My Relationship with Candida

September 25, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 4 Comments

My relationship with Candida began in University, many years ago. I felt tired all of the time, especially after eating. I found myself craving breads, sweets and fruits and having very little self-control when I tried not to eat those foods. Overall I felt foggy (I had difficulty concentrating), weak and sad; almost depressed. I decided that I needed to do something about it.

I had the good fortune that my parents had been to see a medical doctor who was open to healing through diet and other natural means and so they suggested that I see him.

Upon meeting him, he was very frank with me. He told me that from my symptoms and from a few other things that were visible to him (white spots on my fingernails, fungus on my toenails), that I had an overproduction of Candida. I had never heard of this before.Continue Reading

Replenishing Your Gut Flora

September 17, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 9 Comments

What are gut flora?

Gut flora are microorganisms that live in the digestive tracts of animals. In the case of humans, we have about 100 trillion microorganisms in our intestines. Wow. I can hardly even imagine how many that really is. Can you?

Why are gut flora important?

The gut flora in humans are there to help with the following important functions;

to regulate our bowel movements
to regulate our metabolism
to protect us from infection
to support the immune system
to help keep our hormones balanced
to make B Vitamins and Vitamin K
to break down carbohydrates to give us energy and nutrients
to protect us from inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome, type I diabetes and depression (who knew?!)

There are more functions that gut flora are involved in but this gives you an idea as to how important the flora are to our bodies.Continue Reading

Fabulous Benefits of Flax

August 21, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Flax is a plant native to the Mediterranean that has been used as a food item for over 5,000 years.

Flax was brought to North America with the early colonists and was first planted in the United States. In the 17th century, it was planted in Canada, which is currently the major producer of flax seeds.

Flax seeds are shaped like sesame seeds but are a bit bigger. The colours available are usually a dark brown but can also be this light amber colour that you see in the photo above. The flavour of flax seeds is warm and earthy, with a nutty edge. To make sure that you are able to get all of the benefits of the flax seed, eat it ground rather than whole.Continue Reading

Love Your Body. Drink Green Juice.

July 30, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Today, I am going to inspire you to drink green juice.

Let me remind you why you want to drink fresh juice in the first place.

Supercharge your metabolism
Fight disease
Improve digestion
Alkalize the body
Boost your energy
Lose weight naturally
Improve your mind and body

Drinking juices made from green vegetables and herbs increases these benefits significantly. Greens are packed with chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has many extra benefits to the above, including the following…Continue Reading

The Benefits of Carrot Juice

July 24, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 2 Comments

I love juicing all kinds of vegetables, especially greens. I know that some people struggle with the strong taste of juiced greens, especially if they are new to juicing or new to eating more raw vegetables. Carrot juice, combined with green juice, makes for a very palatable drink, even for ‘beginners’ and for children.

There is some controversy regarding carrot juice and the fact that is has a high sugar content. Yes, carrot juice is sweet, but in fact, it is a very good blood sugar regulator due to its carotenoid content.

Carrot juice has many benefits, that once you know about them, you will want to include it in your juice regime, regularly.

Excellent source of vitamins– Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B1, B6
Rich with minerals– Biotin, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and trace minerals
Contains Carotene – well-known, powerful antioxidant
Tops are nutritious– rich with potassium and protein
Contains phyto-nutrients -help heal various diseases
Very cleansing – gets rid of mucus, reduces inflammation and also detoxes the liver

3 Reasons To Read The Ingredients On Packaged Foods

July 2, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Are you worried about the ingredients that are in the packaged foods that you buy?

Why would you want to read the ingredients?

Here are 3 good reasons:

You have the power to make informed choices regarding your health.
You can save money.
You can avoid unnecessary illness and disease.

You’ve Got the Power!

Reading the ingredient list on packaged foods means that you know what foods are going in to your body. You know if this sauce has 17 ingredients, half of which you are unable to pronounce or if there are only 4 ingredients that are all organic and are foods that you may already have in your fridge at home. You can decide what is right for you.Continue Reading

5 Reasons to Eat Asparagus

June 19, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Do you enjoy fresh asparagus? I do! And now is the time to be eating it! Right now it is widely available in my local community. I have a friend who brings me fresh asparagus every week. Yummy!

Why is it good for us?

Rich in protein- 1 cup of asparagus is only 24 calories but half of the calories are derived from protein.
Excellent source of folic acid- 263 micrograms/cup. The optimum daily intake is 400-1200mcg. Folic acid is beneficial in a variety of body process but one of its most important roles is that folic acid works closely with Vitamin B12 in the production of genetic material. This is why the folic acid levels of pregnant women is closely monitored.
High in many vitamins- excellent source of Vitamins C, A, K, B6, B2(riboflavin) and B1(thiamin)- all of these needed to maintain a healthy nervous system.
Good source of dietary fiber– as well as niacin, phosphorus, potassium and iron
Historically used to treat arthritis and rheumatism– According to ‘The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods’ by Michael Murray N.D., ‘asparagus has unique phytochemical antioxidants as well as inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme, which produces inflammatory compounds. Ultimately, this means that asparagus can benefit those with arthritis. Yay!

Of course there are those who are not fond of asparagus because their urine has a strong odour soon after eating asparagus. Well this is just an indication of how well it works as a diuretic. Another yay!

I enjoy finely chopped asparagus added to my salads and also marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette with olive oil.

Here is a different recipe to try…Asparagus Guacamole

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Basic Nut Mylk

June 12, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Almonds have many benefits that I outline in the post called ‘The Almighty Almond’. Almond mylk is a tasty nutritious drink that is very versatile and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, cashews, pecans or your favourite nut
Tiny pinch of sea salt
5 cups water (4 cups if you want it creamier)

Procedure:

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth
If you do not have a high speed blender, soak the almonds overnight first
Strain through a nut mylk bag (this is optional when using cashews)
Add to your favourite smoothie recipe or drink as is.
Will keep for at least 4 days refrigerated but you will need to shake it up before use

Adventurous Variations:
-add 1 vanilla bean or 1 T alcohol-free vanilla extract
-sweeten with ½ cup pitted dates or ¼ cup agave syrup or pinch of stevia
-add 3 T raw cacao powder

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Basic Nut Mylk

Author: Barbara Dolan

Recipe type: Drink

Cuisine: Vegan

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4-5 cups

Ingredients

1 cup almonds, cashews, pecans or your favourite nut
Tiny pinch of sea salt
5 cups water (4 cups if you want it creamier)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth
If you do not have a high speed blender, soak the almonds overnight first
Strain through a nut mylk bag (this is optional when using cashews)
Add to your favourite smoothie recipe or drink as is.
Will keep for at least 4 days refrigerated but you will need to shake it up before use

5 Easy Ways to Add Coconut Oil to Your Daily Diet

May 30, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

My last post was about the benefits of coconut oil. I imagine that some of you are wondering how to eat more of it. Research has shown that 1-2 tablespoons per day is enough to make a difference to your health. In some cases up to 5 tablespoons. I would like to make a few simple suggestions that may help you to add coconut oil to your daily diet.

Remember to choose an organic, unrefined coconut oil such as the one from Maison Orphee.

1. Eat it off the spoon! I will bet that you did not think of that! I think it tastes good, but that is just me. My family would have a comment or two about that!

2. Add a tablespoon or two to your morning smoothie. It will blend easily if you have a high powered blender. If you do not, you could melt the coconut oil and then pour the liquid in. To melt the coconut oil, put some in a small bowl and then place the bowl in hot water for a few minutes.

3. Add melted coconut oil to your morning cereal.

4. Prepare a salad dressing using melted coconut oil and olive oil and toss with your salad.

5. Make energy balls, using coconut oil and snack on a few during the day.

Easy, right? I think so!

Here is a recipe for yummy Energy Balls.

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Juicing Versus Blending

May 14, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

Fresh Vegetable Juice

I am often asked ‘Why do I want to juice? Why can’t I just make smoothies?’ So I thought that I would share with you what I know about this.

Don’t get me wrong, juicing is great and blending is great. You just may want to know the difference so that you can get the most benefit, when you need it.

Juicing

When you juice fresh fruits and vegetables, you, essentially, squeeze the liquid out of the produce and separate it from the pulp (the fibrous part). You only drink the juice and usually you can use the pulp for other recipes.

The great thing about drinking the pure juice is that your body does not have to work to digest it. The juice goes straight to the blood stream and all the nutrients are quickly absorbed there. You could say that it is a liquid supplement! Juicing breaks down the ‘box’ that some minerals are kept in and allows our body to get at it easier. Fresh juice is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and oxygen. It is so wonderfully hydrating for your body as well, especially when you juice greens and sprouts. Juicing helps our body easily get rid of toxins and other wastes. A terrific way to start the day or enjoy a ‘pick me up’ or even end the day!

Blending

When you blend fruits and vegetables in a high speed blender, you get a nice smooth consistency and keep all of the fiber intact. This is beneficial for easy bowel movements. It is quick to prepare smoothies and for people who have difficulty chewing whole foods this would make eating them much easier.

For some people, juicing takes more time. The clean up is the issue. For me, juicing is more beneficial and it is worth it for me to juice and take the time to clean up. When I drink a glass of green juice, I actually feel my body soaking it up. It is incredible.