Friday, February 26, 2010

Going Crazy in the Kitchen

Do you enjoy cooking? I didn't used to. Right up until recently, it was just something I had to do to keep me and my family alive.

But God is changing even this old dog. Who says I can't learn new tricks? Between my daughter and daughter-in-law I'm learning how to fix foods the old, natural way. It's a lot of fun! Using The Body Ecology Diet and Nourishing Traditions books together, I've discovered some ways to make my candida dieting much more palatable. For instance, I was under the impression that I should not be eating any grains because of the high carb content. Not so. The B.E.D. diet says there are four grains I can eat that have low glycemic impact. Imagine my joy when I ate a bowlful of millet with clarified butter melted in. Mmmm! And I can make bread out of these grains. Yeehaw! Bread in my life again! I made two batches of bread this week, and they were yummy.

I had a blood allergy test done in December which showed allergies to wheat/gluten, milk, and egg among other things. That motivated me further to try to change my eating habits radically. I can really tell a difference from being off store-bought milk and yogurt. The lactose was evidently too sugary and left me feeling bloated after a smoothie. Now I make smoothies using young coconut kefir and coconut kefir cheese, raw greens, pure cranberry and/or lemon juice, and stevia. If I ever do get the candida symptoms to go away, I'll try throwing in some fruit.

We have started buying some organic products. I was amazed to find how sweet a batch of fresh organic chard was--it was actually sweet like beets, not bitter at all. And my new favorite green is Italian kale. Stir-fry it with some olive oil or coconut oil (organic of course) or butter and some onions. MMMM!

I'm also soaking all of the grains, seeds and nuts overnight before cooking or eating them. I use coconut kefir. This ensures that the grains are digestible enough, and actually neutralizes any phytic acid or enzyme inhibitors in the grains/seeds that lead to poor absorption of minerals and, ultimately, tooth decay. What a wonder to find out that teeth can re-calcify if we are taking these precautions and eating pre-soaked or sprouted grains in our diet!

Thank you, all you ladies in my life who have helped gently prod me on this journey. There have been half a dozen who have shared this or that gem and helped me down this new adventure. And thank you, Lord, for giving me the strength to be on my feet more than I have in years, as I work with joy in the kitchen.

My husband is not so crazy about the changes. My bread wasn't his favorite. And even I didn't much enjoy the beef liver I served a couple of weeks ago. He chokes at the price we are paying for raw milk now. But he is being a good sport. Maybe my increasing strength is convincing him to put up with it all.

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