Three chiropractors and our incredible office staff looking to help you understand the HEALTH in healthcare! Our mission: To share our thoughts on food and health, allergy-free nutritious recipes, and preventative wellness care.
Hello Everyone! This Wellness Wednesday Week 4 and I'm here to talk to you about Paleo Meal Prep and Emergency Preparedness. One of the easiest ways to fail with a Paleo diet is to not have a plan. It's so easy to get home late and think to yourself "I don't have time to cook now, we can get takeout tonight." That may be okay if you choose the right restaurant and pick a paleo option, but it's really
easy to let "tonight" become tomorrow night, and the night after that, and before you know it, you have been eating out for several weeks in a row. Taking the time to form a plan for your meals for the week ahead of time can not only save you time, but also be easier on your budget (eating out is expensive!).
Some of the best ways to prepare are baking a whole chicken and/or ham; steaming several day's worth of quinoa or wild rice; baking sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, or another starch; or even preparing breakfast foods such as pancakes, egg cups, waffles, or baked oatmeal. Don't forget that a crockpot can also be an excellent asset, allowing you to prepare tomorrow's meal today.
You can either prepare enough meals for a few days and use all of them fresh, or you can prepare enough for the entire week and freeze some for the end of the week. This is also helpful for when the primary cook in your house is going out of town. It can also be great for when your children are home from school with a babysitter or when you are preparing for a big storm. I grew up in rural Connecticut and we lost power several times a year for days at a time because of the weather, and it was always nice to have food prepared ahead of time rather than having to live on processed foods and tuna fish.
While you're at the store, don't forget to pick up a few gallons of drinking water, extra batteries for flashlights, anything missing from your first aid kit, and stop by your local sandbag distributor if your home could be in a flood zone (also a good idea to check evacuation routes!).
Stay safe, stay dry and please remember to reschedule your appointment if you won't be able to make it!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Chelsea
Hey everybody! Thank you so much for turning back in for Wellness Wednesday! I'm so excited to be back here with you! I'm outside in my neighborhood tonight to air out what I think is a sensitive topic and very taboo in our culture. Raise your hand if you have been in a crowded board room, in a classroom or even an intimate moment with your partner when you had to pass gas and it changed your entire demeanor? I think everyone can think of at least one tragic memory.
Here's the thing, gas is a totally normal process in our bodies. We have, according to science, more bacteria than we have cells in our bodies, because they help us break down our food, and in exchange we feed them and give them a place to live. Pretty cool, symbiosis, great things! Unfortunately for bacteria, the standard American diet isn't exactly food-based these days, and we weren't meant to be human garbage disposals. If you don't believe me go watch Supersize Me or just Google food additives or check one of the articles on the blog. We're not just eating food anymore and our bacteria know it. If we eat food the bacteria don't want, it encourages growth of bad bacteria as well as leading some things undigested, creating the fermentation process causing smelly and loud embarrassing gas which is embarassing and very common with these food sensitivities. One of the major signs that there is a problem in your gastrointestinal system is lots of gas, pain, bloating, and the anxiety that comes with it. No wait, the anxiety comes from social stigma, but the rest is real!
Here's the deal, you can do something about it! Start looking up these Paleo meal plans; look up probiotics and do your research, you get what you pay for; look at digestive enzymes like pineapple enzyme and low doses of hydrochloric acid (which you can get from your doctor); you can even look at using fermented foods which have been used around the world for positive gut health for thousands of years such as kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Every culture has its own version of a natural probiotic. Some even use yogurt if it's the right kind, we will talk about that later and I wouldn't advise it right now, particularly if you are still cleansing your system. Do your homework and participate! Has anyone been doing well with your Paleo meal plan? I received one piece of feedback from someone who has been following along and is already noticing a difference! I would love to hear your comments as well, tell me about it!
My friends, if you learn nothing else from this blog, I hope I can teach you to ALWAYS READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING A RECIPE!
Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day and the most fun to cook! I'm all about making pancakes from scratch, and I have several recipes I use which are completely Paleo and also delicious!
However, I know that making breakfast for a crowd- whether it's for a holiday, special occasion, or simply because you have a large family- can be a significant struggle. Sometimes, shortcuts must be taken, particularly when said family shows up unexpectedly. You want to be able to keep the gluten free integrity of your home, but they may be wary of "this whole no grain thing". Making a big show about breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) can also be a special treat to help kids who are a little more reluctant to sign on to the gluten free lifestyle. Sometimes, you have to get as close as you can to the "real thing" while they're adjusting to the transition. When your family is more established in a gluten and dairy free routine, it's easier to use recipes with fewer processed ingredients like this pumpkin pancakes recipe. For when you need a shortcut, this King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake Mix is definitely the way to go! If you are not cooking for a crowd, please make sure to follow the instructions for cutting this recipe in half!I made the mistake (yet again) of not reading the box where it says "add mix". Not "add 1/3 cup of mix". Not "add half of mix". They mean add the WHOLE MIX.
Whoops.
Well, I'm human. Like you, I'm not a chef. Kitchen mishaps happen.
This made a MOUNTAIN of pancakes! A little much when you intend to make breakfast for two people, but perfect for a crowd!
I also am not the world's leading authority on flipping pancakes. Whoops.
Also please make note of where it says to let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken, this is important! To make this dairy free, I subbed Smart Balance for butter and used coconut oil spray on the pan. I also used 2 cups of almond milk in place of the milk, also after not reading the box where it recommends an appropriate proportion of rice milk. As you can see, the pancakes fluffed up beautifully anyway, hooray! Box mixes can be wonderfully forgiving. Blueberries also make a wonderful addition.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! Dr. Chelsea
In case you haven't figured it out already, I have a monster sweet tooth. Of course, desserts are also crazy fun to make and write about!
However, the main reason so many desserts end up on the blog is because baked goods tend to be one of the most challenging things about gluten free living. I'm not encouraging you to eat a lot desserts, but I know we all need something for special occasions, especially for anyone with children, so I'm trying to make it easier for you.
I'm not crazy about things that come from a box, BUT I know sometimes parents don't have time to bake things from scratch. It's also back to school time and it doesn't always make sense to make a nice birthday cake from scratch like Laure's Chocolate Cake or my Angel Food Cake and then also make 24-36 cupcakes for the classroom. The lesser of the two evils of course is taking a shortcut with the snacks for school, particularly with concerns that a gluten free dessert might not appeal to small children. ***If you or your child don't do well with tapioca (a gluten mimic) or food additives such as guar gum, a box mix is not advised and you should stick with one of the recipes above or another gluten free cake recipe from scratch***
Good news everyone!
The big cake box companies are starting to make gluten free box mixes which can satisfy the need for a quick, inexpensive dessert fix. I wouldn't recommend using them often, but they can help in times of need. For Makena's birthday, we were serving a large, mixed crowd, so Laure and I decided to make two of the cakes from a gluten free box mix...
The cakes rose well, they were mildly dry (but frosting fixed it completely), and people were surprised when we told them they were gluten free! Definitely a success!
Sometimes you compromise and use a little bit of food coloring and candy decorations. Coloring is NOT recommended for children with ADHD or Autism! Not sure why? Read more here
We also made King Arthur Flour's Seven-Minute Frosting, which is a staple in Laure's kitchen for big events. I also think "7 minute" is misleading, a more honest title would be "10 Minute Boiled Frosting". It puffs up beautifully and is dairy free, so you will likely only need one batch for a 13x9 or two 8x8 or 9x9 cakes. That being said, for cupcakes or cakes with 3 or more layers or multiple colors, I would make a double batch. Doubling the recipe is also recommended for anyone who has trouble with crumb coating like I do. You can also make it a few days ahead if needed!
This would also be a great solution to try if you want to make a batch of cupcakes in advance, freeze them, and then send them to school 1-2 at a time so your child has a treat to enjoy when other parents send in desserts that aren't allergy friendly!
1. In the top of a double boiler (not over heat), combine the sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar, and the pinch of salt.
2. Beat with an electric mixer set at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn't touch the water). Beating at high speed, cook the frosting for about 7 minutes, or until it's stiff and glossy.
3. Remove it from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat an additional 2 minutes on high.
4. Use immediately to frost a sheet cake, tube cake, or layers. Or refrigerate in an airtight container and use as needed. You may be able to add 1-2 drops of food coloring if needed or even better, puree a small amount of fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, or kiwi and mix in to add some color! If it thins the frosting too much, add a very small amount of cream of tartar or meringue powder.
Start with the ingredients away from the heat
Mix while heating over boiling water for 7 minutes
How did you all do with
your homework this week? Were you able to successfully add in a Paleo
recipe to your meal plan? Was it easier than you expected? Did you
run into any difficulties? Do you feel like you need more
information? Did you enjoy it? Leave me some comments and I'll do my
best to address them!
Just to recap, the basic
premise of the Paleo diet is eliminating wheat, dairy, processed
foods, and refined sugar, instead increasing your intake of fish,
well-sourced meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and
healthy oils like olive, coconut, and avocado.
Some of you may be
thinking, what's the big deal? Grains make up a large portion of the
food pyramid! The traditional food pyramid we think of actually dates
back to 1992, and there has been much more research in the fields of
food and nutrition sciences since then! The CDC currently recommends
that grains should only make up one quarter of your plate, equal to
or slightly less than your serving of vegetables. Many Americans see
that and think “okay, then I'm going to eat a whole wheat bun with
my dinner”.
Here's the problem: the
way we harvest, store, and process wheat and other cereal grains has
strayed away from traditional practices, and they have become
inflammatory to many people. Some researchers believe it's because
the grains develop small amounts of mold during processing, others
insist it's because of genetic modification and too much
cross-breeding. Regardless of the cause, we are seeing more and more
studies asserting the inflammatory nature of these grains.
If we grossly oversimplify
the issue, there are two very basic types of physical characteristics
that we will see with food sensitivities. The first person tends
to be very slender, has difficulty gaining weight, experiences hair
loss, anemia, nervousness, and other symptoms similar to and possibly
including an overactive thyroid. Why? Because when her
gastrointestinal tract gets inflamed, it speeds up digestion so more
inflammatory chemicals don't leak into the rest of the body, and
doesn't allow her to absorb the vitamins and nutrients she needs.
These cases can sometimes be harder to diagnose because individuals
overall look “healthy” because they are slender and don't show as
many markers on blood work. The second person tends to be overweight,
has difficulty losing weight even with dieting and exercise, and has
symptoms similar to and possibly including an underactive thyroid because her body slows down digestion and inflammation builds up.
These individuals still may have trouble getting help because their
symptoms are written off as being part of obesity, fibromyalgia, or
another disorder.
Individuals
in both groups tend to experience acne, depression, anxiety,
irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbances, joint pain, acid reflux,
stomach ulcers, abdominal swelling, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea or
constipation or fluctuate between both.
If
you're sitting there saying “Wait, this sounds like me, why haven't I been diagnosed with a food sensitivity?” it's because there is very little
testing that properly identifies food sensitivities. In my last
video, I touched briefly on food sensitivities and how they differ
from traditional food allergies, so if you're lost right now, go back
and watch that again if you need a refresher. As a whole, medical
research tends to focus on food allergies, anaphylaxis reactions,
because they are more immediately life threatening and better
understood than food sensitivities. On top of that, as we have noted
before, inflammatory reactions, which are the symptoms of food
sensitivities, are diverse and look very different in each
individual person.
I'm
not asking you to take my word for it, do an experiment for yourself.
Keep following along with Wellness Wednesday and see how you feel. Unless you jump right
into strict paleo, it might take a few weeks to notice a difference,
be patient.
This week I want you to incorporate 4 paleo meals into
your meal plan! You can do it! It's going to be great!
Have a
sparkling day everyone!
Dr. Chelsea
Need recipe suggestions? Try one of these Simple Paleo recipes!
*Any
health topics that are covered should not be considered medical
advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor
or make
an appointment with
us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary
changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or
are pregnant or nursing.*
There are probably thousands of Paleo recipes on the internet, but if you need a starting block, you have come to the right place. Here are a few simple Paleo recipes with short ingredient lists to get you started. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to modify your own family favorites as well!
Let me know which ones you fall in love with and if you find any that are even better!
Enjoy!
Dr. Chelsea
Breakfast
Any egg dish with a side of meat and veggies. Omelettes are easy. So are fried eggs with chicken sausage and baby spinach or sauteed peppers.
Hello World, I'm Dr. Chelsea Drda and
I'm blessed to be a chiropractor along with two of my family members,
Dr. Mark Frank and Dr. Celeste Holstein at the Frank Clinic of
Chiropractic in Zephyrhills Florida. Today is Wellness Wednesday and
I'm here to speak to you about my journey with weight loss and health
transformation.
I'm sure some of you have read my
previous blog post about how I lost 60 pounds and 10 pant sizes the
healthy way. I come from a family that is very active and eats well,
but even still growing up I was always overweight for my age. Dr.
Frank first told my parents that I was likely allergic to dairy when
I was around 13. I stopped drinking milk, but I “couldn't” give
up cheese or ice cream, they were just such huge staples in my life.
So of course I had chronic sinus issues and asthma and was completely
miserable. It impacted my focus, limited my ability to participate in
athletics, and took away all of my motivation. It went on for so long
that I thought that's just what my life was supposed to be like, I
didn't know I could feel any better. Finally, after a series of
severe allergy attacks leading to weeks of recovery, I hit the
breaking point and decided to make a change, so my diet has been
dairy free for about 4 years now.
Once I cleared the dairy from my
system, I still had some issues with my stomach, and I decided to see
if eliminating gluten would help. Since I eliminated gluten from my
diet 18 months ago, I have been so much happier, healthier, and
energetic. I don't ever feel deprived, I always have something
delicious to eat that is excellent fuel for my body, and I am not
miserable after I eat.
The biggest thing I want to impress on
you is that what I have seen with myself, my family, and my patients
is that allergy testing does not always pick up on food
sensitivities. Allergy testing is most sensitive to anaphylaxis, the
throat closing, tongue swelling, inability to breathe reaction that
we see with peanut allergies, and isn't tuned to picking up
sensitivity reactions. The other issue with sensitivity reactions is
that they tend to vary from person to person, but the classic
indicators are weight gain or inability to gain weight, chronic sinus
issues, acid reflux, gas and bloating, irritable bowel syndrome,
nausea, stomach ulcers, fatigue, ear infections, tonsillitis, and
thyroid disease.
The good news is, eating a cleaner diet
without gluten or dairy is actually a lot easier than you think, and
it doesn't have any side effects! The biggest obstacle for most
people is cooking at home and I know that for busy families it can
seem like a daunting feat. If you need a structured plan, the easiest
format to follow is the Paleo diet program. You can buy a book if you
want to, but there is an abundant wealth of free information on the
internet. The basic premise of the Paleo diet is eliminating wheat,
dairy, processed foods, and refined sugar, instead increasing your
intake of well-sourced meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and
seeds, and healthy oils like olive, avocado, and coconut. I'll post
some resources for you to look into after this post.
Just remember that it doesn't have to
be fancy or complicated, eating well can be very simple! I'm not a
professional chef and I didn't spend much time in the kitchen growing
up, so most of what I do is self-taught. You have no idea what you
are capable of until you start doing it, and I was amazed what I can
create without taking a lot of time and will please everyone. I have
also found that cooking at home is cheaper for most families than
eating out every day. So over the next couple of months, we are going
to be talking a lot about different recipes, tips and tricks and
other things I have found helpful with implementing these kinds of
diet changes.
Your homework is to substitute one
paleo meal into your meal plan for this week. I want you to
try something simple and easy with a short list of ingredients. I
don't want you to get burned out cooking the fanciest existing paleo
recipe that is so nutrient packed and amazing that it takes you 6
hours to prepare and you quit after the first day. So keep it short
and simple and we will revisit this next week.
I hope you'll tune in and I'll be
seeing you next Wednesday, have a sparkling day everyone!
*Any
health topics that are covered should not be considered medical
advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor
or make
an appointment with
us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary
changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or
are pregnant or nursing.*
Hello Everyone! This Wellness Wednesday Week 4 and I'm here to talk to you about Paleo Meal Prep and Emergency Preparedness. One of the easiest ways to fail with a Paleo diet is to not have a plan. It's so easy to get home late and think to yourself "I don't have time to cook now, we can get takeout tonight." That may be okay if you choose the right restaurant and pick a paleo option, but it's really 
