The Healthy Cooking Coach

Sweet Potato Power: Have you got it? Do you want it?

Do you want to take in more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, slow down the aging process, reduce systemic inflammation, satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way, enhance recovery after workouts, optimize your energy, and discover your own diet rules? Sweet Potatoes Power could be the answer.

A few days ago, I posted a review of Sweet Potato Power: Smart Carbs Paleo and Personalized. I’m impressed with the contents of this new book by Ashley Tudor, released by Victory Belt Publishing in April, 2012. To read my review of it, click here. You can buy it now (click here or on the icon below) or enter to win a copy of it on this blog.

Rules for entering
Essential
1) Leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to prepare and enjoy sweet potatoes, including what are usually labeled “yams,” such as red garnet, beauregard, and jewel yams.

Optional
For additional bonus entries, spread the word (here are some ways you can do this):

1) Watch one of my YouTube videos and leave a comment about it below
2) Subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment about that below
3) Subscribe to my blog (link on upper left side of this page) and leave a comment telling me you subscribed
4) Follow The Healthy Cooking Coach on Facebook
5) Publicize the giveaway, then leave a comment about what you did, e.g.,
    a) Tweet about the giveaway with a link to my blog
    b) blog about the giveaway and leave the link
    c) announce the giveaway on Facebook and send me a link
    d) mention the giveaway to your family and friends
    e) come up with your own creative idea
6) do any or all of the above; post a separate comment for each action

Deadline: Midnight, Sunday, June 3rd, 2012.
Selection criteria: Random drawing
Limitations: Drawing open only to US residents due to shipping restrictions.

To order Sweet Potato Power: Smart Carbs Paleo and Personalized, click here or on the icon below.

FYI: The four winners of the recent (May 2012) Nu Naturals orange and lemon liquid stevia giveaway include artist and healer Katie Todd of Portland, OR; GiGi Dubois, a blogger from Los Angeles, CA; Marjorie Hill, a social worker and gemstone therapy intern who lives in Prescott, AZ; and Jordan Dunne, a caseworker for a non-profit in Pawtucket, RI.

Sweet Potato Power: Smart Carbs Paleo & Personalized

Not all carbs are created equal. There are healthy carbs, unhealthy carbs, and many gradations in between. In Sweet Potato Power: Paleo and Personalized, Design Strategist Ashley Tudor makes a convincing case for consuming sweet potatoes (and what are typically labeled yams in the U.S.) on a frequent, if not daily, basis. She explains about what makes them nutritionally superior to other starchy foods, how eating more of them can improve your physical and mental health and performance and meal time satisfaction, and how to add more of them to meals, snacks, and desserts.

According to Amazon, Ms. Tudor has worked with Fortune 500 companies and small start-ups, helping them tackle tough health-related issues. She’s created diet programs, designed strategies to help food companies fight obesity, conceived of new medical devices for primary care physicians, and developed online tools to help people use food as medicine. In recognition of her work, Mayor Gavin Newsom named Ms. Tudor one of San Francisco's Top Innovators in Health in 2010. Victory Belt Publishing released Tudor’s book on April 13, 2012. So far, the book has received rave reviews in the blogosphere.

Sweet potatoes are a super smart carb and this new book will inspire you to eat more of them. I love sweet potatoes and have enthusiastically eaten them for more than 25 years. Still, I was eager to read the book, to peruse its contents, and to try some of the recipes.

What’s in it for you?
In part one of Sweet Potato Power you’ll learn about smart carbs and why eating enough of them can help you look, feel and perform at a higher level. You’ll also learn about the history of sweet potatoes and about how the food processing industry has changed the way we eat (for the worse).

In part two, you’ll learn about what the author considers the four pillars of health and how making better food choices supports health. For example, you’ll learn how to fight inflammation with food, become better at balancing activity and rest, and how to refuel wisely after exercise. (Did you know that you can make your own sports recovery gels using real, whole foods?)

In part three, you’ll discover tests, tools and tricks to help you test, track, and fine tune your carb-o-meter, lose weight, discover the diet rules that work best for your body, uncover hidden inflammation and how to moderate it, monitor your stress level, and optimize your physical and mental performance.

In part four, you’ll discover new ways to prepare and enjoy sweet potatoes. Recipes, which range from breakfast and main dishes to sides and snacks, and from desserts to performance enhancers that fit the paleo and primal blueprint, are all free of grains, gluten, beans, legumes, corn, soy, and refined sugar. Most are dairy free as well. Where dairy is called for you can easily make substitutions, such as replacing butter with avocado or coconut oil. Even if you don’t follow a diet that excludes these foods, you’ll find plenty of great reasons and ways to enjoy one of, if not the most, nutritious starchy food on the planet. If you’ve never eaten creamy white (actually beige) sweet potatoes or Japanese purple sweet potatoes, you are in for a treat. 

Sweet Potato Power contains beautiful, professional-looking food pictures, easy reference charts, tables, and lists to accompany the well organized text. You can read it cover to cover or skip around, take the self tests to determine the best range of carbohydrate for your body and activity level, and search the book via the index or table of contents and check out the references. Sweet potatoes deserve a place at your table throughout the year and this book will inspire you to make that resolution a reality.

Recipes
In the recipe department, I found myself intrigued with many of the recipes:

Turkey Burger Cookies
Sweet Potato Linguine with Sage & Brown Butter Sauce
Chocolate Sweet Potato Truffles
Sweet Potato Ice Pops
Sweet Potato Frittata
Salad with Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potato & Shallots
Spicy Beef w/Pepper & Sweet Potato served over Cauliflower Rice
Sweet Potato Vegetable Latkes
Sweet Potato Mash Three Ways

I plan to try these recipes over the next few weeks.

The Chocolate Sweet Potato Truffles, made from a mixture of Medjool dates, chopped walnuts, and mashed sweet potato, reminded me of the Dark Chocolate Dipped Date Nut Truffles I’ve made for more than a decade (see my award-winning book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook or The Ice Dream Cookbook). I made one batch of Sweet Potato Truffles according to the recipe except that I replaced raw cacao with unsweetened cocoa powder and added cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

For the second batch, I omitted the cacao (and cocoa powder) and dipped the sweet potato-date-walnut balls in unsweetened bakers chocolate, then rolled them in either unsweetened flaked coconut or cacao/cocoa nibs, and chilled them until the chocolate set up. Both batches came out great.

The people I shared the truffles with liked them enough to request the recipe (see below). I plan to try the recipe with a smaller amount of dates and larger amount of sweet potatoes the next time I make them.

The Sweet Potato Ice Popsicles look amazing. Before I can make them, I need to clear space in my over-full freezer or buy a second (second-hand) refrigerator-freezer, something I've had on my wish-list for many moons.

The first batch of Turkey Burger Cookies, a caramelized gooey burger that tastes a bit cookie like despite being a main dish, tasted good but didn’t look good enough for a photo. The mashed sweet potatoes made the burger brown on the outside before the inside was cooked through. As a result, the patties ended up very dark. Still, my friend, Laura, and I enjoyed them immensely and agreed that we wanted to make them again. I cooked another patty today (at a lower temperature). It still crumbled a bit but it tasted so good, I didn’t care. I will share more pictures with you as I make more recipes from this book.

If you cycle, run long distances, or do other sports that require mid-race refueling, forget the highly processed, packaged workout recovery drinks and sports gels sold in stores. You’ll find healthier, sweet potato-based versions of these concoctions in Sweet Potato Power.

To read more about Sweet Potato Power, click here. If you’d like to order this paperback book now, click here or on the icon below. 

Chocolate Sweet Potato Truffles

Prep: 30 minutes        Yield: Makes 24 small truffles (I got 32 from my batches)

Life at times calls for a little bite of something special. Chocolate Sweet Potato Truffles are made with nature’s goodness. Rich and decadent, they hit the spot when the sweet tooth calls. Freeze to enjoy one at a time or share with friends.

Chef Rachel's notes: I usually bake sweet potatoes and yams two or three at a time in my convection toaster oven, making them ready to heat and eat at meals or use in other recipes. Like other cooked foods, they are best used within three days of cooking*. You may substitute other varieties of sweet potatoes, such as red garnet or jewel yams, beauregard sweet potatoes, or creamy “white” (actually beige) sweet potatoes, if you cannot find the purple ones listed below*.

Ingredients
1/3 cup Okinawa sweet potato (purple) puree (see notes above for other varieties*)
15 medjool dates
1 1/2 cups raw walnuts (I used lightly toasted ones)
1/2 cup of raw cacao (I used unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 cup of raw, unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)

1. To make puree: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place Okinawa sweet potato on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork. Cool, scrape out flesh from skin. Discard skin. Puree flesh in a food processor. (Mash can be made days ahead*, refrigerated until ready to use.)
2. Remove pits from dates, set aside. Chop 1/4 cup of walnuts, set aside.
3. In a food processor, place remaining 1 1/4 cup of walnuts. Grind until fine. Add medjool dates and mashed sweet potato. Blend until walnuts and dates stick together. Add raw cacao. Blend until incorporated.
4. Remove mixture from food processor. Fold in chopped walnuts until incorporated evenly. Take a teaspoon-size amount and roll gently between palms into a ball. Roll balls in coconut-shavings.
5. Place on a tray. Refrigerate until set, at least an hour. Enjoy immediately or freeze.

Chef Rachel’s Variations

• Dark Chocolate Dipped Sweet Potato Truffles: Eliminate raw cacao. Coarsely chop and then melt 3 ounces of unsweetened baker’s chocolate in a double boiler or in a saucepan over the lowest heat on your cooktop. Do not allow chocolate to bubble or it will burn. Add 4 to 6 date balls to the melted chocolate. Using 2 spoons, turn the pieces in the chocolate one at a time to coat. Drip excess chocolate back into the pan. One at a time, transfer a chocolate-coated date balls to a shallow bowl filled with unsweetened, flaked coconut. Using 2 clean spoons, lift the coconut over the ball and turn to coat. Transfer to a parchment lined tray or baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sweet potato-date balls. Refrigerate or freeze until chocolate coating becomes firm and crisp.
• Spiced Sweet Potato Truffles: To the date-sweetpotato-walnut mixture in step 3 above, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (not the artificial stuff).

Source: Sweet Potato Power: Paleo and Personalized by Ashley Tudor (Victory Belt Publishing, April 2012). To    learn more about or to purchase the book, click here.

Win two bottles of Nu Naturals New Liquid Stevia Flavors

As many of you know, if you’ve taken my classes or eaten desserts that I’ve made, I’m a fan of (non genetically modified) stevia, particularly liquid stevia, which is easy to use and dissolves quickly into foods and beverages. Many people say that they don’t like stevia. I’ve found that most of these people used too much stevia, not knowing how concentrated it is, or they used inferior brands of stevia that have more bitter overtones.

There are two high quality brands of stevia that I’ve found most widely enjoyed by my students, clients, and friends, one of them is Nu Naturals. Although I occasionally use pure stevia extract powder (it’s white and contains no added fillers, starches, FOS, or inulin) I mainly use clear stevia extract liquid, plain or flavored. I like to use liquid stevia in hot and iced herbal tea (hibiscus, cammomile, peppermint, and others), lemonade, in desserts, and coffee alternatives (Teeccino, Dandy Blend, or Roasted Chicory & Dandelion Root “Coffee” from Frontier Cooperative) and the occasional cup of coffee.

If you like and regularly drink (real) coffee (as opposed to the coffee alternatives listed above), besides upgrading to 100% organic, fair trade coffee, I suggest switching to Nutri Café, a rich and robust Vienna roast coffee made from Arabica beans (they contain half the caffeine and all of the flavor of most commercial coffee beans) infused with herbal extracts of Cordyceps sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum, Coriolus versicolor, and Agaricus blazei. These medicinal mushrooms have been widely studied for their ability to enhance immunity. Nutri Cafe Coffee is lower in acidity and many people find they drink it without the sour stomach that some coffee drinkers experience. When I do drink this or other coffee, I like it paired with unsweetened canned coconut milk, coconut cream, or whipped in the blender with coconut oil (1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil per cup or cup and a half of coffee). For a sweet taste 4 to 6 drops of vanilla stevia per 8 to 12 ounce serving of coffee, depending on your sweet tooth. People I've served this coffee to have not detected any mushroomy or herby flavor, just an indescribably deliciousness.

Flavored Stevia
Flavored stevias can take simple foods and beverages to a new level of flavor. My favorite flavor for years has been vanilla, particularly in hot coffee-like beverages. It’s also great for flavoring yogurt, oatmeal, nut or coconut milk sauces for fruit, and many other dishes.

Nu Naturals, one of my favorite stevia manufacturers, recently came out with alcohol-free liquid stevia in lemon and orange flavors. These stevias can add zest to iced herbal teas, plain yogurt or kefir, smoothies, and baked goods. For desserts, I have found that most turn out best (have the best flavor, texture, and mouth-feel) when the stevia is used along with a modest amount of honey or maple syrup. I have turned out great macaroons, cookies, bars, muffins, quickbreads, chocolate and fruit sauces, frostings, frozen desserts, and other treats.

Nu Naturals flavored stevias do not contain any artificial or genetically modified ingredients. The new lemon and orange flavors contain real lemon and orange just as their vanilla stevia liquid contains real vanilla extract. If you love vanilla, their vanilla liquid stevia is amazing! You can use it in any dessert recipe that calls for plain liquid stevia if you want an extra hit of vanilla.

Tips for cutting the sugar/carb content in recipes
When looking at dessert recipes with modification in mind, I usually convert from sugar to honey (I have a chart for this in my Ice Dream Cookbook) or maple syrup (measure for measure, this is less sweet than honey), or from agave nectar to honey (this is a one to one substitution). Next, I cut the amount of honey (or maple syrup) in half and  supplement with stevia to make up the difference in sweetness (a chart in my Ice Dream Cookbook walks you through this too). I don't know of a better way to cut the sugar content by 30 to 50% in recipes while preserving the flavor, texture, and enjoyment. This book contains many examples of recipes that are stevia-sweetened, have a great flavor and texture and are low in sugar.

Want to try these new products?
Nu Naturals has generously donated 8 bottles of flavored stevia for a giveaway on this blog. Four of you will win a 2-pack of flavored stevias (one lemon and one orange). It’s easy to enter and you can enter as many times as you like. Be sure to make separate posts for each activity you engage in (each one will count as a separate entry).

Rules for entering
1) Leave a comment below telling me your favorite from of stevia and favorite way to use it.
2) Visit the Nu Naturals facebook page and click “like.”

For additional bonus entries, spread the word (here are some examples):

1) Watch one of my YouTube videos and leave a comment about it below
2) Subscribe to my YouTube page and leave a comment about that below
3) Subscribe to my blog (link on upper left side of this page) and leave a comment telling me you subscribed
4) Follow my Healthy Cooking Coach page on Facebook
5) Publicize the giveaway, then leave a comment about what you did, e.g.,
    a) Tweet about the giveaway with a link to my blog
    b) blog about the giveaway and leave the link
    c) announce the giveaway on Facebook and send me a link
    d) mention the giveaway to your family and friends
    e) come up with your own creative idea
6) do any or all of the above; post a separate comment for each action

Deadline: Midnight, Thursday, May 24th, 2012.
Selection criteria: Random drawing
Limitations: Drawing open only to US residents due to shipping restrictions.

To order these new stevia flavors right now, click here.

FYI: Gail S, a Library Technician who lives in Greeley, CO, won a copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur in the drawing the ended on May 16th, 2012.
 

Enter to win a copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur

How would you like to win a copy of a super-fun, kid-friendly cookbook and nutrition guide? Earlier this week I posted a review of Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids written by The Paleo Parents. The book contains more then 100 kid-approved recipes and projects free of grain, dairy, and legumes, eye appealing illustrations, photographs, and stories that educate and inspire. Matt and Stacy and their three kids experienced phenomenal improvements in health after adopting a paleo diet. You can read my review of their book here.

I've posted my favorite recipe from their book so far, below: Fool's Gold (Chicken Nuggets).  

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Copyright 2012©

This big kid (me) really enjoyed reading the book and trying recipes. So even if you don’t have kids or grand kids, you’ll find delicious, easy to make recipes made from fresh, wholesome real foods here, along with tips for procuring more fresh, organic, and locally sourced foods and presenting it in a fun way. I included their Chicken Nugget recipe in a Baking with Almond Flour class last night at Desert Botanical  Garden and my students and assistants loved it. I plan to make more of their recipes. To read more about the book, click here.

Here’s how you can enter for a chance (or many chances) to win this book. Make as many  comments to enter as you like AND be sure to post a separate comment for each of the actions you take. Each one will then count as a separate entry.

Rules for entering
1) Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win Eat Like A Dinosaur and about one of your funniest kid-food stories.

To receive bonus entries, spread the word about this blog and this giveaway: (select as many actions as you like):

2) Watch one of my YouTube videos and leave a comment about it below
3) Subscribe to my YouTube page and leave a comment about that below
4) Subscribe to my blog ( link on upper left side of this page) and leave a comment telling me you subscribed
5) Follow me/my Healthy Cooking Coach page on Facebook
6) Publicize the giveaway, then leave a comment about what you did, e.g.,
    a) Tweet about the giveaway with a link to my blog
    b) blog about the giveaway and leave the link
    c) announce the giveaway on Facebook and send me a link
    d) mention the giveaway to your family and friends
    e) come up with your own creative idea
7) do any or all of the above; post a separate comment for each action

Deadline: Midnight, Wednesday, May 16th, 2012.
Selection criteria: Random drawing
Limitations: Drawing open only to US residents due to shipping restrictions.

To order the book right now, if you can’t wait, click here or use the icon below.

Special thanks go out to the staff at Victory Belt Publishing for donating this and other cookbooks for review and giveaway on my blog. They have an extensive lineup of books that focus on gluten free, grain free, legume free, paleo, primal, and natural foods cooking, nutrition, and health.

Fools Gold (Chicken Nuggets)

Prep: about 30 minutes        Cooking: 15 to 20 minutes        Serves: 4

"One of the things our boys always want and miss is chicken nuggets. We went into our kitchen laboratory and came up with this fun way to make chicken nuggets with healthy ingredients so that their daydreams about nuggets could some true.

"We like to keep a cooked batch in the freezer so that Uncle Andrew has something easy to heat up for the bodys when he babysits. We love these with our Southwestern Pineapple Salsa (page 149" of Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids written by the Paleo Parents).

Photo credit: Rachel Albert Copyright 2012©

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, deboned and skinned (I use 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken)
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons finely ground unrefined sea salt
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil (I found 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oil plenty; avocado oil also works here and has a higher smoke point than olive oil)


1.    Cut chicken into 1-inch by 1-inch chunks.
2.    Mix flour, arrowroot powder, and spices together in bowl with a fork or whisk.
3.     Pour olive oil into a separate bowl.
4.    Dip each chicken piece in the oil and then roll in the flour mixture.
5.    Place nuggets on baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping     halfway through.
6.    When done, the crust will be golden brown and juices will run clear (same color     inside and out).

Source: Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids written by The
Paleo Parents (Victory Belt Publishing, 2012). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

 

Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids written by The Paleo Parents

Eat Like A Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids, written by The Paleo Parents, contains more then 100 kid-approved recipes and projects free of grain, dairy, and legumes. The Forward was written by popular gluten-free author and blogger, Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry. The lovely illustrations, layout, interior design, photographs, and notes throughout make the book eye-appealing and inviting to both kids and adults.

What’s inside, front to back
This book can help you get started and maintain a healthier way of eating. It can guide you in feeding your kids healthier foods they’ll enjoy, in shopping for new ingredients, and in getting your kids involved in the process. The front part of the book is geared towards parents, making the transition to a paleo-style diet, how to get your child involved, how to make eating fun, and tools for the paleo kitchen.

The authors share about themselves and their kids, the journey they’ve been through, and the results they’ve experienced as a couple and as a family. In less then 15 months, Matthew and Stacy lost more then 200 pounds collectively and transformed the health of their children, whose so-called “normal” health problems, from early obesity (off the chart BMIs, asthma, and behavioral incidents at school to ADHD to full body eczema and allergies, disappeared after they adopted a grain-free, bean and legume-free, gluten-free, dairy-free paleo diet. They also successfully enrolled their kids in helping them shop, cook, and enjoy a whole new way of eating. They made if fun and, in the process, created their book Eat Like A Dinosaur to show other parents how they can make the same kinds of changes.

The second part of the book includes recipes, with each chapter color-coded. Recipe chapters include entrees, side dishes, dips, and sauces, snacks, and special treats. Other chapters focus on packing lunches kids will enjoy and fun food-related projects to do with kids.

The last section on projects for parents to engage in with their kids includes fun things to make as well as out and about projects, such as field trips to farmer’s markets, u-pick-it farms, and more. The book ends with an index of recipes by ingredient and by allergen.

The recipes
The recipes contain visual post-it-notes telling you about special tools you will need, what temperature to preheat the oven to. Instructions include “how kids can help” notations. A notes section on each recipe page allows you to jot down how you like a recipe, what substitutions you made, if any or want to the next time.

Ingredients are set off in easy to read boxes. Head notes include interesting info about what Matthew and Stacy’s kids like to have with the recipe or how they like to top it, what makes the recipe kid-friendly, or what prompted them to create a particular recipe. The recipes also include yields, a feature I appreciate and include in my own cookbooks.

I found so many recipes I wanted to try. I flagged at least a dozen, including Zucchini Latkes, a Kale, Bacon & Black Olive Egg Pie, Nature’s Spears, Black Olive Tapenade, Honey Barbecue Ground Jerky, Carrot Cupcakes, Fool’s Gold (chicken nuggets), Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. As of this writing I have tried three recipes from the book.

Each recipe contains a key to the top eight allergens. If a particular symbol is high-lighted on a page, it means that the recipe contains that particular ingredient. If the symbol appears in grey, the recipe does not contain the ingredient. None of the recipes call for wheat, dairy, soy, beans, or peanuts.

What I tried
The first recipe I tried was The Fool’s Gold (chicken nuggets) on page 80 and 81. I made it for company two weekends ago. I found I only needed to use half of the amount of oil and almond flour called for. I used some of the leftover coating on half a dozen large oyster mushrooms I'd purcahsed from Whole Foods Market. Both dishes came out great. We ate the mushrooms before I snapped a picture. I plan to make both of these recipes again.

Next, I made the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on page 199. The recipe called for an over ripe banana and chocolate chips as the sweeteners. I replaced the chocolate chips with raisins and added a dropper full of my favorite stevia, vanilla-flavored Nu Naturals liquid stevia to the batter. I liked the texture and flavor. They were very mild in sweetness. I only tried one bite when I gave two of them to a girl friend. I had to toss the rest. I left them out at room temp for three or four days when the weather got very hot; it made the muffins spoil. They tasted funky and had something stringy growing that became evident when I broke one apart. Last year when the same thing happened with some paleo pumpkin muffins I'd made and left out, a friend who is an infectious disease specialist advised me to throw out anything that got like that. ;-o

I also made a half batch of the Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 191.They were also low in sugar (half a teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of dates, and 1 teaspoon of chopped dark chocolate per cookie). Mine didn’t look as pretty as the ones in the picture. Next time, I plan to chill the dough before dropping it onto the baking sheets. Still my friends enjoyed them and I froze the rest to share at a later date. Most recipes in Eat Like a Dinosaur that call for sweeteners rely on honey, fresh fruit, or dried fruit. A few call for white sugar. These can easily be replaced by coconut palm sugar, something the authors mention doing themselves.

Other features
This book can help you get started and maintain a healthier way of eating. It can guide you in feeding your kids healthier foods they’ll enjoy, in shopping for new ingredients, and in getting your kids involved in the process. The Paleo Parents share great stories about the adventures they’ve had with their kids since going paleo and about the many ways their health has improved.

My take on it
I enjoyed reading the book, from beginning to end, getting to know more about this family, and perusing pictures of their kids engaged in some of their favorite activities and of the dishes they enjoy making and eating. I give Eat Like A Dinosaur a double thumbs up. Even though I don’t have kids, I know I will enjoy cooking from it and telling my students, friends, and colleagues about it. The book and the family’s story are testaments to the power of food in allowing the body to heal and return to homeostasis.

The suggested retail price for this 288 page, four-color book is $29.95. To buy the book, click here or on the image below.  Your purchase through Amazon will help support my work on this blog. To follow the Paleo Parents' blog for more great tips, recipes, and ideas for kid friendly adventures, click here.

PrimalCon 2012

People traveled from all over the world to attend PrimalCon 2012 in Oxnard, California. The people who traveled the farthest came from Norway and Australia.  A couple from Prince Albert, Alberta, Canada drove the farthest. The conference focused on diet, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and how to eat and exercise to get the leanest, strongest, healthiest body with the least amount of pain, suffering, and sacrifice. 

I arrived on Thursday, the day before the conference started, along with volunteer staff and presenters. I settled into the Estrogen House, a beach house rented for female staff and presenters. Male presenters and staff traveling alone stayed in the Testosterone (or Frat) House. Couples on staff or presenting stayed in the co-ed beach house.

Most of the participants stayed in the resort hotel a mile away, where most of us stayed last year. The first night I stayed up until almost midnight gabbing with five girls in my beach house. Here's the view from the sliding glass door.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert 2012©

I didn't attend every class but got a good sampling of some presenters I didn't get to meet or learn from last year. I did attend a repeat of one of the exercise classes I'd enjoyed immensely the previous year, Angelo Dela Cruz's early morning VitaMoves class.

Kettle Bells with Billy
The next day, torrential rain kept us indoors. I attended a kettle bell training class led by Billy Vives. Billy teaches kettlebell training from the ground up, allowing trainees to work on understanding how it feels for their body to move right. He focused on stability, endurance, and dynamic power. His session catered to all levels – from beginners who have never held a bell to hard-core enthusiasts looking for innovative new ideas.

I’d been curious about kettle bells for many years. It sounded like a great way to build strength. I got my heart rate up just doing the warm ups without the bells. I hesitated about actually using the weights, then decided to try it using the lighter (18 pound) kettle bells. I liked it immediately. I found it both fun and challenging. I want to buy some light kettle bells to practice the basic movements he showed us or find a gym near me that offers kettle bell classes.

Here are two more of my beach house mates and helpers, Liz Kane and Monisha White. I didn't take many pictures this year. I left that up to others. I'm still waiting for emails with more pictures.

Masterful movement and mobility with Kelly
Next, I went to Coach Kelly Starrett’s presentation on strength training and mobility. Starrett, founder and operator of CrossFit San Francisco, holds a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy, helps athletes prevent and recover from serious injuries with functional rehabilitation exercises. His performance-based approach to Orthopedic Sports Medicine emphasizes moving the way we’re designed to move and correcting movement dysfunctions. He has trained numerous Olympic and professional athletes, professional dancers, and military personnel. He has competed at the elite level in whitewater rafting and whitewater kayaking.

Starret has a commanding presence. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and great at telling stories that entertain and educate. The seemingly simple exercises he taught us also challenged us. By that evening, I knew I would have sore abs, glutes, quads, and pecs. I plan to visit is blog to try more of his mobility exercises.

Frigid Friday weather
We ate meals indoors on Friday due to heavy rain. I led a cooking class at the girls’ beach house before dinner. It went smoothly and efficiently with my team of assistants. I skipped the ocean plunge later that evening. Since I’d gotten to dinner late after my class, I didn’t want to run into the frigid cold water immediately after eating; it felt cold to be outside fully dressed. A swimsuit would have been too little! The beach houses didn’t have a hot tub to warm up in like the rooms in the resort hotel a mile away, where I roomed last year.

Energizing with Angelo
On Saturday morning, we met outside at the beach park. Although the rain had subsided, we still had chilly winds to contend with. Angelo DeLaCruz, a high energy master healer and athlete, led us through his morning VitaMove workout, a gentle yet invigorating joint loosening warm up blending tai chi and stretching. His class got us moving and put smiles on our faces. He's also a skilled ninja warrior (no kidding! the guy can move like a cat) and break dancer. I had the chance to watch bot of these. To learn more about Dela Cruz, watch some of his amazing ninja warrior moves, and more, click here.

Sprinting for fun and fitness with Michael
After that, I went to former Olympic athlete, Stanford record holder, and fastest runner for more then a decade, Michael Stember’s sprint training workshop where we learned about how to move more accurately to maximize efficiency and avoid tension and strain. For info about his coaching programs and seminars, click here.

Photo credit right: PrimalCon 2012 staff

I’d heard about the benefits of doing short sprints but never really thought much about doing it. Michael’s presentation changed that. He made the drills and skill training fun. I found his class exhilarating and challenging. I left his class excited about adding sprint training to my workout routine at home. By midday, I knew I would have sore legs. Still I joined one of the teams for the survivor game by the beach. I left the heavy lifting and bending tasks to other people. Just walking back and forth along the beach I could feel my leg muscles tiring.

Moving with Monisha
I attended a class on posture and movement mechanics led by Monisha White, a lead teacher in Palo Alto and the daughter of Esther Gokhale of The Gokhale Institute. If you want to learn how to sit, move, and stand the way nature intended, or if you have back or neck pain, the Gokhale Method can help. I’ve used Esther’s book and DVD at home and wanted to work more on the techniques she outlined. I had the opportunity to socialize with Monisha all weekend because we were staying in the same beach house.
 
My classes
I had a fantastic team of helpers for both of my 90-minute presentations. I had about 45 people in the audience the first night and 35 the second night. People were enthralled with the shopping, chopping, and cooking tips and tricks I shared, the strategies for getting healthier meals on the table faster, and the straightforward recipes with complex flavors.

Many people came up to me afterwards to compliment me on my presentation and on the recipes and to tell me how much they used the recipes I presented the previous year. They were excited to try them at home. Many who attended found my two books, The Garden of Eating and The Ice Dream Cookbook, so informative and filled with mouthwatering, healthy recipes that they couldn’t wait to take them home and try them out on their families. Many also took home my set of DVDs, Cooking With Whole Foods. 

Lars Thurfjell served as one of my trusty assistants for both classes this year. He had his own chef coat from a previous chapter in his life where he assisted with classes at Sur La Table in Southern California. I had many other wonderful helpers.

Saturday meals
We dined indoors on Saturday at the co-ed beach house. I rubbed elbows with and chatted with Michael Stember and other presenters and participants (see photo below).

After dinner and more socializing we moved the furniture in one of the living rooms, cranked up the music, and danced. Some of the guys did break dancing. I got to bed around midnight. The next morning, we met at the beach park for more activity.

Here are two women, Tara Chester Grant of Primal Girl Cooks and Orleatha Smith of Level Health & Nutrition, whose amazingly inspiring stories of health recovery on a paleo diet wowed me and others over the weekend.

Sunday
By Sunday morning the rain cleared and the sun came out. We gathered at the beach park for half a day of activity, followed by a light lunch buffet, and goodbyes. I was sad to leave the new people I'd met and befriended and the people I’d reconnected with from Primalcon2011. We had such a great time. Getting away and being by the beach, working less and playing more, did me so much good.

I look forward to more fun at PrimalCon 2013. In the meantime, I plan to practice the exercises I learned and stay in touch with the new friends I made. Some I plan to invite as guest speakers for the Phoenix Paleo Primal Meetup Group. Others I am likely to follow on Facebook and exchange recipes with. A couple of days after I returned home, I found an email in my in box from one of the participants who had purchased my cookbooks. She said:

“I made the roasted onions and your chicken poached in white wine last night for my family.  It was a huge hit. My youngest said it was her new favorite chicken dish. A primal meal that makes everyone—primal and     non-primal alike--happy is a worth a million.”
    ---Patricia Pauly of Bloomingon, Indiania

If you'd like to learn more about PrimalCon or Primal diet and fitness, check out the blog, Mark's Daily Apple, his books, and inspirational YouTube videos.

Breast Cancer Fundraising Benefit for Chef Rachel

One and all, please join my supporters for a love-filled Breast Cancer Fundraising Event on May 11, 2012  from 5 to 8 pm at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) at 1100 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, Arizona.

For those who are not yet aware, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in early October of 2011. Despite the challenges this has presented, I continue to maintain my  busy schedule, teaching live and online cooking classes for SWIHA, leading cooking demonstrations at Desert  Botanical Garden, leading in home cooking parties, blogging,  hiking, sharing meals with friends, and sharing my passion for healthy cooking, healthy eating, and healthy living.  

The event
The evening will begin with a delicious, gluten-free spaghetti dinner with salad, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. There will be door prizes and a raffle. Some of the prizes in the raffle include restaurant, health- and fitness-related gift certificates, kitchen counter top appliances and tools, books, and gluten-free foods. The event will include entertainment for your children, such as a face painter and clowns, as well as a gluten-free bake sale. Prize drawings will happen throughout the evening with a raffle drawing at 7:30 pm. 

Photo right: Charles Crain Photograph, ©copyright 2010

Tickets for dinner & door prizes
Tickets for the dinner cost $10.00 per plate although they will accept any contribution in lieu of that if you are unable to pay the full price. To RSVP For the dinner, click the link to the left. Everyone who purchases dinner will be entered to win the door prizes.

Raffle tickets
Raffle tickets run $5.00 a ticket or $50 for a pack of 10. Tickets may be purchased from SWIHA students, my friends and supporters, or at the door the night of the event. The more tickets sold in advance, the better. Steve Klein would like selling books of raffle tickets locally. If you live in Phoenix and want to help with this endeavor, please contact Steve (info below).

How you can help
If you have items you would like to donate for the door prizes or raffle, if you would like to help sell raffle tickets (and you live in the Phoenix metro area), or you want to make something for the bake sale, please contact Steven Klein, the event coordinator at (763) 242-2041 or email him at the following address (put into correct email form): sjams at live dot com

All of the money from the event will go toward medical expenses I have incurred over the past seven months going through tests, treatments, and procedures without medical or dental insurance. 

Photo credit right: Deirdre Spalding, ©copyright 2012 

I welcome your support in whatever form you are able to offer it. Generous donations of goods, gift certificates, or money, your time assisting with the event, help selling raffle tickets, and/or your presence at this event will bring me one step closer to helping me accomplish my goal of being free and clear of disease. 

For more  information: Please contact Steve Klein at (763) 242-2041 or email him at the following address (put into correct email form): sjams at live dot com

I look forward to seeing you.

In gratitude, 

Chef Rachel   
 
P.S. If you can’t make it to this event but you would like to make a financial contribution toward my medical expenses, please click the donate button on the right side of this page under my photo. The funds will go directly into my healing account. I appreciate all donations large and small.

 

The winner is...

Consulting analyst Liz Chin of Arlington, Virginia won a Celiac Repair Kit and a consultation with natural foods chef and herbalist Dan Santos of Phoenix, AZ. Liz is super excited about receiving her prize.

I'll be posting another giveaway this week. I have some awesome books and products I want to share with you, so I encourage you to keep reading my blog for updates. If you haven't yet subscribed to my blog, you can do that by clicking the email link on the upper left side of this page.

I appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

Chef Rachel

Damage Control: Win a Digestive Repair Kit

In the fall of 2011, I met Dan Santos, Executive Chef for Nourish Café in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. He was finishing his herbal training at The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Tempe, AZ, where I teach whole foods cooking classes. Dan assisted me with a couple of my five week cooking courses and we had fun working together.

When I heard that he had created a Celiac Care Kit for people with digestive issues, not just celiac disease, I wanted to know. So many people have health problems related to poor digestion and assimilation. Many of my readers, cooking students, and clients have chronic health problems related to poor digestion and absorption. Dan gave me a kit to try, a one month supply. I liked it and asked Dan if he would donate one of the kits for a giveaway on my blog. He agreed!

R: How long have you been the executive chef at Nourish and what prompted you to study herbal medicine and to develop the Celiac’s Care Kit?

Dan: I have been with Nourish since March 29, 2010. I was actually the first person hired. I originally developed the kit without the supplements for my nine year old daughter. She had live blood analysis done and the result was that she was experiencing poor uptake of vitamins and minerals. It just so happened that I was in the middle of taking Formulary Practicum as one of my electives of the 700 hour herbalism program and we were working on teas. I thought that my daughter was the best client I could have so I developed the tea. She started taking that and then the next week we did digestive tinctures. I made mine for her. She did both for 30 days and had wonderful results. Fast forward about three months, my boss asked if there were herbs that helped those allergic to wheat. I said probably not specifically that but definitely for digestion. I consulted with a friend that is a Chiropractor and Nutritionist. She recommended some supplements. Voila, CCK was born.

Rachel: How long did it take you to put the kit together?

Dan: Trying to find the right herbs took about three months for the final version. I queried my classmates. They had some really good ideas. That coupled with what I had already worked on it took me about two weeks to figure out which herbs should be in the tea and which should be in the tincture. The herbs kind of figured themselves out. Some worked better in a tincture and others worked better in a tea. The supplements were suggested by a colleague.

R: Tell us about some of the people you’ve shared the kit with and some of the results they’ve noticed.

Dan: I’ve had some wonderful results. Both of my younger children went through the protocol less the non-herbal supplements. They both showed great improvements. My daughter’s bloating and vomiting went away. My son became less irritable. I have a client who experienced relief from bloating and better. Another client did the kit for 60 days and compared blood-work and other before and after and showed great improvement. All of my clients have reported that they felt much better after doing the kit.

Rachel: Tell us more about the Celiac’s Care Kit and what it’s designed to do.

Dan: The Celiac's Care Kit promotes gut repair and healing. Each part of the kit has a specific purpose and it is highly recommended you utilize the entire kit to achieve maximum results.

Rachel: What does it contain?

Dan: It contains a tea, a tincture, and four additional products.

Rachel: Can you describe the tea and what it’s designed to do?

Dan: The tea contains herbs that help your body nourish itself. It contains vitamins and minerals that support digestion and absorption and herbs that sooth the digestive tract and rebuild gut flora. All of these elements encourage your digestive system to work the way it should. When you have strong digestion, you get more out of the food you eat and this supports health. It’s perfect for people whose intestines have been damaged, people who have difficulty absorbing nutrients due to leaky gut, food allergies or intolerances, and/or Celiac’s Disease.

Rachel: Can you tell us some of the herbs contained in the tea? I remember marshmallow root or licorice? Is that right? I know they’re very soothing to the digestive tract.

Dan: I like to look at the tea in three parts. Part one would be the mucilaginous herbs: marshmallow and slippery elm. These herbs have an affinity for the throat and the stomach. The mucilage coats the throat and stomach so the body can basically “calm down” and start the repair process. Part two would be the nourishing herbs: nettles, red clover and alfalfa. These herbs contain many bio-available vitamins and minerals. Part three would be the adaptogenic herbs: licorice and astragalus. These herbs are great for helping to normalize body systems. They also help the other work.

Rachel: Tell us about the tincture and how it’s designed to work.

Dan: The tincture helps with gut repair, supports production of digestive enzymes, and helps your body break down the food you eat. It supports the digestive fire. When your digestive system is compromised, your stomach may not release the proper enzymes. When taken regularly, the tincture will get those enzymes going and promote effective digestion. Better digestion supports overall health.

Rachel: Tell us about the other supplements included in the kit and what they do.

The kit contains Evening Primrose Oil, an herbal supplement that’s rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA helps to reduce swelling and irritation. However, expectant or breastfeeding women should not take Evening Primrose.

There’s a product called ButyrEn, which support intestinal integrity. It’s a source of butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid produced in the body by certain probiotic bacteria. The butyric acid in this product comes from the salts of calcium and magnesium. It comes in a tablet designed to release in the small intestine.

The kit also contains Bio-Dophilus, a dietary supplement that supports the growth of healthy intestinal microflora, and Intenzyme Forte (Proteolytic Enzymes), a source of proteolytic enzymes that supports the digestion of protein-containing foods and tissue healing after injury.

We also include L-Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid circulating in the bloodstream. Your gut and immune system use this amino acid to maintain optimal performance. L-glutamine is found in high concentration in the gastrointestinal tract and it’s the preferred fuel for enterocytes (intestinal absorptive cells) in the small intestine.

Rachel: Can you tell us more about people who would benefit from the kit? Is there anyone who should not use the Celiac’s Repair Kit?

Dan: Honestly, I think almost anyone would benefit from at least 30 days on the kit. I myself did it to look at feasibility and ease of use. I felt fantastic after about 14 days. I really haven’t found anyone that shouldn’t use it. Herbalism is really handled on a case by case basis. I have modified the kit as necessary for clients that couldn’t have one herb or another.

Rachel: It’s been about eight months since I took the kit. As I recall, one kit provides enough product for an entire month, is that right?

Dan: That’s correct. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for folks, this way you buy it once a month and it’s one less thing to worry about.

Rachel: How long do you recommend that people use the kit?

Dan: I like to start people on 30 days. Then we check-in. If they are feeling better, then we move on to whatever is next on their path. Many times I will suggest doing the entire kit for one month, then the tea for an additional month. The tea is just a good thing to drink whether you have digestive issues or not. The tincture is great for acute issues. We keep it around work and around my house for when employees or my kids are having stomach aches.

Rachel: What does the entire kit cost and how can people get it? Can they buy single components?

Dan: The Complete Repair System sells for $257. People can buy the tea or tincture alone for $57 or they can buy a combination pack of the tea and tincture for $97. They can buy it at Nourish or they can order it online here.

Rachel: Do people need to consult with you before buying it? Is there anything you need to customize for people?

Dan: I generally speak to most everyone that buys it. There have been a few times that I have reformulated the tea or tincture. It’s a case by case thing. Not every person is the same. I’ve even added Calendula to the tea for a few clients to help with candida.

Rachel: I really appreciate you graciously offering one of my readers a complimentary Celiac’s Care Kit for this month’s giveaway. I’m excited to see how many people comment and enter to win. Does that person need to consult with you before receiving the kit?

Dan: Yes, It really helps me to know what and who I am dealing with and I’m certain they like to meet the person who developed the kit and will be there to support them if they need anything during the process. I was really happy to share it with you. I hope your readers enjoy it.

Rachel: Do you do one on one herbal consultations? If so, how can people reach you to learn more about your services? 

Dan: I do, I can be reached at herbiesunite2010@yahoo.com or on my cell at 480-225-0460.

Rachel: Thanks, Dan.

If you would like to enter to win a Celiac Repair Kit, here's how you can.

Rules for entering
1) Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win the kit.

To receive bonus entries, spread the word about this blog and this giveaway:
(select as many of the following as you like):

2) Watch one of my YouTube videos and leave a comment about it below
3) Subscribe to my YouTube page and leave a comment about that below
3) Subscribe to my blog ( link upper left side of this page) and leave a comment telling me you subscribed
4) Publicize the giveaway, then leave a comment about what you did, e.g.,
    a) Tweet about the giveaway with a link to my blog
    b) blog about the giveaway and leave the link
    c) announce the giveaway on Facebook and send me a link
    d) mention the giveaway to your family and friends
    e) come up with your own creative idea
5) do any or all of the above; post a separate comment for each action

Deadline: Midnight, Monday, April 16th, 2012.
Selection criteria: Random drawing
Limitations: Drawing open only to US residents due to shipping restrictions.

And the winners are...

Cara Lyons of Worcester, MA, won a copy of Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating For A Healthier, Sexier You from a recent giveaway on this blog. I know Cara loves to share food and healthy tips with others so this book will fit right in with what she does. To read about that book, click here.

Katie Todd, of Portland, OR, won a copy of Paleo Pals.Yeah, Katie! I know you and your daughter will have fun with this and I'm sure you know other kids you can share it with.

Keep checking back for more opportunities to read about and win new books and products that support healthy eating and living. I have more to share with you soon.

If you would like to order either of the books I recently gave away, click on the images below for links to Amazon.com.