Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies



Delicious Canned Yammie Cookies:
Flour Blend:
1 Cups Sorghum Flour
2/3 Cup Millet Flour
1/8  Cup Potato Starch
1/8 Cup Arrowroot Starch

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
2 Pinch of Cloves
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ginger
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (Pure)
1/4 C- Dark Agave or 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 C- Honey or Molasses
¾  Cup of Mashed Sweet Potato or Yams (canned) * may substitute 1 Cup pureed carrots, yams, or pumpkin
1/4-Cup Grapeseed Oil  (use smaller amount if reducing fat intake or if you like a dryer cookie)
*1/4 Cup Almond Milk (optional)  If you find that the batter is too thin, you may omit this ingredient.
*1 egg or 2 egg whites (optional)
Optional mix-in’s:  2/3 Cup Chocolate Chips, 2/3 Cup Raisins, 2/3 Cup Almonds, walnuts or pecans. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop cookie batter onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until soft but firm.  This recipe will make 24 mini cookies or 12 larger cookies.  Enjoy!

Friday, May 27, 2011

HealthyLittleNIche

I'm amazed at the last 4 years and perplexed at the same time.  For one, my health issues began many years ago however, serious symptoms started to rear their ugly head in 2007.  My realization that gluten was not in my future, started me on a path to find my happy place and my happy tummy.  After years of research and hundreds of doctor visits, yes hundreds!  I can say that my doctors did not reveal any one of my health issues.  I found them all, well, the Lord and I found them all.  From Celiac, food sensitivities, liver and reproductive health issues, they all come down to an unhealthy liver. 
Those numerous epiphany's really made me re-think the role of doctors in the care of the patient.  I've realized that today's doctors do not know how to treat the whole person.  The whole person being, spiritual, physical, and environmental.  They treat symptoms only and if something doesn't show up on a test that deem you a hypochondriac or send you on your way...either way...you lose!
So, self healing and self helping is the pathway for me.  Chinese and Western herbal medicine appears to be the best way to treat the whole person.  For we are not only a physical being, our bodies often become ill for numerous reasons, that if the traditional medical community would pay attention, would realize that they aren't trusting their instincts enough or that of the patient.
I've discovered my acute sensitivity to phytoestrogens in plant sources, but further than that, isoflavones found in soy products that mimic estrogenic hormones.  Through much research I've also discovered that the liver has to filter out these hormones and all the other junk that we expose our bodies to either through ingestion or environmental contact.  However, my liver doesn't do this job very well and it has seen better days.  After years of being told that Tylenol was the safest thing around, I found myself curing my pain with this toxic stuff for years.
Funny enough, I considered myself a health nut and Tylenol was in my opinion okay, since the doctors said so. I've always been very cautious about what goes into my body, and thank goodness!  If I were to have abused my body, I couldn't say that I should even be alive today.  Happy day! I've learned not to pull full trust in modern medicine, that plant and herbal medicine is best and that our bodies weren't designed to take the full capacity and overload of what modern medicine deems as "healthy."  Moderation in all things and reservation where modern medicine is concerned is my mantra.  I'll keep you posted on my journey to healthy meals that take into account all my needs.  And, if my hopes are validated, I will be successful in finding my happy, healthy little niche in life.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47
http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2006/08/isoflavones-in-soy-foods.html
http://www.wellness.com/reference/healthwellness/isoflavones-in-foods/

http://www.sensiblehealth.com/Journey-01.xhtml