Sarah's Chocolate Chip - Flaxmeal Cookies

My sister in love, Sarah, (we discarded of the term "in law" early on in our relationship) created this very healthy and gluten-free cookie recipe. Test results of randomized placebo-controlled studies in my kitchen reveal that these cookies are loved by both gluten-free and "civilian" folks alike. The addition of chocolate chips can add a healthful element if you choose the darkest chocolate with the lowest sugar content. Dark chocolate is the most potent antioxidant that we have. Another delicious combo is date/nut. Flaxmeal binds toxins and hormones in the GI tract aiding in their elimination. Molasses is loaded with iron, magnesium and B vitamins. I let my kids eat these freely. Enjoy!

Sarah's Chocolate Chip - Flaxmeal Cookies

1 C. Organic (preferably from grass-fed cows)Butter
1/2 C. Rapadura Sugar or Maple Syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. ground flax meal
1 C. brown rice flour (if you don't want to make them gluten-free any flour will do)
as many dates, raisins, dark chocolate chips and nuts as you desire

optional:
1 tsp molasses
1/4 C. almond meal (optional - adds protein and flavor)

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and/or molasses. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet. Add dates, raisins or chocolate chips as desired. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 F for 8-10 min. Let cool before attempting to remove from cookie sheet.

Why We Need To Limit Sugar

In the 1800s, the average American consumed 12 pounds of sugar per year. By 1975 after the overwhelming success of the refined-food industry, the 12 pounds had jumped to 118 pounds per year, and jumped again to 137.5 pounds per capita (for every man, woman, and child) by 1990. (Food Consumption, Prices and Expenditures, United States Department of Agriculture, 1991).

The topic of children’s behavior being affected by sugar is hotly debated. Controlled studies have have not found hypoglycemia in children who have consumed large amounts of sugar. Yet this topic comes up again and again as parents and people who work closely with children are certain of changes in children’s behavior after they’ve eaten sugar.

Interestingly, an article appeared in the February 1996 edition of the "Journal of Pediatrics" which contrasted with prior studies as it not only measured blood sugar levels but also took into account the release of adrenaline when blood sugar levels fall. It is well established that as the blood glucose level drops a compensatory release of adrenaline occurs (this is a survival mechanism which ultimately stimulates the body to release glucose from storage in the case that a meal is not coming). When the blood glucose level falls below normal, the resulting situation is called hypoglycemia. Signs and symptoms that accompany this include shakiness, sweating, and altered thinking and behavior.

The study demonstrated that this adrenaline release occurs at higher glucose levels in children than it does in adults. In children, it occurs at a blood sugar level that would not be considered hypoglycemic in adults. The authors reason that the problem is not sugar, per se, but highly refined sugars and carbohydrates, which enter the bloodstream quickly and produce more rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

In another study scientists found that in addition to children having the adrenaline release sooner than adults, it is also twice as high as adults and remains elevated for an extended period. Symptoms of this “fight or flight” state induced by the hormone Epinephrine(adrenaline)is shakiness, anxiety, excitement and concentration problems.

Giving your child meals that contain fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and protein (nuts, beans, eggs, meats, fish, poultry) will help to stabilize blood sugar levels preventing the early adrenaline surge, and ensuring a consistent amount of time between snacks and meals will prevent hypoglycemia. I don't know about you, but for me shakiness, anxiety, excitement, sweating, altered behavior and concentration problems are NOT what my children (and I) need in our day.

The other concern related to children eating sugar is the link between sugar and cancer. “Sugar feeds cancer” is a statement that we should all be familiar with. The short explanation for a complicated process is that sugar ultimately changes the pH of body tissues rendering it a more favorable environment for cancer to proliferate, fatiguing the body and interfering with the assimilation of nutrition. This refers mainly to the sugar sucrose, or white table sugar, and is not the same with fructose, or naturally occurring sugar from fruit which, due to the high fiber content, creates a slower more sustained glycemic curve with fewer deleterious health effects.

More healthy alternatives to sugar are maple syrup, agave syrup, raw honey (for children over 14 months)and Rapadura sugar from dehydrated sugar cane. Maple syrup is minimally processed and still retains many nutritional properties. Agave and raw honey are raw, unprocessed foods. Dehydrated sugar cane still maintains many trace minerals, contains fiber and is also considered a minimally processed whole food. I have had great success simply halving the suggested amounts of sugar in recipes, and replacing "sugar" with the alternatives listed above. The delicious treats you make with these sugar alternatives will satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

Sources:
Dr. Greene.com
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/10/08/sugar-cancer-part-one.aspx
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE2DB173FF936A25750C0A963958260

Pie For Breakfast

When I was a kid, my dad would occasionally eat leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast. I thought it was the ultimate in adult self-indulgence. When it was offered to me it just felt too hedonistic, even for a kid. That would be something that I would earn over time, along with wrinkles and paying for babysitters…

So here I am, a hundred years later, having met the above qualifications outlined by my juvenile sensibilities. And what do I do with my adult liberties? Feed pie to my kids for breakfast! Not because I am making up for my childhood asceticism, but because I am confident in the healthy ingredients making for a nutritious meal. Not only do I feed them pie, but also rice pudding. Both are staples in our home; they make great after-school snacks and dessert, the amount of sugar can be modified, extra eggs can be added, you can use your choice of milk, and one can choose to use a pie crust or not. We make more “pudding” than actual pie in our home. Keep in mind that anytime you combine milk, eggs and heat, it will eventually gel into a custard, the exact proportions can vary. The texture will be dictated by the ratio of eggs to milk.

My youngest, Xander, who is almost two, has a legendary “thing” for pie. It was one of his first words – sounds more like “bye” than pie. It can be a bit deflating to pull a toddler out of his crib first thing in the morning to be met with “Bye!” unless one knows how to read the timing and inflection. Regardless, today was his lucky morning. Links to recipes for his waking delights: Pumpkin Pie (or pudding), Almond Pie Crust (gluten-free!).

Pumpkin Pie with Almond Crust (gluten-free!)

Pumpkin Pie (or pudding)
1 can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup cream or any kind of milk (cow's, rice, almond, etc)
1/4 C. maple syrup plus 2 Tbsp. molasses* (or 1/3 cup maple syrup)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla

Blend, pour into crust or greased baking dish and bake at 350F 35-45 min. Serve with whipped cream!

*The molasses will make the pie much darker, more brown than orange, and it will add a lot of flavor and nutrition. Molasses is naturally high in iron, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins.

Almond Crust
Adults love this but sometimes it is too rich for the wee ones. Give it a try and if they don’t like it, have them scoop out the filling and you can eat their crust!

1 cup ground almonds (aka “almond meal”)

¾ cup rice flour (any flour will do, just keep in mind that some flours are more absorbent than others requiring additional shortening)

3/8 cup butter, melted, or coconut oil

¼ cup Rapadura Whole Organic Sugar*

¼ tsp sea salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine and press into buttered and floured pie pan. Add pie filling and cook according to pie recipe. Any crust that sticks out above pie filling will get quite dark.

You can also pre-bake at 325 F for 30 min. for a fully baked pie crust for cold or pre-cooked pie filling. A great alternative to a graham cracker crust!

* Rapadura Whole Organic Sugar is dried, unrefined, naturally evaporated sugar cane juice. The processing method allows the sugar to retain its original natural vitamins and minerals and in the end it is still a “whole food” unlike the white refined sugar found in packaged and processed foods.

Almond Pie Crust

Adults love this but sometimes it is too rich for the wee ones. Give it a try and if they don’t like it, have them scoop out the filling and you can eat their crust!

1 cup ground almonds (aka “almond meal”)
¾ cup rice flour (any flour will do, just keep in mind that some flours are more absorbent than others requiring additional shortening)
3/8 cup butter, melted, or coconut oil
¼ cup Rapadura Whole Organic Sugar*
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine and press into buttered and floured pie pan. Add pie filling and cook according to pie recipe. Any crust that sticks out above pie filling will get quite dark.

You can also pre-bake at 325 F for 30 min. for a fully baked pie crust for cold or pre-cooked pie filling. A great alternative to a graham cracker crust!

* Rapadura Whole Organic Sugar is dried, unrefined, naturally evaporated sugar cane juice. The processing method allows the sugar to retain its original natural vitamins and minerals and in the end it is still a “whole food” unlike the white refined sugar found in packaged and processed foods.

Rice Pudding

This recipe is modified from my well-worn copy of The Joy of Cooking. Whenever I make brown rice for a meal I make extra so that we have it available for rice pudding. It is easy to cook the rice pudding in the oven at night before bed, refrigerate it and have a nutritious breakfast waiting for the family in the morning!

1-2 c. of cooked brown rice, set aside. (If you use less rice it will be more custard-ey, if you use more rice the rice will absorb much of the moisture and it will be starchier, almost loaf-like.)

Combine and beat well, then add to rice:
1 1/3 c. milk
1/8 tsp sea salt
4-6 Tbsp. Rapadura sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Add:
1/3 c. raisins, dates or currants. Coconut can be a great addition too.

Grease a baking dish (the depth and size of the dish will influence how long the custard needs to cook.) Put mixture in dish and bake at 350 until set, about 45 min. 6-8 servings.

Food Sensitivities in Children – An Introduction

I used to think that “food sensitivities” were merely a convenient excuse for neurotic parents to explain less than desirable behavior in their children… until I became a teacher. As a Montessori teacher of 3-6 year olds, I became vaguely aware of behavior changing for the worse after lunch: attention spans diminished, and cooperation and motivation were lacking compared to the morning. I didn’t make a direct correlation between food and behavior as there were other assumed reasons for the afternoon change: they just came in from being outside, they were tired, they had held it together all day and needed to let it all hang out after lunch. Then along came Carl and there was no longer a question in my mind of the correlation between food and behavior.

Carl was a lovely 4 year old boy who had been in my class for a year. He was helpful, pleasant, smart, a hard worker and a contributor to the community. He was the “cooperative” child earmarked to work with the student teachers. One day his mother told me that he was exhibiting undesirable behavior at home, that they suspected he was allergic to wheat, and he could no longer have the crackers we served for snack. That seemed a little over the top to me as I had never noticed any questionable behavior in Carl, but I agreed to help him remember not to eat the school crackers and to instead eat his crackers from home. One day after snack we were having circle time when a lot of giggling broke out. I looked around and noticed Carl’s body sitting calmly, but his face was continually contorting into grotesque visages beyond the scope of your average four year old - there was practically smoke coming out of his ears. I asked him to stop, which would normally settle the issue, but instead he continued making the faces. It was at that point that I realized that he couldn’t stop; he looked straight ahead and continued to contort his face, without laughing or looking around at the other children.

After the circle my assistant and I did some investigating and learned that Carl had, in fact, eaten some wheat crackers for snack. His facial contortions seemed to be involuntary and related to the discomfort that he felt in his body as a result of eating a food to which he was sensitive. Watching Carl’s behavior was as if a switch had gone off, a veritable Jekyll and Hyde reaction; the next day he was his usual calm and cooperative self.

While this is an extreme example, it is a crystal clear picture of food sensitivity. Different children will display food sensitivities in different ways. Below are a list of signs that may indicate that your child is sensitive to a food he or she is eating:

Spaciness
Headaches
Stomach aches
Runny nose
Sneezing
Loose stools
Chronic colds, flus, sore throats
Chronic ear infections
Constipation
Restlessness
Hyperactivity
Dark circles under the eyes
Skin rashes
Asthma
Allergies
Tiredness
Stomach Aches
Irritability
Lethargy
Tiredness
Low Mood

The foods that seem to be the biggest culprits are the ones containing the largest proteins: gluten-containing grains (barley, wheat, spelt, rye), dairy products, soy products and eggs. A further list of potential culprits unrelated to large proteins include chocolate, nuts, fruit (citrus in particular), potato, corn, coffee, tomatoes, refined white sugar, and food/chemical additives such as aspartame/Nutra-Sweet, artificial colors and flavors and MSG. In my practice I have observed gluten to be the biggest culprit, and have seen most other food sensitivities melt away when gluten is avoided. This is why I call gluten “the mother of all food sensitivities.” Keep in mind that every person with food sensitivities will react differently depending on their body’s weaknesses. In my own three children I have seen reactions to wheat and gluten consist of dark circles, bowel inconsistencies, stomach aches, headaches, asthma, bloating, chronic colds, erratic behavior and even hives. I have seen sensitivity to almonds and bananas in the form of skin rashes, and to dairy in the form of frequent colds, loose stools and chronic congestion. A classic reaction to dairy products is eczema.

Why do children react to certain foods?
Occasionally our bodies will become sensitized to a food that has been a mainstay in our diets. It may simply create irritation or stimulate an immune response. “Inflammation” is the process of histamines and other chemicals being released by tissues to commence an immunological attack on a foreign body. Think about your nose when you have a cold, your throat when you have the flu or your stomach when you eat a tainted food. Each example is the body’s way to clear out the offending organism by increasing blood flow to the area which brings increased immune factors, which increases mucous and creates swelling. Occasionally, certain foods are mistakenly recognized as a threat and are given the same treatment as a foreign organism. Another possibility is that a food may simply irritate the gastrointestinal system, which in turn can create obvious symtpoms of gas and bloating, or seemingly unrelated symptoms such as skin rashes and eczema. The only way to turn off these unnecessary reactions is by avoiding the food in question.

Once the body has the chance to rest and heal from its overreaction to a food, the food can be reintroduced in small quantities with a close eye on any resulting symptoms. This is the “gold standard” in terms of measuring a body’s reaction to a certain food – avoidance and reintroduction. If during the time of reintroduction the food continues to create adverse symptoms, it must be avoided for another length of time (usually 2-4 weeks) and then reintroduced as before. In the meantime one has learned to substitute other foods and is less reliant on the food in question.

Children are a particularly elegant “litmus test” in terms of food sensitivities as their bodies are so untainted in comparison to an adult’s. Their reactions are much more obvious as they have not yet learned to ignore their body’s signals, or to compensate for discomfort, and parents with a watchful eye are apt to notice subtle changes, especially after a food has been avoided for a couple weeks. People often assume that a food sensitivity must elicit gastrointenstinal symptoms. I state emphatically that GI symptoms are only one example of many possible reactions that a child might experience from an offending food. Some children experience physical symptoms like a rash or headache, others emotional/behavioral sequelae like Carl and for some growth inconsistencies. Each child's response is going to be different depending on his or her weak spot. Think about yourself, are you one to get frequent colds, headaches, back pain? Children have their weaknesses too; even at a tender age they are revealing their basic consitutions.

There is so much more to say on this subject. I will devote subsequent postings to practical tips on how to remove certain foods from one’s diet, including substitutions, shopping lists, and recipes, and more detail on certain food sensitivities, genetics and familial tendencies. I encourage parents to listen more closely when your child complains of discomfort, put on you investigator hat and assume that there is merit to your children’s comments, especially if you notice that there is a pattern or regularity to their complaints. Consider that a food may be causing your child discomfort and notice if there are complaints after certain foods are eaten, keeping the most watchful eye out for the four proteins mentioned above (gluten, dairy, soy and eggs). You may even consider starting a "food and symptom journal" which may help you to keep track of foods and their side effects. In many ways our children are wiser than we are, we owe it to them to listen.

A licensed Naturopathic Physician (ND or NMD)can help you identify food sensitivites by doing testing or guiding you through elimination and reintroduction. There are a number of great websites devoted to support for folks with food sensitivities.

Ellery's Peanut Butter Cookies

My 9 year old daughter Ellery has been gluten-free since she was 6. Due to her dietary limitations and her love of all baked goods, she has become quite the experimenter in the kitchen. This recipe evolved as a result of lacking ingredients for another recipe that we were trying to make, so we used what we had and we liked this one better! Enjoy.

1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C. honey or maple syrup
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 C. peanut butter (cashew or almond butter or a mixture of all three works too)
1 C. Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo/Fava flour mix
1 C. brown rice flour
1 C. corn flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
optional: raisins, chocolate chips, coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter, oil, honey, molasses, eggs, vanilla and peanut butter together in large bowl. In medium size bowl mix all dry ingredients, add to liquids and mix well. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Flatten with moistened fork and bake 10-12 min. until light brown. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Boxed Lunch Meals Made Interesting

Think outside the box... the lunchbox that is! Kids love the ingredients that go inside sandwiches, why not give it to them in containers without the bread for a change? Some kids like to be surprised, others like routine, so experiment according to your child’s comfort level. I always make my daughter’s lunch in the morning with her input, so there are no disappointing surprises at lunch time. Of course surprises that you know will be pleasant are always ok to sneak in!

Keep lots of little containers on hand for small amounts of foods: raisins, nuts, dips for raw veggies, small chunks of cheese, dried fruit, etc. as an alternative to sandwiches. Many health food stores* have a variety of sulphite-free dried fruit such as blueberries, mangoes, bing cherries, strawberries and of course raisins.

Nitrite free sandwich meats - also found in health-oriented stores.

Nut butters* – Try cashew, macadamia, almond, sesame. They are great on apples, pears and carrots and of course celery. My daughter mixes nut butters with butter and a bit of honey and dips carrots and apples into it.

Mini carrots with a container of salad dressing for dipping. Raw or lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower and green beans may also be appealing.

Applesauce, perhaps with toasted almonds* and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Plain yogurt in little containers with a little jam or honey or maple syrup for sweetener

Small salads or raw veggies with little containers of salad dressing or hummous for dipping. We love Annie’s natural salad dressings for dipping*.

Apple or pear slices to dip in nut butters

Cheese quesadillas made with whole grain, rice or corn tortillas (to be reheated at lunch time)

Healthy cookies (see Ellery's Peanut Butter Cookies)

Hard Boiled Eggs

Avocado or bell pepper slices

Nut butter-apple-raisin sandwiches, or nut butter-banana-honey sandwiches on whole grain bread

Nuts – cashews are great because they are not technically a nut, but rather a seed. They can be easier to digest and softer to chew than other nuts.

Rice cracker and nut butter sandwiches, or mini-pancake sandwiches(see Gluten-Free Pancakes)

*If you are fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe's in your vicinity, get in there! They have a great variety of dried fruits, nuts and nut butters, as well as high quality butter, local eggs and an ever-increasing supply of organic produce and products, all at a reasonable price. They also publish a list of all their gluten-free foods that you can request. http://www.traderjoes.com/

Kid-Friendly Baked Chicken

This is something that I concocted after my third child was born. Our meals were suffering as "the witching hour" corresponded with dinner prep time. One night I had a package of chicken thighs on hand and no time to prepare it. In a moment of desperation, I threw the chicken thighs into a baking dish, poured olive oil and soy sauce over the top, threw it all in the oven and said a little prayer. What resulted was a big hit with the kids (and adults!), and is now a staple in our home.

Ingredients:

One package bone-in, skin-on organic chicken thighs
One package bone-in, skin-on organic chicken legs
(figure one thigh and one leg per child)
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

Place chicken on 9 x 12 glass baking dish. Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup soy sauce in a bowl. Increase amounts of liquid for larger quantities, keeping in mind that the chicken will make its own juice that will mix with the sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes, or until the meat next to the bone is cooked. Enjoy with brown rice, steamed broccoli with butter and a simple salad or raw vegetables. The sauce is delicious poured over the chicken, rice and broccoli, so be sure to make plenty this recipe can also be made with boneless, skinless chicken. The bones and the skin add more nutrition and flavor.

Children Need Whole Foods

Feeding our children doesn’t have to be something that requires a lot of thought or education. It is a simple task, one that we partake in several times a day. Yet it can be daunting to even the most shrewd, creative and nutrition-conscious of parents. How have we, as a culture, as parents, fallen into this abyss of not knowing how to achieve the most primal task of nourishing ourselves and our offspring? Why does just thinking about planning and preparing a meal elicit groans and rebellion from adult and child alike?

Choices: there are too many of them. We have lost our instincts about how to nourish ourselves due the the mass marketing of food and the plethora of ingredients often present in packaged foods. Who would have ever thought, in the early days of mass marketed food, that increased food choices would close doors to so many basic healthy foods by overwhelming our senses and shutting down our basic instincts?

The answer to the question of healthy eating is simple: whole foods. Not crackers, chips, cereals, waffles, pasta and bread; but vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, beans, dairy products and whole grains. Does that mean that we should never eat foods that aren’t whole? No. I truly believe that the stress induced by the attempt to eat completely counter to the modern world can create problems more serious than lack of nutrition. The above mentioned foods have their place in our diets if we desire them, albeit a small place. Moderation is the key point here, keeping in mind that the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is anything but moderate.

A simple whole-food formula to keep in mind for meal preparation is this:
protein
fruits and vegetables
whole grains

These are the foods that contain the raw material to fuel the biochechemical processes in our bodies. Make sure that your child has some of each with each meal. Keep the emphasis on the protein and fruits and vegetables because if you are like most folks, the crackers, chips and cookies have their ways of sneaking into our mouths throughout the day as they tend to be our "default" foods. Watch this blog for examples of the above foods, plus specific meal ideas. In the meantime, enjoy the recipe for Kid-Friendly Baked Chicken!

In the beginning/Delicious Gluten-Free Pancakes

Pancakes are a staple in our home. We eat them for breakfast, make sandwiches out of them, serve them with soup and snack on them throughout the day. My favorite way to eat them is spread with butter and almond butter and smothered in apple sauce! If you dry the pancakes out in a warm oven they are like crackers.

A trick for protecting teeth and making precious maple syrup last: melt butter and/or coconut oil and add 1 tsp. maple syrup per child.

Delicious Gluten-Free Pancakes

There are three kinds of flour you will need:
Buckwheat
Brown Rice
Corn Meal (coarse, fine or medium grind depending on you preference)

You can play with the grains to get the ratio that your family prefers. When we make them, they are different every time, depending on what flours are available!

Ideally you will soak your grains overnight in 2 cups water with 2 tbsp lemon juice (makes it easier to digest the grains), but if you don’t get to that you can prepare your pancakes in the morning using this recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 cups water
2 eggs
½ tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Baking soda
2 Tbsp. Olive oil, melted coconut oil or butter

Other possible grain combinations: 1 C. cornmeal, and 1/2 C. each brown rice flour and buckwheat flour; Or 1 C. buckwheat flour, and 1/2 C. each corn meal and brown rice flour.

Soak flour in water with 2 Tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl over night in warm place covered with a plate.

Stir in other ingredients and thin to desired consistency with water

Cook on a hot, oiled griddle (butter, olive oil or coconut oil) or in a cast-iron skillet. They cook more slowly when the grains are soaked overnight. The texture will be chewy and the taste slightly sour.

Experiment with different combinations of the flours, you can’t go wrong and the variation will keep you interested.

(adapted from Nourishing Traditions)

Welcome...

I love to share food: with my family, friends and patients. Food is more than just fuel for this exquisitely designed human body that we inhabit; it is also medicine, culture, and love. I believe that within each of us is the wisdom to nourish ourselves and our loved ones, we’ve simply lost touch with this wisdom over time due to the rise of industrialized foods. Join me as we rediscover real, whole food, and explore simple, delicious and nutritious meals. My goal is that this blog will be both educational and fun, with recipes, resources and practical tips to support your family’s healthy eating. I welcome your questions and comments. A sante!