It's ALIVE!

The Body Ecology Diet emphasizes *heaps* of RAW CULTURED VEGETABLES (sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.). When I first started telling people that I was interested in fermented foods, they made some funny faces at me. But I think that most people don't realize that we are already eating foods that have been made using lacto-fermentation....beer, wine, cheese, olives, and yogurt. Kimchi, tempeh, miso, kefir and kombucha are some more examples of lacto-fermented foods we ingest. Anywho, as an attempt to completely rebuild my health from the inside out - I need to start incorporating more probiotics and the live foods that contain them. When I presented this challenge to Kelly, she was totally on board for my fermentation-madness and away we went. I searched the web high and low for some pretty awesome concoctions and came out with some awesome recipes. All it really is is slicing and dicing, some salt, filtered water, and a little bit of kefir starter cultures. Oh yeah, and mason jars, hiphop music, and lots of club soda (the latter two are personal provisions!). It was a long day, and lots of hard work, but it was a lot of fun! 

Lacto-fermented food has so many things going for it: natural probiotics that aid the digestive and immune systems, tons of beneficial enzymes, and lots of vitamin C. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of lacto-fermentation, don’t be intimidated by the word. It’s just the official term for the chemical process of “culturing” that takes place in the presence of lactic acid producing bacteria. This change increases the nutritional profile of the food being cultured, and makes it less prone to spoilage.

So How Do We Do This?

In a nutshell, raw cultured vegetables are made by shredding cabbage or a combination of cabbage and other veggies, and then packing them tightly into an airtight jar or crock. They are then left to ferment at room temperature for several days or longer. Easy.

During the fermentation process, friendly bacteria grow, multiply, and thrive in their new environment. They convert the sugars and starches to lactic acid and partially digest the veggies, softening them or "pickling" them in the process.

As I was scouring the world wide web, I came across a great insight that Kelly and I incorporated throughout the process.....

As you wash the vegetables, focus on your inner cooking. As you prepare the food, prepare your mind. Recognize that the way you prepare this meal is the way you are preparing your life. Put your total energy and attention into it. Clean your mind of all surface troubles and tribulations, all worries and fears. Focus on this exact moment in time. Observe the colors and textures of the vegetables. Feel them in your hand. Relax. Connect with your purpose and with the purpose of those who will be eating this food. Recognize that you are preparing totally healthy, life-giving fuel. Feel the love that you are demonstrating for yourself and for others as you perform this important service. Smile inside. This is going to be great! Its going to taste awesome!

Kelly, super proud and pumped....capturing the days hard work

Recipes will be up as soon as my chaotic schedule dies down a bit....

Comforting Tastes.

I LOVE BEVERAGES! Specifically warm, creamy, sweet beverages...like lattes, cappuccinos, and chai! Giving up sugar and milk, and caffeine, has been a bit of a challenge - but it's the name of the game on this candida cleanse. I have come up with some delicious alternatives though that I'm excited to share....

Chai :

• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup almond milk 
• 1 teaspoon xylitol (made from the pulp of vegetables, super low glycemic index, 9 calories per teaspoon and great for your teeth!)
• 1in chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
• optional: fresh cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, and/or 1 cardamom pod smashed  *All of these spices are great for digestion! 

Chicory Root "Coffee":

• 1 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons roasted chicory root granules
• 1 teaspoon xylitol 
• almond milk or coconut milk (unsweetened) to taste
• *The granules partly dissolve, and if you let it sit then they will settle to the bottom. You can strain it if you'd like, but I don't mind the granules. Chicory root is great for the liver!

Candida Alkalizing Lemonade :

• Juice a dozen lemons
• 1/2 cup of xylitol
• 1 quart distilled water
• *Lemons are alkalizing, xylitol is great for your teeth, and distilled water is a great way to stay hydrated. Also, lemon water helps to cleanse the body, cleaning our liver and kidneys (and also helping to assist in your morning bowel movement).

Apple Cider Vinegar Alkalizer:

• 2 cups of distilled water
• 3 tablespoons of Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 teenytiny spoonful (the spoon that they give you with it) of Stevia 
• 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
• *Powerhouse, amazing, healing, healthy, nutritious beverage. Sip.All.Day.Long.

CHAI Ingredients: Decaf Chai tea, fresh ginger, xylitol, unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Chicory Root "Coffee"

Candida Coffee!

Candida Kale Caesar Salad

This is so easy and delicious. It is Paleo, Candida, and Vegan friendly!! There are a few variations that can take this salad different places, so here are your options:

Kale Caesar Salad (for 4)

• 1 Head of Kale, de-stemmed, washed, and cut
• 3 tablespoons Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (or Lemon Juice...if you are on the Candida or Body Ecology Diet though the ACV is better because it has live cultures)
• 1 clove of garlic, pushed through a press or run over the grater
• *good quality* organic unrefined oil, drizzled generously overtop
• Shake, Shake, Shake and Shake some more of Braggs Nutritional Yeast (this is fine for people on Candida or B.E.D. because it is not live active yeast) *the more cheese that you want on your salad, the more nutritional yeast that you'd want...
• Hard boiled egg (optional): to take this salad to the next level you can dice up a hard boiled egg on top. Make sure you do so before you massage it with your hands, so that the cooked egg yolk can act as a thickener for the 'dressing'. 

Massage it with your hands for about 5 minutes, softening up the tough kale and integrating all of the flavors together. Warning: this salad is freaking delicious. And crazy insane healthy. 

Eat Your Eggs!

Hard boiled eggs...one of my staples.

YAY AMAZON!! So pumped on my box of goodies that arrived today!!

LUNCH. 80% Veggies, 20% protein. Boom.

DECADENT. Seriously though - this stuff is crack. WOODSTOCKS Smooth Raw Almond Butter is the BEST almond butter that I have ever tasted (like a landslide win against any nut butter you've ever had). And Artisana's Coconut Butter is simply the best thing I've ever had in my life. Hands down. Put it in smoothies or shakes, raw treats or for cooking - but my favorite, just eat it with a spoon.

Eggs have gotten a bad rap somewhere along the line. And though I love every*single*page of Donna Gates lifechanging book, "The Body Ecology", I am most excited about what she says about my beloved eggs....

"Eggs help strengthen the thyroid. ...the cooked egg white has less nutritional value. Contrary to popular belief, it is the egg yolk that is most healthy. Eggs have cholesterol, but this is an important fat. The yolk contains lechtin, which aids in fat assimilation. Eggs actively raise the level of HDL, which is the good cholestorol, and they have the most perfect protein components of any food."

Rebuilding.

I'm rebuilding my body from the inside-out. The longer that I am on this full power two year Candida Cleanse the more excited that I am about it. I feel totally empowered. After years of unanswered questions and frustrated visits to an array of doctors, it is so nice to know that my health is in my hands if I so choose to take charge. I have been reading *A LOT*, and there is a shit ton of information out there. It can be overwhelming. One blog will tell you that a certain food is OFF LIMITS, and another will tell you that it cured their candida infestation. When we were deciding how to approach my Dads health we made a choice to pick our path and stick to it. Well, I found this book - and it is now my Bible and I'm sticking to it. What I love most about the book is that it doesn't just tell you what to do, it explains to you (in "real people" terms) WHY. Hallelujah! Anyone looking to get a bit healthier would take away a ton of information from this book...and for anyone who suffers from candidiasis, worry not - this book has it all.