Its only late June but there are plenty of local choices for zucchini and summer squash, both of which are equally good in this light, flavorful salad. By August you will be happy to have a collection of recipes on hand for this plentiful crop. This salad from 101 Cookbooks can be given a starring role on a sultry summer evening or placed as a starter for a summer inspired soup or grain dish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 small garlic cloves, minced or shallots
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely sliced, soaked in ice water
1 pound zucchini, julienned
1 cup / 4 ounces toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup / 1 ounce toasted coconut flakes
3 dates, pitted and chopped
to serve: micro greens or chopped herbs

Full cooking instructions here.

Last month I began a series of posts regarding the connection between menstrual symptoms, birth control and infertility. The last post I shared was about a young lady in her teens that sought me out for help with long, painful periods followed by days of discharge. I shared how these symptoms were actually signs of a deeper imbalance and her body’s way to compensate for stressed bowels and kidneys. My protocol for her paired the elimination of dairy (due to its inflammatory nature) with Gemmotherapy to support her bowel and kidney elimination.

This young lady was fortunate to find an alternative that addressed the root of the problem rather than a conventional approach of symptom suppression. For most women, their conventional (allopathic) physicians or nurse practitioners will recommend the one tool they have—some form of hormonal birth control. The “regulation” that occurs with this method is actually just suppression of the symptoms that signal weakness in the kidneys and bowels. Whether the symptoms continue or not, the underlying condition rages onward and three things occur:

1. Inflammation increases in the reproductive organs impacting fertility later in life.
2. Undue pressure is put on the kidneys and bowels to clean the body resulting in aggravated symptoms such as frequent UTI’s, staph, constipation, loose frequent stools, acid reflux and bloating.
3. Built-up lymphatic waste that is not eliminated creates secondary symptoms such as acne, hair thinning, headaches, weight gain, sleep disturbances and anxiety, just to name a few.

As you can see, when one problem such as irregular menses is “solved” through symptom suppression, a multitude of additional symptoms actually occur. Even more worrisome: these additional symptoms are seldom seen as related to the original prescription and then are treated individually to no avail. This begins a ridiculous downward treatment spiral that has become the story for so many of today’s young women in the U.S.

Here’s another story for you. Helen was approaching 30 and tired of struggling with anxiety, sleep difficulties, exhaustion, acne and weight gain. She is a beautiful, bright professional, in a committed relationship, not yet ready for a child, who believes she should feel better than she does on a day-to-day basis.

Helen experienced horrific periods as a teen, waking in the night to excruciating pain, heavy flow to the point she felt uncomfortable leaving the house and menses that would go on 7-9 days each month. Like the majority of her peers, she found her way to the OB/GYN who treated her with the one tool available in conventional medicine—hormonal birth control—to suppress her symptoms. Like “magic” the symptoms became a thing of the past. Her flow shortened, the pain decreased by 50%, and she no longer dreaded that “time of the month.” Life moved on for Helen to art school where she began to notice her anxiety creeping up to the point she struggled with falling asleep each night and had panic attacks during the day. When she returned to her physician it was suggested she begin treatment with antidepressants.

Can you see where this is going? This is exactly the treatment spiral I referred to and I can speak to it on both a professional and personal level. Helen’s story is not so far off from my own journey. Unfortunately for me, it took a cancer diagnosis to get me on anther treatment track. Professionally I see this day in and day out.

Let me share with you the steps to rebalance Helen’s elimination. By the time I met Helen she had discontinued the anti-depressants on her own.

1. Dietary changes supported by Gemmotherapy protocol to optimize elimination from the bowels and kidneys.
2. After 30 days, discontinued use of birth control pills.
3. A daily homeopathic protocol to reduce cramping along with the next level Gemmotherapy protocol to engage the lymphatic system to clean the body.

What Helen experienced was a first menstrual cycle similar to what she had as a teen then a steady improvement each subsequent month. As we move through the four stages of healing her body we will see what organs may need continued support due to inherited genetic weakness.

Using my methodology is optimal for teens, but it is never too late. Unwinding this process for women in their late 20’s and early 30’s is something I do frequently in my office. While it is important to note that the rebalancing process is absolutely possible no matter how deep into the conventional cycle one is, it takes commitment to a clean diet and patience with your body as it begins to self regulate.

Next week I will wrap up this series on Gemmotherapy and fertility by sharing information on the steps I use to increase fertility for women desiring a child and how my approach compares to conventional treatment.

Disclaimer: This is not a plant-based recipe but it’s earned a spot on my blog for these 3 reasons.

1. It’s a incredibly healthy way to “cheat.”
2. It’s amazingly delicious.
3. It’s my mother-in-law’s recipe.

My husband grew up in the Schwäbisch region of Germany where fruit based meals are not unusual. In a land where eating local and seasonal was and still is how it’s done, it makes perfect sense that the bounty of fruit harvested directly in the back garden was turned into an occasional main course. There certainly wasn’t a more economical way to feed a family. Out of all the traditions and culture I needed to familiarize myself with over the years, this one didn’t take me long to embrace. Fruit dinners are at the top of my Schwäbisch meal list, right after Kartoffel Puree and Sauerkraut….yum!

It probably isn’t a complete coincidence that our summer journey to Europe aligns with cherry season. This year, however, due to the cooler weather, I wasn’t so sure we would be rewarded. Thankfully, the sun broke through the chilly grey skies of our first weeks to ripen the local crop the day before we were to return. Believe me, we didn’t waste any time filling a few buckets and prepping for a final meal of gorgeous cherry pancakes.

I’m sharing my mother-in-law’s recipe that I’ve adapted to be gluten and dairy free.  It’s simple and straight forward and the same basic ingredients can be used for a variety of fruits as they are in season. The work is in prepping the fruit, but once that is done the the rest is quite simple.

Here’s what you need to produce 4 meal-sized pancakes:

4 eggs separated
1/3 to 1/2 (90-125 ml) of a nut-based milk (I suggest almond milk)
1-2 tablespoon of sugar (I suggest coconut sugar)
1 c (250 g) of gluten free flour blend
Pinch of Salt

Beat egg whites and pinch of salt until stiff and dry and set aside. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar until thick. Whisk the flour into the yolks. Add milk gradually as the amount used will vary depending on egg size. Ultimately you want a thick batter that will mound when dropped from a spoon—not runny. Finally, gently fold beaten whites into the yolk based batter.

Heat on medium, similarly sized skillets, add a bit of coconut oil to each one.  When skillet is hot divide batter evenly, top with fruit covering the entire surface as in the photo.

Cook on medium heat 3-5 minutes. When the bottom of pancake is golden brown and the edges of the batter are well set, flip using a dinner plate to assist and cook another few minutes. Patience and a low to medium heat is important so the pancake will cook all the way through without burning.

Enjoy every last bite and then get back to your plant-based eating in the morning!

There has been some very exciting news in the science world this past month regarding the brain and lymphatic system. This is huge for health practitioners such as myself who practice a holistic methodology based on supporting the body’s natural ability to clean and heal itself. The new discovery of a tangible, proven connection between the body’s primary cleaning system and the brain takes these natural methodologies to the next level.

Over the past few years there has been a steady flow of discoveries regarding the relationship between the gut and the brain, understanding the impact of gut flora on how the brain functions, and how this all impacts chronic symptoms. Now we know there is actually direct communication between the brain, through the lymphatic system, to digestive organs and finally the body’s organs of elimination. These new findings put a completely new spin on preventing and healing many life altering chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Autism, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Dementia, and so much more.

Very cool science, but what does this mean for you? Well, it means your lymphatic system is much more important than you realized and it certainly needs more care and support than most people have provided up to this point. It also means that chronic symptoms experienced in the head are really connected to imbalances in the rest of your body.

It’s quite a challenge for many of my clients to understand what sinusitis has to do with their diet and gut or why migraines are related to weak kidneys. This new discovery proves it really is all connected! To use a simple analogy, this is why a closure of I35 in Austin could affect traffic flow in San Marcos and Dallas. When the cities are connected by the same highway there are going to be some corollary effects. While your body is a series of complex highways, the one pathway for cleaning out garbage is your lymphatic system, and if it is not functioning at any point along the way there are going to be symptoms from the deposits of waste fluids. Some basics regarding the lymphatic system’s cleaning process can be found on my blog article, Lymphatic System 101.

At about the same time I also wrote a post about the cisterns in your head that are like mini-septic tanks. Over your lifetime they fill up and keep your head in a state of acidosis. Chronic sinusitis, tinnitus or ear problems of any kind, premature graying of hair, thinning of hair, balding, headaches, migraines and tics are just some of the possible negative effects of this state. These are not symptoms to ignore—they are signs your cisterns are full and need cleaning!

In my experience I honestly don’t know anything that cleans and fortifies the lymphatic system to the same degree as a plant-based alkalizing diet and Gemmotherapy. In fact, there are more Gemmotherapy extracts for lymphatic cleansing than any other organ system. There are even Gemmotherapy extracts for cleaning the lymphatic system in specific parts of the body beginning with the head!

With this new knowledge, it’s easy to imagine what the impact over a lifetime of acidosis of the head may lead to. It seems just a matter of time until clear links will be made to degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. These findings are very likely to rally pharmaceutical companies to make new drugs, but you have another option. You can use this information along with what you already know about a whole food, plant-based diet that is affirmed by a growing number of mainstream physicians such as Mark Hyman, Thomas Campbell, Joel Furman , Neal Barnard. Start supporting your lymphatic system now knowing you are truly cleaning your body from head to toe—or better yet, from brain to bowel!

Next week I will return to where I left off before my travels to Europe on the topic of infertility. I will share the story of a young woman’s experience of coming off a hormonal birth control method she used since her teens in order to suppress her extreme menstrual symptoms. You will see how—together with dietary changes, Homeopathy and Gemmotherapy—we rebalanced her elimination systems and healed those painful weeks she lived with each month.

You know, even humble carrots really CAN be the star of the show and this recipe is proof. Believe me, you will never think of carrots as ordinary again. I would serve these with your favorite kale salad to start and alongside a purple potato mash. Now that would be one colorful plate!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil or coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes cut into thin wedges (or canned equivalent if tomatoes are out of season)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green serrano chiles, seeded and shredded
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and black pepper
10 carrots (about 1 1/4 lb.) cut into batons, or thin rounds
1/2 cup dried currants, or other dried fruit
1 tablespoon dried barberries (optional)
1/4 teaspoon saffron stamens
1 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
1 tablespoon shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Full Instructions Here

This week I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with my dear friend and homeopathy mentor Dr. Heiner Frei. Many of you may know I first met Dr. Frei just over three years ago when he presented at a conference in Bad Kissingen, Germany. I love telling the story because, as we each have defining moments in our lives, this was truly one of mine.

I had actually decided to make the trip to Germany to attend the conference in order to hear another prominent European homeopath. After two days of taking in all of the various presentations, my brain was full and I was ready to jump on that train I had scheduled back to my in-laws that departed before the last presentation of the conference. I lingered a bit longer than I had planned in the conference hall, bidding farewell to some new acquaintances, when that last presenter, Dr. Frei, began his talk. Listening to the first 5 minutes was more than enough for me to realize that what he had to offer was exactly what I had made the long journey to learn next. So, the train left without me and instead I was exposed to a remarkable remedy selection methodology—Polarity Analysis (PA)—that truly transformed my practice.

What Dr. Frei gave me in my practice was a research-based, repeatable methodology that had not ever before been available in the field of homeopathy. His methodology was born out of his own background as an MD and frustrations studying the early masters, but still experiencing questionable success in his cases. Rather than giving up, he dug deeper and was intrigued by the work of Clemens Maria Franz Freiherr von Bönninghausen. Bonninghausen made huge contributions to the field of homeopathy during his lifetime, but what supports Dr. Frei’s work is the grading of symptoms and the theory of contraindications. You can read more about Dr. Frei’s methodology here on his website.

It turns out that I was not the only one impressed with the work Dr. Frei presented at the conference. In the past two years his methodology has gained recognition across Europe. This last academic year PA became the authorized curriculum to be taught to all German physicians studying homeopathy. This year he was invited to present both in India at Rajan Sankaran’s school, The Other Song, and at the National Center for Homeopathy Conference in Philadelphia in May. His two English language training books, Homeopathy and ADHD and Polarity Analysis will help spread the method even further.

We met this past week to discuss further methods to enlarge the reach of PA among homeopaths in America. I am very proud to share that one of the first steps will be to create a Polarity Analysis module within my Living Well™ training program for practitioners. I will be taking the research directly from Dr. Frei’s work and integrating it into a module planned for release in late August. I so look forward to this opportunity to share such a valuable tool with health practitioners with a background in homeopathy.

As my time in Europe comes to a close for this summer I savor these last few days of slow starts each morning, daily walks in the surrounding forests, sharing meal preparation with my mother-in-law, our evening family bocce ball match on the back lawn and cool breezy nights with windows wide open. I am grateful for such a successful and rejuvenating journey. I do, however, look forward to soon diving back in to my practice as well as Austin’s treasure, Barton Springs, each evening!

Be sure to check back in next week when I share the latest findings on the lymphatic connection to the brain and how that relates to the work I do with my clients to clean their lymphatic system. Could the importance of lymphatic cleansing soon go mainstream?

Honestly, dinner can’t get much easier than this recipe from Simply Recipies and once you have the basics down you can switch out the veggies based on what you have on hand. I chose this because I happen to love to feature the baby squash that are readily available now. I would start out this meal with a raw gazpacho soup or a jicama and avocado salad.

Here’s what you will need to assemble this dinner in a snap—my personal substitutions/additions are in italics.

Ingredients:

Olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup of roughly chopped zucchini or summer squash (1-2 zucchini or squash, depending on the size)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 large fresh mild green chile (Anaheim or Hatch), seeds and stem discarded, chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeds and stem discarded, minced (or more, if you desire more heat)
Salt
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of ground oregano
1 small to medium tomato, chopped
4 organic corn tortillas or Almond Flour Tortillas
Daiya Brand Cheese or better yet, sliced avocado
A few sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped

I also enjoy this combination with thin slices of portbello mushroom, sweet red pepper and fresh spinach. Cooking instructions provided here.

Having spent nearly a week in Romania sharing time in nature, over meals or in the car with my Gemmotherapy mentor Dr. Sorina Soescu, I came away with further clarity about the human body and healing. One of the primary topics of discussion was food. Both Dr. Soescu and I walk similar paths when it comes to feeding our families and advising our clients. It was actually my stay in her Constanta home two years ago that spurred the plant-based dietary changes we made as a family. This was my introduction to the cleaning power of a diet rich in raw, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Over these past two years I have shared my thoughts and experiences with clients in my practice. Many have made significant shifts in their diet and have—along with the support of Gemmotherapy and Homeopathic protocols—healed their chronic symptoms. Others still struggle. As a practitioner I am always searching for ways to clarify and simplify my message in order to reach those who feel overwhelmed by all of the dietary information that circulates or to whom change feels too burdensome. My hope is that I can spread the idea of eating with purpose.

What is Eating with Purpose?
Modern culture places a high value on food as lots of things other than nourishment. Eating is often the focus of our community time, entertainment, exploration, or even for just passing time. While there is a place for food in any of these endeavors, we’ve lost sight of the most basic and important aspect of why we eat—to stay vital and healthy. When we Eat with Purpose we can remember food is to nourish the body and the most tried and true path is filled with whole, plant-based, unprocessed foods.

Now, fresh from hours of personal discussions and friendly debates over meals and walks in the forest with Dr. Soescu, here are the three basic concepts we agreed sum up what a healthy body looks like and how to get there. Spoiler alert: Your diet plays a key role.

1. Every body needs a diet that supports its natural ability to CLEAN and HEAL. If your body can’t rid itself of wastes, it cannot heal. It’s as simple as that. The best way to help your body clean more effectively is to eat whole, natural foods that do not produce inflammation. A cleaner diet will help open and optimize elimination and that will subsequently heal any secondary symptoms.
2. Every body needs to have at least 2 well-formed bowel movements daily. If, on your current diet, you have slow/poor elimination, frequent loose or unformed stools, urinary urgency and/or night waking to urinate, these are signs from your body indicating that elimination organs are distressed. Dietary change is the quickest way to unburden these organs.
3. Every body can and should be free of any and all of the following secondary symptoms: acne, asthma, candida, eczema, headaches, migraines, rosacea, sinusitis, sleep disturbances, localized inflammation, bloating, menstrual irregularities including cramping, heavy flow, spotting, no menses, or hemorrhaging. These are all clear signs your elimination organs are distressed and your diet needs to change.

How can food optimize elimination?

• Alkalizing foods stimulate the lymphatic system.
• Raw food in the diet improves digestive efficiency and normal bowel function.
• Eat high alkaline plant based whole foods—aim for 80% of your daily diet.
• Increase consumption of raw whole foods—aim for 50% of your daily diet.

What is a whole food?
Food that is in the most natural state possible, just as it is delivered to us from nature. 

How do I start?
First: Begin your day by consuming a meal of raw fruits, on an empty stomach, as fresh pressed juice, smoothie or in their whole form. Don’t move on until your are prepared to take on further change. Staying with a fruit only breakfast is a huge step forward for many and is a fabulous healthy start to each day.

Next: Once you have become accustomed to an all-fruit breakfast change your lunch and dinner plate to meet the 80/50 guidelines of 80% plant based and 50% raw raw diet. Do this by adding a raw fruit or vegetable salad at the start of each meal, increasing the plant based dishes and decrease grains and protein servings.

Over time: Introduce bit by bit more dishes that use food in its natural state—direct from the tree or plant and reduce your intake of foods that must be cooked or processed such as grains, meats and starchy vegetables. Look for suggestions from Lauren’s Kitchen each Monday.

Important to note: Introducing a high alkaline diet too quickly can cause a variety of side effects in individuals whose elimination process has been compromised for years and years and are in a state of acidosis. Symptoms such as exhaustion, loose bowels, headaches, or irritability are clear signs to move at a slow and guided pace with the close support of your health practitioner. In my practice I highly recommend the use a complimentary Gemmotherapy protocol to support the body as it eliminates years of toxicity.

Can you heal yourself with food alone?
This is completely dependent on the current state of your elimination and the length of time it has been compromised. It has been my experience that food alone will not heal symptoms completely unless the elimination organs are functioning at an optimal level.

In my practice I use Gemmotherapy protocols to complement and support a plant based diet in opening elimination and cleaning the body because of their superior ability to both clean and heal organ tissue (unlike any other natural medicine). I use homeopathy once the elimination systems are functioning to support the ability of the vital force to completely heal the body.

It was a remarkable week in Romania and I treasure the opportunity to discuss and debate the natural process of healing on your behalf! I hope that these new insights bring further clarity to those in need. Next week I look forward to sharing some of the latest news regarding Polarity Analysis homeopathy as I will have had some scheduled time with my homeopathic mentor Dr. Heiner Frei.

Some afternoons I just need an extra boost of energy to make it through the last tasks before calling it a day. That boost, believe it or not, doesn’t have to come from Starbucks!

Here’s one of my favorite treats that tastes amazing and doesn’t have a thing in it to feel guilty about. First, however, may I pass along a tip I learned early on when changing my diet: Go ahead and give in to the chocolate and sweet cravings, but…. with good choices. And to keep those cravings to a minimum, don’t allow yourself or your family members to get famished.

So now for that treat. MindBodyGreen recently featured this yummy Cacao and Almond smoothie that is very close to what I make at home, so I have included my personalized tweaks in italics. I do hope you take the time to make it soon.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of cacao powder
2 tablespoons of cacao coconut yoghurt –I use cacao nibs
1 banana peeled, cut in pieces and frozen —If pressed for time I use a banana and a few ice cubes
1 date — I prefer medjool and usually add 2 J
a small handful of almonds—or 2 tabl of almond butter
1 cup of almond milk—I prefer Califia Farms and coconut milk is also a good option
½ a teaspoon of maca powder
½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ a teaspoon of cinnamon —or cayenne

For full instructions.