Happy New Year - Year of the Dragon!

photo: image from Wikimedia commons image file

This should be one exciting year. Last time the year of the dragon rolled around (2000, the infamous Y2K) there were also predictions of the end of the world - computers were supposed to crash, death and destruction all around. Dragon is a powerful year and will bring about change. The dragon is the only mythical animal on the Chinese zodiac. Unlike our idea of dragons in the West (as monsters to be slayed), in the East dragons are revered as divine and are symbols of luck and intense power. People born in the year of the dragon (2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, and so on in 12 year increments) are free spirits who don't like to follow rules. They tend to be extroverted and irrepressible. Confident and fearless, they are often successful. Famous dragons include Al Pacino, John Lennon, Sandra Bullock and Joan of Arc. This is the year to think outside of the box. Let your imagination and enthusiasm go - think big and act on your ideas. 2012 is a water dragon year, the water will naturally add a calming element to dragon energy which will be balancing. Take chances, meet people, get your ideas out there and make something big and wonderful happen. What are your big ideas and plans for 2012? Make them happen. If health issues or pain is getting in the way of your big plans, make sure you come in to The Birch Center to see us. We want to see your ideas manifest - the world needs you! In health, ~ Melissa and David Sokulski, L.Acs.

Smoothie Smackdown: 6 Steps to Elixir Nirvana

smoothie made from wild paw paws

Smoothies have gone mainstream. So mainstream that McDonalds sells them. And even if you go to a juice and smoothie bar, how healthy is a smoothie that's sweetened with frozen yogurt and pasteurized juice...even if you "boost it" with spirulina? Hmmmmmm.... Have no fear. Stay home and make your own delicious smoothie. Of course add your favorite fresh and/or frozen fruits and maybe even some veggies like cucumber or carrot. But don't try to imitate the chains. We're going to skip the fro yo and frozen juice concentrate (or store-bought juice) Here are six ways to turn a not-so-great-for-you smoothie into a delicious health elixir!!

1. Junk the store-bought juice or juice concentrate. Why do that to yourself? At best it is just sugar water, at worst it may contain corn syrup from genetically modified corn and other additives or preservatives. But even when you get 100% organic juice, it has been pasteurized, destroying any life-giving enzymes, and greatly reducing if not also destroying all the vitamins and minerals. Plus...who knows what is really in those 100% organic juices? It wasn't long ago when it came out that those organic apple juices were found to be laced with arsenic. Alternatives? Sure!
• Water - add good old fashioned water to your delicious smoothie! Maybe it doesn't need the extra sweetness. (and if it does, add a squirt of honey, maple syrup, agave or even stevia at the end.)
• Coconut Water - from a young Thai coconut. Crack one of these open and pour that delicious clear sweet nectar right in. While you're at it, scrape out the pulp and add that to your smoothie as well. (Google "opening Thai coconuts" for more info.)
• Fresh veggie or fruit juice that you juice yourself, in your juicer! Mmmmm.
• Freshly made nut milk...or just add a few nuts and water to your smoothie and it will automatically blend up into a "milk" base. To make nut milk just add 1/2 cup soaked nuts (almonds, cashews) and 4 cups of water to your blender with a pinch of sea salt and a little vanilla (those are optional.) Blend 'til nice and white. If using cashews you won't even have to strain it!
• Herb tea. Maybe you've even harvested and dried your own nettles, or raspberry leaf. Steep it into tea and use that as the base for your smoothie.
• Mushroom tea, from reishi, maitake, shiitake. I know...not as inviting. But mushroom tea is an ultimate health elixir: boosting immunity and even fighting cancer. Add some to your smoothie as a base, you can always add a squirt of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (or stevia) if you need a little extra sweetness.
2. Drop Kick the Dairy. You don't need it. Skip the fro yo, non-frozen yogurt, milk or ice cream. Dairy causes congestion and dampness in the body. It may even be full of hormones and corn syrup. Yuck. There are plenty of other, healthier, ways to get calcium (see greens, below.) Leave the dairy to the cows.
3. Pitch the Protein Powder. Again, you probably don't need it. We are fed quite a line about needing X amount of protein, and as vegetarians or especially vegans we are often asked about getting enough protein. It's very likely we do, but if we do end up needing a protein boost skip the protein powders: Consumer Reports did a very thorough study and found most protein powders are contaminated with heavy metals: Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic. Some have quite a lot of all those things. In our country protein deficiency is not a big problem, even in athletes, though heavy metal toxicity is. But if you need a boost of protein consider adding this instead:
   • Whole hemp seeds - they will blend right up in your smoothie and are not only full of protein but omega fatty acids as well
   • Chia seeds (my latest YUM!) also chock full of omega fatty acids.
   • GREENS (see below) have surprisingly high amounts of protein and of course are low in fat.
   • Algae like spirulina and blue-green algae are also high in protein.
   • Quinoa, which is actually a seed rather than a grain. You can add it sprouted or cooked, it will blend splendidly and is high in protein.
4. Grab some Greens - Yes, say it loud say it proud! Adding leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, and swiss chard will add protein, calcium, vitamins, enzymes, iron, and so much else! Start with a handful of spinach...I promise you won't even taste it. Then you can add more and more and begin expanding to other greens.
5. Go Wild - For the ultimate elixir experience, add wild plants to your smoothie. Wild greens like nettles, violet greens, and chickweed. Flowers like black locust flower, dandelion and clover blossoms. Wild berries: mulberry, blueberry, huckleberry, blackberry. Wild plants trump even organically grown produce for their vitamin and mineral content, to say nothing of their wildly off the charts life force. Learn about one local wild edible and start with that. Make sure you are 100% sure you know what it is before adding it to your drink and never add wild carrot greens (Queen Anne's Lace) because although they are edible they can too easily be mistaken for the deadly poison hemlock. You want more info on wild plants? Pictures, identification, recipes?? 
6. Presence, Joy, Gratitude. Look what you have in your hand! An amazing, delicious, totally healthy smoothie - nay, elixir - that you made yourself. You can smell the blended freshness. Take your time, enjoy everything. Visualize your cells being nourished with every sip. Cheers!

Here is a simple elixir smoothie recipe that you can play with: Green Smoothie with Nettles 2 bananas 1 cup frozen mangoes 1/2 cup mulberries (or blueberries, fresh or frozen) handful (a careful handful…don’t get stung!) fresh wild nettles 2 cups water (can add coconut water, herb tea, etc.) Blend well. Nettles lose their sting when blended. This makes 2 - 4 servings, depending on how much you want. In health, ~ Melissa and David Sokulski, L.Acs. 

Is Dandelion Wine Medicinal?

Historically, turning medicinal herbs into tasty wines was a common way to preserve the medicinal qualities of the herb year round. Making tinctures (soaking an herb in an alcohol such as vodka to extract the medicinal qualities) is much more common today, and a convenient way to market and sell herbal medicines. Herbal wines are similar, except that instead of simply soaking the herbs in alcohol, you make the alcohol yourself, using the herb (along with water, sugar and yeast.) This year in May we made dandelion wine. We gathered a gallon of dandelion flowers, Infused them into a strong tea, added sugar and boiled the tea with oranges, lemons, raisins and cloves. We added yeast and fermented for weeks, bottled and left them to ferment for weeks more, until finally corking. . We left the wine to sit until solstice, then we tried it. It is delicious: sweet, spicy with a kick. To keep the wine medicinal, the trick is not to drink the whole bottle at once! A common dose which cleanses the liver is a tablespoon to a small wineglass. Some Europeans believed fairies were involved in the process of wine making: turning bitter medicine like dandelions into sweet wine. There is something magical about it! Herbal wines can be made from all sorts of herbs: roots and bark are decocted (boiled) into strong teas while flowers and leaves are usually infused (steeped in boiled water.) It's a nice way to remember the freshness of spring during the darkest time of year. Happy holidays and happy new year!! 

Eat More Greens - Make Delicious Dressings

One of the keys to good health is eating lots of greens. Greens like romaine (and other) lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, collards and mustard greens are rich in vitamins like C and A and minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium. They are full of vitamins, minerals, enymes, fiber and even protein, but are very low in calories. A key to eating lots of greens is in making yummy healthy salad dressings. I bring my own dressing when I go out; dressings at restaurants are often full of strange gums and unhealthy things like corn syrup. Next time you go to a "healthy" sandwich shop ask to see their ingredient binder: I think you'll be surprised at how many things there (all the dressings for sure) have high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient! It's the same with dressings everywhere...don't be fooled into thinking a restaurant's "honey mustard" dressing is really made with honey! It may have a drop of honey in there, but really it's sugar and corn syrup just like everything else. Here are recipes for two of my favorite easy and super delicious salad dressings that I always have on hand (and if I don't, they just take a few minutes to make) and I take with me to restaurants. Both dressings are gluten-free and dairy-free. The honey can be replaced by agave nectar for vegan versions. Real Honey Mustard Dressing This only makes enough for a couple servings. It's so easy to make I just make it every couple times I have salad...the extra I store in the fridge.

• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tbsp Mustard (brown mustard is better as it usually contains no added sugar, make sure you check the ingredients of the mustards you keep in your fridge and consider a natural sugar free brand.)
• Juice from one Lemon, about 2 Tbsp (you can use vinegar, but I love the light refreshing taste the dressing has when I squeeze a lemon myself)
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil (can be eliminated for a fat-free dressing, just add some water instead)
• 1/2 tsp Wheat-free tamari (or sea salt)
• Optional spices: pepper, dried thyme, dried basil

Whisk all ingredients together. Spoon over salad. Dairy-free Creamy Cashew Green Goddess Dressing I made this for a gathering of women and called it a Goddess dressing, in honor of the gathering. It was a big hit. I use raw unsalted cashews because they are a very soft nut, which blends easily into a creamy consistency. I use a vitamix, but if you don't have a high speed blender simply soak the nuts in water for at least 30 minutes first, which will soften them even more. They will then blend smoothly in any blender.

• 3/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaking them first will soften them, see above)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon (you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
• handful fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp wheat-free tamari (or sea salt)
• 1 Tbsp mustard (brown is best, usually has no added sugar)
• water to cover

Blend well (using a blender.) Taste, adjust seasonings...add honey if it needs to be sweeter, salt/tamari if salt is necessary. This dressing is so good you will literally be making salads just so you can have more. And isn't eating more greens what this is all about? Win, win! In health, David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs. 

Healthy Holidays

The holidays are upon us! And while many of us are trying to eat healthier...often cutting out sugar, wheat, dairy, meat, even cooked food (!) for health purposes, sometimes our friends and family, who we love to gather with at this time of year, are not. While it can be difficult to be around for many reasons: we may crave our old foods, or we may have given up something that we feel *everyone* should give up, I find it best to take a non-confrontation and non-judgmental attitude over the holidays, both with ourselves and our friends and family around us. Over the years I have discovered some things that help: 1. Not making a big deal about different ways I eat. I find that even if I don't make a big deal about it, other people usually do. I just (try to) smile. This is not (necessarily) the time to convert others to my lifestyle! 2. Help in food preparation. It is nice to offer to make a vegetarian gravy, for instance, and vegetarian gravies can easily be made gluten-free by subbing potato starch for flour as a thickener. 3. Offer to make or just bring a dish or two that I know I can eat. Squash stuffed with rice and veggies looks beautiful, tastes delicious, and is often a hit with vegetarians and traditional eaters. 4. A big salad is often a healthy addition to a holiday feast, and not so very unusual (though sometimes lacking) so make and bring one! The picture above is of a Raw Food Cranberry Sauce, which is delicious. It is gorgeous served in orange halves (the photo doesn't do it justice, it really is gorgeous!) Cranberries are extremely high in vitamin C and A, and full of phytonutrients. When we do not cook them all their nutrition is preserved. To make the sauce above, I simply: Juiced 3 oranges, saving the juice to add to the sauce and saving the orange halves to put the sauce in. In a high speed blender (I use my vitamix), put

• A package of fresh cranberries (washed)
• Juice from the 3 oranges
• 6-8 dates, pitted
• 1-2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Blend and fill the orange cups. They are topped with Candied Pecans, which is simply chopped raw pecans mixed with maple syrup (not raw) and pumpkin pie spice. You can also use walnuts or even wild black walnuts if you have those around. (Here is a video of how we crack our black walnuts.) I bet everyone at the holiday table will enjoy these!! Happy Holidays! In health, David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs.