local, organic, autumn wonderfulness

 

Healthy relaxing low-calorie sweet night-time drink

It's time for Mom to take better care of herself than ever this winter and there is a wonderful, relaxing and indulgent hot sweet drink that I have discovered - great for bed time.

I make an herb tea, any kind, but I like organic mint or chamomile (calming to the tummy), nettle or dandelion (for detoxing properties), then mix a small pinch of green stevia for sweetening (better than the processed clear stevia or white powder because it's just the ground leaf of the herb) then add a bit of organic unsweetened coconut milk (not coconut water).

It's warm, sweet and calming with the added benefits of the herbs. A very simple and nurturing thing to do for yourself last thing at night. I love it!

...an interesting side note for the holidays

When considering how far back our knowledge about the link between digestion and mental/emotional issues go - remember this holiday classic movie quote:

"You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment ...of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"
— Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol)

It seems this connection has been understood through the centuries.

The Magic of Brown Rice

Brown rice is an ultimate choice of grain for most children. Brown rice can serve as a low-glycemic, slow converting and very tasty carbohydrate for getting a multitude of nutrient dense vegetables and herbs into your child. Brown rice has all bran layers intact and thus contains all of its naturally present nutrients. These layers of bran act to protect the grain and to help maintain its fatty acids. Brown rice contains the highest amount of B vitamins out of all grains. Additionally, it contains iron, vitamin E, amino acids, and linoleic acid. Brown rice is high in fiber, extremely low in sodium, and is composed of 80% complex carbohydrates. Because brown rice is a whole food, it takes longer to digest than white rice, providing the body with sustained energy throughout the day. If your child will not ready accept brown rice and used to only white rice, you can make one batch of each kind and start mixing them gradually together, increasing the amounts of brown rice as you go.

Phytic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid in the outer layer or bran. All grains contain phytic acid to some degree, but brown rice contains a relatively high level. Some sources say that eating grains with untreated phytic acid will cause the body to lose bone mass and will eventually lead to overall mineral deficiency. However, soaking brown rice and other grains will eliminate the consequences of phytic acid by producing beneficial enzymes and raising the amount of nutrients present in brown rice. Others believe that un-soaked brown rice is healthier, as it stays in the digestive system longer than soaked grains, thus providing more energy. However when dealing with an inflamed gut lining we always want to make a food as easily digestible as possible, therefore reducing the most amount of inflammation, hence, soaking the grain then cooking it well. Even a thirty to sixty minute soak in water before cooking can help to break down enzymes and proteins, aiding in digestion.

Characteristics
• Generates energy
• Provides the child with the least inflammatory form of grain
• Helps alleviate diarrhea caused by spleen-pancreas deficiency
• Relieves cravings for sweets and high glycemic carbs

Buying & Storing:
Look for quality brown rice that contains a small amount of green grains. I recommend buying organic brown basmati rice because I find basmati to be a slower glycemic conversion rice, causing almost no inflammation. Store in an airtight glass jars in a dark cupboard.

Here is a very basic brown rice recipe just for reference. Below that is more tasty recipe which you child may find more palatable if used to higher flavor levels with problem ingredients such as Chinese restaurant stir fried rice.

Basic Brown Rice (yields 3 cups)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups of water or broth
seasonings to taste

Directions:
• Rinse rice in a bowl of cool water and strain.
• Place all ingredients in a pot with a tight fitting lid.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
• Cover and let simmer for 50 minutes, if you are not experienced with cooking rice, you’ll want to check the rice 10 minutes before the anticipated finish time so you don’t burn the rice (If you do burn it, it is okay, just try it again!)
• Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes then fluff with fork and serve.
May also be prepared in a rice cooker with the same ratio of ingredients.


Brown Basmati Rice To Die For
(They will never miss Chinese stir fry again!)

One quart of organic chicken stock or broth poured into a large sauce pan.
Throw in a few chopped scallions, handful of chopped parsley,
1 small handful of finely chopped kale
1small splash of gluten free Tamari
a large splash of olive oil
a few shakes of garlic powder
a few shakes of sage or thyme
1 teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan salt and ground pepper
Add two cups of brown basmati rice (long grain if you can find it), either soaked or unsoaked.
Stir and bring to a boil then cover and simmer without stirring again, till liquid is absorbed. During this time, you can scramble an egg, then chop the egg and stir that in. Adjust for salt and flavor.
Over time, experiment with adding other veg ingredients.

Delicious Banana Carrot Muffins - "SCD Legal" and Gluten Free

SCD Banana Carrot Muffins
This easy tasty recipe is enjoyed by most picky eaters and is compliant with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as well as Gluten-Free/Casiene-Free




Six Muffins:

1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 Egg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup honey
1 banana
1/2 cup shredded organic carrot

Mix together and spoon mixture into muffin tins.

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Dar Williams, Marshall Crenshaw Sing For Autism Awareness

Dar Williams and Marshall Crenshaw will be among the artists performing at a CD release party for the "Songs of the Spectrum" compilation that benefits SingSOS, a new nonprofit organization designed to use the power of music to spread the word about Autism. The concert, which will be held April 7 at the Bitter End in New York City's Greenwich Village, also will star Christina Courtin, Ari Hest, Fiona McBain of Ollabelle, The Cucumbers and Kelly Flint, according to a Press release. "Songs of the Spectrum," which features original...


Read full story at Live Daily http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Dar-Williams-Marshall-Crenshaw-sing-for-Autism-awareness-3752970.html

Yoko Ono named first Global Autism Ambassador

The wife of late Beatle John Lennon has been named the first Global Autism Ambassador by the Autism Speaks organisation. Yoko Ono at GRAMMY Foundation Starry Night Benefit Honoring Sir George Martin. - Russ Einhorn / Splash News Yoko Ono accepted her honour at a special reception in New York by the group earlier this week. The 77-year-old last year created a piece of artwork called Promise to mark the annual World Autism Awareness Day, which is on April 2. Yoko's Promise art piece was..

Read full story at Monsters & Critics - People http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Yoko-Ono-named-first-Global-Autism-Ambassador-2101385.html