Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Posted by doctorliz on Feb 21, 2012 in Blog | 69 comments

It turns out our moms were right!  Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
Choosing to eat a balanced, healthy and filling breakfast will help you begin your day full of energy to take on whatever may be ahead.  The key to a balanced breakfast is to make sure you have sufficient amounts of protein and healthy fat.
Eating a balanced breakfast not only sets you up for a day full of energy, but it also kicks starts your metabolism for the day.  Stumped on what to make?  Here are some healthy breakfast ideas that are fast, easy, and most definitely delicious.

Eggs and Veg:
Chop up a variety of your favorite veggies and sauté.  Scramble 2 eggs into the veggies or serve them over easy on top of the veggies.  Add some avocado slices for a boost of healthy fat, protein and fiber.

Green Super Smoothie:
Most of the smoothies available at restaurants and coffee shops are loaded with sugar and are not balanced with protein or healthy fats.  They frequently contain too many processed carbohydrates and often minimal amounts of protein.  Smoothies made at home are a wonderful way to get a quick balanced breakfast when you are short on time.
Try this recipe to super charge your breakfast and your energy level.  It’s important to make substitutions to the recipe according to your tastes.  Be creative, have fun and find a recipe that works best for your tastes.  Just remember to include protein and healthy fat in each smoothie.

• 1 cup coconut milk or other healthy milk substitute (see this homemade almond milk recipe)
• BIG handful of spinach (I promise you can’t taste it)
• 1  banana (and/or any other fruit you love – be creative – try berries, kiwi, pineapple, mango)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ to 1/3 avocado

Blend until smooth and creamy.  Optional add-in ideas: Nourish Me Superfood (loaded with protein, healthy fat and probiotics), a scoop of nut butter, or your favorite protein powder to keep you full longer.  Other protein options include enjoying a hardboiled egg or chicken sausage on the side (see recipe below).

Chicken Sausage
Can’t find a chicken or turkey sausage you love?  Try this homemade recipe.

• 1 ½ pounds ground turkey or chicken
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp dried parsely (or 3 tbsp fresh)
• 2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tbsp fresh)
• 1 tsp fennel seed, crushed

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Form into patties and cook in large skillet.

Protein Pancakes:
Pancakes are the ultimate breakfast comfort food.  Typically they would be off the healthy living menu.  But these pancakes are perfectly balanced and will keep you energized all morning.

• ¼ to 1/3 cup gluten free oats, brown rice flour, almond flour, or your favorite flour
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• ¼ cup unsweetened pumpkin
• ½ cup greek yogurt (optional)
• 1 egg (add 2 eggs if omitting yogurt)
• Cinnamon
• Stevia to taste

Blend all ingredients together.  Let sit 5 minutes so batter can thicken.  Cook as you would regular pancakes.  Top with butter, almond butter, coconut butter or coconut oil.

Enjoy!!
*Your turn!  What is your favorite healthy, fast and delicious breakfast?

Gluten-free dinner ideas: Veggie Loaf or Crockpot Curried Dal

Posted by doctorliz on Oct 25, 2011 in Blog | 112 comments

Lately, I have been feeling ho-hum about cooking. While combing through cookbooks and food blogs for inspiration, I stumbled upon this Vegetarian Garden Loaf with Maple Apricot Glaze from Karina (the gluten-free goddess, herself). It offers a sweet and spicy burst of flavor, with just the right amount of kick to make my mouth happy.  The leftovers were fantastic and I am planning on doubling the recipe next time.

Another flavorful recipe that is amazingly easy to make is my (almost) famous Crockpot Curried Dal.  I say “famous” because  I tell almost every single person I talk to about this recipe.  I make it weekly and it is perfect for evenings I am working.  I can make it in the morning, go to work, and know that dinner will be ready when I come home.  Dinner crisis averted!

My recipe is always improv, depending on what’s in the refrigerator, but here is the basic idea:

Sautee 1-2 onions and 3-4 cloves garlic, then add 2-3 Tbs of curry powder (depends on how spicy you like it).  Put the onion, garlic, and curry mixture in a crockpot with the following:
- any other vegs you want (my favorites are: kale, peas, cauliflower, diced ginger)
- 1 can coconut milk
- equivalent to 1 can diced tomatoes, but I prefer fresh
- about 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- salt, to taste (a little now, then taste and add a little after it’s cooked a few hours)
- water or stock, depending on how thick or thin you like your dal…I probably add 1.5 cups
- optional: 1 cup chickpeas

Cook in crockpot for 4-6 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
Serve over brown rice.

What are your favorite gluten-free recipes?  Do you have any crockpot favorites?  I’d love to hear about them:)

What does your Naturopathic Doctor do?

Posted by doctorliz on Sep 28, 2011 in Blog | 15 comments

As a patient of a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), you probably get a lot of questions about what exactly ND’s do.  Are they doctors who use herbs or nutrition instead of drugs? In a way, yes.  NDs do use natural medicines.  But it is not the tools they use that make them NDs, it is the way they use them.

To illustrate this, consider the following example: A patient has chosen to take ginkgo biloba (a natural medicine) for memory loss, but does not get any relief of his symptoms.  His ND does a full evaluation and considers his other symptoms, medications he recently started, laboratory reports, and his dietary choices.  In this patient’s particular case, a vitamin B12 deficiency is identified as the reason for his memory loss.  When treated, the symptoms improve and the patient feels better than he has in years.  Both times, the patient used natural medicines, but it took a naturopathic evaluation to help him identify the true cause of his problem and regain health.

Words of Wisdom for Parents

Posted by doctorliz on Jun 5, 2011 in Blog | 93 comments

I recently came across this post from a lactation consultant in Paris, that beautifully describes a holistic approach to gastrointestinal health, starting with birth. At first glance, the title “The Gut, Microbes, and Poop” may make you uncertain whether you want to read on, but if you are about to become or already are a parent, this is worthwhile, because let’s face it, poop is something all parents must learn to become very, very familar with, as it is a sign of your child’s overall health and well-being. For the first few years, you will see most of this poop come and go. If you or your child have ever experienced any of the following conditions, this post is an absolute must-read: cradle cap, eczema, skin rashes, “baby acne”, a red ring around the anus, thrush, dark circles under the eyes, difficulty organizing states, cognitive delay, difficulty sleeping, poor appetite, poor growth, “colic”, “high-needs” behaviours, congestion, reflux, refusing the breast, arching at the breast, gassiness and infection. All of these can be improved dramatically by taking a naturopathic or holistic approach to optimizing digestion and uncovering possible food allergies.

Spring Detox Recipes

Posted by doctorliz on May 19, 2011 in Blog | 45 comments

It has been a long winter in Minnesota and now that the weather is warmer, I can feel my body just craving the freshest foods it can get, which means it is time to break out my spring detox recipes. I have been absolutely loving this Spring Green Smoothie recipe from Tom and Ali, featuring the ever-so-healthy collard green, along with apple, pear, ginger, lemon juice, and mint. The recipe calls for kiwi, which I don’t have on hand at the moment, so I’ve been substituting peach or mango with delightful results. What I especially like about the Spring Green Smoothie is that it does not have any dairy or dairy substitutes, which feel a little heavy to my body in this warmer weather. I threw in 10 soaked almonds yesterday to give it a little protein boost, and also added my probiotics and Vitamin C powder for an immune boost. I even got Miss Fiona (now 15 months) to drink up. Getting collard greens into my picky eater is a major accomplishment!

Older Blog Posts

Posted by doctorliz on May 16, 2011 in Blog | 5 comments

To see older blog posts from Dr. Orchard, please visit her old blog here.