Save the Date for the 2016 RV WAPF Community Potluck!

Join me at the Bellview Grange at 1050 Tolman Creek Road in Ashland on June 11th from 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. to connect with a local community dedicated to nutrient-dense foods, the Rogue Valley Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation (RV WAPF).  As the Chapter Leader, I am delighted that our June chapter event is featured on page 16 of the 2016 Rogue Flavor Guide, available for free from me and many other local businesses. 

Like all the RV WAPF events, this potluck will offer you the opportunity to learn more about nutrient-dense foods, including the chance to sample some yourself. Our first 100 guests will receive a free, local burger made from grass-fed Cascade Organic Beef. If you haven't already, I encourage YOU to take the plunge into nutrient-dense cooking by preparing a dish to share for our potluck. Any of the recipes I've shared on this blog would be appropriate WAPF-friendly options, but if you want to find even more ideas, get your very own copy of the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, written by the founder of WAPF and available from me directly, or through Amazon -- click here to purchase. 

For more information, feel free to email me:  Support@SummerWaters.com.  I hope to see you there!

Magnesium: You Need It!

Magnesium is a key mineral for healthy skin, nervous system, and so much more. However, many of us are magnesium deficient, and because oral magnesium supplements tend to cause a sometimes undesirable laxative effect, it can be difficult to get the additional magnesium we need by swallowing it. Ancient Minerals topical magnesium products allow you to soak up this essential mineral through your skin, optimizing systemic (whole body) absorption and bypassing the digestive tract for those with a sensitive gut. Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil can be applied directly to the skin, and the Magnesium Bath Flakes can be dissolved in a tub or footbath. These products are safe for babies, adults and children. Some may experience a tingling sensation with the use of magnesium oil, and this is a normal and harmless effect that often is reduced with continued use. Use topical magnesium for these common issues:

• Reduce symptoms of skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, dermatitis, and more
• Relieve muscle aches and spasms
  
• Allow the body to effectively eliminate toxins
• Calm stress, anxiety and agitation in people of all ages
• Help you get healthy, restful sleep
• ...And so much more!

You can buy Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil or Bath Flakes off the shelf at Organic Elements Spa any day of the week.  Click HERE for Organic Elements hours and contact info.  I'm grateful that Organic Elements Spa thinks highly enough of my products to sell them in their shop, but please remember that if you need information on how to use these wellness-promoting products, you'll need to contact me directly by emailing Support@SummerWaters.com or calling 541.326.8952. I always recommend that folks who are especially sensitive or with chronic health conditions begin any supplements under the care of a qualified healthcare professional, such as myself, with years of experience working with food and nutritional supplements to promote optimal wellness.

Recipe: Nourishing, Local Food You Don't Have to Cook

This is not exactly a recipe in the traditional sense, but those of you here in the Rogue Valley CAN follow the steps below to get nourishing, local, organic food to appear at your door. 

Ingredients:

• Device with internet access
• Your debit or credit card

Directions:

• Click HERE to browse Chef Kristen's menu 
• Choose items and add them to your cart
• Choose delivery or pick up in Jacksonville 
• Type "Referred by Summer Waters" into the Order Notes upon checkout

Enjoy all the goodness of local, organic, home-cooked REAL FOOD meals, with none of the work! I hear over and over from my patients that a lack of time or culinary skill can get in the way of following my dietary recommendations. I'm excited to be able to offer a solution for those living in the Rogue Valley: Chef Kristen! Order online and pick up meals, sides, bone broth and/or nourishing treats from her Jacksonville location, or have them delivered to your door. Tell her I sent you by writing "Referred by Summer Waters" in the "Order Notes" field of the online checkout, so that I can deepen my relationship with this fabulous local business, and receive a credit toward my own order of ready-made nourishing food. CLICK HERE to order from this week's menu of local goodness.

Probiotics: Give Your Gut the Good Guys

Two pounds of your body weight is made up of the bacteria that live in your intestines, and there are more cells in that two pounds of bacteria than there are in your whole body. That ought to be enough to convince anyone that your gut bacteria is an essential component of not only your digestion, but your whole being. Mainstream science is beginning to get up to speed on the connection between our gut and our psychology. Last year, National Public Radio featured a piece on recent studies that show that having better bacteria in the gut can reduce anxiety. Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) practitioners like me know that it goes way beyond anxiety, but we’re glad to see evidence supporting the central hypothesis of GAPS: your gut and your psychology are linked. This is why an effective probiotic supplement is the number one supplement for the GAPS patient -- and for anyone! When she developed the GAPS protocol, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who trained and certified me as a GAPS practitioner, created her own probiotic supplement for her patients. This probiotic, which contains 14 different strains of freeze-dried beneficial bacteria, is considered the gold-standard for GAPS patients, and is now sold under the name BioKult. This is one of the probiotics from my Wellness Shop that you can pick up any time at the Organic Elements boutique.

The priobiotc supplement that is a part of my daily regimen is Prescript Assist, which I believe, based on my extensive research, to be the highest-quality probiotic supplement available.  This probiotic includes 29 bacterial strains of “soil-based organisms,” chosen specifically to replicate naturally occurring bacteria found in the foods of cultures that eat a more traditional diet. These are bacteria that are designed by nature to survive the journey from mouth to stomach to gut. Prescript Assist is also shelf-stable for two years, as demonstrated by quality control testing, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in numerous clinical trials.

As with any potent healing supplement, the best way to begin taking either of these probiotics is under the guidance of a professional who has an extensive history of using the products personally and with patients – me! To get started on a regimen to support optimal bacterial colonization of your gut, schedule a new-patient appointment with me today by calling 541.326.8952 or by clicking here to email me.

Recipe: Lacto-Fermented Cranberry Chutney

A probiotic twist on a holiday favorite!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of organic cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup of nuts (pecans were suggested and I’ve used hazelnuts or other nuts in place and it has always been tasty)
• 1/2 cup of rapadura suagar or sucanat sugar
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1/2 cup of whey (or fruit ferment, such as water kefir)
• 1/2 cup of prune juice or other juice (I use fresh pressed apple juice or extra apple ferment)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of cloves (I prefer powdered, but you can use whole or a little of each)
• finely grated rind from one orange and one lemon (optional, but super nice if it's zested with a microplane)
• juice from 1 orange
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup of raisins

Directions:
Pulse all, except raisins, in food processor. Stir in raisins. Ferment at room temperature for 48 hours or longer (to taste), then refrigerate.  Super simple!

Extra Tips:
The chutney is ready to be refridgerated when your tongue can only detect a trace amount of sweetness (this will be quite subjective) since ideally most of the sugars will be consumed by the beneficial microbes from the liquid ferments you added.  It will continue to ferment in the refridgerator, though considerably slower, so taste regularly (every few days) and eat before it gets over fermented.  The timing for that will vary depending on how long you fermented it before refridgerating, how cold your refridgerator is, how long it's left out on the table during meals, etc.  You'll know if it's overly fermented because it will smell like alcohol and you can see another post on fermentation explorations here.  Embrace this culinary adventure as part of the joy of eating living fermented foods and getting ALL of the benefits that come from these healthy life supporting foods!  Typically, this chutney gets eaten long before it would have gotten overly fermented because it's such a zesty and delicious condiment.  
Make this 3-5 days ahead of any planned special meal or gathering so it will be perfectly fermented and tasty and you will have one less food to prepare right before the special event.  You may want to make a double batch since this is a delightful potluck offering and makes a GREAT holiday gift!  A little of this beautiful, flavorful chutney served with poultry, beef, pork, etc., makes any meal seem like a special holiday. Enjoy alone or with friends or family!

RELATED POSTS:
For more posts on fermented foods:

Check out this series I wrote on ways to introduce ferments for beginners:
(if you're new to this, be sure to take a look at my suggestions)
Take it Slow, Give it Time, and Brine Shots! 
Sauerkraut Recipe and Tips
The Harms of Eating Too Much Sugar Are Real 

For another holiday favorite, check out this upgraded Eggnog Recipe.

As always, to help you on your healing journey, check out my Recommended Resources! which include recommended store bought done-for-you ferments if you're not up for making your own.

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