Contrary to popular belief, we don’t just “all of a sudden get sick”. Whether we get a bug, diabetes or cancer, the body will put up a good fight — through several stages if it has to — with the intent to bring itself back into balance at each turn.

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Each organ and system has several lines of defense, and if functioning well, they’re able to maintain a stable condition within the tissues. But if it loses the battle at any stage of the game, the body gets more and more toxic and its chances for victory become increasingly slim.

That’s why I underline not to wait once a year to do a detox. We need to eat right, drink right, exercise right and play right all year round, but it’s imperative to do some deeper cleaning 2-4 times each year to help the body maintain a functioning defense system.

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Lines of Defense

Below is a brief description of the Stages of Disease. What I hope to get across here is that most symptoms do not occur until the organ or system has already gone through several stages of malfunction. In other words, we don’t know we’re sick until we experience symptoms; by that time, the body is already significantly compromised.

STAGE 1: DEVIATION

In this initial stage, the body senses an imbalance due to internal or external stressors from let’s say, a flu bug, breathing in car exhaust or another environmental toxin, eating too much sugar or caffeine, death of a family member, etc. (Any stressor will do.) The innate response is to return the body to balance, and it will do so via liver detoxification and elimination. Any toxicity is attempted to be removed via feces, urine, sweat, breath and mucous. If the body is in good function, this preliminary effort will be successful and the body will adapt, heal and move on. If the stressors are chronic and outweigh the body’s detoxification ability, compensation takes place and the body will move toward the second stage of disorder. This is why proper detoxification, digestion and elimination is mandatory! Without it, we’re on to Stage 2.

STAGE 2: ABNORMALITY

At this stage, the body is still trying to pull out all the stops and attempts to return it to the previous stage so it can come back into homeostasis. If the body doesn’t respond to this call, a catabolic effect happens and cells and tissues start to break down. Inflammation is used at this stage, but the body might also actively deposit toxic wastes (that were unable to be eliminated) into less vital areas like benign cysts and tumors.  If these changes continue to occur, it can lead to a particular disease, syndrome or malignancy. Signs and symptoms might be present at this stage, but for most people, the symptoms are not enough to warrant a visit to the doctor or to start a nutrition or detoxification program. This is why it’s so important NOT to wait until you’re sick to do a detox.

STAGE 3: MORPHOLOGY

At this stage, malfunction has occurred and an actual disease condition exists. The structure of the cells, tissues, organs or systems is damaged. Dysfunction of the mitochondria inside the cells occurs. This creates a breakdown of immune activity, and in turn fails to defend the inner cellular areas from toxins. Malignancies of all stages happen in this stage. Even still, the body makes continued attempts to return to the previous state. But if it can’t hold its own weight here, the continued compensation leads to deep, chronic symptoms.

STAGE 4: SYMPTOMS

As normal function is lost, the body is challenged with chronic and deeper-level symptoms. At this stage, secondary conditions that stem from chronic symptoms often occur, and viability of the organism is severely tried. This is the typical time-frame that people will actually schedule a visit with a doctor. They have become chronically fatigued, feel pain or weakness, or feel “not the same”. Please note that there are THREE full stages before actually experiencing many symptoms! Although you may be hanging on in Stage 1, 2 or 3 for many years, don’t think that just because you do not experience chronic symptoms that you are “healthy”. There’s a big difference between symptom-free and vitality.

STAGE 5: DEATH

Cell changes and the cascading effect of chronic symptoms will lead the body to a permanent cessation of function. It can no longer handle the adaptations, and has lost all its life force to vie for homeostasis. When this has occurred, the body dies. This can also be true for cells, organs or systems.

Here are two good questions for you:

1. What stage of disease are you in?
2. Is it worsening, or is it improving?

If you’ve noticed symptoms that haven’t gone away or have gotten worse, rest assured your body is already struggling to win a battle. Remember: it can only put up as much of a fight as it’s able to detox and eliminate stored toxicity. The liver’s detox processes need to be cleared to have a fighting chance, no matter where you are in Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Don’t wait! Detox 3-4 times each year! I’m running my detox program NOW for the transition from summer to fall. Discounts apply until September 24 only. So there are at least reasons not to wait:

• Reason #1: To decrease your chances of going to the next stage
• Reason #2: To increase your immunity during the flu season
• Reason #3: To get a Free Gall Bladder Cleanse and Free Shipping (over $47 in savings)

Super Liver Detox Program – Info and Registration Here

And… Listen to Alison’s free detox call (57 minutes)

Article References:

Davis, Reed, FDN. Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. The Five Stages of Disease. 2010.

Stiteler, Stephen, L.A.c., O.M.D, N.M.D. Selective Detox and Drainage. Apex Seminars, 2010.

Serves 1-2

Beiler Broth is a simple fasting or cleansing broth that is high in the minerals needed to support a liver or cellular detox. Drink it everyday if you like. I substitute spinach for the original recipe’s green beans, as I do not promote beans and legumes on a detox. Dr. Henry Beiler was an early nutrition pioneer and the author of the popular nutrition book, Food is Your Best Medicine.

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2 medium zucchini, rough chopped
3 stalks celery, rough chopped
3 cups chopped spinach
1 1/2 – 2 cups filtered water
Handful parsley
Sea salt, “Real Salt”, Celtic salt, or Himalayan pink salt, to taste

Braise the zucchini, celery and spinach in the water until very soft (approximately 10 minutes). Transfer to a blender and add the parsley. Blend until smooth. Add salt, to taste.

©2010. Alison Anton – All rights reserved.

A “medicinal” tea is a strong concoction of botanicals prepared specifically for therapeutic purposes. All seven of these herbs are known for their liver-supporting and detoxifying effects. Both roots and leaves are used, so special preparations must be made to accommodate both. (See cooking and nutrition tips below.) If you are taking a prescription medication, check with your physician before using herbs to rule out any drug-herb interactions.

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Cooking Tip: Find dried bulk herbs at a local herb store or natural foods store. You can even do a search online. In the least, you can purchase a pre-packaged liver detox tea at your natural foods store. Most detox tea blends will contain some combination of the below herbs.

Cooking Tip: It’s best to decoct (boil) the roots first before steeping the leaves. Most roots need to be boiled for 30 or so minutes to extract their nutritive qualities. To make this easy, the roots and leaves should be bagged separately.

Nutrition Tip: For medicinal purposes, it’s best to prepare smaller batches of a medicinal tea for consumption that day. Get in the habit of preparing and steeping your tea at night, so it’s ready for sipping the next day.

Nutrition Tip: Milk thistle is a very effective liver detoxifier, but you will NOT get any of its benefits by drinking it in tea-form (that’s why it’s not included in this tea). It’s best when extracted in a tincture. Buy Milk Thistle tincture and place several droppers into the tea before drinking.

ROOT MIXTURE
2 parts dandelion root
1 part burdock root

LEAF MIXTURE
2 parts alfalfa leaf
2 parts plantain
1 part fennel seed
1 part catnip herb

TINCTURE
Milk Thistle tincture

Mix the roots in one storage container, the leaves in another. Use 1 tablespoon total for each cup of tea (1/2 tablespoon roots, 1/2 tablespoon leaves).

To make 1 quart of tea: Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the root mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the roots for 30 minutes. Place 2 tablespoons of the leaf mixture into a quart-sized container (any glass container will do). Remove the root water from the heat and pour over the leaves (roots included). Add enough fresh water to make 1 full quart. Let steep overnight for a medicinal-strength liver tea. Add several droppers of the milk thistle tincture into the quart jar before drinking.

From Healing Herbal Teas, by Brigitte Mars:

Dandelion: A blood purifier; aids in the process of filtering and straining wastes from the bloodstream. Treats obstructions of liver, gall bladder pancreas and spleen.

Milk Thistle: Liver protective; supports liver function. Used for hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. May protect against aspirin and ibuprofen use, as well as alcohol and other drugs.

Alfalfa Leaf: High in chlorophyll, it helps remove excess uric acid, and is a nutritive tonic for general health.

Plantain: Reduces inflammation, clears toxins. A supreme drawing agent in that it helps draw toxins from the body.

Burdock: Improves the elimination of toxic metabolic wastes through the liver, lymph, intestines lungs, kidneys and skin, making it an excellent choice for a detox or fast.

Fennel Seed: Improves the body’s energy by enhancing digestion and assimilation of food. It clears phlegm, decongests the liver and clears stagnation.

Catnip: Moves chi, relaxes the nerves and relieves inflammation. It also improves digestion.

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

A safe detox involves more than just a fast. Special nutrients are required to make the liver’s detox processes take place. Without them, we may feel the effects of a serious “healing crisis”: migraines, joint pain, irritable bowels, nausea, cramping, hostility, or deep depression. Although mild versions of some of these can be expected while detoxing, what’s the benefit of a detox program if we knock it the first or second day ,cause we’re so sick and miserable?

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Listen to Alison’s free detox lecture:

The “Dos” for Safe Detoxing

A good detox program will consider several factors, many of which have just as much to do with elimination as with detoxification. Without eliminating the toxins that are coming out of the tissues, we may experience a “ping pong” effect, where toxins are bounced around in the body without actually being removed. That’s what makes us sick.

Detox without drainage can cause these three serious issues:

• Resettling of the toxins in the same or different tissues
• Increased severity of symptoms than previously experienced
• New laboratory findings resultant in progression of disease stages

When partaking in any detoxification or cleansing program, consider these five critical factors to make sure you’re both pulling toxins from your tissues, as well as eliminating them and getting them out of your body for good:

1. POOP IT OUT, SWEAT IT OUT, BREATHE IT OUT! As mentioned, detox without drainage can cause more damage than good. That means you need to do whatever you can to be a good eliminator, at least while on your cleanse. Elimination happens via the urine, feces, sweat, breath, mucous, earwax and pours of the skin.

All kinds of toxins will be coming up (and hopefully out) during your program. Make a concerted effort to have 1) at least three bowel movements each day, 2) frequent urinating each day, and 3) some form of exercise where you break a mild sweat and breathe deeply each day. If you do not have three bowel movements each day on your cleanse, daily enemas are imperative. Liquids throughout the day, including water, liver teas, bone broths and vegetable juices, are needed to increase urination.

2. GET THE RIGHT NUTRIENTS! There are two main phases of detoxification, and the liver needs targeted nutrients to get through each safely and effectively without harming you or your tissues in the process.

Phase I Detox directly neutralizes some forms of toxins, and requires special antioxidants to protect your cells against the harmful impact of this process. Make sure these two antioxidants (considered the single most important antioxidants known to humans) are included in your program: Glutathione (GSH) and Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD). It’s best to use a cream-form of these nutrients so they go right into the bloodstream.

Both Phase I and II Detox need certain nutrients and co-factors to change fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble forms so they can be excreted out. Note: only water-soluble forms can be excreted! This process requires a whole host of vitamins, minerals and their specific co-factors: Vitamin C, B-Vitamins, N-acetyl-cysteine, methionine, magnesium, glysine, phosphatidyl choline and many others. Botanical herbs known to support liver detox and bile synthesis should always be incorporated into the program: milk thistle, dandelion, ginseng, gotu kola and many others.

3. KEEP BLOOD SUGAR BALANCED! The liver is one of the main organs responsible for keeping blood sugar stable. What the liver doesn’t need on a cleanse is the undue stress of having to manage that process. Water fasts, juice fasts, and lemonade and maple syrup fasts can cause significant spikes and drops in blood sugar, resulting in moodiness, anger, irritability, shakiness and unpleasant crashes in energy.

Although a break from solid foods helps the liver focus on detoxification, it’s still utterly important to balance blood sugar by getting enough of the specific nutrients known to keep blood sugar stable. If you’re partaking in a “fast” during your cleanse, consider adding a non-inflammatory nutritive food powder that has adequate protein and nutrients specific to balancing blood sugar. If you ever feel a heavy energy crash coming on, it’s better to eat a small amount of steamed veggies than to grin and bear the stressful impacts of blood sugar swings on a cleanse. Never feel like a failure if you need a light meal.

4. SUPPORT WITH SELF-CARE! The natural focus of a detox program is usually on detox herbs and cleansing foods. But it’s also crucial to get some good, quality self-care in each day to support them. By “self-care” I mostly mean anything you can do for yourself to aid elimination (as mentioned above). Remember, elimination happens via several avenues, and it can be of great consequence if it doesn’t happen.

Here are some daily self-care ideas for a few of the main elimination avenues:

• Feces: enemas, abdominal massage
• Sweat: saunas, steam rooms, exercise
• Skin: dry skin brushing, skin cleanse baths, seaweed wraps
• Breath: meditation, yoga, tai chi or chi gong

5. PROPER PREP FOR GALLSTONE FLUSH! A “gallstone flush” or “liver flush” is a common detox practice. The purpose is to expel gallstones from the gall bladder and bile duct, and is usually initiated by the consumption of olive oil and citrus juice. What’s UNcommon, is the proper preparation for this flush. Without the right supplements to soften and open the ducts and loosen the stones from the tissues, gallstones can be painful to pass.

It’s important to prepare for this passage several days in advance instead of deciding to just “go for it” after reading about a liver flush on the Internet. Several days before the flush, you’ll need to make sure to add these to your supplement routine: liquid phosphorus, malic acid and magnesium-citrate. Taking these and following a precise methodology ensures you will feel NO PAIN when doing a gallstone flush.

Don’t wait! Detox 3-4 times each year! I’m running my detox program NOW for the transition from summer to fall. Discounts apply until September 24 only. So there are at least reasons not to wait:

• Reason #1: To decrease your chances of going to the next stage
• Reason #2: To increase your immunity during the flu season
• Reason #3: To get a Free Gall Bladder Cleanse and Free Shipping (over $47 in savings)

Super Liver Detox Program – Info and Registration Here

And… Listen to Alison’s free detox call (57 minutes)

I have six nutrition books on the subject of the “anti-inflammatory diet”. And guess what? They all say something different. The key here is to find what works for YOU, not for the general population. If you’ve tried an anti-inflammatory diet but gained little improvement, there may be a good reason for it: You didn’t eliminate YOUR inflammatory foods.

Inflammation is caused by an immune response triggered by foods, chemicals, the environment, degenerative diseases, stress and many other factors. There are some triggers we simply can’t eliminate, but using diet to reduce our “total inflammatory load” is a good first step. If we can really get our own anti-inflammatory diet down pat, the daily impacts of inflammation could be significantly reduced.

How Do You Start?

The best way to really notice a difference is to do an elimination diet and a liver cleanse at the same time. This way, your liver has a fighting chance to clear any toxicity accumulated from your previous diet, and get you sensitized again to what is right and wrong for you.

With immune response and inflammation, telltale signs of “what’s wrong” often get covered up due to an increase in tolerance of our reactive foods. The idea behind a liver cleanse is to break the tolerance pattern so we can once again get a clear picture of what’s going on. Your body will tell you.

What to Eliminate

There are many “blanket” foods known to cause inflammation. All of these foods should be eliminated completely while on a liver cleanse, just to make sure you’re covering all the bases. Not all of these foods will cause inflammation for you… At least let’s hope. But you owe it to yourself to find out.

Here are a few of the key players highlighted:

All Gluten Grains – Gluten is a protein in the wheat family of grains known to cause inflammation in the gut and other systems in the body. Since wheat is a staple food in our culture, we tend to eat it everyday. Our bodies are not genetically adapted to eat the same foods day in and day out, and we can eventually create an immune sensitivity or intolerance to them. Other people can develop (or are born with) a more complex immune reaction to gluten that can affect many organs and systems. Gluten grains include: wheat (white or whole grain), barley, spelt, kamut, rye, bulgar, triticale.

A Note On All Grains – During the second week of my Super Liver Detox Program, I eliminate ALL grains, including non-gluten grains. Many people report that even these grains (quinoa, millet, corn, brown rice) have an inflammatory impact on them. All grains have chemical compounds called saponins that inhibit digestion. From the “Paleo Diet” perspective, early man ate very small amounts of grain, and we may not be genetically adapted to eat them in the large quantities that we do today.

Nightshade Vegetables – Most cleanses allow consumption of an unlimited amount of vegetables, including tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, cayenne, and eggplant. In fact, hot peppers are touted as being “anti-inflammatory” foods. While true for some, these can cause swelling, aches, pains, and indigestion for others. Why? Peppers (and all nightshades) are high in alkaloids. For certain people, alkaloids cause inflammation. I recommend taking them out of the diet for the full 21-days of a cleanse, then slowly reintroducing them, taking note of any inflammatory responses.

Over-Consumed Vegetable Oils – Too much of certain fats can cause inflammation. Obviously, trans-fats should be avoided completely (on or off a cleanse), but over-consumed “healthy” oils like corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil and soy oil should also be eliminated while cleansing. Fatty acids trigger either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory pathways inside our bodies. Stick only with the fats that trigger the anti-inflammatory ones, like fish oils, walnuts and olive oil.

Other pro-inflammatory foods to eliminate on a cleanse (eliminate for at least 3 weeks):

• Dairy Products
• High-Starch Gluten-Free Products
• Soy
• Corn
• Peanuts and Cashews
• Alcohol
• Carbonated and Highly-Caffeinated Beverages
• Processed Meats
• Packaged and Processed Foods
• Meat Substitutes
• Cane Sugar and Sweeteners

Undoubtedly, there are several other foods that are causing significant reactions for you. These foods will be different person-by-person. What may be an anti-inflammatory food for someone else, may be causing serious problems for YOU.

The best way I know to detect inflammatory foods within each individual is the Mediator Release Test (MRT). It’s the most sensitive food allergy test out there. Please email me if you’d like more information on the MRT.

Stay tuned for my Super Liver 21-Day Detox Program right around the corner! You’ll be eating an anti-inflammatory diet for a full 21 days, which will re-sensitive your body to which foods cause an inflammatory response in you. This detox will naturally hand you over the potential to take your health to the next level. More information on the detox will follow in the next few weeks… Stay tuned!

I decided to blog about my recent oral surgery and dental infections (and years of run-around involving them) because of the deep connection between dental health and the over-all health of the body.

I’m hoping that my story will encourage you to consider this connection. If an infection isn’t treated appropriately by a dentist trained in advanced surgical procedures (and I’m not talking root canals) infection could persist for decades and cause a whole slough of unforeseen health issues – many seemingly unrelated.

Patients who undergo these specific procedures report steady improvement in immunity and adrenal function, as well as over-all improvements to general health. According to my oral surgeon, even chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart conditions and auto-immune diseases have shown to miraculously clear within months after treatment.

This phenomenon may be due to the simple holistic connection of all body systems. “As above, so below” – if one part of the intricate web is not functioning, other parts deteriorate. If there is an infection anywhere in the body, the immune system will respond until the infection is gone – forever if it has to – or until the immune system dies trying. With immunity compromised, over-all health diminishes.

From a Chinese Medical standpoint, meridians and acupuncture points run right through each tooth. Depending upon the location of the affected tooth, other body systems that run along those same meridians will be affected.

My Story:

A few months ago, I consulted with a functional nutrition teacher of mine about a crisis I’ve been facing with my teeth. Thank God I did, because if I hadn’t, I’m afraid I’d still be on the roller coaster I’ve been riding ever since I started going to the dentist as a kid.

I don’t recall any childhood visit to the dentist in which I didn’t have a cavity. Each cavity was filled with metal amalgam that contained mercury, and I was placed under “laughing gas” each time I needed a filling. But it was no laughing matter for me: I hallucinated on the nitrous, making my visits to the dentist more traumatic than funny.

Things didn’t changed as an adult. Infected teeth seemed to rule my mouth, and in my late twenties I endured two root canals to patch up a couple of the infections. At that time, I thought I was doing all the “right” things. I was seeing a “natural dentist” who removed all of my amalgam fillings to stop the possibility of mercury spilling into my blood stream, and getting root canals to stop any infection. But I still had trouble.

Last year, I had to replace a crown off one of my root canalized molars.  After the replacement procedure, my molar started aching, and never stopped. I went back to the dentist, and after doing another round of x-rays, he recommend I redo the filling in the tooth NEXT to it, since he didn’t detect any infection in the molar. But I knew it wasn’t the tooth next to it – THAT tooth didn’t hurt. It was the molar.

He then sent me to an oral surgeon to have a look. The oral surgeon recommended I have the root canal in the molar re-done, as it most likely would stop any infection and save the tooth. So I was referred to an endodontist to have the root canal re-done.

After the second root canal, the pain never went away, and in fact, got worse. It was recommended that I go back to the oral surgeon to extract the tooth and get an implant to replace it.

At that point, I had had it with my dentists, and decided to consult with one of my teachers about the connection between tooth infections and over-all health. Fortunately, he had been through the same rigmarole, and had some excellent referrals and advice. I decided to trust him on this and go with his recommendations.

He connected me with a colleague of his in California, a dentist trained in advanced interpretation of dental x-rays. My first step was to have a Panorex x-ray taken and sent to this dentist’s office. A Panorex is a sophisticated x-ray that takes a complete panoramic shot of the mouth, including the gums and jawbone.

His assessment came back about a week later. I had six very deep infections: two were in the molars that had undergone the root canals, and those infections had spread deep into the jawbone surrounding those teeth. The other four were in the jawbone areas where I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was sixteen. Apparently, the jaw areas under all four wisdom teeth were not cleaned out, and an infection had been festering there for nearly 25 years!

Note: Up until that point, I had numerous x-rays taken on my mouth, but not one dentist, endodontist or oral surgeon had discovered the jaw infections. I asked my current dentist about this phenomenon, and he informed me that interpreting an x-ray for jaw infections (and hence, removing them) is NOT taught in dental school.

My next step was to remove these deeper infections. He recommended a dentist and colleague of his in Colorado that apprenticed directly under him in the safe removal of jaw infections. It’s quite rare to find any dentist who is doing this. It’s a simple procedure, but a controversial one in that infections are “supposed” to be removed via root canals. In this dentist’s 30 years of practice, he has determined that root canals indeed do not remove the infection from the area, and in many cases may actually make the infection worse. (I can attest to this.)

My first surgery included the extraction of the infected molar on the right with the two bad root canals. It also included removing the infections in the jawbone under the wisdom tooth areas, top and bottom on that side.

Here’s what he did (and what he found):

First, he broke the molar into four pieces and then removed each of them. He informed me that the tooth practically came out on its own, that my body was rejecting it.

Next, he cut an incision in the periodontal ligament to expose the jaw under the tooth. He saw that my jawbone, where it was supposed to be as hard and solid as rock, was a gritty pile of mush.

It just so happened that he had an intern in the office with him that day to observe the procedure, and I felt lucky to get to listen to the step-by-step process and his observations as he explained them to her. The intern said she had never seen anything like it – she had never witnessed the cutting of the ligament, never seen an exposed jaw bone, and had never seen an infection so bad. In dental school, she was never trained that there could be an infection in the jawbone. As far as she was told, infection stopped in the tooth and gum, and was treated with a root canal and a week of antibiotics.

The surgeon removed the mush that was once my jawbone and proceeded to grind into the bone to get as deep as the infection went. He ardently cleaned the area three to four times with different antibacterial agents, and ended by suturing me up with silk thread. The same procedure was done with the wisdom teeth areas of the jaw.

After the procedure was complete and I was getting up off the chair, he asked me how I felt. My response: “I feel better now than I did when I walked in”. (OK… the anesthesia hadn’t worn off at that point, but I honestly felt that way, like my body was telling me all along to get this infection out.)

The recovery was painful, but after the stitches were taken out, it was a whole new world. The pain subsided, and now I can say that an internal strength and endurance is coming back for me. I am certain that my immune response is quicker and more accurate now that all the attention isn’t on trying to heal my mouth.

This week, I go in for the second round… the other side. The other root canalized molar will be removed and its infection cleared, as will the sockets under the wisdom teeth areas on that side. The full and complete healing of the jaw will take several months, and it may take 12-24 months for all body systems to regulate as my immune system comes back online.

I’ll be writing again soon to take this subject one notch deeper. There are reasons why I and others have a tendency toward chronic infections. More often than not, as it turns out, there is a deep internal stress factor involved, usually having to do with serious systemic bacterial and viral infections. More on this topic to come.

Please email me if you’d like my referral to have your Panorex evaluated for jaw infections, or help finding an advanced oral surgeon trained to remove them.

Serves 6-8

Tempering chocolate? Forget it… Just whip up this healthy dessert fondue in a food processor! Raw cocao is an unprocessed form of chocolate that boasts high levels of anti-oxidants and minerals. It is unheated cocoa that hasn’t gone through the trails and tribulations of processed bars and confections. Find raw cacao nibs and powders in natural foods stores or online.

Chef’s Notes: I made a version of this recipe for myself with only liquid stevia as the sweetener to keep my blood sugar levels balanced. It wasn’t as rich and “rounded” as the version with dates below, but was sweet and chocolately enough for me. Omit the dates, and use 2-3 full droppers of liquid stevia extract, found in the supplements section at your local natural foods store.

2 ripe avocados
1 1/2 cups coconut juice (not milk), fresh or bottled
10-12 large pitted dates, soaked in water to cover for 10 minutes
8 tablespoons raw cocao powder
2 full droppers liquid stevia extract
2-3 pounds favorite fruit, chopped or sliced into 1-inch pieces

Blend all ingredients (except the fruit) in a food processor or blender. Add extra coconut juice, if needed, to get a smooth, creamy consistency that will hold onto dipped fruit without pulling the the fruit from the fork. Add additional cocao powder if you desire a dark chocolate flavor.

Transfer to a decorative bowl. Arrange the fruit chunks on a platter next to the chocolate and have the forks at hand. Serve room temperature. Dip and eat.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Yesterday, my husband requested I buy a case of coconut juice to give us energy while working on our new house all weekend. Since I heard we were going to have record-high temperatures here in Colorado (and I know that coconut juice is high in electrolyte minerals that increase energy when hot, drained and sweating) I decided to go for it.

Last night, around 8:30pm, those cans of ice-cold, tropical sweetness were way too tempting. Although I usually only indulge in after-dinner treats on fun or special occasions (I’ll tell you why in a second) this time I couldn’t resist.

What happened is that I woke up around one or two a.m. feeling restless, anxious, and mildly fearful. I wasn’t surprised. Here’s why:

The Insulin/Cortisol Surge

When we eat or drink something high in sugars, an hour or so later we get what’s called an “insulin surge”. Insulin is a hormone that carries sugar out of the blood stream and into storage. You can think of insulin as a kind of “usher”.

Essentially, insulin drops our blood levels of sugar. The timing and intensity of the drop is directly related to the glycemic value (sugar content) of the foods eaten. In other words, if we eat a high-glycemic food without fat or protein to help slow absorption, insulin comes in fast and furious to drop that sugar load in the blood. A quick and sudden rise of blood sugar leads to a quick and sudden drop.

But it doesn’t end there (and here’s where insomnia and anxiety come in).

As soon as blood sugar levels drop, another hormone comes in to counter that action. That hormone is called cortisol. One of cortisol’s purposes is to make sure blood sugar levels are steady, and that there’s enough energy (sugar) in the blood to make us “go”. Herein lies the problem when you’re trying to get some sleep.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that has many more jobs that just raising blood sugar. As soon as it’s secreted by the adrenal glands, it turns on the sympathetic nervous system and decreases the parasympathetic. The sympathetic system prepares us for wakefulness by releasing stored energy for use, increasing heart rate, and preparing us for a “fight or flight” response, if needed.

The parasympathetic system, on the other hand, does the opposite. It’s the “rest and digest” side that prepares us for quietude, relaxation and sleep.

Which of these do you think would come in more handy from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.? You guessed it.

Last night I woke up after the insulin/cortisol surge. With cortisol up, it’s no doubt that I, for one, woke up in the first place, and secondly, that I woke up a little anxious. A cortisol surge (anytime in the day or night) can do that to a person.

If you struggle with insomnia, or have a chronic sense of anxiety or worry anytime in the day, a little work on the insulin and cortisol surge can go a long way.

Must-do blood sugar balancing tools for insomniacs to decrease the insulin/cortisol surge:

1. Always eat carbohydrates with some protein or fat to slow their digestion time. Carbs are grains, pastas, sweets, fruits, breads, cereals, etc.

2. Do not eat sweet foods or drinks in the evening. If you like a sweet treat in the day, have it with lunch, not dinner.

3. Always eat a little protein (animal or vegetable sources) and a little good fat (avocado, butter or ghee, yogurt, coconut meat, nuts and seeds) at dinner to help balance blood sugar for the night and into next morning.

4. Have an earlier dinner (before 7pm) and try not to eat after 8pm.

5. Eat your largest meal of the day at breakfast or lunch. Avoid large meals at dinnertime.

Have you put any of these into practice? If so, we’d love to hear how it has effected you sleep or performance in the day. Please comment below.

Serves 10-12

A perfect appetizer for potlucks, parties and protein-types! Grass-fed beef liver is cooked in stock and herbs and pureed into a smooth, spreadable pâté. Topped with black Mission figs for a rich and sweet taste-sensation. This gourmet pâté is quicker and easier than it may seem and transports easily.

EQUIPMENT
Soufflé dish, terrine, bread pan or small cheesecake mold (or a few small ramekins or mini-bread pans)
Parchment paper, waxed paper or plastic wrap

PATE
Ghee or butter for dish and paper
1 pound organic, grass-fed beef  liver, trimmed
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 small onion, rough chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary and/or thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
1/2 cup ghee or unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1/2 – 1 1/4 teaspoon salt (check sodium content in butter and broth!)

FIG PUREE
1/2 cup pomegranate juice, prune juice or port
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chopped dried black Mission figs

GARNISH
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
2-3 fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs
Gluten-free toasts or rice crackers

Butter a medium soufflé dish, terrine, bread pan or cheesecake mold (or use several small ramekins or mini-bread pans). Line the dish/es with parchment or natural-waxed paper, pressing or folding the edges into the dish as best you can, and leaving at least 2 inches at the top for easy unmolding. Generously butter or oil the paper.

Combine the livers, broth, onion and herbs in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the livers are cooked through.

Start the figs while the livers are cooking: Bring the fruit juice, vinegar and figs to a simmer in a small-medium saucepan and cook, covered, for 12 minutes, until the figs are soft and plump and some of the liquid has evaporated.

Drain the liquid from the livers and discard. Transfer the solids to a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the butter and salt to the processor and puree until smooth.

Spread the pâté into the prepared pan/s. Layer the top with the figs, using your fingers or a spoon to get an even layer without disturbing the pâté. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight until firm.

Have ready a decorative platter or plate. Unmold the pâté by carefully lifting it out of the pan via the paper and onto the platter. Leave the pâté on the paper or very carefully slide it off.

Press the chopped walnuts onto the sides of the pâté to hide any imperfections. Garnish the top with the herb sprigs and arrange the toasts around the pâté. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Serves 2

A party in a bowl, kids age three to 93 can’t resist this power-packed breakfast or healthy snack. It also makes a fantastically balanced dessert. Make sure to get the nuts, yogurt or coconut milk in there for good fats and to offset the carbohydrate.

Nutrition Tip: Smoothies are great for all body types IF there’s a healthy balance of macro-nutrients (proteins, carbs, fats). An all-carb smoothie (berries, bananas, rice milk, honey) can easily throw off metabolic balance. Always make sure to add good fats to offset the carbs so they absorb slower into the blood stream. Good fats include: coconut milk, coconut butter, nuts or nut butter, yogurt. I never drink a smoothie without high-quality protein powder. These need to be purchased from a health professional, not from a health food store. Brands I recommend are Apex Energetics Clear-Vite, Designs for Health Paleo-Meal, Biotics Ultra-Glycemex, or a cold-processed, unpasteurized whey protein powder like Whey Natural.

SMOOTHIE
1 1/2 cups milk (any variety) or milk/juice combo
1/2-3/4 cup frozen berries
Handful fresh spinach or other leafy green
2 scoops high-quality protein powder
Sweetener of choice, to taste

NUT SWIRL (optional)
2 tablespoons nut butter or yogurt
2-3 tablespoons milk (any variety, omit if using yogurt)
2 teaspoons sweetener or 1-2 drops liquid stevia extract

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS
Sliced bananas
Chopped nuts
Shredded coconut
Cocao nibs

Blend the smoothie ingredients in a blender until pureed. Divide between two bowls.

Whisk the optional nut swirl ingredients in a small dish, divide in two and swirl over the top of each bowl.

Add any of the the additional toppings and serve immediately with a spoon.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Serves 4

Who says a chilled soup can’t be heart-warming? This sweet, seasonal soup uses traditional ingredients with a simple addition of avocado to cream and thicken. Asparagus is a seasonal vegetable, best bought at the peak of the season (spring and late summer) at your local farmers’ market.

Cooking Tip: Instead of guessing where to trim asparagus to get the sweetest, most tender pieces, hold the stalk with both hands and gently bend. It will break exactly where the toughness starts and tenderness ends. Save the tough ends for stock.

Cooking Tip: To “simmer” means to bring the cooking liquid to just below the boiling point. There should be a very gentle, low bubbling, nothing more. “Boiling” is to bring the liquid to a full bubble.

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1/2 yellow onion or 1/2 cup chopped farmers market bunching onions
1 pound asparagus, ends removed, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 ripe avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/2 – 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (check sodium content of stock!)
1 teaspoon honey (optional, if slightly bitter)

Heat the ghee or oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and asparagus and saute for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Add the stock. Bring the soup to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor (you may have to do this in batches) and add the avocado. Puree until smooth.

If serving warm: Transfer the soup back to the pot and stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste. Add more lemon juice to brighten, salt to bring up flavors, honey to balance any bitterness.

If serving chilled: Transfer the soup back to the pot and chill for several hours. Add the remaining ingredients before serving. Taste. Add more lemon juice to brighten, salt to bring up flavors, honey to balance any bitterness.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Are you the type who thinks you have to “go it alone” or scrape by with minimal attention when it comes to health and taking care of yourself? If so, you probably need to re-evaluate the 7^th focal point in my 7 Core Principles to Lasting Health. The 7^th point is Building Your Health Allies, your team of health professionals that can take you from ill (or mediocre) health to optimal wellness in the least amount of time, with the least amount of resistance.

Of course, the bulk of the work is done by you and you alone, but make no mistake, you can’t do it all on your own.

The Power of a Specialist

Specialists are doctors or practitioners that have chosen a particular area of focus. In ideal conditions, they are “masters” of their practice; they’ve had targeted training in their specialized field, and have been putting that training into practice.

It’s, of course, important to have a general physician (alternative or allopathic) for basic health concerns, but having a small handful of specialists on hand to target your “health hot spots” is equally vital. Depending upon your individual needs, you may have a variety of areas to target, and will require a diverse selection of practitioners to help facilitate healing in those areas.

Here are just a few I recommend:

• Functional Nutritionist
• Chiropractor
• Acupuncturist/Herbalist
• Massage Therapist/Bodyworker
• Cranio-Sacral Therapist
• Energy/Subtle Body/Reiki Worker
• Physical Therapist
• Dental Specialist/Endodontist
• Yoga/Fitness/Martial Arts Instructor
• Psycho Therapist/Trauma Counselor

Ask yourself (and a trained professional) what it is you should be targeting. Having the means to employ all the above specialists is unlikely, but it becomes more reasonable if we whittle the list down to two or three focused areas.

Duration and Scheduling

We don’t have to put these specialists to work each and every week. It may start out that way in some cases, but most likely scheduling will become fewer and farther in between as your body gets more balanced and receptive to the work.

At the same time, there may be a some exceptions, depending upon the size of your pocket book and the depth of current health conditions. Personally, I schedule acupuncture and chiropractic care every 2-3 weeks. I see my yoga and fitness instructors 4-5 days every week, and get some bodywork at least once a month. And…. I’m in daily contact with my nutrition colleagues and teachers via my online Metabolic Typing and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner forums.

Talk to each specialist to see what duration is best for you.

Specialists on a Budget

As mentioned, scheduling duration may be one of the best ways to solve the budget issue. But in many cases, regular, consistent care is needed, especially at first. Too much time in between sessions may not allow the body to correctly re-pattern and initiate full and complete healing.

If there are budget issues, one recommendation is to seek out student clinics. Massage and acupuncture schools often have public clinics, where advanced students can practice skills and meet their clinical requirements at a minimal cost to you. Do a Google search in your area for any health or healing art school (i.e. massage school, acupuncture school, reiki school). If they do have a student or graduate clinic, costs and how to schedule will usually be listed on their website.

Subscribing to online health publications is also a cheap, secondary source for valuable information. I subscribe to at least a dozen, and draw inspiration from other people’s recipes and health advice each day. To sign up for my free weekly eLetter with healthy recipes and articles on health and nutrition, click here.

Establish Your Allies BEFORE You Need Them!

If your back goes out and you haven’t already jumped through the hoops in finding the practitioner that best suits your needs, you’re in for double the pain trying to find one last minute. Even if you find a good referral from a friend, chances are the practitioner won’t be able to schedule you for an “emergency” visit, since s/he has never worked with you before. I’ve found that the more I’m acquainted with a practitioner (and the more they are acquainted with me) they’re more willing to get you in on short notice, if needed.

Do some research first on what kind of modalities might be able to help you the most – Nutrition coaching? Chiropractic? Acupuncture? Massage? Then ask around for excellent referrals from friends and colleagues. You can also search the web for these specialists in your area.

The point is to do the research first, before you need them. We all have good days and bad. On the “good” days, we often feel strong enough and healthy enough that we deceive ourselves into thinking that we don’t need any targeted help; we may think we don’t need a list of health allies. But, inevitably, those “bad” days always do end up coming around, and we need to be prepared when it happens.

Serves 2

Who says you can’t make a smoothie out of veggies? This cheery spring smoothie is a detox in a glass – your liver will thank you for it. And if you can’t “swallow” the taste of veggie juice, this fruity concoction makes the medicine go down in the most delightful way. Great for kids and finicky adults.

4 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
1 small beet
1 cup frozen berries
handful spinach or other green
1/2 banana (optional)
2 scoops good quality protein powder
liquid stevia extract or raw honey, to taste

Run the carrots, celery and beet through a veggie juicer. Pour the juice into a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010 Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

As I get ready to launch my Body by Body Metabolic Typing® Program, I’m reminded of a survey I sent out for my mindful eating students last fall. At first, I thought the survey was skewed: I couldn’t figure out why I had three even piles of data with no average reading. How could a third of the participants say that the program’s pacing was perfect, the middle third say they wanted to pick up the pace, and the final third say they could use a whole year to take in all the information?

Just as I was about to toss the baby out with the bathwater, I realized that this is the very nature of Metabolic Typing: we’re all wired differently.

Not only do we require different foods and supplements to match our diverse body types, each of us have varying systems in place for mental capacity, pacing and energy expenditure. It’s no surprise that the participants, depending upon their own unique metabolisms, needed to do the program at their own pace and in their own unique way.

The answer to this quandary is simple: Just allow it to be. So I designed an efficient, yet flexible and self-paced Metabolic Typing program where participants can “do it their way”, in their own time. We’ve heard it said that some people are more visual in nature, some are more intuitive, and others are more analytical. To meet these needs, my program has a “multi-media” format, where participants learn from various modalities.

There’s no one answer as to what’s the best way to learn; that’s individual. But when there’s a multi-modality approach that utilizes written word, spoken word, pictures and an experiential, mindful quality, a powerful process happens within the body-mind to retain that information.

Getting Real with Your Program – How Do YOU Do It Best?

Below are a few body-type scenarios looking at the different ways one might need go about a diet plan, exercise strategy or nutrition program. Which one fits you? For participants in my Body by Body Metabolic Typing® Program, I’ve listed my recommendations on how to implement the protocol to best meet your unique needs.

The “Change Me Slowly” Type

Firstly, try not to be daunted with all the files and folders of information that you’ll get right at the beginning. It’s not meant to be digested all up front. Start simply by just organizing the information into a folder and skimming the resources so you know where to look later for relevant information. Breathe, and respect the fact that you’ve started on a lifelong health journey.

As far as the diet, just try eating the foods on your Allowable Foods List for the first two weeks. First make the effort at breakfast for a few days. Then try adding in lunch, then dinner only when it feels comfortable and non-stress-inducing to do so. There’s no such thing as “getting behind” when you make a lifelong commitment to health.

Listen to any audios or video as many times as needed before moving on to the next.

The “Let’s Get it On” Type

The first thing you’ll want to do is print and memorize your Allowable Foods List so you can have all the foods you like stocked in your kitchen and ready to eat. You’ll also want to get going straight away on getting your ratios of carbs to fats to proteins right for you. Use the guidelines in your workbook and the video for your specific diet plan to start; and then once you’ve listened to the audio, Finding Your Macro-Nutrient Ratios, you can further fine-tune. Use your diet logs right from the get-go to fine-tune. Fine-tuning is the crux of this program.

After settling into the food for a few days, begin to organize your binder. Print out all materials so they are at easy reach when you need an answer to a pressing question.

If you’re the “crash and burn” Sympathetic or Fast-Oxidizer type, remember that this is a lifelong program and it’s not about winning the race to health. This comes through time, perseverance and patience.

The “I Need a Plan” Type

Start by opening the files one by one and printing the documents. Make a quick errand to get a binder and all suggested organizational materials. Having the physical element of an organized binder in front of you will give you confidence and keep your mind busy.

Open the 150-Recipe and Diet Planning Cookbook (available to program participants). Read through my sample “type-specific” diet plans, and after choosing several recipes that look good to you, create a menu plan for the first week. Create a shopping list and ground a time to do the shopping and recipe prep. Utilize left-overs for the next day’s breakfast or lunch.

Follow the suggested week-by-week pace, taking it one day – and one week – at a time.

The “Don’t Box Me In” Type

You might like to sneak a peak at what’s to come. Feel free to preview any of the audios, videos or written material. Just make sure to come back to it in detail when the time comes.

You may be tempted to give yourself more freedom with your Foods List. I recommend that you stick pretty closely to the guidelines, especially at first. Use your sense of adventure to try new foods on your list that you rarely or have never used before. The fine-tuning process to this approach is nearly endless and can be as detailed as you want it to be. If you get bored with your foods, focus on fine-tuning your ratios and note any subtle reactions. Eating the foods on your list will help you feel more grounded.

Remember that this is a process and that your foods list is not forever. Once your metabolism balances, you’ll be able to enjoy a wider variety of foods and metabolize them efficiently.

Make sure to have your favorite foods stocked in your kitchen at all times, so you can get creative and make improvisational dishes. Use the cookbook and menu plans as guidelines only.

The Body by Body Program is an online course with an on-going registration. Start anytime, go at your own pace, and complete it in your own style.

Serves 2

One peek at the ingredients tells you this is my mom’s recipe: “balsamic vinegar, aged at least 8 years… older even better”, “fresh brie or goat cheese”, “semi-course sea salt, coral, black or herbed”. My mom, Dorothy McNett, is a cooking instructor and gourmet foodie… can you tell? This makes a phenomenal spring salad using fresh berries and baby spring greens. Perfectly balanced with aged balsamic and honey, and served with a side of cheese or chicken and a display of marinated balsamic berries. From Dorothy McNett’s Recipe Book.

MARINATED BERRIES
1 cup fresh local berries of choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries…)
1 teaspoon honey
about 1/2 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar

SALAD
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (at least 8 years aged, older even better)
pinch unrefined sea salt
few grindings of pepper
1 teaspoon honey (to balance the flavors)
2-3 really ripe berries, finely diced or smashed
fresh local greens, washed and spun dry
fresh brie or goat cheese, or diced cooked chicken
semi-coarse sea salt (coral or black, or herbed)

Put the berries in a bowl, slicing or dicing if they are large. Toss with the honey and the 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, sea salt, pepper, honey and the diced or smashed berries to make the dressing.

Arrange the greens on individual plates, drizzling with the dressing. Place the cheese or chicken on the side and drizzle with the marinated berries. Sprinkle all with a few grains of the semi-coarse salt.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

Recipe by Alison’s mom, Dorothy McNett

Yield: 4 servings
(pictured here with toasted pecans)

Sweet golden beets are roasted to bring out their natural sugars, and then marinated in a flavorful vinaigrette to make them pop. This is a beautiful salad and is one of my staples all year round.

Nutrition Tip: To roast veggies in foil without transferring aluminum to the food, wrap the veggies in parchment paper first, then wrap with the foil.

8 small-medium golden beets
1 minced shallot
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon raw honey or a few drops liquid stevia extract
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Loosely wrap the beets in parchment paper then wrap again in foil (2-3 beets per package). Place them on a sheet pan and roast until tender, 45-60 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to check for doneness; the toothpick should slide in easily.

Whisk together the shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper and honey in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil in a steady stream.

When the beets are just cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and discard. While still warm, cut the beets into wedges, and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill the beets several hours or overnight. Toss with the sunflower seeds just before serving.

©2010 Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Yield: 6-8 servings

These mineral-rich pop ‘em in your mouth crunchies make a low-carb alternative to popcorn, potato chips or French fries. The winning formula? Salty, sour and sweet.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey or several drops liquid stevia
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 medium-sized bunch kale, washed, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk all the ingredients (except the kale) in a small dish. Throw the kale into a large bowl and toss with the dressing to coat.

Spread the greens onto a large sheet pan in a single layer (you may have to do this in batches). Place the pan into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Toss the chips with a wooden spatula and place back into the oven for another 7-8 minutes, until the chips are crispy throughout.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

One of the biggest pain points for those who adhere to restricted diets — whether due to food allergies, health concerns, ethical responsibilities or simply to make better food choices — is the limitations in dining out. Worse yet, it can make traveling a nightmare. Eating out is tough, so what do you do when you don’t have a kitchen, and you wouldn’t want to cook even if you did?

One strategy is to let loose and indulge in foods not eaten on your average, normal day. This works great for those who are simply trying to make better food choices, yet have a little breathing room.

But unfortunately, for many others, this just isn’t an option. For this scenario, the most important thing is not to travel blind, letting yourself just “figure it out once you get there”. ‘Cause inevitably, once you get there, you’ll be hungry, and if you don’t have a strong action plan, you’ll most likely find yourself eating somewhere that isn’t able to accommodate your ultimate needs.

A good solution is to do a little preliminary sleuth work in preparation for your trip. With so much information at our fingertips on the web, we can pretty much find everything we need before we even touch down.

BEFORE YOU GET THERE

Search for restaurants: Do a Google search for restaurants using your specific criteria (i.e: grass-fed beef, organic, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc). Get a list going that includes the name, address and phone number of each location. You may even want to “map it” and get a print-out for easy access later. Go ahead and give a few of them a call to see if they TRULY can accommodate your needs. Cross off the restaurants that can’t. Make sure to specifically call the restaurant at your hotel or B&B, as this will be the fastest, easiest food option.

Request a room with a kitchenette: These rooms always have a counter area, small refrigerator, hot plate, serveware and utensils, making it easy to store left-overs, healthy beverages and snacks. See if the hotel can provide you with a blender: a little nut milk, nut butter, frozen fruit, spirulina and protein powder equals a power-packed, high energy smoothie in minutes.

Consider hiring a personal chef: You may gawk, thinking “I can’t afford that!” But after tallying your restaurant food costs at the end of your trip, I’ll bet it comes out pretty much even. But the BEST thing about a personal chef is that they are far more capable of accommodating special-needs diets. For example, I’m hiring a PC for my Bozeman, Montana trip next week, and she’s making a few of MY OWN recipes in large batches and delivering them to my room for me to keep in my fridge. See? What restaurant is gonna do THAT for you? Do a Google search for “personal chef” and your location, or go to the American Personal and Private Chef Association’s chef locator.

Decide where to eat once you get off the plane: The last thing you want is your blood sugar to drop and your energy to crash without a good place to eat mapped out ahead of time. Most likely the climate will be different and you’ll be a little taxed from all the traveling – these can make the body tired and stressed. The solution: know where you’re going to eat once you’ve arrived, AND know how to get there.

Extra! Find a yoga studio and do at least one class while you’re there!

WHAT TO BRING

Snacks: Pack a small zip-lock of nuts and dried fruit for your purse or carry-on; if it gets confiscated, it’s no loss, but if you can get away with it, you’ll have a little something to nibble on if your plane gets delayed or your blood sugar drops. The only thing I’ll say about eating at an airport is to go for fruit and tea with a little honey. This will bring blood sugar up… but not for long. A pack of nuts (albeit overly roasted and salted) from a gift shop can help with sugar crashes.

Immune Supplements: Never get on a plane or go somewhere far and away without an arsenal of supportive supplements. Pack vitamin C (Alacer Emergen-C packs are great) vitamin D, a multi-mineral, an immune tincture (I like Kick-Ass Immune by Wish Garden Herbs) a flu homeopathic like Boiron Ocillococcinum or Heel Engystol, and Yin Chiao herbal.

Collapsible cooler: Stuff this into your room freezer once you arrive so you have a cold tote to pack your food for tomorrow’s excursions. Also make sure to bring some small plastic containers and zip-lock baggies in a couple sizes.

Extra! Bring your own pillows for a good night’s sleep, and some aromatherapy oils and a few tea candles for relaxing baths before bed.

ONCE YOU’RE THERE

Hit up the local natural food store: The day you arrive, make sure to stop in a get some staple items that will come in handy right off the bat. Pick up quick energy, high-electrolyte foods like dried fruits (especially prunes and raisins – these will keep you from getting constipated too!) unsweetened banana chips, coconut water, Brazil nuts and cocoa nibs. Nut butter on gluten-free or raw crackers make a great snack or breakfast. If you have a fridge in your room, you can also stock up on some healthy prepared foods or deli meats and cheeses.

Order extras at restaurants: If you find a good dish that “did you right”, don’t hesitate to place a second order to go. Take it with you and store it in your room refrigerator; eat it for breakfast or lunch the following day. Never hesitate to back to the same restaurant if you know it worked for you.

Stay hydrated: If the water in your room is nasty, buy gallon jugs of bottled water from the health food store. If you can find a market that has a “you fill” reverse osmosis water station, that’s the best option.

Extra! Do some stretching and breathing when you wake up to get you going for the day. Better yet, get to a yoga class at least once while on your trip.

Serves 4

Get a stir-fried taste without the “fry”. This mock Asian raw stir-fry replaces rice with pulsed parsnips. The addition of tahini and a little extra honey help to balance any bitter, raw flavors.

Nutrition Tip: Massaging fibrous or hearty vegetables breaks them down and “wilts” them slightly without cooking. This saves precious nutrients and enzymes, which tend to leach out or become depleted through cooking. Use a good, firm pressure, and really work the oil or dressing into the vegetables for at least 2 minutes.

Nutrition Tip: Coconut aminos is a new alternative to soy sauce. It’s gluten-free and soy-free, and raw. I love the taste and is a good source for amino acids. I use Coconut Secret brand, found at natural foods stores.

MARINADE
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons raw honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame butter) or almond butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

STIR-FRY
1 cup small-diced broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
2 small-medium parsnips, rough chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced into matchstick pieces
1 cup chopped snow peas
Black sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Place the broccoli into the bowl with the marinade. Begin to massage the dressing into the broccoli, “wilting” the veggies with the heat and pressure of your fingers. Massage with a strong, pressing motion for about a minute. Add the shitakes, and massage again just to  wilt slightly, 10-20 seconds. Let sit while you prepare the “rice”.

Place the parsnip pieces into a food processor and pulse 16-18 times until you have small, rice-sized pieces. Toss them into the bowl with the broccoli. Mix in the carrots and snap peas.

Plate, and garnish with the optional black sesame seeds.

Food photos by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.

Serves 4

A cold, foggy coastal day… in Colorado! This creamy, warming shellfish soup has hints of paprika and a mild kick of cayenne at the end. Full of chowdery fish flavor, yet is dairy- and gluten-free. Cashew cream is used to thicken – no heavy cream and flour.

Cooking Tip: The shells of shellfish are loaded with flavor and minerals. Save and freeze them for fish stock (simmer in water for 20 minutes) or steep them into the recipe’s liquid ingredients. I use a cheesecloth or a large mesh steeping bag to hold them in one place for easy straining later.

EQUIPMENT
Cheesecloth or mesh steeping bag
Cooking twine (not needed if using a steeping bag)
Soup pot
Food processor

SHRIMP
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, in the shell
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne
dash salt
3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

BISQUE
1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 medium leek, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups (16 oz) clam juice
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups cream or optional cashew cream (for cashew cream, see below)
3 tablespoons dry white wine or lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt (go slow – check sodium content of clam juice)
fresh parsley and paprika (for garnish)

CASHEW CREAM (OPTIONAL)
1 cup cashews, preferably soaked overnight in water to cover, optionally soaked 30 minutes
1 1/2 cups water

Remove the shells from the shrimp and place the shells into a cheesecloth tied with a piece of cooking twine, or use a large mesh steeping bag.

Toss the shrimp with the spices and salt in a medium bowl. Heat the ghee in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a relatively single layer, and cook without flipping for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Toss and brown again for another 1-2 minutes.

Remove 2 pieces of shrimp per each serving to use as the garnish (8 pieces for 4 servings).

Leave the remaining shrimp in the pot and add the oil and veggies, cooking for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato paste, clam juice, water, thyme, bay leaf and shrimp shells. Turn the heat low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

For the optional cashew cream, rinse the soaked cashews and place them into a food processor with the water. Blend until smooth. (If making the soup right away, don’t bother rinsing the bowl.)

When the soup is done cooking, remove the shells and bay leaf. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until creamy. Add the wine and salt. Taste, adding more wine or lemon juice to brighten, or salt to bring up the flavors.

Ladle into bowls and place 2 whole shrimp into each bowl. Sprinkle with a little paprika and tuck a parsley sprig into the shrimp. Serve warm.

Food photography by Jackson D. Carson

©2010. Alison Anton. All rights reserved.