2011: My Year in Review

It would be all to easy for me to dismiss 2011 as a completely crappy year. Truly the last few months have been extraordinarily difficult. Many people I love lost friends and family members. Far too many of these deaths were sudden and unexpected, and some of them were much too young. The past few days have been especially painful for me and many of my friends because we lost our wonderful friend, Kat, who was only 27.

The prevalence of so much death in such a short period of time, in addition to 3 people I care deeply about having been diagnosed with cancer this year, has made me keenly aware of my own mortality. More than that - it has made me aware of the mortality of those I love. If I were to die tonight, I would be content that I have lived a pretty good life. Sure I haven't accomplished everything I'd like to, but realistically, there will always be something I missed out on, so why dwell on it? Plus, if I die, I won't have to worry about it any more; I'll be dead. The people I love, though, are unfathomably precious, and the time that I have to spend with them is limited. I'd like to think that I have decades left with all of them, but the truth is that anything could happen at any time. Every moment I spend with someone I love should be cherished.

2011 certainly didn't start out as a year defined by death. Many wonderful things happened. Some not-so-wonderful things also happened. Mostly, a lot of seemingly meaningless and trivial things happened.

This past year, I turned 30. For some, this milestone is tantamount to a death sentence. Not for me. I love birthdays. It's the one day a year when I get to be totally, completely narcissistic. I get to have a party, invite all my friends, and spend time with the people I love while they're focused on me, and I get to do it guilt free. Milestone birthdays are even better, if you can believe it. It's not just a party, it's a huge party! In an actual venue! With fancy cake! And the DJs from the Emerald City Soul Club! I got my hair done and spent an absurd amount of money on a sexy outfit because you only turn 30 once, and by gum, I did it with style (and a lot of help from my wonderful bff).

I got into a car accident (not my fault) that totaled my car and gave me some pretty serious neck issues. The plus side of this was that I was able to use some of the money that I got from the accident to pay for my cat to get a health problem taken care of. Now he is carefree and playful again. Also, I got a new car that I love and that gets much better gas mileage.

I went to Oregon 3 times and learned that I absolutely adore that state. I got to go to herb farms and Rootstalk, which were mind-blowing, wonderful, life-changing experiences. I need to hurry up and finish with school so I can get out of the city and closer to nature.

I got to spend approximately 24 hours with The One Who Got Away. It was a bit like a dream, and it was something that I will always remember fondly. Ultimately, though, the timing was wrong, and I let him get away again. This time with no regrets.

I started dating a guy. He turned out to be an asshole. (Here's a tip for the dudes, don't call the woman you're dating a whore. Just don't.) I dumped him and started dating a really awesome guy about whom I am crazy.

I became a primary intern at my school's clinic. This means that I get to treat patients under the supervision of a licensed acupuncturist. On some shifts, that has meant that I get almost complete autonomy, on others, it means I get almost none. In either case, I get to stick needles in people, which is just cool.

I got to be the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding. I went back "home" for the first time since I was 19. I got to spend time with my best friend's family, who are like my second family. I got to meet her husband (who is perfect for her), and all the friends she's been telling me about for years.

I officiated the wedding of two of my closest friends. Somehow they decided that I would make a good WWE announcer (Yep, the theme of their wedding was WWE. The theme of the other wedding I mentioned was Borat. I love my friends), and I had a blast. I don't know if they know how much of an honor it was that they chose me.

I also brushed my teeth a whole bunch, played with my cats, went to a lot of classes, skipped a lot of classes, learned new things, memorized a lot, took many showers, ate a bunch of food (almost all of it was gluten free and dairy free), got drunk a few times, laughed, cried, and hugged the people I love as often as I could. Plus, I got to celebrate with friends as they had babies, got engaged, and had all sorts of wonderful events in their lives. I also supported friends as they went through difficult times, just as they have been supporting me.

After looking back at my year as a whole, it wasn't really that crappy. Yes, the end of it has been shitty, but overall I have celebrated more than I have mourned. Maybe that's all that's needed to define a good year. So here's to you, 2011. It's been one hell of a roller coaster ride. I can't say that I'm sorry to see you go, but I think that after all is said and done, I can appreciate you.

And here's to 2012. May we not all perish in an apocalypse.

Rootstalk

A few weeks ago, I went to the first annual Rootstalk festival outside of Salem, OR. My friend, John, and I spent the weekend camping, going to classes, listening (and dancing) to bands, meeting awesome people, and generally having an amazing, mind-blowing time.

As soon as I found out about the existence of Rootstalk, I knew that I had to go. It was like someone had decided to make a festival just for me. With classes on herbalism, organic and sustainable living, wildcrafting, and more, I couldn't stay away. It was the right decision; the weekend was one of the best I've ever had. I still haven't fully processed my experiences (which isn't that surprising given that I was bombarded with bad news as soon as I got back). When it was over, I didn't want to come home. Normally when I see the Seattle skyline after being gone for a while, I feel euphoric. This time, I felt my stomach sinking. I was coming back to reality after being in a utopia.

I'm not entirely sure how to put my experience into words. Normally, words don't fail me, but in this case, I've barely been able to talk about it at all. I could talk about what classes we went to and which vendors I bought things from, but that was such a small fragment. It was more about the synergy (I hate that word, but in this case it fits) of the people, their combined knowledge and wisdom, the environment, and the activities we participated in.

What sticks out most in my mind is the overall feeling that some humans have given up a lot of things that we would probably be better off having in our lives. We have given it up in order to have the convenience of modern, city life, but I'm far from convinced that the tradeoff is worth it.

One of the presenters, Daniel Vitalis, said that he thinks that humans need fire - not just to cook our food and keep us warm. I can't help but agree that sitting in front of a real fire, whether I'm roasting marshmallows on a camping trip, having a bonfire on the beach, or sitting in front of a cozy fireplace, makes me feel good, like I'm getting something vital that I've been lacking. He aslo brought up that in modern western culture, we have developed the notion that we are somehow separate from the ecosystem. The fact is that we are part of the whole, and we can't escape that for good or ill. I'm not entirely sure what to do with that concept, but it rings true. Mostly, I want to spend more time in nature (I say as I'm sitting in my living room in my apartment in a major city) so that I can experience and hopefully understand what it is that I think it's so critical that we protect and live with in harmony.

The sense of community that pervaded the festival was amazing. Everyone was friendly and had a smile to share. There was no awkwardness about starting up a conversation with a stranger. We were all kindred spirits, and it was fabulous. The free tea pavilion was a great place to feel the camaraderie of the festival. People could be found there at all times of the day lounging on the cushions and making new friends. I would love to feel that wonderful sense of community in my daily life. It was jarring when I returned home and smiled at the first people who passed me on the street, only to have them avert their gazes and look obviously uncomfortable (though granted, it could have been that I looked like a derelict, dirty hippy... that is if it weren't still happening).

There is definitely something primal missing from my life. I realized this when a marching percussion band performed throughout the campground. People were drawn to them, and an impromptu parade formed as people followed them around, dancing their hearts out. It was reminiscent of the pied piper. That night we went to the woodland masquerade ball. I'll admit, before I went to it, I thought it sounded a little hokey. A masquerade ball? While camping? Outdoors? In reality, it was astounding. There is something profound about people wearing masks. Your identity becomes less important, and your ego melts away. People danced with abandon, unconcerned about whether they looked like idiots. And dancing outdoors... it's magical. The energy from the earth combined with the energy of the music and the other people was unreal. During the ball, it felt like I was part of a tribe, and I want that feeling back.

One of the things that was stressed over and over again by many different people in many different ways was that we shouldn't beat ourselves up when we fail to live up to our own expectations. The context was always that of living sustainably, but I think it applies to everything. When we try to change things 100% all at once, we are bound to slip some. I try to eat organic food as much as possible, but sometimes, I just need to buy a pizza, and that's OK. It seems to be human nature (well, American nature, anyway) that if we fail a little bit then we should just give up. Instead, we should be forgiving of our slipups and keep right on trucking, doing what we can. That's what I'm working on - doing what I can. For now I'm in Seattle in a small apartment with a cat who will eat anything green that she sees, so starting indoor window gardens isn't possible. I'm not going to be able to grow all of my own food on my shaded balcony. I can, however, keep maintaining my little garden (which I fully intend to truly maintain next spring/summer. I've mostly gotten over my bee PTSD and am pretty sure I'll be able to actually do work in the garden soon), and doing my best to eat organic and sustainably farmed food whenever I can. While it would be great if I were able to live in a perfectly permacultured (I've decided this must be a word) home that was completely self-sustaining. I don't, and I won't be able to do that for a long time. So I take baby steps, which are better than not doing anything at all.

John and I have big plans to start a club where we can spend time in nature, learning how to do awesome things that we learned about at Rootstalk, like making rope from plants, starting fires using the bow and stick method (essentially, rubbing 2 sticks together), wild foraging, and other awesome nature-based activities. We hope that by doing this, we'll manage to keep ourselves sane until next year's Rootstalk. I can't wait.

Side Effects of Natural Remedies/Alternative Medicine

For those of you new to my blog, I have to preface this post by saying that I love alternative medicine. I am getting my MS in Acupuncture, and I will be getting an additional certificate in Chinese Medicine (which means Chinese herbalism). In addition, I think many other alternative therapies are wonderful, and after I graduate from my current program, I hope to continue to learn about many of them and to be able to integrate some of them into my practice. For more on why I love natural medicine, see my last post, Natural Medicine vs. Western Medicine.

That being said, the comments on my last post have made it clear that some people have a misunderstanding about how natural remedies work and believe that they don't have any side effects. This assumption has the potential to lead to some very serious consequences (and some less-serious but certainly unpleasant consequences), so I am going to attempt to clear that misconception up.

Let's start with a definition. According to MedicineNet.com, side effects are, "Problems that occur when treatment goes beyond the desired effect. Or problems that occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effect." Got that? Good.

Now for a very simplistic look at biology and medicine. The human body is a complicated, fascinating, and amazing machine. Take a peek in any anatomy and physiology text book, and it is likely to blow your mind. The body runs due to chemistry (such as neurotransmitters, and hormones), biology (such as the good bacteria that live in our guts), electricity (action potentials), and structure (the location of everything in the body). In order to do something as simple as blinking your eyes, there is a complicated chain reaction of events that must occur perfectly, or it won't work. The body needs to be in a state of homeostasis (which is quite complicated but can be very simplistically defined as balance) in order to keep those reactions going and to be healthy. The number of things going on in your body that are beyond your conscious control in any given moment is staggering. Like any complicated machine, things go wrong from time to time, which can be due to external factors (trauma, viruses, etc) or internal factors (genetic mutation, autoimmune disorders, etc). Usually, the body can take care of itself, but occasionally, it can't, and that results in disease, pain, and in extreme circumstances, death.

Medicine, whether western or alternative, is designed to help the body out and hopefully to fix what has gone wrong. In order to do that, it must cause a change in the chemistry, biology, electricity, or structure (or some combination of the four). Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to affect one aspect of the body without having an effect on many aspects of the body. Sometimes those effects are pleasant, sometimes they are benign and unnoticed, but sometimes they cause new problems, which is what side effects are. Some side effects are so bad, that they may be worse than the initial problem, but some are minor irritations that go away quickly.

To be perfectly frank, I can't think of a single remedy - alternative or western - that doesn't have the potential for side effects and unintended results (this is why malpractice insurance exists). Often, alternative therapies have fewer and less intense side effects than western medicine, but there is always the chance that something unwanted will happen.

Here are some examples (there are way too many kinds of alternative therapies for me to touch on all of them, so this is just a few):

Herbal remedies: Herbs, like western pharmaceuticals, affect the chemistry of the body. I said the following in a comment in my previous blog post: Licorice, for example, can cause high blood pressure. Marshmallow root can slow or block the body's ability to absorb certain nutrients, which can lead to conditions such as iron deficiency anemia. Even benign herbs like mint and ginger can cause acid reflux. If you use the wrong herb for a condition, you can make the condition worse. Some herbs, such as Digitalis purperia, are safe only for very specific and serious illnesses, and only in very small does, but are deadly when consumed in any other circumstance. Some herbs, like aconite, require special preparation in order to be safe for use. Some herbs are safe for most people but can cause a pregnant woman to miscarry. Some herbs can be addictive. Any herb can cause an allergic reaction, which can range from minor irritation to the potentially deadly anaphylactic shock.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture affects the chemistry and electricity of the body. I would like to say that my chosen profession doesn't have any side effects, but that would be a lie. When done by a trained professional, the potential side effects are minimal, but they're possible. The most common side effect is minor bruising. Other possible side effects include (but are not limited to) drowsiness, emotional upset (this is a strange one, but I've experienced it first hand), dizziness, and even fainting.

Homeopathy: My knowledge of homeopathy is limited, so I'm not going to attempt to explain what it does. Many people think that it's nothing more than a sugar pill. I have heard anecdotes of people who have had negative emotional reactions to homeopathic remedies (anxiety, irritability, and anger). But even if you're convinced that they're just sugar pills (the main ingredients are sucrose and lactose), the pills are made from ingredients that have an effect on the body. A friend of mine is allergic to cane sugar and had an allergic response to taking a homeopathic remedy.

Energetic healing: This includes things like Reiki, laying of hands, and magical healing, among others. These techniques are trying to tap into the body's energetic fields (which is part of the electricity of the body). Potential side effects of energetic healing include (but are not limited to) dizziness or vertigo, light-headedness, nausea, grogginess, fatigue, hyperactivity, emotional upset, headaches, tingling, pain, flushed face, warm or cold extremities, sweating, irritability, nightmares, depression, and mania.

Structural healing: This includes things like massage, and chiropractic, among others. Obviously, these are trying to address structural problems. Any time you change the structure of the body, you also cause chemical reactions to take place. Possible side effects include bruising, swelling, and nerve impingement among others. Massage can also spread an invading pathogen (bacteria or virus), making you feel worse if you're sick or getting sick.

Miscellaneous: There are a lot of other alternative therapies that people can do that are mostly safe but do have the potential for side effects. Epsom salt baths can increase blood pressure. According to a friend of mine who was a registered nurse with an Ear Nose and Throat specialist, Neti pots have been known to cause ear infections on occasion. Steam inhalations can cause burns if not done properly. The list goes on and on.

The point I am ultimately trying to make with all of this is that you need to stop and think before you treat yourself for medical conditions. Don't assume that because something is natural or alternative that it is completely safe. Do research. The internet is an amazing treasure trove of information. Ask health care providers and healers if there are any possible side effects before being treated, and tell them about all of the supplements and other healing methods you are currently using. When taking herbs, be aware that herbs can have negative reactions with each other and with pharmaceuticals. If you are taking any herbs but need to start a western medication, check with your doctor and herbalist to make sure they are safe when used together, or stop taking the herbs. Alternative medicine is wonderful when used correctly and safely, but it should not be used indiscriminately. Be safe, and be healthy.

Natural Medicine vs. Western Medicine

I am a huge fan of natural medicine. When I get sick or experience pain, I turn to herbs, acupuncture, diet changes, and other natural remedies long before I look to western medicine. When I get congested, I pull out the Neti pot, do steam inhalations, and/or take a tincture rather than pop a couple of Sudafed. Most of the time, it works amazingly well, and I'm able to go about my business.

Many people don't understand why I choose natural remedies instead of over-the-counter medicines and prescriptions. After all, many natural remedies haven't been proven to work through double blind research studies, and the FDA doesn't have the same strict regulations on herbs that it does on drugs (though to be clear, the FDA has extremely strict regulations on the production of herbs and herbal products. They require rigorous testing to make sure that the products that get to the shelves of stores are safe. They just don't verify the claims that are made on the packaging. If a product has been proven to be unsafe, the FDA will take it off the shelves. For a little more info, check out this page.) Natural remedies may require more work (a steam inhalation, for instance takes 10-15 minutes and access to a stove, a pot, and a towel - fine when you're at home, but challenging if you're at work).

For me, there are a few reasons:

My body is extremely sensitive, and if there is some obscure side effect of a drug, there's a good chance that I'll get it. With several different over the counter medications, I have had had very scary experiences, and in one case, an OTC was slowly putting my life in danger. Prescription medications have also given me horrific side effects. I have experienced far fewer side effects from natural remedies (that isn't to say there aren't any - just that my experiences have been better)

In some situations, I've tried western medicines, and they haven't done anything for me, but natural remedies have fixed my problems.

Many conditions that western medicine can only fix with dangerous or addictive medicines can be safely regulated with natural remedies - especially pain. Natural medicines can also correct some problems that western medicine can only correct with surgery.

I have spent a lot of time with plants. I like plants. Plants can provide us with most of what we need. Western medicine takes components of plants, isolates them, and increases them. In nature, plants have many components, all of which interact with each other. In many cases, one component will mitigate the negative effects of another, or one will magnify the effects of another (this is also true of herbal combinations). I have found that using the whole plant instead of specific constituents can provide gentler, more complete healing.

If I am preparing the remedies myself, I can be sure that the ingredients I am using meet my requirements for sustainability. Many herbal companies (though not all) are committed to protecting the environment and use only organic growing methods. I have been able to visit several farms and production plants and have a really good grasp on what companies I want to support. Western drugs are often produced by companies that are more interested in making a profit than making people better or protecting the planet.

Natural remedies can often be used as preventative care, whereas western medicine is almost exclusively used after a problem has arisen.

That all being said, there are times when western pharmaceuticals are the best choice. Very recently, I got very sick. I tried pretty much every natural remedy available - acupuncture, herbs, tinctures, epsom salt baths, something called the wet sock treatment, homeopathy - you name it, I tried it. I kept getting worse. When I started taking antibiotics, I started getting better right away (although, unsurprisingly, I did experience some nasty side effects). I hate how overused antibiotics are in our society, but when you need them, you need them. I will also admit that there have been times when I've had a headache or cramps that were so bad, I gave in and took Tylenol or Advil. (Although, since I have discovered cramp bark tincture and raspberry leaf tea, I haven't needed NSAIDs for cramps). I am lucky in that I don't have any diseases or chronic conditions that require that I take drugs regularly to stay alive. In those situations, I am all for pharmaceuticals. Some people also require daily medications for psychological conditions in order to function properly in society.

People who dismiss all western medications for all conditions piss me off as much as people who dismiss all natural remedies (and yes, they truly piss me off). We live in a time when we have the benefit of thousands of years of experience with natural remedies as well as modern technology and medicine. They each have their place. I am grateful for herbs, and I am grateful for antibiotics - when they're needed. I think vaccinations are awesome (hooray for never having to worry about smallpox or polio!). I think acupuncture is astonishing. Why limit ourselves to one narrow concept of health and healing?

****SAFETY NOTICE****

Please note that herbs have major effects on your body, as do pharmaceuticals. Be careful when taking herbs. Keep track of all that you are taking on a regular basis. If you ever have any questions, talk to a medical professional who has been educated in herbalism. There are some nasty drug/herb interactions, so if your health care provider puts you on medications, stop taking your herbs unless you've confirmed with them that it is safe to continue. Please don't put yourself at risk.

Candida Cleanse: Day 14

Whew! In 1 hour and 20 minutes, I will have completed 2 weeks of my candida cleanse. I haven't had any symptoms of die-off in almost a week. Several of my candida symptoms are improving dramatically, which is awesome. Hooray for experiments that work!

Unfortunately, on Thursday, I started to experience massive sugar cravings. Why I didn't get them earlier, I have no idea, but for the past 2 days, I've had visions of Skittles, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies, chocolate, and ice cream noisily tapdancing through my head. I've managed to hold off on succumbing, but it has been tough. Fortunately, it hasn't been anywhere near as difficult as when I quit caffeine. That was pure misery. This is more of an annoyance. I almost gave in to the craving this evening, but somehow I managed to park my butt and not get a cupcake.

My goal is to keep away from the refined sugar until I go to Colorado in a week and a half for my best friend's wedding. At that point, my cleanse is done. There's no way I'm going to pass on gluten free, dairy free wedding torte (hooray for having a best friend who is also a glutard!). I'll be honest, though, if these cravings keep up the way they are now, I might not be able to hold off for that long. We shall see...

Candida Cleanse: Day 8

After 1 week of my cleanse, I don't have that much to report. My die-off symptoms seem to have gone away for the most part (I still don't have the best appetite ever, but it's improving). I decided last night that after a full week of not having any fruit at all that I would let myself start eating fruit again and add a probiotic to my regimen. I was thrilled about my decision to eat fruit when I went to the farmer's market where they had beautiful Rainier cherries, and lush, red strawberries. Eating the myriad delicious local fruits that are available is my favorite thing about summer, so not getting to eat any was a bit like torture. I suppose if adding fruit to my diet causes my cleanse to fail miserably, I'll just wait until winter to try again.

Candida Cleanse: Day 6

I don't have much to report. Aside from agonizing gastric pains that left me doubled over on Wednesday, I've been doing OK. I haven't had any real sugar cravings. Occasionally, I think that it would be nice to eat some sugar, but then I don't, and it's fine. The only really strange thing is that I have had no appetite. I'll feel ravenously hungry, but when it comes time to eat, I have a difficult time choking it down. I've broken down and allowed myself to eat a few processed foods (namely rice crackers that I normally inhale in the space of a heartbeat) just so that I can get enough to eat, but even those hold no appeal. This complete lack of desire to eat is probably why I'm not having any difficulty with not eating sugar. If I don't want to eat anything, that includes the things I'm not supposed to eat.

Candida Cleanse: Day 3

I'm at the end of Day 3 of my candida cleanse, and while it hasn't been the most fun thing ever, it hasn't been the worst thing ever either.

Figuring out what to eat has been interesting. So many things that I eat have sugar, sweeteners, or fruit in them! It has also been frustrating when I eat what should be a perfectly filling meal, but since there aren't a lot of carbs, I don't feel quite satisfied. I feel full, but I feel like I need to eat more. I should probably cook up a big pot of brown rice just for the carbs.

Yesterday, I felt like I was going a little bit crazy, so I popped some popcorn (0g sugar!) in coconut oil and then ate it all. It was over the top, but it made me feel a little better.

I've started to experience some of the candida die-off symptoms. I'm fatigued and have had a headache. I also felt quite bloated, and I even felt a tiny bit tipsy last night (and not a drop of alcohol crossed my lips).

I'm definitely looking forward to the end of this cleanse. I will be thrilled when I can eat fruit again.

Candida Cleanse: Day 1

I've decided to try a candida cleanse. Candida is a yeast that grows naturally in the body. It becomes a problem when it gets out of balance with the rest of the body's natural flora (mainly bacteria). There are many symptoms associated with candidiasis, many of which I have. A list of some common symptoms can be found here. In case you're dying to know what my symptoms are, I have acne, fatigue, red eyes, intense sugar cravings, and digestive issues.

I am going about my cleanse by eliminating all sugar from my diet for 2 weeks. This includes fruit (which is going to be extremely challenging), honey, high fructose corn syrup (which I was already avoiding), and anything else that's labeled a sugar. My diet is going to consist of vegetables (including fruits that everyone confuses with vegetables, like peppers and avocados), whole gluten-free grains, proteins, and good fats. It's also important to avoid vinegar (with the exception of raw apple cider vinegar) because it can encourage candida growth. I won't be eating any processed foods at all, and I won't be going out to eat. In addition to this diet of doom, I'm taking herbal supplements that are geared towards killing candida. The supplement regimen consists of fiber and 2 different liquid extracts.

Apparently, I have intense sugar cravings to look forward to. I also will probably experience a whole slew of nasty symptoms associated with the death of the candida. I can't wait (for those of you who couldn't tell, that was sarcasm).

After the initial 2 weeks, I'm going to slowly reintroduce certain foods, but ideally, I'd like to keep my sugar intake to a minimum. When I eliminated sugar from my diet a couple of years back, I felt amazing, and I'd like to feel that way again.

I'm going to try to keep track of how things are going here. If I come up with any delicious recipes that work with this cleanse, I'll be sure to share.

So far today, it has been pretty uneventful. I've taken my fiber, eaten some raw almonds, and taken the liquid extracts. I'm about to start preparing my lunch - a salad made of organic baby greens, avocado, and raw zucchini, with a dressing made of raw apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Tonight, I'll probably make something with quinoa.

Let's Clear this Whole Glutard Thing Up

It's interesting how many people are unreceptive to the concept of food intolerance. Because it isn't well understood (even by the medical community, although more research is being done on it than ever before), people assume that people who claim they have an intolerance are just making things up, or that it's all in their heads. I've had family members who don't believe that I am gluten intolerant. I know other "glutards" (a term coined by my best friend, Lillian) who have had similar problems. One woman's parents even asked her when she was going to grow out of her gluten-free "phase." I've also had people inform me that there's no way I'm allergic to gluten.

To adress that last comment, it's true. I am definitely not allergic to gluten. Food allergies are not the same thing as food intolerance. An allergy is when your immune system essentially overreacts to a foreign (but normally benign) substance. Your basophils (a type of white blood cell) release histamines, which cause any number of reactions, including hives, sneezing, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and in the worst cases, anaphylactic shock. A food allergy isn't all that different from a pollin allergy. I know people who sneeze when they eat bread because of a wheat allergy, or who get rashes on their arms when they eat gluten. Of course, we all know about the people who swell up and die when they eat peanuts. Allergies can be tested somewhat reliably, so people are far more receptive to the existence of allergies than intolerances.

Food intolerance is a tricky beast. A food intolerance is when the body reacts poorly to a certain food, or when they body can't properly process a certain food. The symptoms of food intolerance may seem completely unrelated to the digestive system, but they can be determined by eliminating a certain food or group of foods from the diet. If the symptoms go away when you stop eating the food for an extended period, and they come back when you reintroduce it, then it's a good sign that you have a food intolerance. Some common symptoms of food intolerance are gas, bloating, migraines and other head aches, fatigue, weakness, and systemic (meaning system-wide, or body-wide) inflammation, which can cause muscle pain, and nerve problems. Some people even have emotional reactions to foods, including sadness, irritability, and anger. People can be intolerant to just about any food, although gluten and dairy are the most common. People can be intolerant to nightshades (including tomatos, peppers, potatoes and eggplant), soy, and corn, among others.

The first time I ate gluten after I'd been gluten free for a while, I had a strange stomach ache (it was neither indigestion nor nausea), a headache, mental fogginess (i.e. the inability to think clearly), and extreme fatigue. My ulnar neuropathy, which hadn't caused me problems in years, came back in full force, my low back pain flared up, and my symptoms of gastritis came back after being gone for months. When I'm gluten free, my ulnar neuropathy doesn't flare, my low back pain is almost nil, and my gastritis is a thing of the past. Although I definitely miss some of the wonderful gluten-full foods out there, my desire to feel good far outweighs my desire to eat a donut.

I also want to clear up the confusion that people have about Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder which causes the cilia of the small intestine to be damaged when gluten is ingested. If these are damaged, it makes it difficult for the body to absorb vital nutrients. It is a very serious condition which may be asymptomatic, or it may have any number of symptoms, including gas, bloating, fatigue, mineral and vitamin deficiencies (such as calcium, iron, and B12), a large appetite with no weight gain, or unexplained weight gain, to name a few. It is common for people with Celiac to be extremely sensitive to gluten, to the point where they may not be able to tolerate food prepared in a kitchen where foods containing gluten have been prepared. It is also common for them to have a reaction to gluten that lasts for 3 days (the amount of time it takes for gluten to leave the body). People who are gluten intolerant may have Celiac disease, but they may not. The only way to know for sure is to be tested after eating gluten for 4 weeks (something I'm not too keen on doing, given how gluten makes me feel. I can't think of any time in my life when being fatigued, brain dead, and in pain for a month will be convenient). If someone tests negative for Celiac disease, it does not mean that they don't have a gluten intolerance; it just means that they don't have Celiac.

For those of you who may still be skeptical, I'll leave you with this. Even if an intolerance is "all in someone's head" (which, odds are, it's not), if they feel better when they don't eat something, then their choice not to eat it should be respected. Most people who have special dietary needs are pretty understanding that their food requirements can be a giant pain in the ass to those who can eat anything. I am always prepared to bring my own food to parties or dinners (and if you ask nicely, I'll even bring enough to share), and I never expect people to accomodate my diet, though it's always a pleasant surprise when they do. If I ask what's on the menu, or if I read a label, it's not because I'm picky or trying to be disrespectful; I just want to make sure I'm not going to be miserable (and in the case of dairy, I get so gassy that really, it's more disrespectful of me not to read labels!). I don't bitch and whine when I can't eat something (well, usually), and I don't begrudge others their right to eat whatever they hell they want. A little empathy can go a long way. After all, it sucks to not be able to partake in a freshly baked loaf of bread or the pizza that everyone else is eating. And by the way, if I could choose to make my gluten problem go away, you can bet everything you have that I would do it in a heartbeat.

http://www.celiac.org/

Lately, my diet has gone down the toilet. I was doing really well for a while there making sure to keep processed foods to a minimum and eating as much local, sustainably raised food as possible. My last quarter of school was the most challenging I've ever experienced, and it became more and more difficult to find the energy to grocery shop and cook. I found a handful of places where I could get decent gluten free, dairy free foods that were pre-made, and I went to town. Even though this quarter has been much less stressful, I haven't gotten back into the habit of cooking regularly. Plus, I've been eating a lot more sugar and fried foods than is healthy for anyone.

It's getting to be summer, which means that it's the time of year for delicious, local fruits and vegetables. My summer quarter is going to be quite light with only one class and 4 clinic shifts (by the way, if you are interested in seeing me at clinic, let me know! I can give you the days and times I'll be there and instructions on how to make the appointment). This means that I will have a lot of time to devote to cooking.

Because I'm heading into finals next week, I'm not going to make any major changes immediately, but I will try to keep sugar to a minimum. Once finals are over, I'm going to be going back to the diet that makes me feel healthy, energetic, and happy.

The Distant Past

For some reason, today I felt like looking at my old Livejournal account. The last time I logged on was in February of 2009. I've been reading through my old posts. It's amazing how different my life was back then.

The following is a tidbit from 08/08/08 that I liked a great deal. If anyone knows who the quote came from, I'd love to know! The image is from Brian Froud's "The Faeries' Oracle"


In honor of what now feels like a quest instead of an insane, misguided, and most certainly challenging mistake, I leave you with the following image and some words of wisdom sent to me by a friend, "Night is always darkest while you still have the blindfold on."

Covered in Bees!

I love bees. I love that they make honey and beeswax and pollinate our food. When I see fuzzy bees buzzing around flowers, I am happy. I am concerned about the decline in the bee population. I someday want to have a hive or two. Today, however, I had a bee encounter that wasn't very happy.

I was gardening on my tiny balcony, happy as a clam that the weather was finally nice enough for me to want to garden. There was a bag of things that needed to be composted sitting on top of a pot filled with dirt (but with no plants). The bag had been there for most of the winter because I had been too lazy to bring it to the compost bin in the parking lot. I gathered up a newer bag of stuff to be composted and the old bag and walked into my apartment.

I felt something sharp and stabby over my shoulder blade, and then I immediately saw a bee flying around. Then I felt something stabby in the back of my neck, and my arm, and OH MY GOD! There were bees flying all around me, stinging me. I realized they were coming from the old bag of stuff that had to be composted. I had the presence of mind to fling the compost bags back out onto the balcony (screaming all the while - turns out, I scream like a girl). Then I did a crazy run/dance into the kitchen trying to rid myself of bees. They eventually left me alone and went to the windows. Just then, my friend called to confirm our plans for the evening. I answered the phone sobbing and in a bit of shock. She suggested putting out bowls of sugar water to attract the bees, and she also suggested vacuuming the bees with a long hose. The bees were still quite agitated, flying around my apartment, trying desperately to get back to their hive.

I lit some incense (also suggested by the aforementioned friend) to try to calm the bees down (if beekeepers use smoke, why not try it?). My cat thought that the bees were great fun and was doing her best to catch one, which freaked me out. I didn't want her to get stung too. Eventually the bees settled down. There were 5 or 6 total. I sucked 4 of them up with my vacuum (crying all the while. I wanted to let the poor bees go home, but I didn't want to let any of the ones that were outside into my apartment, and I certainly didn't want to get stung again. I hated killing the poor bees that hadn't done anything to me). I trapped one of the bees between the screen and the window in my kitchen (I also feel dreadful about that). Because I'm not entirely sure if there were 5 or 6, there could be a bee in the belly of my cat, there could be one hiding somewhere in my apartment, or they could all be accounted for.

Looking on my balcony, it appears that the beehive is somewhere in the vicinity of the big pot that the compost had been resting on. It could be in the pot or somewhere nearby. I'm certainly not going onto my balcony today to try to figure it out (though I might check it out tonight when the bees are in the hive). Now I need to find someone to remove the bees, which I'm sure will be another adventure. Hopefully, they will make a beekeeper somewhere very happy.

I also have to mention the irony... I'm on a dating website, and my user name is a variation on Covered in Bees! (from an Eddie Izzard bit). It turns out that being covered in bees isn't very fun.

:Edit:
I just found the 6th bee. It has been vacuumed up with the rest of its cohorts, and my apartment is once again free of bees.

No Regrets

This post is a little personal. It has all been percolating in my mind for a while, and I've only now been able to put it to words.

I've noticed something since I started grad school: people getting advanced degrees are insane. Sure they're intelligent and are (hopefully) going to do something wonderful with their degrees, but at what cost? I'm not talking about the actual cost in dollars (although it's usually significant); I'm talking about the emotional and physical cost of spending so much time studying. I know about this all too well both from my own experience and that of my peers.

You would think that at a school for natural medicine, people would make an effort to have balance in their lives. In classes, we emphasize the importance of balance, and we encourage our patients to reduce their stress levels and have fun. But how many of us can say that we are walking our talk? Not very many. I find it fascinating how many of my peers look down upon the lifestyle of workaholics but spend all of their free time studying.

I recently made the decision to drop the herbs portion of my program. I may choose to pick it back up next year, but I may not. I decided that I needed to make space in my life for me. Although I am certain that I could have done well in the program, it would have required an insane amount of studying on my part, and quite frankly, I don't want my life to be all about school. My schedule is still imperfect, and I don't always have as much time to see my friends as I would like, but I at least have time to breathe and not be stressed all the time. It was the best decision I've made since starting grad school.

Part of me wants to scream at my classmates (some of them, anyway) that it isn't worth it, that it's more important to live your life than to get perfect grades. If I were to die tomorrow (and who's to say I won't?), would I look back at my life and think, "Boy am I glad I studied so hard! That 4.0 was totally worth all the sacrifices I made," or would I say, "I am so grateful for the amazing relationships I forged with people and the experiences I had."? I think it's safe to say that I wouldn't be thrilled with myself if all I had to show for my life was a great GPA and a lot of knowledge.

Of course, this applies to people who are not in school as well. If you devote your life to work instead of to living, you may have a long list of accolades, or a great deal of money to show for it (if you're lucky), but if you fail to forge quality relationships with people, what is the point of it all?

(Warning: Here's where it gets a little personal) My sister was a workaholic. She devoted her life to medicine, and she rose to the top of her field pretty quickly. She lead a very lonely life with only a cat for company. She didn't make a lot of friends, and she didn't date, always putting things off for later. When she was in her mid 30s, she became extremely ill and was no longer able to work. The only people she was able to turn to for help were her family members, and some of them did so only with great reluctance. My relationship with her had always been good, but I wasn't in a position to help her. Only near the end of her life did she make any effort to establish new friendships, but because she was always in and out of the hospital, it was difficult to create anything meaningful. I can tell you now that she looked back at her life with regret, confessing to me that she wished she had made more time for people. In 2007, she died at the age of 40 with only a handful who mourned her passing.

Mahatma Ghandi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” I would also add: Love as if we were all to live forever. My goal is to live my life with as few regrets as possible.

::Edit::
One of my facebook friends posted a link to this website about the top 5 regrets people have when they die. It seemed like an excellent addendum to my post.

What Would You Like to See?

I haven't been posting much lately. Sadly, I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to create new recipes, and my creativity seems to be running dry.

Is there anything in particular that you, my dear readers, are interested in me posting about? Perhaps some suggestions will give me the inspiration that I need to begin blogging again. Hopefully, with spring well underway, I'll feel more inspired in general!

Rights for Mother Earth

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of politics. Politicians rarely work for the common good and instead focus on personal gain, and the whole lot of them make me want to admit defeat and start my own sovreign nation on a remote island somewhere tropical. Since that's never going to happen, I make due and do my part by voting and signing petitions and whatnot.

Today I read this article that made me want to hug a politician. Granted, it's not an American politician, but this gives me hope. According to the article, in Bolivia, they are working on passing a bill that will grant Mother Earth the same rights as humans. The belief system of the indigenous people includes a goddess who is similar to the Greek goddess, Gaia, whom we often refer to as Mother Earth. They are granting her the rights to live without being polluted, and the right not to have genetic modifications (meaning no GMOs!), among others.

I know there are going to be a lot of skeptics and naysayers, but I say it's about time the people in charge of our world take a stand for the planet. We only have the one, and it has selflessly given our species everything we could ever possibly need. Still we demand more while giving back nothing and in fact, causing harm. Of course Bolivia will face some challenges, which is always the case when you drastically alter the status quo, but I think they can pull it off. Hopefully they will be a role model for the rest of the world, and we can all work together to undo the harm our species has caused to the planet.

Smoked Salmon and Apple Macaroni Salad

One of the best things about living in Seattle is the availability of amazing seafood. There is a booth at my local
farmers market where they always hand out samples of the most amazing smoked salmon I've ever tasted. This weekend, I decided that I would treat myself to some even though it's more expensive than I can usually spend.

Although I could quite happily eat it without anything else, I decided to whip something together with what I had in the kitchen. Like many of my recipes, this is more of a guideline than a true recipe. I didn't measure anything, so you just have to go with what tastes good.

Smoked Salmon and Apple Macaroni Salad

Elbow macaroni (I used gluten free quinoa pasta, but any will do)
Broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
Smoked salmon cut into biteXsized pieces
Fuji (or any other variety of crisp apple that you like) apple sliced thinly and tossed in a small amount of lime juice to prevent browning
Olive oil (I recommend using a high quality one because it will greatly influence the flavor)
Balsamic vinegar (I used some that was infused with hot peppers and garlic)
Salt
Pepper
Dried basil

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. While boiling the pasta, you can steam the broccoli in the same pot if you have a steamer tray. Only steam the broccoli until it's bright green, then remove from heat to avoid over cooking. Drain pasta
In a large bowl, combine olive oil (you want enough to lightly coat everything, but not so much that your pasta is swimming in oil), salt, pepper, and basil to taste. You'll also want to add just a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Combine all other ingredients and toss until everything is lightly coated. Taste the pasta to make sure it's properly seasoned. Be aware that the smoked salmon will make everything a little saltier, so don't over-salt the pasta.
When it is seasoned the way you want it, refrigerate and eat chilled.

This recipe was so yummy that I ate every bite even though it was intended for 2 meals. The apple and salmon went together really well, plus the apples added a nice, crisp texture. I still have a lot of salmon left, so I will be making this again in the next couple of days.

Coconut and Cashew Bars

I'm on spring break after the most challenging quarter I've ever experienced (which is why I wasn't posting much). For a good portion of the quarter, I wasn't cooking much. I just had too much to do. Today I spent some time in the kitchen, and it was wonderful.

My roommate recently introduced me to Lara bars. They're quite tasty, made from only a few ingredients, and they're inexpensive, but none of their ingredients are organic. Because their ingredient list was so simple, I decided to make my own using organic food, and they turned out pretty well. All of the ingredients were raw, in addition to being organic, so this recipe works for anyone on a raw food diet.

Coconut and Cashew Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
At least 10 dried and pitted dates
2 Tbs almonds coarsely ground (large chunks are fine)
1 1/2 Tbs virgin coconut oil

Put all ingredients except the almonds in a food processor and grind until you have the desired consistency. You don't want to make cashew butter, but you do want things to be ground pretty finely.
Put the mixture on a piece of parchment or wax paper. It should hold together and be reminiscent of dough. If it's not holding together, add more dates and put through the food processor again.
Mix the almonds in by hand (these give the bars a nice crunch)
Shape into a rectangle or square approximately 1/2" high.
Cut into pieces the size and shape you want.
Eat and enjoy.

Optional:
Add a dash of cinnamon, hunks of dark chocolate, or any other dried fruit or nut your heart desires.

Acupuncture in the Military

This morning I woke up to a story on NPR about how the military is starting to use alternative therapies for pain management: The Weight Of War: New Efforts To Treat Pain. Acupuncture is extremely effective at treating pain and often works where other therapies have failed. I am absolutely thrilled that the military is hiring acupuncturists, and I hope to see this trend grow.

I was surprised to learn that soldiers' and veterans' health insurance doesn't cover acupuncture at this point in time unless they go to a military hospital where it is offered. Maybe it's just me, but I think our soldiers and their families should be given every opportunity to receive the best possible medical care. They put their lives and bodies on the line so that the rest of us don't have to. I won't be practicing until 2013, but when I do, I plan on offering reduced rates for anyone who has served in the US armed forces.

Cure for Diabetes?

Recent research is found a "potential cure" for Type I diabetes. The article here. They have found that glucagon suppression may enable diabetics to go without insulin.

This is a topic that is very close to my heart, and I think this news is absolutely thrilling. Insulin-dependent diabetes can become horrendously debilitating, even when the people who have it diligently regulate their blood sugar levels and carefully regulate their diets. It would be absolutely amazing if this works.

Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

I went to a small dinner yesterday. I knew that the main dish was going to be food that I couldn't eat because it was loaded with dairy. I knew I had to bring something that I could happily eat as my main dish but that other people could eat as a side dish. I didn't prepare the night before, so I couldn't make anything that required soaking beans. I was in clinic until 1PM, so it had do be something that I could prepare pretty quickly (no slow cooking for this dish).

I decided on stuffed acorn squash. It's available locally and is in season right now. My original plan was to make a filling with lentils and rice plus other things that would make it delicious. I went to the store to pick up the ingredients I didn't have. When I got home, I discovered that I didn't have as many lentils as I needed. Being short on time, I couldn't go back to the store, so I made up the difference with mung beans. Like lentils, mung beans don't require a pre-soak. Having never cooked with mung beans, I had no idea how it would turn out, so I crossed my fingers and went about my business.

My second hiccup was the rice. I threw the rice and water in the rice cooker and didn't think about it until the rice was done. When I opened the cooker, I realized that I made a huge mistake. I used the amount of water needed for white rice, but I was using brown rice. The rice was dry and stiff - not exactly what I was going for. I just composted the rice and made the dish without rice. It meant that I didn't have a complete protein, but I decided one meal without a complete protein wouldn't kill me.

Ultimately, despite my problems in the cooking process, I was very happy with the results. One of my friends said, "This is really healthy isn't it?" during dinner. Yes, it was really healthy. And delicious.

My apologies for the lack of hard figures for the recipe - I just threw things in and called it good.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Lentils

Ingredients:

*2 acorn squash (there is enough filling for 3, and if you add rice, I'm sure you could make 4) cut in half. There were giant acorn squash and smaller acorn squash at Whole Foods - I went with the smaller ones.
*Olive oil
*Salt and pepper

*1 cup lentils (or a combination of lentils and mung beans. I used about 2/3 c lentils and 1/3 c mung beans)
*1 smallish yellow onion (or half a large yellow onion) chopped into very little pieces - not much larger than a lentil
*5 medium carrots peeled and chopped into pieces about the same size as the onion
*2 cloves minced garlic (you can adjust this to your taste)
*1-2 leaves of kale de-ribbed and chopped into small pieces (mine were probably 1.5cm square)
*1 handful (maybe 3/4 cup?) blanched slivered almonds
*2 handful dried sweetened cranberries
*Juice from 1/4 of a medium sized lemon
*fresh rosemary to taste
*salt and pepper to taste

Optional: cooked rice - this would probably be extra amazing with wild rice
I didn't do this, but in the future, I'd probably add about 1-2 tsp olive oil to the lentil mixture

Preheat oven to 375
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits in the middle. You can save the seeds if you like for roasting
Put face up in a baking dish with ~1 inch water. Coat the top of the squash with olive oil (you could use butter if you prefer), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake until the flesh is tender when you poke it with a fork. The time will vary depending on how big your squash is. I cooked mine for an hour and 5 minutes. The flesh may be a little brown on the edges.

While the squash is cooking, you can prepare everything else. (I did all of the chopping while the squash was cooking)
Pick through and rinse your lentils and beans. Put in a pot of boiling water and cook until tender. I overcooked mine (they were cooking for 30 minutes) - they were still delicious, but they were a little mushy. Periodically skim off the brown foam that will bubble to the top. Drain and put in a big bowl to mix with the other ingredients

Saute the onions in a large pan with olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and saute until the onions are clear and the carrots are tender.
Add the almonds, saute for ~30 seconds.
Add the kale, cover and let everything steam until the kale is bright green and tender ~1.5 min
Add to the lentils
Add cranberries lemon juice, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix.
(If you have cooked rice, you would add it now. This is also where you would add any additional olive oil)

Scoop a heaping amount of the filling into the cavity of your squash, eat, and enjoy

Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are my absolute favorite way to prepare eggs. When done right, they are fluffy, creamy and melt on your tongue. Unfortunately, despite the fact that they are amazingly simple to prepare, they are rarely done correctly. It's common to get rubbery, over-cooked scrambled eggs that make you wonder why anyone would want to eat their eggs like that.

Scrambled eggs can be eaten plain, or you can get crazy with additions. It all depends on your taste. The trick to making them perfect is to cook them on low. Not medium-low, not almost-low. Low. The lowest setting your stove has is probably just right. I like to cook my additions before I add the eggs. Tonight, I sauteed up some garlic and onions (I could have easily added peppers, broccoli, ham, bacon, corn, or whatever else sounded good). When they were done cooking, I lowered the temperature, waited a minute for the coils to cool down, and then I added my egg mixture. With a spatula, I kept scraping the pan and mixing the eggs. You don't want to let your eggs brown. Because it's cooked at a low temperature, it may take a little time to cook. The more eggs you use, the longer it will take. They're done when there's no more liquid, but the eggs still look just a tiny bit wet.

You can get a little crazy with your egg mixture if you like. You should beat the eggs with a fork until blended. Then you add herbs, spices, and cheese. Tonight, I went with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (it provides the eggs with a cheesy flavor without adding any dairy). I'm also a big fan of adding herbs. You can use rosemary, dill, thyme, basil, or go crazy and throw in some curry powder. Whatever flavors you love can be added to your eggs. Some people add milk to their scrambled eggs. I don't. The eggs are perfect as they are.

I'm of the opinion that fresh eggs are the tastiest, and I only buy eggs that come from free range chickens. I get mine from Skagit River Ranch. I've been to the farm and seen that the chickens are allowed to go wherever they want and are well cared for. Conveniently, they have a booth at my farmers market, so I don't have to drive all the way out to Sedro Woolley. Although they are more expensive than the eggs you would find in your grocery store, they taste way better and make a wonderful treat.

Bean and Yam Slow Cooker Chili

This quarter at school is going to be challenging. Now when I say challenging, I mean that I'm already burned out, and it's only the 2nd week. When things get stressful, I have a tendency to get lots of takeout. Not only is that expensive and unhealthy, it's boring because now that I'm gluten free, my options are seriously limited. Plus, I'm less likely to be eating organic foods if I'm going out. I have decided that I need to become friends with my slow cooker, and I need to make food in large quantities for leftovers.

My first plan was to do chili. I perused the web for a recipe that was vegetarian, tasty looking, used dried beans instead of canned, and was prepared in a slow cooker instead of on the stove. Ultimately I found nothing. Undeterred, I decided to make up my own recipe and pray for the best. I don't like to toot my own horn, but damn, it was goooooood. Plus, I have lots of leftovers!

Here it is - I actually measured things out so that I could write up a real recipe this time!

Bean and Yam Slow Cooker Chili

1 cup dry black beans that have soaked over night
1/2 cup dry adzuki beans (it is not necessary to soak these before cooking)
vegetable oil
1 large red pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 yam, diced (if it's not organic, peel it first)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1.5 oz dark chocolate (I used Theo 70% because it's delicious, organic, and fair trade)
1.5 tsp salt (you may want to add more - I tend to make things not very salty)
2 tsp chili powder - I used Simply Organic. It contains cloves and coriander, which really contributed to the amazing flavor of this dish.
just under 1/4 tsp cayenne (add more if you like things spicy)
1/2 a cinnamon stick
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup beer - I used Bards gluten free beer. You could probably use any beer you want. Stout is supposed to be amazing in chili.
1 T rice vinegar
~2 inch square of kombu

Saute peppers, onions, garlic, and seasoning (except the cinnamon) in the vegetable oil until the onions are clear

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. If possible, check on the liquid level periodically so that it doesn't all evaporate. If needed, add a little more water.

Pull out the cinnamon stick. If there's still a big chunk of kombu, pull that out too. Mine seems to have melted into the chili, which is great because seaweed is really good for you!

Yields - several servings. I think I'll get 4-5 meals out of it if I don't share.


In order to make sure you're getting a complete protein, serve with your favorite cornbread.

Reflections on the New Year

One of my new year's resolutions is to post to this blog more often. Over the past couple of months, I really let things slide. But it's a new day, a new month, and a new year. Time to get on with my life.

My past year wasn't the most eventful year of my life. Mostly, I went to school. I went to LA a couple of times to visit my now ex. I spent an amazing week on a goat farm gaining a much deeper appreciation of the land, and of the food we are blessed to eat. I went to Chicago for Christmas to visit my brothers, my sister in law, and my adorable 5 year old nephew. Many of my friends had profound life experiences - both wonderful and tragic, and I got to be with them through good and bad.

There is something to be said for an uneventful year. Of course, I had my ups and downs, but overall, it was smooth sailing. I've been able to grow slowly, instead of being thrown into situations that force grand epiphanies and bring about huge change. I was able to allow the lessons of the previous years to sink in and become part of my daily life without much interruption. I am grateful for that opportunity.

In the year to come, I hope for good things. I'll be taking a major exam in the next few months that will allow me to be a primary student in the acupuncture clinic (meaning I'll be able to needle patients with supervision). I plan to go to Italy over the summer for an herb class. I'll be the maid of honor in my best, and oldest friend's wedding. Most importantly, I intend to spend as much time with loved ones as possible. One of the biggest lessons I learned this past year is that as important as school is, the things that make life worth living are people and the relationships you forge with them. Life is short, and the time we have with the people we care about is limited. Why waste it?

This year, I am going to do my best to live my life to the fullest. 2010 was a wonderful year that enabled me to reflect. I want to make 2011 a year to remember.