Crispy Rosemary Walnuts

This recipe is slightly adapted by Summer Waters, LAc, NTP, CGP, from page 516 of “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook – contact Summer for additional information on getting your own copy of this valuable cook and health book.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups crispy walnuts, preferably organic (see “Nourishing Traditions” for instructions on how to make crispy nuts, and why it’s important to)
• 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee (organic, preferably from pastured animals)
• 2 Tablespoons dried organic rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (unprocessed is best)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (if tolerated, or other spice or herb if preferred)

Instructions:
Melt butter or ghee with rosemary, sea salt, and cayenne pepper.  Toss with walnuts, spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Let cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Summer's Notes:
These delicious nuts make an outstanding snack, addition to meals, and/or holiday gifts for loved ones.
I love to double this recipe so I have some to share with others.
For folks recovering from health conditions or procedures which require gentler foods or food consistencies, try making a smooth, savory Rosemary Walnut nut butter by blending these up in a durable blender. Yum!

Enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Baked Pears

The Rogue Valley is a great place for local pears, and this is the time of year to enjoy them. This super easy baked pear recipe pairs these sweet fruits with fat (butter, ghee or coconut oil) to help your body get sustained energy from the naturally occurring fruit sugars and hopefully prevent a sugar crash after partaking in this special treat. 

As you can see, even the most discriminating of taste-testers enjoy this dessert, which can be made with no added sugar whatsoever, but will still satisfy that sweet tooth. Start with the basic recipe, and then get creative with the optional additions discussed below, or your own inspirations. Enjoy the bounty of fall!

Ingredients

• Pears (as few or as many as you like; this dish is so simple, it's still worth it to make for yourself when you're dining alone)
• Butter (organic, grass fed is best; you can also substitute ghee or coconut oil)
• Cinnamon (and/or other complimentary spices like nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, etc.)

Optional additions:

• Sweetener of choice (stevia, honey, maple syrup, etc)
• Nuts (soaked and dehydrated according to the directions in Nourishing Traditions)
• Dried fruit
• Vanilla extract/brandy/bourbon/etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Wash the pears.
3. Cut off the tops.
4. Remove the core, taking care not to puncture the skin. An apple coring tool is helpful, but also easy to poke through the pear. Begin with a serrated knife and once you have a big enough opening, moved on to a small spoon.You are creating a chamber where your fat will melt and mix with the spices and sweetener, making a rich sauce that you can dip the baked pear bites in as you eat, which is why you don't want to make any holes where the melted fat could leak out. If your pear has some bad spots, that's ok. Just scoop them out and rinse the cavity when you're done.
5. Stuff the opening with butter, cinnamon and optional additions (nuts, fruit, sweetener, alcohol). If you are using sweetener, remember that pears are very sweet already and only use a small amount.



6. Place upright in a baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
7. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Boost Your Immune System with the Highest Quality Supplements Around

If you tend to get every little cold that comes around, or if you get knocked out every cold season by one big bad bug, consider taking the supplement that my patients never fail to comment on. When a patient takes my recommendation to try Premier Research Laboratory's ImmunoVen immune boosting supplement, I often hear at their next session how grateful they were that I turned them on to this product. Folks simply swear by it as an effective way to boost the immune system and avoid getting sick, or help make the recovery from sickness go faster.

ImmunoVen contains a host of herbs that are used across the globe for immune boosting, from the Reishi mushroom, to Irish Moss. These herbs and more provide a phytonutrient blend that supports the work of the "big guns," PRL's tradmarked olive leaf extract Olea-Pro. Perhaps as notable as what these powerful supplements contain is what they don't contain: PRL promises no ingredients that aren't listed, and no excipients -- that is, no fillers, binders, colors, flavors, or anything that isn't there for the purpose of promoting your health! PRL produces the highest quality supplements around, including a Vitamin D liquid in olive oil, another great immune supplement that should be taken daily by nearly all of us during the cooler months. Both of these products, as well as additional products from PRL, are available for purchase in my office. If you would like to buy a PRL supplement, contact me by emailing Support@SummerWaters.com. These ones aren't on the shelves at the Organic Elements Spa Boutique yet, so make sure to email me before coming in so I have your supplements waiting for you when you come. 

What is your favorite immune booster?

Bounce Yourself Well

Exercise is a sure-fire immune booster. When we get the blood flowing, it clears out stagnation and flushes toxins and germs, reducing the number of colds we experience. In the winter months, we can find a lot of excuses to avoid exercise: it's too cold, too wet, too dark to go out and run or even make the trip to the gym. That's why this is a fabulous time to invest in my favorite exercise tool, the Cellerciser, which you can use in the comfort of your home to get fun, easy exercise that will put a smile on your face and keep seasonal illness at bay. This product may bring to mind happy memories of the mini-trampolines of your childhood, and that's great -- what better way to inspire you to get the exercise you need! But don't be fooled -- this ain't your childhood trampoline! This is a high-quality, durable rebounder with triple-tiered springs and an all-steel frame that is designed to help you get a full-body work-out for years to come.

When I began Cellercising, I was really sick with many chronic conditions, but I found that this form of exercise can be great for anyone. I began with a simple three minutes of extremely gentle bouncing. My feet never left the mat as I propelled myself up and down. There’s even an optional bar attachment for those who are less steady on their feet. Using the Cellerciser in this way allows your body to experience a lymphatic flush, and if you’re like I was, symptoms like headaches and nausea can signal that you’re having a detox response – which is actually a good sign that your flowing lymph is moving out the gunk that has kept your body from experiencing optimal health. This type of flush can not only help improve chronic conditions like the ones I was dealing with, but it also moves out the bugs that cause seasonal cold and flu, so you’ll notice that you’re getting sick less frequently. Can you imagine getting this kind of benefit in your living room, maybe while you watch TV, make a phone call, or even for just stopping to bounce on your way from one part of the house to another?

Now that I’ve found my way to greater well-being through the GAPS diet and traditional foods, I’m taking it to the next level and combining my Cellerciser with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). With this method, you can spend twenty minutes three times a week and get a serious work out that can help you stay slim and toned – in just one hour a week! Who doesn’t have that much time?  I feel such a difference in my body when I’m on my HIIT rhythm.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I carve out 20 minutes, put on my tunes and begin with the gentle bounce described above to warm up my body. Then I do 30 seconds of full-on running on the Cellerciser (this is the “high intensity” part), followed by 90 seconds of fun, moderate movement, bouncing or dancing, then back to the 30 seconds of the highest intensity I can muster, repeating this pattern five to nine times depending on where my body’s at that day.  My favorite thing about HIIT is that when I’m at my top speed and feeling the burn, I know I only have to keep it up for thirty seconds (that’s the “interval” part) before moving into something that’s more fun and easy. Again, this isn’t for everyone, and the beauty of the Cellerciser is that it has met my need for healthy movement all along my healing journey. As you are looking to stay well this winter season, give yourself and your family a gift that will nourish every body, wherever you’re at with your health. 

You can learn more about Cellercise by clicking HERE to visit their website, and you can click HERE to purchase your very own Cellerciser, and by getting there through this link, you’ll do me the favor of allowing me to get a commission from your purchase for tipping you off about this fabulous tool. I look forward to hearing about your winter exercise routines, and the benefits it brings to your whole body, in the comments below.

Repcipe: Kale & Nori Salad

This delicious Kale Salad is at the center of this beautiful plate from the Women Acupuncturists dinner I recently attended.Kale is a nutrient-packed veggie that I encourage folks to eat -- as long as you cook it first! Cooking your kale not only makes the nutrients more available for use by your body, it also eliminates compounds in the kale that can actually work against your body's optimal well-being. But "cooked" doesn't have to mean "hot." This kale salad recipe features chilled cooked kale marinated in an Asian-inspired dressing for a refreshing cool salad for the hot afternoons and evenings of our "Indian summer" days.

Ingredients:

• 2T white sesame seeds
• ½oz dried nori or other thick, firm seaweed, cut into ¼in strips
• 4c boiling water
• 1 bunch kale, center veins removed, torn into salad-sized pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1in slivers
• 2-3T toasted sesame oil
• 2T liquid aminos or tamari
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 1in piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• ¼t Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Place sesame seeds in small skillet on medium heat, stirring or tossing almost constantly. When seeds begin to turn brown, smoke lightly and sizzle, immediately remove from heat. Cool.
2. In a large bowl, cover nori with boiling water and soak for 30min.
3. Steam torn kale leaves for 7min. Drain kale and remove excess water with a salad spinner.
4. Drain nori and remove excess water with a salad spinner. Combine with Kale.
5. Add bell pepper to kale & nori mixutre and toss gently.
6. Combine oil, liquid aminos or tamari, garlic, ginger and mustard in a small blow. Whisk to emulsify. Add to kale mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days if desired. Just before serving, toss salad and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.