Ingredients: 1 cup organic blueberries 3 organic eggs ½ organic lemon – juice of 1 tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cup raw honey or farm maple syrup (I like using a combo of the two equaling 2/3 cup) 1 ¼ cups organic almond flour ½ cup organic tapioca starch ½ cup organic arrowroot starch 2 TBLS organic coconut flour 1 ¼ tsp organic cinnamon ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp grain free baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp organic guar gum Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350. Mix blueberri

This sweet and fresh probiotic smoothie is a great breakfast or snack on a summer’s day. The hemp and chia seeds provide excellent sources of fiber and prebiotics (food for the probiotics) making this smoothie excellent for gut health. Drink immediately after blending. Ingredients: ½ cup organic unsweetened coconut yogurt (can use organic dairy yogurt if desired). ½ cup fresh coconut water 1-2 handfuls organic frozen dark cherries (pitted) 1 handful fresh organic basil lea

I love recipes that allow you to substitute what you have on hand in the kitchen. This granola is delicious and perfect for a diet that is avoiding store bought breakfast cereals and granola that are often processed and full of sugar. This is a satisfying and brain healthy recipe that calls for a variety of nuts and seeds as well as coconut and coconut oil. It can be eaten as a stand-alone snack or topped onto plain yogurt and fruit. Increasing dietary intake of nuts and s

These meatballs are a very flavorful gluten-free twist on a favorite dish thanks to the perfect blend of spices. The recipe calls for beef from pasture-raised cattle. Pastured and grass-fed cattle have the highest brain healthy omega-3 fatty acid content and a more favorable omega 6 to omega 3 profile than conventionally raised cattle. The cauliflower allows for a gluten free/low carb/high protein dish which boosts the neuroprotective properties of the recipe. You can eithe

This anti-inflammatory medicinal tea has a wonderful aroma. Combining the healing properties of turmeric, cloves, chamomile, ginger and cinnamon, it is very soothing and calming any time of day. Ingredients: 1 inch peeled turmeric root 4-5 organic whole cloves 1 organic chamomile tea bag – herbal or 1 TBLS organic chamomile flowers 1 organic ginger tea bag – herbal or a few slices of organic peeled fresh ginger 1 organic cinnamon tea bag – herbal or 1 organic cinnamon stick

This recipe is dairy-free and instead uses creamy coconut milk which I love for its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Coconut has a unique fatty acid composition that is rich in medium chain fatty acids, a super healthy brain fuel. Makes 6-8 servings 2 - 3 lb Cherry tomatoes on the vine 20 Garlic cloves, peeled 3 shallots, cut in thirds 1 can unsweetened coconut milk Olive or Avocado oil for drizzling Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place

The benefits of maintaining muscle mass at any age cannot be underestimated. Here’s why: Muscle is involved in brain function in a big way. Muscle directly communicates with the brain through chemicals and messengers such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). These chemicals are released every time we exercise. So exercise not only makes your muscles bigger, it makes your brain bigger and improves cognitive performance, too.(1) The loss of muscle mass that occurs with

I love this recipe for all the “good” fats found in the salmon, nuts and avocado oil. The omega-3’s found in wild-caught salmon are...

This delicious vinaigrette fits the bill for getting your probiotics and prebiotics all in one stop. Kefir, apple cider vinegar, garlic and raw honey work in conjunction to populate your gut with beneficial bacteria and feed their growth as well. Ingredients 1/4 cup plain unsweetened milk Kefir or non-dairy alternative* 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. raw honey or maple syrup Salt and pepper to

Probiotics and prebiotics have become buzz words, but it is important to understand what they actually do and how to get them in your diet. The digestive tract is home to more than 500 species of bacteria, comprising about 100 trillion bugs altogether. Collectively, they are tremendously important for overall health. We give these bugs a home; in exchange, they do a variety of things for us. First of all, what are probiotics? They are the beneficial gut bacteria. What is so

Besides being phytonutrient rich, this salad offers up 8 grams of dietary fiber per serving and 5 grams of protein. It’s delicious, too! Nutritional yeast can be a substitute for the Parmesan for those who want a dairy-free version. For those that can tolerate dairy, the Parmesan is actually another detox enhancing element! Be sure to drain the kale very well using a salad spinner or spin wrapped in a clean dish towel. That way it will not dilute the dressing. Bonus – This

Lack of energy, fatigue and brain fog may be symptoms of accumulated toxins in the body and is one of the primary reasons people seek to make changes to their lifestyle. Toxic symptoms may occur when we reach our personal limit of accumulated toxins and are not able to clear them efficiently enough. There is mounting evidence that a growing number of medical conditions are related to the buildup of toxins, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, fatigu

While some people may have a difficult time accepting and adjusting to abrupt changes, others can not only adapt but, in fact, thrive. Resilient people are able to see what are perceived as “adverse” events as an opportunity to grow and branch out in new directions. How do you respond to change? If you are interested in embracing change and growth, then consider these strategies for helping you to build resilience. 1. Practice Gratitude and Optimism Our brains naturally want

When my patients ask me what they can do to naturally optimize their immune health, this is what I tell them: 1. Eat the Rainbow Eat 9-12 servings of plant foods daily of all colors (purple, red, green, yellow, white, and ORANGE!) The phytonutrients/vitamins and minerals in these colors are each essential to your immune health. Particularly important for immune health are the orange colored vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, whole oranges (not juice as it has too much s

Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old healing system from India, is the practice of balancing one’s constitution by using diet, lifestyle and herbal preparations. It is based on the concept that health and wellness depend upon a balance between mind, body and spirit. It relies heavily on living in accordance with the season. Here is what Cheryl McSherry, a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, has to say about staying balanced during the winter season: In Ayurvedic medicine, winter is known

The truth behind idiopathic painful small-fiber neuropathy Idiopathic is defined as a medical condition that arises spontaneously or without a known cause. However, it turns out that the risk factors for idiopathic or small-fiber neuropathy are the same risk factors as for metabolic syndrome. These are the known risk factors for “idiopathic” small-fiber neuropathy (1-4): high blood sugars/insulin resistance high blood triglycerides reduced HDL or the “good cholesterol” high b

Some Idiopathic Neuropathies may be due to Gluten Sensitivity It is estimated that about 1% of the population has celiac disease, a gastrointestinal disorder caused by an autoimmune reaction to the wheat protein, gluten. (1) Celiac disease is definitively diagnosed by antibodies in the blood and intestinal biopsy, but most cases are thought to be undiagnosed. A growing number of individuals, about 8% of the population, avoid gluten and wheat because they feel that they are s

Concerns arise regarding the many possible side-effects of prednisone. People want to know how to avoid the weight gain, hypertension, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, diabetes and bone loss that can be associated with chronic prednisone use. In my experience, there are nutritional and lifestyle interventions that can definitely help to avoid these side-effects. Most of the immune system resides in the digestive tract. That means that what we eat has a direct impact

I don’t believe in avoiding gluten for everyone, I believe in avoiding your typical grocery store loaf of bread. Your bread should have four basic ingredients, ie. flour, salt, leavening and water. These ingredients have been used for centuries, and the beautiful simplicity, make superior loafs. The average grocery story bread has something like 16-24 ingredients. There are all kinds of chemicals used in baking of commercial bread-like products that are best to avoid and h

The traditional sourdough baking process have existed since antiquity, but has been cast aside for the quicker, higher yield and more profitable alternative, the quick rise yeast, which reduces the nutritional content of the bread along with making it harder to digest. The quick rise yeast has taken the place of the long fermentation process and this is one important reason for the rise in digestive symptoms from bread eating. The Sourdough baking process is making a return