Before you read on to the recipe, just a quick note about bananas. If you are fighting any kind of infection or disease you think may be caused by mold (fungus) eat bananas in moderation due to their sugar content. Over at Know The Cause, Doug Kaufmann suggests while one the phase II diet, a banana here and there may be permissible, but if symptoms return, it may be a fruit you want to eliminate. Read more on bananas at Know The Cause here, then go enjoy this ultra moist banana bread recipe!
Do any of you remember the odd death of actress Brittany Murphy who died at the age of 32? Then the equally odd death of her 40 year old husband just five months later? The cause of death for both was ruled to be phenomena. Initially the idea of toxic mold was ruled out by the coroner and by Brittany’s mother (who developed breast cancer and neuropathy while living in that same home) but years later changed her mind after toxic mold was discovered in the home. To read more on this story click here.
After coming across the above article, and because of the countless emails I receive from people who suspect their health problems may be linked to mold in their home, Bob and I will be putting out a video next month that will cover not only how to detect mold in your home but what to do if you find it. Our hope is to simplify a seemingly overwhelming task. We’ve been through it and it’s really not. Stay tuned!
Banana Bread
Erin Porter
Enjoy this healthy ultra moist banana bread recipe!
“Sometimes marriage is like having an annoying roommate, but mostly it’s like getting to have a sleep over every night with your very best friend” unknown
Last year in my post “12 Things the First Year of Marriage Has Taught Me“, I wrote about how much we grew our first year as husband and wife, but that as we grow, there is always pain involved because we are being stretched. This year there was a lot less stretching and a lot more melding. The way I see it now, the first year is for “ironing”. Proverbs 27:17 says, as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens another friend. To sharpen something means to grind away abrasiveness, to improve, and to increase smoothness and become more polished. A husband or wife is someone who will lovingly challenge (sharpen) you to become better, to be more patient, and to grow in areas that you yourself know you need to come up higher. And as we sharpen each other, negative attitudes and bad habits are softened ever so gradually until those imperfections are eventually removed. The process can be a bit painful but what follows is simply beautiful.
Instead of listing things I learned this year, I decided instead to publicly thank the guy who is my everything behind the scenes. He is not only my husband, but he’s my business partner, my personal IT department, my confidant, my teacher, my shoulder to cry on, my favorite comedian, and my best friend. A guy who never once made me feel like my health issues were a burden neither financially or in any other way. This guy came along on doctors appointments (many of them out of the state), then there were all the medications (that were mostly paid out of our own pocket), and then there was the endless amounts of money and work we had to put into our home to keep me “healthy”. A guy who also believed in me when (out of the blue) I told him I felt strongly that I needed to “start a blog”. Without question, his immediate response was “then we need to do it” , then he got busy working with me tirelessly for five months until it went live. Bob, you protect me, guide me, you laugh with and at me, and you show me love like nobody before you. I thank God every day for you and I am a better person for having you in my life.
Happy anniversary Bob. I love you.
This picture was taken about ONE minute before Bob unexpectedly proposed.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Erin Porter
Try this quick and healthy Chocolate Covered Strawberry recipe!
1/2cupCashew butter(use a cashew butter that has been in the refrigerator)
1tbspCoco powder unsweetened(add another tsp for more chocolate flavor. I use equal exchange)
4 1/2tbspOat flour
1/2tspMaple syrup
1/2tspVanilla
2 1/2tbspHealthy simple syrup(this is simply boiling 2 1/2 tbsp of xylitol with 2 1/2 tbsp of water.)
pinchSalt
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in food processor.
Chill the "dough" in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Cut the tops off of the strawberries.
Take small pieces of dough and roll into balls a bit smaller than a golf ball.
Flatten out that ball into a circle. Place a strawberry flat side down on the chocolate circle. Work with the chocolate to cover the strawberry, then take it in your hand and make a ball again until you can no longer see the berry.
Notes
Makes about 8-10 chocolate covered strawberries. Great for anniversaries or Valentines day when you still want something sweet and romantic to eat but you don't want to cheat by eating a lot of sugar!Kaufmann 2 Diet (Kaufmann Phase II)
I am very excited about this new “kid friendly” yogurt we have been making lately. Far and few in between are the days our kids sit down to the standard American bowl of cereal. It wasn’t easy finding alternatives (at first) but once my passion became revamping junk food into something healing and healthy for the body, it became a breeze. Not quite convinced cereal is that bad for you? Read my post on the topic here. Back when I was “all things junk food” if I wasn’t feeding my son cocoa puffs and cap’n crunch, I was giving him candy yogurts like the one pictured below. I remember actually feeling good about giving him that artificially flavored and colored, sugary, breakfast because it was after all, “yogurt”. Fast forward some years and once you really delve into the world of food it truly is fascinating. In America we tend to take a food that started off healthy, and modify and process it until there is little to no nutrition left, but with the added bonus of artificial colors, dyes, and other carcinogens. It really is no wonder so many of us don’t feel well a lot of the time. So lets compare this store bought yogurt with the homemade version you can make under two minutes at home.
Store bought yogurt:
In just the m&m’s alone you will find blue#1 and #2, red #40, yellow #5 and #6 (among other unwanted ingredients) and once you realize what these dyes do to your body it really is scary. These dyes have been shown to cause cancerous tumors, hyperactivity, asthma, and allergies (just for starters). The yogurt itself has 21g of sugar (29g once you add the m&m’s).
Compare to homemade Strawberry yogurt smoothie:
Greek Yogurt – the probiotics are one of the most exciting ingredients in yogurt! 80% of your immune system is in our gut so gut health is crucial. Along with needed daily vitamins, yogurt is packed with protein and calcium to protect the bones and muscles as well as potassium. Greek yogurt is also more creamy and less tangy than regular yogurt making it more palatable, at least to our children.
Strawberries- strawberries are anti-fungal, they boost immunity, help fight against cancer, and help fight bad cholesterol.
Avocado- an avocado has more potassium than a banana! They are great for eye site, weight loss, are high in fiber, and contain heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
Coconut Water – coconut water has been deemed nature’s electrolytes. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Including potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
Enjoy!
Kid Friendly Breakfast Yogurt with Homemade Granola Topping
Erin Porter
Try this quick and healthy kid approved Yogurt and granola breakfast recipe.
Definition of perfectionism- a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection. With that definition now you can see how perfectionism and anxiety can go together. I thought it was a great time to repost this as I had a less than perfect experience professionally last month. When I am through licking my wounds I will share my story with all of you, but this all just a part of life we have to accept. Things will not always be perfection. I have also included my “perfect bbq chicken pizza” recipe below.
Perfectionism Causes Anxiety
Wehear a lot of people throw around the idea that they are a “perfectionist”. The self proclaimed perfectionists usually wear it like a badge of honor and are somehow even more perfect for letting the world know they are perfectionists. Let me tell you from a true perfectionists point of view. It is NOT a good thing.
I have been holding onto this recipe for almost two months. Why didn’t I release it? I was not happy with the picture below (scroll down to see imperfect photo) that went along with the recipe. Why not, you ask? The spinach looks wilted. It’s not actually wilted, we all know this is just what cooked spinach looks like. But in food photography, most food you prepare for a photo actually gets photographed BEFORE it’s fully cooked, just for this reason.
Dislikes continued -the tomatoes in the background are dented, and the extra bbq sauce I sprinkled on top for a “yummy effect” ended up looking more like a crime scene. So I waited. And waited some more, until I had time to re-do the shoot so everything could be picture perfect. See perfect picture above (spoken in jest). It got me thinking, or realizing something about myself. Real life is not full of do overs, and nothing is always picture perfect! And your pizza WILL actually look more like the bottom picture when you take it out of the oven so don’t make my perfect picture above make you feel bad about yourself.
Stop Waiting For Everything To Be Perfect
So now, instead of beating yourself up and feeling bad that your homemade pizza did not turn out as beautiful as my perfect picture above, you can feel good about yourself while you are eating your pizza. This picture below is much more like real life. Messy, imperfect, full of mistakes, sometimes a little battered, but still delicious! The sooner we accept ourselves and stop trying to be perfect the less anxious we will be.
Embrace The Fact That You Are Not Perfect
I am learning to embrace and accept the fact that I am not perfect and I am trying hard not to strive for perfection. In the past, if I wasn’t my best on any given day as a wife, a mother, a friend, or at work, I felt as if I had to start all over from scratch and try to be perfect the next day.
What does that type of thinking lead to? Feelings of not being deserving, as well as it creates expectations of others to do everything in the same manner we would, and it sets us up for perpetual failure. As the saying goes,“Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.”Easing up on ourselves and learning to enjoy those imperfect moments helps us gain a sense of calm. If I allow myself to look at the positive side of things, my original imperfect pizza photo lead me to write this perfect post. Kidding (sort of).
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Erin Porter
Enjoy this quick and easy gluten free Barbeque Chicken Pizza!
This Berry Cashew Butter smoothie is the perfect post workout smoothie! But first let me clarity something. When I say workout, what I really mean is my 30 minute walk or bike ride in the morning and evenings. I have never been convinced my body needed some vigorous workout to be healthy and stay fit. Those of you who know my story, know in my past I had chronic fatigue, which for those of you that suffer with this, know it doesn’t lend itself much to workouts anyway. Especially when even the most menial tasks in life take all of the strength and energy you’ve got. Chronic Fatigue has been behind me for many years now but I still take steps everyday to continue to heal my body and keep it strong so that it can fight off whatever it needs to.
Get moving out in the sunshine. There are a couple reasons for this. The sun is a natural anti-fungal and walking, biking, and just moving period is great for our body, mind, and our souls! When I’m feeling down, confused about something, or restless, I take a walk, pray about it, and I always come back home feeling like a new person!
Nourish your body with good food. If you are not used to eating right start small. Start your day with a power breakfast and know that you made at least one contribution toward a healthy lifestyle that day.
Hang out with someone that makes you laugh. No funny friends? Then watch something that makes you laugh! Proverbs 17:22 says a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drains one’s strength.
Probiotics – (this smoothie recipe contains probiotics from the yogurt). I take them everyday and I will continue to take them for life. 80 % of our immune system lies in our gut and when you have been on antibiotics, drink a lot of alcohol, or eat an unhealthy diet the good bacteria needs to be replaced or disease starts to creep in.
Do something for someone else. Taking our mind off ourselves and helping to make someone else’s life happier, easier, and more fun is healing in itself!
Okay, so I am adding an extra step. Detox your body and think ADD and REMOVE. ADD fresh organic food, green juices, wonderful supplements such as fish oil and vitamins you are known to be deficient in and REMOVE. REMOVE toxins with binders and detoxing supplements. These steps can go a long way in body recovery!. How do you know what you are deficient in? Read my article here titled “Advice I would give my chronically ill teenage self”.
1/4cupCoconut water(If you like it sweet you can add a little monk fruit or stevia to taste)
Instructions
Blend all ingredients in bullet or blender.
Notes
Kaufmann 2 Diet (Kaufmann Phase 2)Cashew butter can help repair and help maximize muscle repair after exercise. Yogurt contains probiotics which is needed for gut health and to strengthen your immune system. Berries are a wonderful anti-fungal and help ward off cancer. Coconut water is full of electrolytes as well as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Best Banana Pudding Recipe with Cashew Butter : Here’s How.
There is one disease I forgot to mention I had in the past (or so I thought it was in the past). It’s called please like medisease. It’s painful and debilitating and the side effects are just horrible. If you find yourself suffering from this dreaded disease, don’t despair! Read on, there is help!
Wouldn’t you know it, just when you think an old habit is behind you, something happens in life and it rears its ugly head. For many (too many) years of my life I worried and fretted over what everyone thought of me and somebody not liking me was the end of the world. Sound familiar to you? The game changer for me was something I heard over a decade ago and that was all it would take to set me free. And that is… 10% of people will not like me! Or you! It doesn’t matter how nice you are to them, how giving, how funny, how smart, how helpful, they will not like you! If you read my blog you have read about this important revelation before, and you will read it again and again because for me it was a life changer! If you suffer from please like me disease, I hope it also becomes your life changer. Now, what do we do with this information? Do we spend our energy proving to the 10% why they should like us? Or does it sound less self destructive to spend our energy on the 90% that adore and cherish us? So how did this old habit slip back in you ask?
Recently someone I knew demonstrated in a not so subtle way that they did not like me. Did I brush it off and mentally put them in that 10% category and move on? I did not. Do you know what I found myself doing instead? For about one week I set out to show this person they should like me. See how nice I am? See how cool, and funny, and flexible I am? You don’t? Then I need to try harder! Then I gave myself a long hard look in the mirror and thought “what the heck are you doing Erin, you do not even LIKE this person you are trying so hard to convince to like you”! At that point I remembered what I learned so many years ago and then I was able to neatly pack them away into my 10% file and walk away. I had sweet freedom once again.
Here’s another thing I learned. We tend to view these set backs in our life as negative (and of course we do, they hurt)! But I learned to wait it out because something good almost always comes if you watch for it. What good came out of this? It made me more appreciative of my 90% that are for me. I set out to strengthen those relationships as a result, and so in the end it was a blessing! I heard a preacher talk about a particular palm tree that will completely bend over from the strength of hurricane winds and just when you think that tree is dead it springs right back up. The miraculous thing is once it has been bent in this fashion, it was proven that the tree was even stronger and sturdier as a result! Much like we are from our adversities.
Here’s something else to keep in mind. Those 10% are just the noisy clucking chickens. Surround yourself with eagles and you will not care what the chickens think of you. If you missed my story “Are you an Eagle or a Chicken” click here.
Chocolate Cashew Butter Banana Pudding
Erin Porter
Best chocolate banana pudding recipe is here and it gets better with butter cashew.
Place all ingredients in food processor and mix until blended.
Place in 4 separate serving glasses and refrigerate at least an hour before eating. Pudding will last up to 48 hours but tastes best fresh.
Top with homemade whipped cream.
Notes
This recipe is neither Kaufmann 1 Diet or Kaufmann 2 Diet (Kaufmann Phase 1 or 2) because of the banana in this recipe. Almost all recipes on Eat, Pray, Get Well are either Kaufmann 1 or 2 Diet (Kaufmann Phase 1 or Phase 2) however additional foods were added to my diet once I regained my health. If you have a current fungal disease it's smart to stick to phase 1 and 2 recipes until you are well.
Recently I was reflecting on how I used to start my day. This was of course back in the days before I ever knew what quinoa was and when I thought juicing was somehow for weird health nuts. But now after experiencing my body recover from a multitude of diseases, I have converted over to the other side with “them”. You know, those annoying people that don’t eat sugar and pass on the bread? Yup, that’s me and never in a million years did I see that coming! Now let me paint you a picture of what so many Americans live out daily.
Immediately upon waking I would pop two extra strength Pepcid AC’s just so I could keep my breakfast down. I had terrible reflux (specifically LPR-Laryngopharyngeal Reflux). Then I would proceed to spray my nose with Afrin just so I could breathe. I would then take a Tylenol sinus for my very reliable morning sinus headache. And if my allergies were bad enough I’d also down some Benadryl. No wonder I felt like I needed a nap by 9am!
What I fed my body wasn’t much better. My breakfast usually consisted of either a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin or a coffee-cake from the vending machine at work. Before lunch (which was many times McDonalds again) I would start to reflux so I would take another Pepcid along with a few Rolaids or Tums, and then a Nexium before going to bed at night. Even still my reflux was so bad at times my esophagus would get burnt to the point I couldn’t sleep!
What a difference several years (and some knowledge) makes. These days I start my day very different. Now before breakfast I pop a probiotic instead of a Pepcid, and my breakfast is usually either a smoothie or some yogurt with berries and homemade granola. I have also ditched all of the other over the counter medications. If this never ending cycle sounds familiar to you, don’t be discouraged! The body is ready and willing to heal itself and begin to run on all cylinders when you start to feed it what it needs. Speaking of food, let’s move onto some healthy Chocolate pudding!
I can just hear it now. “There is avocado in this recipe, that sounds awful”! But it’s not! You can barely taste it, if at all. I test all recipes through our kids and they all gave it a thumbs up. My husband says it tastes much like a Reeses Peanut Butter cup. Oh, and the best part? There is no cooking, it’s instant! Just blend in food processor and chill before eating. Stay tuned for next week’s pudding recipe as our daughter says it tastes like her favorite NUTELLA (which she is not allowed to eat very often) so she was thrilled.
Chocolate Cashew Butter Pudding
Erin Porter
Try this kid approved healthy chocolate cashew butter pudding. My husband says it tastes much like a Reeses Peanut Butter cup. Oh, and the best part? There is no cooking, it’s instant!
Have you ever heard the story about the eagle and the chicken? A baby eagle somehow gets separated from his parents and a farmer takes him in to live with his chickens. He grows up thinking he is a chicken so naturally he does what chickens do. He squabbled and fought over seeds, he pecked at the ground for food, and he followed the crowd of other chickens never questioning where they may be heading. Then one day he looks up and sees a beautiful eagle soaring through the sky and asks a chicken what it was. The chicken told him “that is an eagle but you don’t need to concern yourself with that because you are chicken and you will never be able to fly like that”. Sadly the eagle died believing he was a chicken.
I think God intended us to be like the eagle. The eagle is built to soar above all the nonsense and clacking of the chickens below. Did you know eagles will fly directly into a violent storm and at just the right moment use the storm to fly higher and then ultimately ABOVE it? They were built to withstand storms. When adversity hits don’t cluck and make a lot of noise, see what you can learn from the storm and soar higher!
Are you an eagle and hang out with the chickens? Be careful before you know it you will start to cluck and squabble just like a chicken.
If you are an eagle, hang out with other eagles! They are the ones that you will learn from, that you will admire, that will cheer you on and be in your corner. Take stock (no pun intended) of your friends, any chickens? Before writing this, I did some research on eagles, did you know eagles mate in the air? If you think about it, this would make it impossible for them to mate with a chicken! Mother eagles will stir up their babies’ nests when they are strong enough to fly. This makes things just a bit uncomfortable for the baby eagles. I think God does the same to us. Sometimes when he sees us hanging out with chickens he may put the pressure on for us to leave the nest and fly elsewhere. Don’t try to change the chicken, besides, the chickens can’t go where eagles go.
I will end with this quote I heard. “If someone rejected you- it was probably a chicken.”
They say rejection is one of the most painful emotions humans experience. If you would like to read my post on rejection click here.
Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Erin Porter
Try this quick and nutritious creamy cheesy broccoli soup!
OH how I love bread! Not just the band, but actual warm, soft, sometimes crusty on the outside BREAD! But for so many of us bread is off the menu, whether it’s due to Celiac disease, candida overgrowth, or yeast and wheat allergies. I hear the frustration from so many of you who are just starting out on this healthy eating journey. You want to throw in the towel because “what is life without bread anyway”? Yes, I get it! Those thoughts certainly ran through my head in the beginning as well, so today’s post is dedicated to all of you bread lovers. I picked four of Eat, Pray, Get Well’s most popular bread recipes and I challenge you try them for one week.
Think you can’t refrain from eating bread while eating out? I now shamelessly pull my flatbread out of a zip lock bag every time I’m in a restaurant. Why you ask? The final straw was a family dinner years ago at Carrabbas. I was one week into my breadless diet as I somewhat angrily watched everyone dip their warm crusty bread in oil and spices pretending for my sake it wasn’t all that great. Now I don’t feel left out. I don’t feel deprived (which I’m sure makes me a nicer person to be around). So all is right with the world. So go make some bread (or pancakes, muffins, or pop overs) and let me know if you don’t feel just a little more excited about your decision to kick the breads that you know you are just hindering your healing process anyway! Enjoy!
Homemade Granola Recipe : Believe me, nobody was as crushed as I was when I first learned that my favorite cereals like Cap’n crunch and Count Chocula were off the menu. It was 2008 and I was as sick as a dog, but I wasn’t going to miss hearing Jordan Rubin speak at my local health food store. I learned a lot from him about nutrition that day, including just how detrimental the standard american breakfast of cold cereal is to our health. Since most American children will sit down to a bowl of cereal in the morning, let’s take a closer look at the nutrition in today’s breakfast cereals.
Well it turns out there really isn’t much to talk about nutrition wise! But there IS plenty else to talk about. Cereal goes through a process called extrusion. This is the heating of grains that are mixed with water and sugar, they endure high temperatures so they can be formed into their shapes. The final product is a highly processed food loaded with sugar and stripped of it’s nutrients, which is why they then fortify the cereal with synthetic vitamins and minerals. Not to mention our grain supply (especially wheat and corn) is universally moldy. The mycotoxins (mold toxins) the the mold spew have been proven to be the cause of many diseases including cancer.
Another fact – the cereal marketed to children has 85% more sugar than those targeted toward adults. In fact, many of the cereals we all know, and unfortunately love, are 35-40% sugar by weight. So what’s the big deal you ask? We have all heard sugar is bad for us but do you know why? Studies are finding sugar to be the culprit in many of today’s preventable diseases and is even linked to cancer. According to Dr. Mercola, even a cancer center (Cancer Centers of America) recognize this link and put their cancer patients on a strict low sugar diet. Sugar is just one ingredient, lets talk about what else is in that box. Most breakfast cereals (and almost all of kids cereals) have artificial colors and flavors, which, like sugar, may also turn out to be carcinogens (cause cancer). For a full list of artificial colors used in this country and the known side effects click here. Recently the Kellog’s company has promised to remove artificial colors and flavors from a few of their cereals including froot loops and applejacks by 2018. Good for them (I guess?) but unfortunately you still wouldn’t be left with a meal you’d want your child to ingest. Most cereals also include the preservatives BHA and BHT which the Department of Health and Human Services has classified as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” (there’s that word again). Sounds awful doesn’t it?
Lets move on to the good news. There are still some breakfast options that are just as quick and easy as a boxed cereal in the morning. We recently made our own granola and I was surprised at how easy and fast it was! It took only 5 minutes to prepare before putting in the oven and it tastes fantastic. It’s been our new favorite breakfast for weeks now. Once you make the granola you can store it in a zip lock bag, then just sprinkle the granola over yogurt and add fruit. Now there’s a power breakfast to get your kids day started!
Homemade Granola
Erin Porter
Start your day with this 5 minute, quick and easy granola recipe! You can sprinkle it over yogurt, add fruit and serve it as a power breakfast to get your day started.
1cupNuts(I mixed 1/2 cup of almonds with 1/2 cup cashews)
3tbspPure maple syrup
1tbsFlax seeds
1/2tspSalt(or a tad less if using salted nuts)
1/2tspCinnamon
1tspVanilla
3tbsMelted organic lightly salted butter
2tbsSimple syrup(this is simply boiling 2 tbs xylitol with 2 tbs water and adding it to your mix)
Instructions
Heat oven to 300 degrees
Boil xylitol and water and set aside (simple syrup).
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients including your simple syrup.
Spread mixture on greased cookie sheet. You can also greased parchment paper then place that on the cookie sheet for easy clean up.
Bake for approximately 15-19 minutes. Until golden brown. Let cool before moving. Mixture will get crispier as it cools. Store in air tight container or zip lock bag.
