Amaranth Cereal Recipe

Amaranth, a gluten-free seed known as an Aztecan staple food, makes a great addition to a whole foods-based

anti-inflammatory diet in the cold winter months. It makes a great base for breakfast porridge. Combining it with cinnamon and walnuts adds to the anti-inflammatory effect. Try amaranth in place of oatmeal for breakfast as an anti-inflammatory start to your day.

This recipe by nutrition student Kelsey Perusse was shared with the audience at her talk in January 2015 with fellow student Mirit Markowitz on "One-Pot Anti-Inflammatory Meals." Their series continues this fall with a free cooking workshop on "Fall Fermentation" from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 24, at Bastyr Center for Natural Health.

Ingredients

1 cup

amaranth

3 cup

water

1⁄2 tsp

salt

2 tsp

cinnamon

1⁄2 cup

walnuts

1⁄2 cup

currants

1 tbsp

maple syrup

4 tsp

ghee (optional)

Instructions

In a small sauce pan add amaranth, water and salt. Bring the amaranth to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes. Once the amaranth is cooked add cinnamon, walnuts, currants, maple syrup and ghee.

Pumpkin-Ginger Soup Recipe

Description:  This vegan soup brings out the rich flavor of fall by featuring pumpkins with just a few other ingredients. Be sure to save your seeds for an additional snack!

Ingredients
· 1 small pumpkin  
· 1⁄2 cup raw cashews 
· 1 tsp freshly grated ginger (or to taste)
· Salt to taste

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Instructions

·         Soak cashews in water to cover for at least 2-3 hours. Using a sharp, heavy knife, carefully cut pumpkin in half. Scrape out seeds (see additional notes below) and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet (line sheet with parchment for easy clean up if you like.) Bake at 350° until very tender, about 1 hour. Scrape pumpkin from the peel and puree in a blender in small batches, or mash with a fork. Put pureed pumpkin in a heavy bottomed pan. Put cashews and soaking water in blender and puree until smooth. Add cashews to pumpkin. Rinse the blender with a little more water and add to the pot. Add ginger and salt to taste and heat gently for a few minutes. If soup is thicker than you like, continue to add water until it seems right.

 Notes

·         Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds are a great snack. Rinse them and spread on a towel to dry. Spread out on an oiled cookie sheet and roast at 250° for 1 hour, shaking occasionally. Salt if desired, let cool, and store in a tightly closed container.

Naturopathic Treatments for the Common Cold/Flu

Hot Drink

Prepare this at the first onset of a chill or sore throat. You may use some or all of these ingredients. Use what you have on hand. You can store this in the fridge and heat it up as you require.

·         1 oz. fresh ginger, sliced/ ¼ tsp dried

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 stick of cinnamon, broken

·         1 tsp coriander seeds

·         2 L filtered water                             

·         Decoct for 15-20 min; then strain.  Drink a cup every few hours.  Add honey and lemon.

Or  1 tsp of ground clove, ginger, cayenne and honey. Sip or gargle- recommended by Dr. Bill Mitchell, ND          

Sore Throat

• Gargle with warm filtered water and sea salt
• Sip 1 tsp of solid extract licorice in a cup of hot water (or 1TBS honey + 1 clove crushed garlic). 
• Angioplex (Seroyal), Throat Spray (St Francis), Herbal Gargle (Eclectics), Biocidin throat spray (Bio Botanical Harvest)

Diet

• Consume vegetable or chicken broth/soup containing onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cayenne
• Consume fruits i.e. lemon in water, oranges
• Exclude all sugar and caffeine as they suppress the immune system
• Exclude dairy products and wheat as they increase catarrh/mucous production

Epsom Salt Bath

Add 2 cups of Epson salts to bath, sit in bath for 30 min or as long as you can tolerate. Drink plenty of water while in the bath.  After the bath, put pajamas and socks on and get under a blanket/duvet, and let your body sweat/ create a fever. The fever helps kills off the virus. Note: sauna therapy is also a good option.

Wet Socks

Dip a pair of cotton socks in cold water, wring them out and then put them on your feet wet.   Place a pair of wool socks over the cotton socks and go to sleep.  When you wake up in the morning your feet will be warm!  You may have to repeat it for a few nights depending on your symptoms.  The treatment helps re-circulate the blood from your head to your feet, preventing stagnation which leads to that congested feeling.

 Steam Inhalation

Inhale hot steam and a few drops of essential oil, without burning the nose and throat. Relieves congestion and provides a hostile environment for viruses.  You may use Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Thyme or Tea-tree oil.

Supplements and Herbs

• Echinacea,  licorice, (Defense-gen, Gammadyn Copper, Oscillococcinum-Seroyal), 1-3  gram vitamin C-please consult your ND

SLEEP and REST- this is most important!

Getting ready for Cold & Flu Season

Getting Ready for this Cold & Flu Season

The cold and flu season is currently upon us.  In fact, it started early this year with the entrovirus in our schools. Ninety five percent of the colds are due to viral infections.  This means that antibiotics do not work for colds.  Antibiotics only work for bacterial infections and not viruses.  Since we live in an area where tourists come from all over the world we get many different types of viral infections. I have been living in the Vail Valley for seventeen years and it appears that every year these viral infections continue to get worse.  Many people are getting colds that last for three weeks and there still going to work or school and exposing others. So how can you get your immune system ready to protect you this season.

First make sure your taking a good multiple vitamin which contains the antioxidants Vitamin A, C, D, Selenium.  This antioxidants protect our immune system from viruses, bacterial and chemicals in our environment.  Many people are deficient in vitamin D this is why it is important to get a blood test to make sure your not deficient.  Vitamin D prevents colds and flu, as well as breast cancer, prostate cancer, allergies, asthma and dementia.  

Many people are also deficient in probiotics.  Probiotics can also prevent us from viral, bacterial and parasite infections. Not all probiotics are good these should be refrigerated. 

Make sure you wash your hands after touching areas like door handles, phones, pens, computers where many other people are working. Keep from shaking hands with a lot of people. 

Get eight hours of sleep a night.  

Exercise 1 hour 5 times a week.  People in our community tend to do too much exercise which can actually deplete your immune system. 

Eat healthy at least 5-12 veggies a day and protein with each meal. Alcohol in moderation 2 drinks no more that 3 x a week. Take sugar and fructose out of your diet.  These foods are responsible for inflamation in the body.   

If you start feeling a cold or flu coming on immediately start taking antiviral herbs such as echincea, garlic, ginger, osha, astragalus etc These are the strongest in tincture form.  These can get rid of a cold within 24 to 48 hours.  

Hot teas such as ginger, lemon and honey.  I have put together a cold/flu tea that works very well. 

Chicken or miso soup with ginger and garlic. 

Eliminate dairy type foods this will only produce more mucous and keep the cold going.

Neti pots can help especially if you ge a lot of sinus infections. 

Recommended products from the Riverwalk Natural Health Pharmacy to have on hand for when you get a cold this season.

Our Cold/Flu tea special formula designed by Dr. Wiancek really breaks up mucous.

Sinus tincture is both anti-viral & anti-bacterial.

Cough tincture Great for dry & mucous forming coughs.

Children’s Glycerite an antiviral & antibacterial formula for kids.

Anti-viral herbal combinations most colds are viral not bacterial.

Organic Black Elderberry syrup Best used to prevent colds and the flu.  Kids love it.

Homeopathic influenzinum can be used as a preventive or when you get the flu.

Optimal Health multiple vitamin designed by Dr. Wiancek to keep your immune system strong includes all your antioxidants such as Vitamin a, C, D, E and selenium. 

Ultrabalance probiotic our immune system is in our gut studies show that probiotics help prevent flu’s and colds.

I offer a cold/flu clinic where I do an exam looking at your sinuses, throat, ears and listening to your lungs.  And then I put together a specific antiviral tincture related to your condition.  The key is coming in as soon as you get sick. There is no need to be sick for three weeks this winter.  

For more information please call or e-mail Dr. Wiancek at the Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic 970-926-7606. 

Wiancek@healthref.com or www.healthref.com. Follow us on our blog for the latest research in natural medicine http://riverwalknaturalhealth.blogspot.com/. 

Increase Vitality and Live Long!

These helpful habits will not only help you to stay healthy, they will increase your lifespan and lower your risk for disease.

1)     Eat less sugar

Eliminate fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners Spenda, aspartame, sweet & Low all cause diabetes.  Sugar causes insulin resistence, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease.

2)     Eat Less Fat

Saturated fats such as red meats increase our risk for heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. Many do not realize that fruits and veggies provide all the vitamins and minerals we need. 

3)      Reduce Stress.

Stress initiates the release of a variety of hormones that cause your blood pressure to rise and pulse to race. The hormone cortisol, released to lessen these effects, also creates problems when it remains chronically elevated. Practicing yoga, pilates, meditation, deep breathing are good for managing stressful events.  Relaxing hobbies, physical intimacy, taking vacations are also good ways to cope with stress.  Pets increase oxytosin levels which is a longevity hormone, so consider getting your own! Also nothing beats having a good social support system of family and friends.

4)     Exercise more

It’s best to combine strength training, stretching and aerobic exercise. Walking, jogging, cross country skiing are all good aerobic exercise. When possible, short and vigorous exercise is best. 

Sprinting Guide

2 min exercise, 1 min rest

1.50 min exercise, 1.5 min rest

1.15 min exercise, 2 min rest

5)     Eliminate Toxins in your Environment

Take less toxins in and put more toxins out. A good way to do this is to increase sweating by taking sauna’s, hot tubs, and getting regular exercise. Eating greens, onions, garlic, pomagrate juice can help eliminate toxins. And drinking Green tea lowers our risk for all kinds of cancers colon, breast, prostate, and helps with weight loss (Best to have 2 cups per day).

Steps to increase Longevity & Vitality

Is it possible to control your health, longevity and Vitality?  The answer is yes by looking at your telomeres. A telomere is the DNA at the end of a chromosome, which protects the chromosome from deterioration.  Studies suggest that telomeres are responsible for aging on the cellular level and set a limit on lifespan.  Telomeres protect cell chromosomes from fusing with each other or rearranging.  Telemere abnormalities can lead many age related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, many cancers including pancreatic, bone, prostate, bladder, lung, kidney, and head and neck and pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis are linked to shortened telomeres.

In 2009 researchers (Blackburn, Grieder & Seustak) received the Noble Prize in Physiology of Medicine for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telemeres.
A study published in the May 3, 2005 issue of the American Heart Association journal Circulation found that weight gain and increased insulin resistance were correlated with telomere shortening over time.  Type-two-diabetes is also associated with a shorter telomere length. Psychological stress is directly linked to telomere length the greater the stress the shorter the telomere length and the greater the risk for psychiatric disease.  Women with the highest amounts of stress had the shortest telomeres.  We can change the length of our telemeres and thus increase our life span.

In 2008, Dr. Dean Ornish of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and colleagues at the University of California at San Francisco conducted a study of 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer on the possible effects of lifestyle changes on telomeres. The findings of the study were published in The Lancet Oncology. The men were asked to make several lifestyle changes, including attending a three-day retreat; eating a diet low in refined sugars and rich in whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, with only 10 percent of calories derived from fat; and engaging in several other activities, such as moderate aerobic exercise, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Telomerase levels were measured at baseline, and again after three months, when researchers discovered that, in the 24 participants with sufficient data for analysis, telomerase in the blood had increased by 29 percent. The authors commented that "The implications of this study are not limited to men with prostate cancer. Comprehensive lifestyle changes may cause improvements in telomerase and telomeres that may be beneficial to the general population as well."
The larger the telemere length the longer we live.

Regular physical activity appears to be very important in protecting telomere integrity.   Other factors that can affect telomere length include smoking, pollution and toxin exposure.  Factors that can lengthen telomere length include antioxidants.  A study evaluating multiple vitamin use and telomere length showed that 600 women who took a daily multiple vitamin had on average had a five percent longer telomere than those who did not take a multiple vitamin. Vitamin E, C and D were also found to be associated with greater telomere length.

Chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are the leading cause of death today. There are many ways we can prevent chronic disease.  You can slow down your aging process and help stave off heart disease, cancer, and diabetes by following some simple tips.  I looked at what the research states on what we all need to do to obtain optimal health thus lowering our risk for heart dz.

Dr. Wiancek, N.D
Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic & Natural Pharmacy

Pumpkin Curry Soup Recipe

Most pumpkin recipes call for canned pumpkin or roasted sugar pumpkins, not the jack-o-lantern variety. But one adventurous Bastyr University alumna, Maribeth Evezich ('06), determined to not let her uncarved jack-o-lanterns go to waste, created this festive Pumpkin Curry Soup that will bring a touch of festivity to any meal throughout the fall and winter seasons. Find more of Ezevich's recipes on her blog, WholeFoodsExplorer.com.

Ingredients

1 medium pumpkin

2 medium onions, diced

1 medium apple, diced

2 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp peeled and minced ginger

2 tbsp coconut oil, olive oil, or butter

2 tbsp Madras curry (or double to taste)

1 tsp cinnamon

1⁄8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp allspice

2 tsp salt, divided

3 cup vegetable broth or water

1 can organic coconut milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or double to taste)

Instructions

Pumpkin roasting directions:

·         Preheat oven to 350° F.

·         Clean pumpkin inside and out, removing all the seeds.

·         Cut the pumpkin in half from the top.

·         Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, in a large baking dish or sheet.

·         Add water to the bottom of the pan or sheet, filling it up about 1/4 inch.

·         Bake for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

·         Remove pan from the oven and let the pumpkin halves cool.

·         Scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. It will look nothing like canned pumpkin.

·         Store refrigerated in a glass container for up to five days.

Soup directions:

·         Heat the coconut oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat.

·         Add the onions, apple, garlic and ginger and cook until the onions soften and are translucent, about 5 minutes.

·         Add the curry powder, cinnamon, allspice and 1 teaspoon of salt, stirring to coat the onion mixture.

·         Add the water or broth and the pumpkin pulp.

·         Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

·         Let the soup simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the pulp is very soft.

·          Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

·         Process the soup until smooth. Unless using an immersion blender, return the soup to the pot.

·         Add the coconut milk, up to 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt as needed and the apple cider vinegar.

·         Reheat briefly over medium heat before serving.

Notes

·         Type of Pumpkin: This recipe used jack-o-lantern-type pumpkin, not sugar pumpkins as used in most recipes.

·         Type of Curry: Madras curry can have quite a bit more heat than regular curry powder. Using 4 tablespoons of Madras curry will create a soup with some kick. If you prefer less heat, use regular curry powder or just 2 tablespoons of Madras curry powder. Madras curry will also impart a darker, caramel color as compared to the more golden hue of regular curry powder.

·         Garnish: Roasted pumpkin seeds are an obvious choice for a seasonal garnish. Here, I thinned out some Greek yogurt with almond milk and drizzled it barista-style.

·         Reheating: This soup will thicken when cooled. When reheating, stir in some broth or water to thin to desired consistency.

·         Pumpkin Nutrition: Pumpkins are very high in fiber, beta-carotene, potassium and has the lowest amount of carbohydrates of the squash family.

Healthy Ways to not gain Weight During the Holidays!

The Holidays are approaching quickly and may times along with this come many parties and unhealthy eating habits.  The average person gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New’s Year.  And as people get older it becomes harder to lose the weight after the New Year because our metabolism slows down.

So I listed helpful ways to help maintain your weight during the Holidays!

1) Do not stop exercising. We all need at least one hour of exercise five times a week just to maintain our weight.

2) When drinking alcohol do so in moderation.  Wine is fewer calories than beer.  Limit your alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks two to three times a week.  Alcohol has empty calories and a lot of sugar which can cause inflammation and has been associated with an increase risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

3) Watch your portion sizes appetizers may not be very filling and can have a lot of calories especially if they are creamy.  Healthy appetizers can include goat cheese and rice crackers, olives, hummus, pates,  baked corn chips with salsa and guacamole,  veggies with a yogurt dip,  baked kale chips, veggie chips etc.  Be careful with your cheese and nut intake since these foods tend to have a lot of calories.

4) Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.  Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness and can cause us to eat more.

5) Bake healthy deserts by putting one fourth of the amount of sugar in the recipe or substituting a natural sweeteners such as agave,  stevia, honey, apple juice and 100% maple syrup.

6) Make sure you eat in a relax atmosphere and chew your food thoroughly.  When under stress many people eat quickly without even realizing what their eating thus do not get full.  Each bite should be chewed twenty times for proper absorption and digestion.  

7) If you spurge one night the next day exercise and eat a little less such as soups and salads. 

8) Veggies tend to be low in calories for soups stick with chicken and veggies, chili’s or other vegetable soups. Creamy soups and salad dressing are loaded with calories.

9) Have your guests bring a healthy appetizer, main dish or desert.  Create a Healthy Thanksgiving Theme etc.  Healthy should not be boring.  Use fresh spices for flavorings instead of heavy cream sauces.

Try to relax and not get too stressed.  People tend to eat more in stressful situations.  So remember to Breath.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season!

Deborah Wiancek, N.D.