Tag: anti-inflammatory

Name: Yam And Apple Casserole
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 75 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 4 Large Yams; 3 Large Cooking Apples; 3 tbsp butter or ghee or coconut oil (I used OMGhee); 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder (I used arrowroot powder); ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used coconut sugar); 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 2 cups apple juice (hot); ½ tsp allspice; ½ tsp cinnamon; ½ cup raisins

Diet It's Just A Bad Day

#ChronicLife Traveling Snack Ideas

Post author By Juls
Post date November 23, 2015
No Comments on #ChronicLife Traveling Snack Ideas

Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Anti-Inflammatory Spoonie / Chronic Life Travel Snack Ideas | itsjustabadday.com juliecerrone.com

Every time I take a trip, I think “I need to create a post on the foods that I take on my trip with me”. Being on a super restrictive diet, and knowing that food really impacts the way I feel, it can be hard to travel because of all the crappy choices.

When we travel, whether it’s in the car stopping at rest stops along the way or on an airplane and are at the mercy of airport food, there are some things we can travel with that will help us make better choices.

There are some really great places that cater with healthy food – like San Francisco’s airport! They have an abundance of organic, health-conscious, dairy free, gluten-free foods that is enough to make a food allergy or autoimmune patient feel like they’ve died and gone to heaven. But, my last trip was along the PA Turnpike and unfortunately most of my choices were along the lines of McDonald’s, Popeyes, Subway, Starbucks and convenient store food.

Traveling on the PA Turn Pike isn’t a new journey for me. I’ve been down this road so many times that I know it’s pointless to even stop and check out if there is any food I can eat. IF I’m REALLY hungry, I could have a salad with some grilled chicken, but the chicken was probably cooked in some disgusting, GMO filled oil that it really doesn’t help me at all. Convenience stores have grab and go bars, nuts and seeds, and things like that that can fit in your diet depending on what you buy. You always have to make sure to read ingredient labels and steer clear from these products if they have added ingredients (like sugar, canola/corn/soybean oil, salt, food additives, etc). That’s why I’ve just resorted to bringing my own food along and occasionally picking up a tea latte (Chai Tea Bag + Coconut Milk + Cinnamon) from Starbucks.

We really should be eating whole foods all day, errrrr day. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and the best quality organic meats that we can buy. Sometimes we have to compromise and take the lesser of evils – especially when we’re traveling. That’s when the benefits of an elimination diet really shine through. Because an elimination diet will help you can figure out what your specific triggers, you know what foods you need to stay away from and which foods you can indulge a little bit in. This is ESPECIALLY important when you’re traveling!

For instance, maybe you know you can have a little bit of sugar, or you can have gluten-free oats, but if you have honey or rice your body will react negatively. It’s important to know these things because when you’re at the mercy of eating what’s available to you when you’re traveling, you want to make the best informed decisions that you can.

You need your strength and energy for your trip and don’t want to waste it because you ate the wrong thing and your body becomes so inflamed as a result!

Planning ahead, as much as you can, is very important and will help you make it to your destination without having to eat something disgusting that you know will impact your health.

Here is a list of my go to foods for trips:

Epic Protein Bars. I lovingly refer to these babies as my “meat sticks” haha! Seriously, they’re so freaking good. I usually only eat the turkey and chicken ones (just because red meat bothers my joints), but these are the perfect snack to have in your bag. I’ve found that the cheapest place to buy them is on Thrive Market. I have these sticks stashed away everywhere – in my purse, in my car, in my yoga bag, in my carry on! I probably end up eating too many of them. I like the company and I like their products. Some of the bars do have sugar in them, so just be careful which ones you buy.

Tuna. I always bring canned tuna (like this one or this one) with me. I make sure that it is pole caught and it’s non-genetically modified. Fish can be filled with a ton of toxins, so it’s extremely important to pick the best quality (aka NOT STARKIST TUNA). Tuna is a great source of protein and omega 3s. Check out this video I made for an Ask Juls post about picking a good tuna.

Seaweed. I usually bring some form of seaweed! It’s an easy snack and it’s super yummy to enjoy with my tuna. I’ll pick up the sheets of Nori at my local grocery store (you know, the kind you’d get to made sushi) or I’ll grab some snack packs (like this one or this one!). Make sure to look at the ingredients. I know there are some brands which include coconut sugar in their snack packs, but others that include cane sugar. Just be on the look out!

Vegetables. Lots and lots of veggies! Before you leave for your trip, go in your fridge, chop up whatever vegetables you have in there and take them on your trip. Remember, we should be eating whole foods – mostly vegetables and fruits!

Fruit. Fruit is another easy grab and go! Grab a banana or orange to throw in your bag. Cut up an apple and bring some nut butter along – you’ll get extra protein and the fats will help slow the sugar absorption in your body. Throw some blueberries into a container to munch on. The possibilities are endless 😉
Mamma Chia Squeeze Packets. These little packets are awesome to throw in your bag. You get a dose of something sweet, get a hit of important omega 3’s and get some nutrients in at the same time.

Baby Food. (or products like this) Hear me out on this one before you say, what the hell? If you get those little squeeze packets of organic baby food that’s simply a few ingredients – they’re great on the go! Look for ones that have NO extra additives – it’s basically just like taking your veggies and fruit with you, but a little more convenient! My sister is the one who started doing this – I have to give her credit for this go to snack.

Homemade Trail Mix. What I like to do is go to Trader Joe’s, buy a bunch of different bags of nuts and make my own trail mix.

Potential mix-ins:

I take some NO SUGAR ADDED dried fruit (ingredients are just FRUIT and sometimes naturally sweetened with fruit juices) and throw that in the mix. Like this one or like this one! Or get out your dehydrator and dry your own fruit.
Sometimes I’ll throw some EnjoyLife chocolate chips in the bag too.
Dried coconut flakes. Side note: Aldi has an AWESOME dried coconut chunks. They literally tastes like candy.
I’ll add in some Go Raw products like the coconut crisps (they have different flavors – the chocolate one is AWESOME btw) their sprouted pumpkin seeds, sprouted watermelon seeds (yup, that’s an actual thing), and/or sprouted sunflower seeds.

I like to put mine in separate little baggies or else I will eat the entire bag. Who am I kidding, I end up eating five little baggies at a time! But, hey I try!!!!

Lara Bars or Pure Organic Bars. Easy to pack, yummy to eat. They only have a few ingredients and as long as you’re eating in moderation they’re a good healthy alternative to candy bars!

Organic Fruit Snacks. They’re so good because they’re pure sugar, BUT at least they don’t have the additives in them that other fruit snacks have. I’ve noticed that the fruit snacks Starbucks is selling lately has a similar ingredient list to the example I’ve listed here. Again, eat in moderation, but sometimes you just need something sugary, sweet. WE’RE HUMAN!

Chocolate. I go back-and-forth between Lilly’s chocolate and EnjoyLife chocolate. (Recently on a trip to NYC I came across this chocolate bar too!) The reason I go back and forth between the two is because sometimes you have to pick the lesser of 2 evils. Lily’s is sweetened with stevia, but has organic soy in it. Enjoylife doesn’t have soy, but it has cane sugar. For people who have to absolutely stay away from soy, go with Enjoylife. It’s free from the top 8 allergens.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Chips. This one takes a little of planning on your part because you have to make them a few days prior to your trip. I just slice up some sweet potatoes and zucchini, toss in EVOO + pink Himalayan sea salt + pepper + garlic and then throw in my dehydrator. They’re delicious, they’re crunchy, they’re satisfying and they are a hell of a lot better for you than any of the chips than you would buy on the go. You could really dehydrate anything to take with you on your trip. I’d just caution against taking dehydrated kale chips through airport security – they may question you on what it is (learned from experience)! 😉 haha!!!

Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks. (my favorites are the Grape + Acai and Ginger Spice) I never thought I would be drinking something that had apple cider vinegar in it, but these drinks are SO delicious! Their a great source or energy, they help balance out your pH and can help settle your stomach on the road. They’re naturally sweetened with stevia, so they’re sweet without the refined sugar. They’re not something I’d drink all day, everyday, but in moderation they’re yummy!

Chai Tea. I love chai tea! It’s something warm to drink and, as an added bonus, all of the spices in chai tea are really great for digestion. I always bring chai teabags wherever I go. It’s nice to have them in my purse when I’m somewhere where coffee is the only option.

Protein Powder, Chia Seeds + Cinnamon. I like to take a shaker bottle with these 3 with me while I’m on the go. In the mornings while I travel, I like to brew a cup of chai tea, mix it with protein power, chia seeds and cinnamon. Helps fill me up, something warm to drink and is super easy! Chia seeds and cinnamon are super anti-inflammatory so they’re great to add into your routine. (Note: I only go for vegan protein powders – whey protein powder is SO SO SO SOOOOOO BAD FOR YOU. It’s pure inflammation in your system. Seriously, steer clear of it.)

There are a ton of different options you can take with you, but here are a few examples of what I always throw in my bag! What do you like to take with you? Comment below for others to hear your suggestions 🙂

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

Want some more Travel Tips?

Click on one of these photos to be taken to the post!

Want help on completing your own elimination diet? Check out my self paced, online eCourse!

Or maybe you’d love to work one on one with me?

If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, contact me to see about my next group coaching session! Contact me today!!!

Tags anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, chronic life, diet, food is medicine, paleo, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spoonie, traveling snacks

Autoimmune Diet Eliminating Toxins It's Just A Bad Day PsA

Elimination Diet Part 1

This post was written for the National Psoriasis Foundation Blog and originally appeared here. Check out part 2 on the NPF blog here.

Diets. They’re are SO many of them out there, it’s hard to know which one is the best?! Paleo, vegan, mediterranean, pescitarian, low carb, high carb – there are even crazy ones like the cotton ball and orange juice diet and the ice cream diet. They all have merits, and they’ve all worked for SOMEONE, but how do you know which is the best for you?

The goal of a diet should be to pick foods that will help support your body’s processes so that they can work optimally. If your body is supported to work as it should, you’ll start to experience some awesome side effects – more energy, balanced hormones, less inflammation, decreased pain and weight loss! Food truly can be a medicine to your body. Think about it, every single cell in your body needs fuel to keep on working. By choosing high quality, anti-inflammatory foods you can help your body achieve that goal.

75-80% of your immune system lives in your gut. Therefore, if you eat certain foods that invoke an immune response, your body will constantly be in high alert mode. When you have psoriatic disease, the LAST thing you want to do is add more inflammation to your body. Your immune system is already over worked, so why not give it a break and avoid certain foods that will set it off.

How Do I Give My Immune System A Break?

How do you do that, you may be asking yourself? By completing an elimination diet. An elimination diet will take top trigger foods out of your daily meal routine. Abstaining from these foods for a 6-8 week period will allow your body time to detox and to start to heal. After this time, you will begin to reintroduce the foods one by one. Putting on your detective hat, you’ll then explore how these foods interact with your body. Maybe they cause bloating, perhaps a headache or acne. Maybe you’ll notice swelling or stiffness. A psoriasis break out or pain in your joints. During this phase you will identify your specific trigger foods. At the end of the experiment, you’ll then know which foods you should avoid and which foods are free range to eat. Then, you’ll never ever have to fad or crash diet again because you’ll have your very own, you specific diet plan.

Each person reacts to foods differently, but there are a few food groups that are big inflammatory offenders. I get asked so many times “What should I eat? What should I avoid?” The answer truly lies in the execution of an elimination diet, but there are 5 top offenders I believe any autoimmune patient should try to avoid – Gluten/Grains, Dairy, Sugar and Soy and Corn.

Today, I’d like to explore gluten/grains and dairy.

Gluten/Grains

A grain’s make up includes proteins which are meant to protect it. They’re naturally occurring in these plants so that if a predator was to eat them, they’d have a chance of surviving. Our digestive systems are not equipped to break down all of these proteins. There are many different proteins that protect the grain, one of which is gluten. There are people who have allergic responses to gluten (celiac disease), but there are many people who also have immune responses to gluten because of their difficult nature to digest. These proteins cause damage to our intestinal lining and invoke an immune response (remember the majority of our immune system lives in our gut!). In psoriatic disease, our immune system is already working overtime. By omitting foods which stimulate an already overstimulated immune system, we can aid in the dissipation of our inflammation.

Gluten is a great place to start when you begin an elimination diet. Many are hesitant because they’ve been tested by their doctors for an allergy or sensitivity to gluten and have been assured that they’re ok. But, there are so many research studies showing that if you take out foods which interact with your immune system, you can have the upper hand at helping to manage your symptoms. Instead of eating wheat bread or pasta for dinner, try some brown rice flour wraps, rice or quinoa!

I’ve also listed grains in this category because as I mentioned previously, there are many different proteins that help protect the grain. Sometimes omitting gluten doesn’t fix all of your problems. Gluten is a wonderful stepping stone because it allows you to gradually start removing grains from your diet. If you remove gluten and after 6 months are still having fatigue issues, skin breakouts, joint pain and inflammation, and other symptoms, I’d suggest taking it one step further and cutting out ALL grains.

Try these tips & tricks!

Instead of using flour and bread crumbs to bread chicken, use almond flour + spices!
If you’re feeling like pasta, opt for a rice flour noodle instead. Or, better yet, spiralize a zucchini or sweet potato, saute for a few minutes and use as ‘noodles’!
Plan your meals around veggies and meat, instead of focusing on a grain or starch.
Add more veggies to your meal, by making cauli-rice instead of using regular rice. Check out this delicious fried cauli-rice recipe!

Dairy

Dairy’s inflammatory reaction is multi-faceted. People can react negatively to the sugars and proteins in dairy – lactose and casein. Dairy is often full of hormones and antibiotics which cause immune reactions, even in people who can tolerate lactose and casein. And, because dairy is a very acid forming food, it can throw off our bodies pH balance. We do need some acidic foods in our diet, but having too much can cause our bones to weaken and can cause fractures, breaks and even osteoporosis! We’ve been told milk is a good source of calcium and can protect our bones, but in actuality the opposite may be occurring in your body.

Worried about getting your calcium? Try almonds, kale, oranges, collard greens, broccoli, figs, spinach, coconut milk or sesame seeds.

Just like gluten, the proteins in dairy will cause inflammation in our guts – especially in autoimmune patients. Did you know that inflammation in our guts can cause mood changes, stuffy noses, sore throats, joint pain, skin outbreaks, headaches, fatigue, acne, swollen joints, aching muscles – and I could keep going on and on. Getting rid of these foods can only produce wonderful results (and even an awesome weight loss side effect – You’d never see that on the side of a prescription bottle!). Instead of reaching for a glass of milk or using a dairy creamer, try a non dairy option. They are very delicious and can actually enhance recipes that normally would have used a dairy option.

I used to be a milk a-holic – always saying there was absolutely NO way that I’d give up milk. Once I did an elimination diet, I identified that my body was having a horrible reaction to milk. A reaction that I’d grown to know as ‘normal’ and didn’t even realize was occurring in my body. We all have different trigger foods and dairy is DEFINITELY a big one for me. I’ve seen it time and time again with my clients. Many of them are reluctant to give up cheese, but once they feel the difference, it’s much harder to slap that slice on their sandwich.

Try these tips & tricks!

If a recipe calls for milk or cream, try substituting coconut milk from a can.
Next time you’re at the store, pick up a cashew milk or almond milk ice cream. I’ve actually found them to be even tastier than their dairy counterparts!
Want a pumpkin spiced latte from your coffee shop? Ask them to substitute a non-dairy milk option instead of the dairy.
Instead of using butter, try ghee/clarified butter or coconut oil.

But Don’t I Need These Foods?

I’ve worked with many people who had concerns about cutting out food groups from their diets. There are many people who believe cutting out gluten (or grains), when you don’t have celiacs, is detrimental to your health. But guess what? You are not receiving any nutrients from these foods that can’t be substituted by another food. In fact, by cutting these foods out you’re making way for healthier, more nutrient dense foods to fill up your plate. It’s always easier to focus on ADDING things into your diet, rather than CUTTING things out. So try not to focus on avoiding gluten or dairy, but focus on swapping these items out for more vegetables. Spaghetti and meatballs can be made healthier when you use “zoodles” or pizza can become a healing meal when you make the crust from almond flour, omit the cheese and pile on some roasted veggies!

The best thing about cutting these foods out of your diet is that it gives your gut a chance to heal and settle down. As your digestive system settles, your immune system is less engaged and your whole body will start to relax. With autoimmunity – especially psoriatic disease- this is a must!

Is A Diet A Cure All For Autoimmune Patients?

No, unfortunately there isn’t truly a cure all. BUT, it can be a huge tool in your toolbox for helping get your inflammation and symptoms under control. And who can argue with wanting to do that?

There’s so much to inflammation, but a starting point is definitely identifying your trigger foods and removing them from your diet. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about sugar, soy and corn. Click here to read part 2 of this post!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

Want help on completing your own elimination diet? Check out my self paced, online eCourse!

Tags anti-inflammatory, arthritis, autoimmune, dairy, elimination diet, gluten, managing symptoms through diet, psoriatic arthritis

Ask Juls Diet It's Just A Bad Day

Ask Juls – What Are Some Natural Options To Sugar?

Post author By Juls
Post date August 12, 2015
1 Comment on Ask Juls – What Are Some Natural Options To Sugar?

What Are Some Natural Sugar Options? | Autoimmune Arthritis, Chronic Illness, Elimination Diet, Spoonie, Chronic Life | itsjustabadday.com juliecerrone.com

Just this weekend one of my good friends asked me what the best way to cut sugar out was. Honestly, I think the best way is to just swap out your granulated sugar! Try to choose natural, whole sugars – such as fruits, sweet veggies (like sweet potatoes or bell peppers!) or using naturally occurring sugars like maple syrup and honey. Check out this weeks video!

Honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup and foods like these ARE sugar. They aren’t sugar substitutes, they’re not fake sugar… they’re naturally occurring sugars! Sugar can be ok in our diets as long as we’re getting them from naturally occurring sources.

Unfortunately, sugar is in EVERYTHING! And it goes by SO many different names. Check out this great infographic for the names sugar can go by and make sure to check your ingredient labels:

There are so many ways that you can get rid of processed sugar in your diet. Try adding maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar or stevia to your diet!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

Here are a couple of dessert recipes

that use natural forms of sugar!

Want the chocolate chip cookie recipe I talked about in this video? Check out this post!

In the mood for some fudge? Here’s a recipe with natural forms of sugar!

If you like peanut butter, try these peanut butter chunk cookies!

Yum, yum, yummmmmm , chocolate peanut butter cups!

Want help on completing your own elimination diet? Check out my self paced, online eCourse!

Or maybe you’d love to work one on one with me?

If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, contact me to see about my next group coaching session! Contact me today!!!

Tags anti-inflammatory, chronic life, elimination diet, Natural Sugar Options, spoonie

Breakfast Dessert Diet Dinner Lunch Paleo Snack/Appetizer

Chew On This: Paleo Crackers

Post author By Juls
Post date May 8, 2015
No Comments on Chew On This: Paleo Crackers

The other day I was walking, ok crutching, through Whole Foods and started craving a PB&J. Mmmmm it sounded DELISH. Especially if it was the coconut oil peanut butter.

But, of course, I can’t have bread . . . Or peanuts . . . Or most jellies.

Boooooooo! What fun is that?

Then I had a thought! I had a pizza crust recipe that always seemed so customizable. Soooooo what if I made the recipe a little bit sweeter and cut it into cracker shapes? They could be a little almond butter and fruit spread cracker thing.

When I made it, I started thinking that the possibilities we’re endless! Jelly and bananas, cashew frosting, coconut milk yogurt and fruit…. These little ‘crackers’ can end up being whatever you want them to be!

I’ve actually made the recipe about 4 or 5 times now. Sometimes putting in some vanilla extract to make it a sweeter, almost sugar cookie like ‘cracker’ and others putting in spices like pink Himalayan salt, pepper, thyme, basil and rosemary to make it almost like a focaccia bread ‘cracker’!

This recipe is so basic that you can make it and use it really for anything. I’ve found that baking it 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe states makes it way more crunchy and gives it a great cracker quality.

Yesterday for breakfast I had some thyme/basil/rosemary ‘crackers’ with some organic mayo, romaine lettuce and salmon. Yummm yummmmm yummy. Almost makes me feel like I’m eating something I’m not supposed to!

The recipe is in Against All Grain’s Cookbook, but here’s a link to the recipe! (Scroll one recipe down – It’s the crust recipe under the balsamic steak pizza!)

Seriously! Try it! It’s so yummy! I won’t lie . . . I’m probably going to run out of the batch I made the other day today annnnnnnd I’ll probably whip up another batch of them today!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

Tags anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, dairy free, elimination diet, gluten free, paleo, spoonie diet, sugar free

It's Just A Bad Day

Chew On This: An Anti Inflammatory Thanksgiving

Post author By Juls
Post date December 12, 2014
1 Comment on Chew On This: An Anti Inflammatory Thanksgiving

Last Thanksgiving I made a great dinner… well I thought I made a great dinner. (Want to see over 101 Holiday recipes? Check out this post here!)

I had gluten-free stuffing, gluten-free gravy, steamed veggies, turkey and dairy free/gluten-free/refined sugar-free pumpkin pie. The stuffing was GROSS, but everything else was good. The pumpkin pie, if I do say so myself, was delicious! haha!

But after cooking and baking anti-inflammatoraly (did I just make up a word?) for over a year, I knew this year was going to be thebomb.com. I was really, really excited.

The only problem I saw standing in my way was the fact that I’m now on a Paleo diet (with the exception of wine, because, let’s face it… that’s not getting cut) and my sister eats grains and legumes, but CANNOT have tree nuts. So this was going to be tricky. I knew there was going to have to be some give and take. I mean, it’s the holiday season, we’re all human, and we can’t be perfect.

So I decided that I’d make an exception and consume grains for Thanksgiving. I mean, what is Thanksgiving without a little bit of stuffing? I know there are Paleo stuffing recipes out there, but most are sausage based and processed meats really aren’t a part of my diet. So I was going to have to make an exception one way or another.

While my sister, Natalie, and I planned our menu, I put her on stuffing duty. She was going to get our Aunt’s recipe and try to modify it using Udi’s bread. (She likes to eat Udi’s, not because it’s the best tasting (because we all know that’s NOT true), but she avoids soy like the plague and Udi’s is one of the few that doesn’t include soy in it. Even most sprouted breads have soy it in. Ayyyeee WHY COUNTRY WHY?!) We planned on eating our family’s turkey since it was cooked with EVOO and spices, but would make everything else. In the end, we ended up with a delllliiiccciiiooouuusssss meal. Mmmmm my tummy is growling thinking about it!

Anti Inflammatory Thanksgiving Menu-

– Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Brown Butter by Oh Lordy

I only made one modification to this recipe. Instead of using butter, I used ghee. I LOVE LOVE LOVE using OMGhee because it’s definitely a brand I can TRUST. It’s 100% Organic and Non-GMO. When you’re eating an animal product source, you most definitely want to make sure it’s quality. Don’t take the chance!

Don’t know much about ghee? Find out the nutritional value it has here on the OMGhee site!

– Yam Apple Casserole

This recipe I didn’t find online, but rather through my friend Karen. It was one of the recipes we gave out during out ‘Tis The Season: Enjoying The Holidays Without Gaining A Pound class!

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Yam And Apple Casserole

A delicious casserole to get your family loving yams - they won't even know they're in there! The end product tastes like delicious baked apples. Can be served as a Thanksgiving side dish, a wonderful dish for a brunch or even a dessert!

Coursedessert, dinner
Cuisineamerican

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	40 minutes

Cook Time

75 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	40 minutes

Cook Time

75 minutes

Yam And Apple Casserole

Coursedessert, dinner
Cuisineamerican

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	40 minutes

Cook Time

75 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	40 minutes

Cook Time

75 minutes

Ingredients

4 Large Yams
3 Large Cooking Apples
3 tbsp butter or ghee or coconut oil I used OMGhee
1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder I used arrowroot powder
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar I used coconut sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups apple juice (hot)
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ cup raisins

Servings: people

Instructions

Preheat Oven 350
Pan boil yams for 30 minutes. Peel and slice ⅓ inch thick.
Peel, core and thinly slice apples.
In a small saucepan, melt butter, add cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, hot apple juice and spices. Cook 6 minutes.
In 13x9 greased casserole alternate apples and yams. Sprinkle raisins on top. Pour the hot mixture over apples and yams.
Cover with foil. Bake 1 hour - remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes.

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– Maple Orange Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Who can have a Thanksgiving dinner with out some sweet mashies? MMM MMM MMMM!!!!! So good. I could eat them every. single. day!

– Worlds Best Paleo Gravy

This was another recipe we gave out as part of our class at Avani. My sister cannot have almond so I ended up using tapioca starch to thicken the gravy. I would have used arrowroot, but I had used the last of it with the yam and apple casserole. Also, I used ghee and I used bone broth I had made a few days earlier too. In short, this gravy was a very healing food for our digestive systems!

– Gluuteny

I did cheat a bit and went to a local gluten-free bakery for some desserts . . . and when I say some, I mean… a lot. I couldn’t decide so we got the pumpkin loaf, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin gobs, pumpkin pie and a mini apple strudel pie. Yes, yes they were ridiculously delicious.

But if you’re looking for some awesome dessert ideas, check out my Autoimmune/Anti-Inflammatory Snacks & Desserts Pinterest Board or this AWESOME fudge recipe!

I did miss having green being casserole. I was going to make a vegan version, but decided not to because 1. we had a lot of other food and 2. my sister said she probably wouldn’t eat it so I didn’t want to make a whole casserole just for myself!
I literally found dozens of pumpkin recipes that I really wanted to make, but since we had gone to the bakery I didn’t need to make desserts. I guess they’ll have to be my Christmas desserts! Stay tuned 🙂

There were a ton of leftovers since it was really just Natalie and I eating the dinner. I had seen on Rachel Ray on concept of a stuffing waffle. She said that her and her husband, the day after Thanksgiving, get out their waffle iron, fill it with left over stuffing and make stuffing waffles. For some reason the idea sounded really good to me. So I did just that, through the stuffing on the waffle iron and then topped it with the sweet potatoes, pan friend turkey and topped it with the ghee, maple syrup, cranberry sauce from the brussel sprouts.

O.M.G.

Let’s just say this . . . I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR’S DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING! Ahhhh It seriously was the greatest thing I’ve ever had. The waffle iron make the stuffing crunchy and PERFECT. I seriously liked the stuffing 10 billion times more in the waffle iron than I did just regularly made. It knocked my socks off, it really was like a mouth full of heaven.

All in all, it was a really great anti inflammatory Thanksgiving, full of blessings and laughter.

I won’t lie I was really nervous this year because Thanksgiving is always held at my godmothers house. My grandfather spent the last few months of his life at their house. The last time I was over there was the night he passed away. I was worried my Mom would have a very emotional holiday, but it ended up being a great day. Everyone addressed the elephant in the room, but kept it up beat, positive and happy!

It’s amazing to look back and reflect on Thanksgivings gone by. When I was little, the holidays always meant making and selling crafts with my cousins. We would sell the end products to our other family members at our ‘Holiday Shop’. My boy cousins would be the bodyguards, the rest of us would sell the items and ring up the sales. All my Aunts and Uncles would take turns coming in and buying gifts. My mom told me that I told my class one year we do this to raise money for the family! hahaha

This year we spent time watching magic shows that my cousin’s children were putting on for us in the living room. It’s so heart warming to see everyone growing up and having their own families – but still maintain the closeness.

I truly have a wonderful family and I couldn’t be more blessed.

Check out Spoonie Holiday Tips and 101+ recipes here!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and I’m wishing you a pain free day!

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Tags AIP Paleo, anti-inflammatory, autoimmune arthritis, autoimmune disease, dairy free, elimination diet, gluten free, holiday menu, paleo, refined sugar free, reverse autoimmune disease, thanksgiving menu

Chew On This! Diet Dinner It's Just A Bad Day

Chew On This: Stuffed Banana Peppers W/ Raw Tomatillo Salsa

Post author By Juls
Post date August 18, 2014
No Comments on Chew On This: Stuffed Banana Peppers W/ Raw Tomatillo Salsa

This recipe is delicious, but only make this if you’ve added peppers back into your diet and you did not have a problem with them. So many articles tell those with arthritis to shy away from night shade vegetables. When it comes down to it, it really depends on YOUR BODY! That’s why elimination diets are so important – it lets you know how certain foods affect you.

My stomach used to have a hard time with spicy foods. No me gusta. BUT! Since I did the elimination diet, my stomach not only wants spicy foods, but is craving it! I believe this is due to my stomach being cold (which I’ll get into in a later post), but it’s a big change of pace. When I would go to a thai restaurant I would always order my food at a 0 or 1 spice level (on a 1-10 scale). Now, I’m like at a 5 . . . I’m not going overboard ok?! haha

I was at the grocery store the other day and there were local farm’s banana peppers. They looked soooooo good. I started immediately placing some in a bag. As I was picking them up I was thinking to myself ‘I have no idea what I’m going to do with these, but man, they look good!’ Two-seconds later a woman came up to me and asked me what I was going to do with the peppers! Haha!!! I told her I was literally just asking myself the same question!

Any-who, this is the recipe I ended up concocting with the delicious banana peppers and I very much enjoyed them. That week I was luck enough to get tomatillos and green tomatoes in my CSA box. I’ve bought tomatillo salsa or canned tomatillo sauce before, but I’ve never in my life bought a tomatillo.(I know, I must live a sheltered life) I looked online and saw various ways to make tomatillo salsa. I took a look at what I had in the fridge and this is what I came up with! It is an extremely mild salsa since I did not put any spice in it, but the banana peppers were especially spicy so the mild verde sauce was much appreciate!

Stuffed Banana Peppers w/ Raw Tomatillo Salsa

This delicious meal can be served over brown rice to make a complete meal! When you omit the serrano pepper from the raw tomatillo salsa, it calms down the spiciness of the banana peppers.

Coursedinner
CuisineMexican

Servings

6 Banana Peppers

Servings

6 Banana Peppers

Stuffed Banana Peppers w/ Raw Tomatillo Salsa

This delicious meal can be served over brown rice to make a complete meal! When you omit the serrano pepper from the raw tomatillo salsa, it calms down the spiciness of the banana peppers.

Coursedinner
CuisineMexican

Servings

6 Banana Peppers

Servings

6 Banana Peppers

Ingredients

6 Banana Peppers
1 pound Ground Turkey
1 can Organic Chopped Tomatos
1 cup Mushrooms
1 stalk Celery
1 Carrot
½ Onion
3 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
Sea Salt & Pepper
Vegan Cheese optional
½ pound Tomatillos husked
¼ cup Onion
½ teaspoon Garlic minced
1 bunch cilantro fresh
½ bunch Oregano fresh
¼ teaspoon Cumin
¾ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 cup Water

Servings: Banana Peppers

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*
Chop mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Sauté in the olive oil.
Add ground turkey to vegetables. Sprinkle the turkey with salt, pepper and any other spices you would like to include.
Remove the stems of the banana peppers. Slice peppers down the middle to split open and remove any seeds.
Pour enough of the juice from the canned tomatoes in a glass 9 by 13 pan to cover the bottom. Line the peppers in the pan.
Roast peppers in the oven until tender/easily pierced with a knife. Mine took about 15 minutes.
Once mixture is cooked through, and peppers are roasted, spoon turkey & veggies into banana peppers.
Once all peppers are filled, pour canned tomatoes and remaining juice over peppers.
Place back in the oven to heat tomatoes and peppers through - about 15/20 minutes.
Place in a high powered blender tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, cumin, salt and water. Blend until completely smooth and it has a salsa consistency. I only had a red onion left when I made mine, so I used that! Use whatever you have on hand. Because I also received a green tomato in my weekly CSA I threw that in the blender as well.
If you'd like to add cheese, sprinkle cheese on peppers and leave in oven until melted.
Take out of the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Plate pepper onto dish and drizzle tomatillo salsa on top. Enjoy!

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Bon Apetite!

Tags anti-inflammatory, dairy free, elimination diet, gluten free, light stuffed peppers, paleo, raw

Diet It's Just A Bad Day Treatments

Whoop Whoop! I did it!

I made it 8 weeks on the strict anti-inflammatory diet! Now for the next 12 weeks I’ll reintroduce foods back in to see what bothers me and what doesn’t!

First up… BANANA

Who would have thought I’d be really excited to eat a banana?!

I’ll need to eat 3 of them today and then avoid them for 3 whole days. Then on Day 5 I’ll eat another 3, avoid for 2 days, and then eat another 3. During this time I need to watch for any symptoms or reactions I may have. It says that I may experience physical changes such as congestion, dark circles under my eyes, fatigue (haha like I don’t already have it!), hives or infections in my ears, nose or throat. They’re all typical signs of an allergic reaction to food. But even if you’re not allergic to the food you may have a sensitivity to it and have bowel problems, stomach or joint pain, rashes, blackheads, brain fog. etc.

So I’ll keep a dairy of these next 3 months and see what I come up with!

Yuuuummmmmmmm. I hope I don’t have a reaction to it because I so want to try an almond flour banana bread!

Wishing you a pain free day!

Tags anti inflammation diet, anti-inflammatory, banana, diet, food elimination, food testing, meals that heal inflammation, mhti

Breakfast Chew On This! Diet It's Just A Bad Day Treatments

Chew On This – Easy, Easy, Delicious Breakfast!

Post author By Juls
Post date November 11, 2013
No Comments on Chew On This – Easy, Easy, Delicious Breakfast!

So obviously I’m new to the gluten, sugar, egg, nut, dairy game and you may already be familiar with the EnjoyLife company but I’M IN LOVE! I ordered some products from amazon (didn’t realize they were 6 packs!) and have to say I’m so happy and beyond satisfied with their products!

allergen_graphic — EnjoyLife Food’s allergy friendly graphic

They make food for individuals who have food allergies and focus on the 8 more common food allergies. I had to look at the products to make sure there wasn’t sugar (since I’m off it for 8 weeks) but the ones I can eat are so flavorful and delicious.

This morning I wasn’t in the mood to cook anything and really just wanted a bowl of cereal. That was my normal breakfast routine before changing to this anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Lucky Charms, Special K Chocolate and Strawberry, Cinnamon Toast Crunch – you name it, that’s what I ate. And I loved it (still do).

Welllllllll to my lovely surprise I realized I had the ingredients to make a super, delish cereal.

1/2 to 3/4 cup of EnjoyLife Cinnamon Raisin Granola
Half of a handful of dried cranberries and bing cherries
Almond milk
Sprinkle of extra cinnamon (I love cinnamon and it’s good for arthritis!)

Yummmmmmm. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am now very happy that I have 5 other bags of this granola! It’ll be perfect for muffin toppings, crusts for deserts, anything really!

If you want a sample and live around here let me know. I’ll Share 🙂 If you don’t follow them on twitter you should so you can familiarize yourself with their products and any news they have!

Bon Appétit!

Tags almond milk, anti inflammatory diet, anti-inflammatory, chew on this, cinnamon raisin granola, dried fruit, enjoy life foods, granola