We are growing and MOVING!
Exciting news:
Be Well Clinic has outgrown our current office space (again!) and starting May 31st, 2013 we will be seeing patients at our 2 NEW clinics, located in Minneapolis and Mendota Heights.
The new locations are bigger and will allow us room for future growth, so we will hopefully be able to stay put for a long while after this move.
We are really excited about this growth because it means we will be able to provide holistic health care to more people…which we LOVE doing.
So, THANK YOU for transitioning with us!
Here is a little more info about both of our new offices:
1 ) Our lovely new clinic in Mendota Heights is conveniently located off of Interstate 35E and Highway 110, just minutes from both Minneapolis and St. Paul. There is a parking lot right in front of the building (hooray!). Walk down the stairs and you will find us co-located with Bellacu | Acupuncture Health Clinic. We will soon have online scheduling options at this location – look for the “BookNow” icon on our website.
Address:
1200 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 375
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
2 ) In the charming Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis (across the street from The Salt Cave Minnesota), we will be sharing clinic space with Red Cricket Acupuncture. Currently, Dr. Orchard will be seeing patients here on Mondays only. In 2014, the clinic will be both expanded and remodeled, so not only will we have another lovely new space, but our hours and availability in Minneapolis will grow.
Address:
4808 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55419
We look forward to showing you the new digs soon!
Front of Minneapolis location (Red Cricket Acupuncture)
Read MoreDelicious Fall Stews & Coconut Basmati Rice
With the fall weather quickly reminding me that I live in Minnesota again, I’ve been craving some yummy fall stews.
Here is one from Mississippi Market’s very own self-proclaimed “food snob”, Liz McMann. Her Copy Cat Stew is quick and healthy. I substitute almond butter for the peanut butter for an anti-inflammatory meal.
Another stew to warm the insides on a cool Minnesota day: Curried Red Lentil Dal with Coconut Basmati Rice. Just writing those words here make my mouth water. My favorite part about stews: leftovers. They are even more delicious.
Curried Red Lentil Dal
1.5 cups lentils (rinsed)
4 cups water (or a little less if you want it less soupy)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion (diced)
2 sweet potatoes (cubed)
2 red or green peppers (diced)
1-2 Tbs red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbs grated ginger
3 handfuls of spinach leaves
sea salt to taste
Boil lentils in water until soft, about 15 minutes. In the meantime, heat a heavy stockpot over moderate heat and then add oil to coat the bottom. Cook the onion with a sprinkling of salt, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add sweet potatoes, peppers, and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add cumin and curry paste and cook over low heat for 1 minute.
Once lentils are cooked, puree for about 30 seconds in blender or food processor. Then add lentil mixture to stockpot mixture and bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft. Stir in spinach and salt to taste. Laddle over Coconut Basmati Rice (recipe below).
Coconut Basmati Rice
1 cup white rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup currants
1/2 tsp turmeric
This is simple: Make rice as usual, but use water and coconut milk to boil the rice (instead of just water) and the above add-ins once the rice is simmering. It’s magical. Seriously, how does something so simple taste so good? Magic.
Stay warm and be well!
Dr. Orchard
Healthy Breakfast Recipes
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
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:)
Read MoreWhat does your Naturopathic Doctor do?
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.
Read MoreWords of Wisdom for Parents
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.
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