"Is This How It's Supposed To Taste?"

Kombucha, keifer, lactofermented veggies, ghee, lard, bone broth... Many of my patients have never even heard of some of the foods I recommend, and even if they have, they may never have thought to make or use these foods in their own kitchens. That's why patients like the one pictured here (photo used with permission) often bring in the fruits of their culinary adventures and ask me to make sure they've got it right.  I'm happy to sniff or sample your WAPF & GAPS-friendly kitchen creations, like the kefir pictured here, to make sure that you're on the right track. Familiarity with these types of traditional foods used to be passed down from our ancestors.  I've had to seek out experienced folks, sometimes older and sometimes not, who understand the value of carrying forward these nourishing foods.  This is now another way that I can support your journey to nutrient-dense eating when you are a patient in my practice. 

In fact, many of the patients who bring in foods for me to sample that they have prepared actually get the recipe they used to make the dish from me directly.  While this blog is full of great recipes that I hope you'll check out and use, when you enter care with me I'm able to provide you with recipes that are tailored to your individual dietary needs. I also stock two essential cookbooks, Nourishing Traditions, which can help you make the leap into more traditional real-food cooking, and Internal Bliss, a cookbook designed specifically for the GAPS diet.  I've found that if I want you to eat healing food, I need to give you guidance on how to make it yourself, and support you as you embark on your journey to become a traditional nourishing home cook or delegate this important task to someone if feasible.  I also include information to help you source the ingredients I recommend.  Getting set up to make delicious and healing food choices in your daily life is one of the best ways I know of to ensure your vibrant health no matter what life brings your way.

Most of you know that you can get nutritional supplements from my office, but I also offer key ingredients that I want you to use in your nutrient-dense cooking -- things like ghee and coconut oil, even coconut ghee!  When we're talking about less shelf-stable ingredients, like meat, eggs, poultry or dairy products, my connections to the traditional farming community allow me to help you find someone who can provide you with ingredients that are local and traditionally produced. For those items you can't buy locally, I do my best to find sources online and link to those from my Healthy Resources page. If a recipe I've given you calls for something you can't find, let me know at our next appointment, and I'll help you find it.  I also keep free Rogue Flavor Guides, Non-GMO Shopping Guides, and Safe Seafood Guides on hand for my patients, so that you can find the best foods and ingredients, preferably in our local community, wherever you shop for groceries. 

If you haven't yet entered into care with me, just imagine what it would feel like to be supported in your nutritional journey in this way: You have access to a care provider who will really get to know you, your body and the foods you need; you'll receive recommendations for foods and recipes that I think would be most beneficial for you; you'll get connected to sources of the most nutritious ingredients to make the recommend foods; and if needed, you'll have your very own recipe taster to sample your creations to see how they're coming along (especially useful for those who are new to fermentation!). We can all try our best to eat nourishing foods on our own, but when you are truly supported, making the transition to nutrient-dense eating becomes so much easier and more sustainable for you to maximize your time and energy. Plus, in addition to supporting you with nutritional counseling, patients who see me in my office can also benefit from all the hands-on therapies I offer to support you body's healing in addition to nutritional therapy. See my Offerings page for a comprehensive list of all the supportive services you can receive during an appointment with me, and contact me by emailing Support@SummerWaters.com or calling 541.326.8952 to schedule an appointment so you can experience my supportive care for yourself. 

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Ask Summer: The Seafood Question

Question:

“I’m worried about toxic contaminants, like radiation, mercury and PCBs, found in fish. Should I avoid eating fish all together?  What do you recommend?”

Answer:

I love eating seafood!First off, I applaud you for working to avoid exposing your body to toxins! This is a key component of what I recommend to folks who are interested in doing the work needed to improve their health and energy levels.  However, I DO NOT recommend cutting seafood out of your diet to achieve this goal! Consuming healthy seafood from clean waters is actually a very wise dietary choice. It’s just a matter of making wise choices on the seafood you do consume.  I’ll give you some resources and pointers for picking the cleanest and most nourishing seafood options here.

Tip #1: Choose small, oily, deep-sea fish.

As usual, American culture has it backwards on which fish are the best food choices. Most cultures around the world prize the small, oily, deep-sea fish -- like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies -- that we have often been taught to disdain or use as bait! Because smaller fish are further down the food chain, they will have a much lower concentration of any contaminants than larger fish. And because these fish are fatty, they will have more of the healthy fats, fat-soluble vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids that us Americans don’t typically get enough of in our diets. Fish are one of the best sources of these important nutrients which is why I recommend including them in your diet.  An additional nutrient contained in these beneficial fish, selenium, is actually protective against the toxic effect of mercury in our bodies, giving seafood a built-in antidote to mercury contamination.  Since selenium is particularly deficient in the Pacific Northwestern United States where I live, including these small but nutrient dense fish in your diet is definitely part of a healthy diet.

Tip #2: Avoid farmed salmon!

While there are some sustainable seafood farming practices going on our there, they are few and far between, and when it comes to salmon, just say no to farmed fish!  The diet fed to farmed salmon raises their omega 6 content – that’s the fatty acid that most of us in the US get too much of already, and the whole point of eating seafood is to up our intake of omega 3, which we don’t get enough of, not to get more of the omega we’re already eating to excess (6)!  Additionally, salmon farms have been found to spread disease to wild fish, and release contaminants into the water that affect the wild fish as well.  There are also reports of higher levels of mercury and other toxins found in farmed salmon compared with their wild counterparts.  I wish it was unnecessary to have to mention the importance of avoiding any seafood (or any food!) that is genetically engineered (GE), but with farmed salmon, GE fish are a real possiblity that you will never find in the wild.  Always avoid consuming Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to increase your health and vitality, and this goes for fish as well. 

Tip #3: Know your source.

Not only do we want to consider the health of our bodies in choosing which seafood to consume, we want to consider the health of the ecosystems that support the fish we choose, so that we and future generations can continue to access healthy seafood for years to come. Make sure what you’re eating is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or the Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) program. As is so often the case, what is best for our bodies is usually also what’s best for the earth and our precious oceans.

My favorite seafood source, Vital Choice Seafood, is certified by both MSC and Alaska RFM. You can visit their website to order seafood from them directly, and while you’re there, you’ll find a wealth of information on the health benefits of seafood consumption, seafood sustainability, healthy fisheries and more! Enjoy 10% off your first purchase with Vital Choice by using the code: VCAFINT during checkout. You can also come in to my office to purchase some of their canned seafood options right here in the Rogue Valley – but please call or email first, since these products are only available from me and NOT stocked on the shelves of Organic Elements Spa.

Here in Oregon, we also have a great resource for LOCAL sustainable seafood – by buying a share in the Port Orford Sustainable Seafood Community Supported Fishery (CSF).  Modeled after Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a share of POSS puts you in relationship with local, sustainable fishermen and puts their nourishing catch out of Port Orford on your table on a regular basis. Find out more about them by visiting their website HERE.

Finally, any time you’re purchasing seafood at a retail outlet or restaurant, be sure to ask if the seafood was wild caught or farmed sustainably, and if so, ask what certifying body has deemed the seafood sustainable. If you are eating out at a restaurant, I recommend asking a knowledgeable staff member about the source of their salmon.  If it's farmed salmon, let them know that you are not ordering it because you want to avoid fish that will detract instead of add to your health and that you would have ordered it if it was wild salmon.

Tip #4: Use your resources.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has many handy pocket guides -- and even a smart phone app! -- to help us make good seafood choices. For best results, stick with the options in the “Best Choices” column of their guides, and avoid the rest. There are different guides for different regions of the US, and you can find them online HERE, or if you are in the Rogue Valley, you can come in to my office and pick up a paper guide for our region.  Again, it’s always best to call 541.326.8952 or send an email to let us know you’re coming, so I can make sure to have exactly what you’re looking for waiting for you when you arrive. In fact, you can consider me one of your primary resources for info on seafood that will sustain your body while honoring the ocean’s bounty. Come in for an appointment to talk more about incorporating healthy seafood and other traditional, nutrient-dense foods into your diet. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Ask Summer: The Shampoo Question

Your Question: "Do you have a specific shampoo you recommend? And does it really matter what shampoo I use? How can my shampoo make that much difference in my health? And does the shampoo you recommend really work?  Will my hair feel and look clean?"

My Answer: The short answer is YES, it does matter what shampoo and body care products you use. Reducing the toxic load on your body is an important part of getting healthy and staying well.  This cornerstone of health is best supported by your food choices and additionally by other lifestyle choices including which personal care products you use.  I've shared much over the years about toxins that can enter your body through the foods you eat (read: GMOs, pesticide residues, pharmaceutical/antibiotic residues, added hormones, fake food ingredients like artificial dyes, etc.). The simple way to avoid ingesting these toxins is by selecting organic foods or foods raised 'better than organic' to put on your plate. 

Body care products that contain toxic chemicals or allergens can absorb through your skin and effect your overall health.  Since your skin is your largest organ, there is a lot of surface area for exposure.  This is magnified in a hot shower that enlarges the pores of your skin, increasing absorption even more.  This can be a big deal for folks, especially those who are already struggling with chronic health issues.  Making sure you tip the scale in your favor, the simplest way to avoid uptake of triggering toxins in your personal care products is to make sure you are using toxin free products.  Since I love to make it easy for my clients to utilize truly non-toxic products to keep their hair clean and healthy, I stock Organic Excellence Shampoo and Conditioner in my office.

In the early years of my practice, I’d have folks come to me after a few sessions who had really been working to make changes in their eating habits, and had seen improvements, but were still having lingering symptoms of toxicity, allergies or sensitivities. At first, I was stumped, but then I started digging deeper, and I’d often find that these folks were still using conventional body care products containing toxic chemicals: GMO soy and corn ingredients, and even gluten. So, while they had benefited from removing these items from their foods, they couldn’t truly get better while continuing to absorb them through their skin. Switching to a gluten free, soy free, corn free, GMO free, chemical free shampoo and conditioner (as well as other body care products) allowed them to truly be free of the symptoms these toxic ingredients caused in their bodies. But boy, was it hard to find anything commercially available that folks could use without complaint! Most products available even at the co-op had some of the ingredients that would set off my patient’s sensitivities. Another issue I had experienced and heard about from clients as well was that when a 'clean' product was found, it wasn't that effective at actually cleaning the hair without striping it or leaving it unappealingly greasy.  So, I searched and researched options until I found Organic Excellence brand of hair care products.

Organic Excellence discloses all the ingredients they use (see image for shampoo ingredients) – and what they don’t use (CLICK HERE FOR THE LIST), which is arguably even more important. You can be assured that these products are used safely by people with multiple chemical sensitivities, as well as severe reactions to gluten, soy and corn. I use their products myself, and I like the light lather (no synthetic lathering agents!) and minty tingle.  They keep my hair soft and shiny, and can even refresh an irritated scalp.  I even get compliments on how healthy and shiny my hair looks, which is always a treat.  

Like my practice, Organic Excellence is a woman-owned small business that you can feel good about supporting. Even those of you who aren’t feeling ill effects using conventional body products, consider the toxin load you’re asking your body to process and give those systems of detoxification a break by minimizing your exposure to the petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances and even antifreeze and formaldehyde (yikes!) found in many shampoos and conditioners on your supermarket shelves.

If you’re ready to try something more nourishing for your hair, use the contact form on this website, email me at Support@SummerWaters.com, or call 541.326.8952 and let me know that you’d like to come in and pick up some Organic Excellence shampoo and/or conditioner. This product is NOT stocked in the Organic Elements Spa Boutique, so you’ll have to contact me directly (as described) to purchase some. If you aren't local to my office in the Rogue Valley, visit the Organic Excellence website to purchase these products. By using THIS LINK (CLICK HERE) to get to their shopping page, you'll help me get a comission for connecting you with these fabulous products. Check out my Healthy Resources page for even more ways to keep toxins out of your home and out of your body!

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Ask Summer: The Slow Cooker Question

Your Question: “I’d like to pick your brain about slow cookers.  I've been looking online at alternatives, clay, non-electric, stainless steel, etc.  I wondered if you use something like this and if so, what would you recommend?”

My Answer: This is a great question, and one that comes up often with my patients.  When you’re a busy person wanting to make nourishing food choices, a slow cooker can transform home cooking from an impossible dream to a daily reality.  While we don’t necessarily think of a hot meal as our first go-to in the summer months, using your slow cooker will certainly generate less additional heat in your home than turning on the stove or oven to prepare a cooked meal, making it a kitchen must-have all year round.  Below, I’ll discuss three recommended slow cookers, their pros and cons, and direct you to websites where you can purchase them yourself (Hint: Click the image and/or brand name to purchase online).  Of course all of the options I recommend are free from lead or other contaminants, which is one of the most common concerns of savvy shoppers.  

What are your favorite recipes to make in your slow cooker?  Let me know in the comments below.

VitaClay

Pros: Functions as a slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker and yogurt maker.  Programmable, including cooking timer up to 5 hours, delayed start and “Keep Warm” setting. Food cooks in an unglazed natural clay pot like those that have been in use in traditional cooking across the world for thousands of years, preserving flavor with no toxic coatings that can leach into food. Certified “lead-free” with zero lead detected in testing of the clay performed by independent laboratories.

Cons: Largest size available is only about 1 gallon. Some people report food sticking to the sides of the pot more often than with other slow cookers. Cooking pot is breakable. Higher price-point for size than other options.  

Bottom line: If you don’t need a big cooker, VitaClay provides the most traditional cooking option for your food, plus modern bells and whistles to make cooking easier. 

More links to purchase: 

• Click HERE to visit the VitaClay website. From here click the green BUY NOW button to see all the slow-cooker options available.  

Instant Pot

Pros: Comes with many pre-programed cooking functions, including slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, warmer, and even a pressure cooker (a great method for speedy meal prep that preserves the nutrients in the food you cook!), with saute/browning and yogurt making settings available on higher-end models. Has cooking timer, delayed start and keep warm settings. There is even a model that can be controlled from your smart phone with a free app! Multiple sizes available up to two gallons. Food-grade stainless steel cooking pot is non-reactive and has no coating, so only the stainless steal will touch the food. Beloved by many Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leaders.

Cons: More expensive than other slow cookers.

Bottom line: If you can make the investment in one of these machines, you’ll get a state-of-the-art product that offers the most versatility of the three products I’m recommending. 

More links to purchase:  

• Click HERE to visit the Instant Pot online store, where you have the option of purchasing a 5, 6 or 8 quart Insta Pot, including the 6 quart bluetooth enabled Insta Pot which you can program right from your smart phone with the Insta Pot app. 

Hamilton Beach

Pros: Lowest price point. Basic models (with high, low and off settings only) and programmable options available, including an option with a thermometer probe that can cook to desired temperature. Multiple size options up to 2 gallons (2 gallon sizes are not programmable).  

Cons: Cooking pot is made of earthenware coated with porcelain enamel, and while the company states that their products do not contain “measurable amounts” of lead as verified by testing and certification procedures approved by the FDA, we can’t be certain of the ingredients in the enamel, or that crocks are entirely non-leeching (though another blogger really dug into this question HERE, and her results were reassuring).

Bottom line: I know lots of folks who love these slow cookers, and Hamilton-Beach offers many affordable ways to begin your slow-cooking journey. However, I would encourage you to choose one of the other two options above if you are able. 

More links to purchase:

• Click HERE to see all Hamilton Beach Slow Cookers on Amazon. There's a lot! Scroll through to find what you're looking for, or use the features in the left-hand column to narrow the search.  

What will you put in your slow cooker?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Recommended Reading: The Power of Habit

Over years of working with clients and looking at my own life, I've come to see that habits are at the core of why we do what we do.  From the food choices we make, to the amount of movement we get in our lives, and even the thoughts that we have, all of it comes down to habits that serve us or habits that sabotage us. Reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg was incredibly helpful in allowing me to recognize the often invisible patterns that can keep me (us!) stuck in a place of dysfunction.  

In his book, Duhigg lays out the three components of a habit: the cue, which prompts your brain to run a particular habit program; the routine, which is the physical, mental or emotional pattern that the cue triggers; and the reward, the thing that happens as a result of the routine that makes you want to do it again. By paying attention to your daily activities, you can begin to identify the cues, routines and rewards that shape the habits you play out in your own life. Armed with this information and tuning into your inner awareness, you can consciously choose to transform the routine that the cue triggers, shifting an unhealthy pattern into one that supports your highest good. You can also use what you learn about these three components of a habit to create powerful new habits that contribute to your well-being.  

For example, I've shared my own plan for healthy hydration here on the blog. I've made this a habit, with the cue of being in my kitchen in the morning, the routine of preparing my day's drinks all at once, and the reward of feeling a greater sense of well-being, with fewer headaches, improved bowel regularity, and increased mental altertness as a result of being well-hydrated. I've also made it a habit to have my own acupuncture treatments at a particular day and time each month, by scheduling those sessions regularly with my own acupuncturist. Now when I'm scheduling appointments for the coming quarter (the cue), I make sure my acupuncture appointment is booked for the first Thursday of every month (the routine). I anticipate the upcoming treatment and make sure to get to my appointment on that day.  Afterwards, I feel the improvement in my physical and mental functioning (the reward), and look forward to going back again the following month.  I used to do this with my weekly acupuncture treatments when I was recovering from multiple health challenges.  If you'd like to create your own monthly or weekly self-care routine with me, call 541.326.8952 and we can schedule appointments out as far into the future as you'd like, to allow the habit to take root.

If you feel inspired to read this book so you can use even more of its wisdom in your daily life, click on the image above or the LINK HERE to get your own copy. If you're like me and find it easier to incorporate audiobooks into your life (I have cultivated a habit of listening to an audiobook every time I commute!), use THIS LINK to get the audiobook version. I'd love to hear in the comments below what habits you would like to create for yourself, or what habits you'd like to transform. 

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