, kale (rarely), carrots, celery

Vegetables, forbidden: Potatoes, pickles, green beans

I crave hot foods when it's cold and try to make due with squash, but for a treat I add potatoes every now and then. After years of picklelessness, one day I just felt like I needed to eat a pickle. I bought the ones at the health store. I rarely eat green beans, but I do.

Other foods: Coconut milk, olive oil, herbs and spices

Other foods, forbidden: Gluten-free desserts, rice, maple syrup, yogurt, canola mayonnaise, peanut butter, carob chips

I know I'm not allowed, but every now and then, about once a month, I treat myself to a gluten-free dessert. They are often made with sugar, dairy and usually rice flour. I don't seem to have any reaction to them, but I know they are forbidden. I think if I ate them consistently, I'm pretty sure I'd have problems.

Unsweetened carob chips...I'm addicted, but they are a hour's drive away so they are easy to avoid.

I caved and bought a jar of peanut butter a few weeks ago and ate the whole thing over a few days! Tasted great, but I felt a little tired. Since giving up dried fruits, I don't usually feel tired so I'm blaming this fatigue on the very forbidden peanut butter which is not a nut, but a legume. The impulse is over. No more.

I'm still eating rice once every two weeks or so, but it seems less necessary and doesn't taste as good. Maybe that salt elimination diet helped?

I get organic, raw, grade B maple syrup and use it to sweeten hot tea for a warming winter drink. It's supposed to be high in vitamins and minerals. I don't use much, but any sweetener is forbidden.

I love yogurt. I buy Nancy's organic, unsweetened, full-fat. It's like ice cream to me. I put blueberries or apples on it.

I eat mayonnaise. The brand I buy from the health food store isn't as bad as the chemical-laden garbage in the grocery store, but it's still forbidden. I've worshipped mayonnaise all my life. I love it. Mooning over mayonnaise makes it sound like I'm eating gallons of it, but in truth, it's only a tablespoon here and there to spice up a meal like fish or salads.

Jeez! I look at that list and scream "CHEATER!" I have been feeling so good, I thought I was doing good, but I guess not!

Food I've Stopped Eating in the Past Year: 

Nuts and seeds...Not sure why but I'm just not interested in eating nuts or seeds anymore. Every now and then I'll buy a handful of pecans because I think I should eat some for the mineral content.  I was eating A LOT of nuts: pecans, almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds and buckets of cockroach-infested almond butter. No longer interested. There must be a reason so I'll listen to my body and obey. I wonder if my lack of nuts contributed to my impulse to buy peanut butter?

Peas...Not feeling the need to eat peas like I was before.

Agave syrup...I don't like it. I replaced it with organic maple syrup which has a higher mineral content.

Dried Fruits...Other than falling off the wagon in September with the dried Asian Pears, I haven't had dried fruits since the elimination test last August. Other than the peanut butter reaction, I've had no fatigue either. So happy to discover that!

Cherries...I used to eat a lot of fresh, in-season cherries in the summer, but someone told me it's impossible to get organic cherries. Even if they claim to be organic, they aren't. She made a really good case for this information so I stopped eating them. I miss them, but they are really expensive.

Pancakes, gluten-free...Not interested, but I'm sure gluten-free desserts are made with the same type of flour.

Hot Dogs...I used to buy the brand at the health food store made with beef and without chemicals or gluten. This was a forbidden food that was one of my every-so-often indulging treats for a while. The last hot dog made my whole mouth break out in blisters! It tasted fine at the time. I'm not sure if the manufacturer screwed up the recipe or if my body decided to scream a warning at me. I listened. I haven't eaten one since and that's a good thing.

 

I'm no longer suffering from exhaustion or fatigue. Few headaches and fewer pains. I haven't lost weight, but I haven't gained weight either. The diet still isn't perfect and neither is my health, but one thing I've realized is being isolated out in the middle of no where with little to do especially in the winter, eating IS my entertainment. Unfortunately. Indulging in a gigantic bowl of very expensive Moroccan Lamb Stew or a huge plate of spicy Jerk Chicken makes my whole day. A gluten-free cupcake every so often is the cherry on top! Eventually I'll be a dieting saint and eat a perfect diet. Maybe. If that's possible. It's hard being human.

Baby steps....