Yes, it is anther cucumber recipe but seriously they are the fruit of the season and are so cooling for the body which is welcome this month. This is a salad that will bring all of your favorite tastes together in each bite; spicy, sweet, crunchy, and salty. While the ingredients for this salad can be prepped ahead you won’t want to mix them until serving time as the peanuts tend to lose their crunch. I have my daughter Kate to thank for this recipe and Heidi Swanson who featured it on her ever inspiring blog 101 Cookbooks. It’s now a summer staple.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

3 medium cucumbers, partially peeled
1-2 green serrano chiles, stemmed and minced (I suggest going easy here and start with ½ a chile)
1/2 c / 2.5oz / 70g peanuts, toasted (purchase raw organic from the bulk section)
1/3 c / 1.5oz / 45g dried large-flake coconut, toasted (I toast in a pan to keep close watch but the oven works equally well just keep an eye on it as it burns quickly)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t natural cane sugar (I substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup)
1 T, ghee, clarified butter, or sunflower oil (or coconut oil)
1/2 t black mustard seeds
1/4 t cumin seeds
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
a handful cilantro, chopped

Full instructions can be found here.

In my practice and research I have come to identify four stage of healing that the body moves through when using natural remedies to heal the root of the problem. I refer to this process as The Living Well 4™. The three therapies I use work together to engage the body’s natural ability to clean, eliminate and heal. The synchronized effect of eating a plant-based diet, taking Gemmotherapy extracts and a homeopathic remedy is exactly what I have found to provide the most powerful and effective cure.

I’ve thought a lot lately about how different the experience can be for individuals when healing in this manner and with very different end results than they are used to. I think it’s worthwhile explaining that before moving on to what happens in stage three.

In a conventional or allopathic approach, a medication is used in order to stop a symptom with results usually occuring within hours or days. While some medications can stop life threatening symptoms, they don’t heal the cause. Though your experience of the problem has changed, all medications generally do is suppress symptoms and shift the burden on to other organs and organ systems. This is really important to understand—changing your experience doesn’t equal healing. In the short term, relief may be found, but in the long term the natural process of the body is interrupted and over time that causes an entirely new set of symptoms. This is why many individuals who start down the path to address their symptoms end up on multiple prescriptions.

When following protocols for The Living Well 4™, the secondary symptoms (sinusitis, skin conditions, headaches, sleep disturbances, etc.) that drove you to seek help will not be the first to heal. What gets fixed first is your body’s ability to eliminate. That comes as a surprise to most people, however, it is fundamental when we plan to use the body’s natural cleaning and healing functions. This approach may seem to bring around symptom relief more slowly, but when seen through the lens of harmonizing the body, the results are long-lasting.

We move to stage three of the process when secondary symptoms produced by poor elimination have been healed or greatly reduced during stage two. At this point the Gemmotherapy extracts shift to a more organ specific protocol. In stage three we often see organs take a new lease on life once they have been relieved of the burden of compensating for a body that hasn’t been properly cleaning. I’ll give you an example of this with a case of asthma in a young boy named Thomas.

Thomas’ mom brought him to me because she was searching for a natural answer to the night time emergency inhaler he had been prescribed 18 months ago. Thomas, now 6, had always had sinus discharge, some times worse than others, but what was most disturbing to his parents was the spasmodic coughing he would have at bedtime. This was particularly worse when there were sudden changes in temperature which happened often in the fall and spring.

Thomas’ mother confirmed my suspicion that he often skipped days between bowel movements and then he was frequently constipated. Here’s what I suggested for Thomas and why:

In stage one I prescribed European Blueberry Gemmotherapy extract and an all fruit breakfast to begin opening his bowels and supporting his kidneys. Before cleaning his lungs and healing their response Thomas needed optimized elimination. At the two week point Thomas’ mom reported he was having a bowel movement every morning with much more ease and by three weeks was having two daily. At that time I also gave Thomas Lithy to use in the place of his inhaler for the nighttime cough. This dose could be repeated every 15 minutes. While they found some success with the Lithy, on one occasion Thomas’ mother resorted to the inhaler to calm his cough. With his elimination now working well it was time to move on.

In stage two I added European Alder to begin lymphatic cleaning, Black Currant to decrease inflammation and support his adrenal glands through this cleaning process, and continued with the Blueberry that supported bowel and kidney function. Each evening he would take a dose of Lithy after dinner and then use it as needed if the cough began. To decrease the continuing sinusitis I suggested the elimination of all dairy consumption and prescribed a constitutional homeopathic remedy. After one month the cough was no longer occurring and they had not used the inhaler for six weeks. With acute episodes of the cough no longer occurring we could begin optimizing organ function in the next stage.

In stage three Thomas continued eating his all fruit breakfast, took a monthly dose of homeopathic remedy and a Gemmotherapy protocol that would clean his lungs while supporting adrenals and liver function. This next Gemmotherapy protocol included a morning dose of Black Currant and an evening dose of Hazel to optimize organ function and keep his symptoms from reoccurring.

Stage three Gemmotherapy extracts are all organ-specific and clean and fortify more deeply than any of the Gemmotherapy extracts used in stage one and stage two. The work in stage three is like a final ascent when hiking. It is the last necessary push to get to a destination. The end goal in applying these three therapies over the four stages is to reach the point of harmonizing the body. This is not an end per se, but gets us to a point of discovering what support is still needed due to genetic weakness, the removal of an organ, or deep damage from chemotherapy or radiation. Be sure to check back next week when I wrap up this series by discussing how to harmonize the body in stage four.

Are you kidding me? More zucchini? Heck yes and there’s plenty more to follow this time of year, so having a stash of recipes will give you some options. Sometimes just plain and simple is the way I prefer—especially when the temps are scorching and no one wants to be in the kitchen one minute longer than required.  So how about this Deborah Madison spinoff with just the right combination of nuts and herbs? This one will surely be a keeper.

Here’s what’s needed:

1 pound zucchini (all varieties of summer squash are equally good or try a combo), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil, divided
3 small cloves garlic or shallots
10 mint leaves
5 basil leaves
1 heaping tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Additional mint and basil, torn, to garnish

Complete cooking directions available here.

Last week I shared Stage One of the Living Well 4 and described the basic protocol used to open elimination. The importance of opening elimination first became imminently clear in a two year international collaboration with European physicians using Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy as their primary therapies and a study of over 100 of my own cases. I believe that the skipping of this step is exactly what keeps most modern natural approaches from having higher success rates. When elimination is not optimized before treatment begins, then all good therapies can do is rearrange or relocate the inflammation that is causing the symptoms or condition. While this rearrangement may temporarily relieve symptoms, they eventually return or other areas flare. It can also manifest as a cycle of improvement followed by a setback during treatment. This point is very important because this is exactly the reason individuals who could benefit greatly from a natural approach walk away frustrated. That is why I believe Gemmotherapy has so much to offer practitioners and their clients in a variety of therapies from acupuncture to chiropractic work.

On to Cleaning and Fortifying Organs, Stage Two. Once the goals of opening elimination have been met we can begin using different Gemmotherapy extracts to clean the body, generally from the head down. Now that even science acknowledges the head to toe connection of all organs through the lymphatic system it has given my method of activating and engaging the lymphatic system even greater validation. Just as skipping the first step of opening elimination derails natural healing, so too will skipping the cleaning of the stagnant lymph from the head. Here is a great example of this.

Jenni had an erratic menstrual cycle since her early teens. As she approached college the length between her periods became even longer, often having a menses every two to three months at best. I began working with Jenni as the Living Well 4 was in its early stages of development so I knew enough to start her out with a Gemmotherapy protocol to open elimination. Jenni also took on the task of cleaning up her diet and quickly adopted a plant based, dairy free plan for herself. After two months of taking Gemmotherapy and making dietary changes her bowels and kidneys were cleaning optimally, but there had been only a slight shift to her menstrual cycle.

So Jenni’s first protocol in Stage Two included Gemmotherapy extracts that would support lymphatic drainage of the head. The protocol included European Blueberry, Dog Rose and Black Currant. In the evening I supported her liver with Hedge Maple, but Hazel would also be a good choice.

The reason I addressed the head first in Jenni’s case is because this is home to the pituitary gland, responsible for so many functions that impact fertility and the menstrual cycle. If there had been, as I suspected, considerable lymphatic stagnation in the head over time, cleaning that area could stimulate healthy function of the pituitary.

Since Jenni had already made significant changes to her diet in Stage One there were no further steps for her to take except to continue her good work. Because Stage Two also includes the work of homeopathy, I looked for a remedy to support her remaining symptoms with the Polarity Analysis process. While I isolated a very good constitutional remedy I decided to wait a month and first use daily doses of Pituitary Nosode until her cycle came closer to 28-30 days. That turned out to be a good call. Within two weeks of the new protocol Jenni began her menses. Since that time she continued with a 28-30 day cycle and after two cycles I stopped the nosode and began the constitutional remedy. Had I begun cleaning and fortifying Jenni’s reproductive organs first instead of her head, the home of the pituitary gland, I would have missed the root of the problem and we would have lost months of work without making real progress. Jenni’s case is just one example of many that have proven to me this is an effective and efficient process for healing. The recent science that links  lymphatic stagnation in the head to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, etc. has presented a real case for activating that cleaning system as a prevention as well as utilizing it for a cure.

Protocols for Stage Two: Cleaning and Fortifying organs include these therapies:

1. Lymphatic system and organ specific Gemmotherapy extracts
2. An all fruit breakfast and the elimination of all dairy products
3. Homeopathic remedy selected by Polarity Analysis (with the occasional use of a nosode remedy first)

The older a client and the more chronic symptoms the longer this process will take.  Symptoms will dissipate during the course of treatment and eventually will be eliminated in order of newest symptoms disappearing first and others following back to the most long standing issues.

When the majority of chronic symptoms have been eliminated, it will be time to move on to Stage Three to Optimizing Organ Function. As each organ begins to actually perform its job well then the organ systems must re-establish communication and compensations the body had made it the past are no longer necessary. This can be quite a shift for the body—especially for some adults—but is an easy transition for children because the compensations are not so deeply established. Be sure to check in next Friday when I will share the Stage Three protocols in detail.

It is okra season in Texas, and I am craving this flavorful stew.

My son-in-law Joe shared this treasured recipe years ago while dating my daughter.  While there are countless other reasons to love him, this recipe certainly added to his appeal.  If like me, you have spent your life avoiding okra I think you will discover this Egyptian classic surpasses all expectations and becomes a summer favorite.

Please consider doubling this recipe allowing for some leftovers.

Ingredients

2 lbs of freshly harvested okra, tops carefully trimmed, removing the woody stem yet keeping the pod intact

Two shallots, finely minced

One clove of finely minced garlic (optional)

One tea ground coriander

One tea ground cumin

1/4 tea cayenne pepper ( or more if preferred)

4 TBL of tomato paste

6 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

Juice from 1 large lemon

Salt

Instructions

In a large, heavy skillet, dry roast okra, turning to add a darkened color to all sides. Set okra aside on a plate.

Add olive oil to the same skillet and saute shallots and garlic if used.

Add coriander and ground cumin, and tomato paste, stirring to thicken and caramelize.

Pour in tomatoes, cilantro, and lemon juice, combining well, then gently add okra.

Salt to taste.

This mixture is now ready to stew in the skillet with a lid on the stovetop, on low heat, or in a preheated (375 degrees oven).

Allow 30- 45 mins for cooking until okra is tender.

Adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve over rice.

Regardless of your list of symptoms, the road map to natural healing will always begins with optimizing elimination. Optimizing Elimination is Stage One in the path to restoring immunity that I teach my clients and practitioners.

Why is this true?

When your physical body’s ability to clean is compromised, your natural ability to heal (immunity) is also compromised. This is particularly clear in babies and children but equally true for adults.

We know a lot about the body and its workings, but the function of elimination is often overlooked as a likely root-cause of symptoms. Learning more about how your body cleans will bring your awareness to what might not be working for you.Noticing and taking action before chronic symptoms develop, is essential for your health now and in years to come.

Before we discuss what might compromise the body’s ability to clean, let’s look at some of the key players. While there is a complex system of excretory organs for this purpose, we are going to simply look at the organs and systems directly involved in producing and eliminating urine and stool.

How does a body clean?

First, let’s consider how the body cleans from the food we digest.

As food passes through the mouth it enters the pharynx. Important to note is that the pharynx plays a vital role for both the digestive system and the respiratory system. It is a passageway for both air and food. Because of the physical connection present between the two systems, inflammation or mucus produced in one can easily pass to the other through the pharynx.

The esophagus is a long muscular tube that pushes food into the stomach. Important to note here is the ring shaped muscle at the opening of the stomach. This ring is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When digestion/elimination process is compromised in any way, this muscle may not have the ability to hold back digestive acids and and reflux occurs.

Using acids and enzymes to break down food, the stomach acts as a mixer and grinder turning the consistency to liquid or paste.Taking acid blockers to suppress reflux changes this perfect balance and adversely affects the absorption of nutrients that will occur in the digestion process next.

Workings of the Small Intestine

Further on, the small intestine is responsible for breaking down the paste/liquid from the stomach using enzymes produced by the pancreas and bile from the liver (stored in the gallbladder). This is where the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream, and the remaining waste moves on. The small intestine also relies on a healthy population of bacterial microbes to prevent pathogens in food from taking hold and supports the immune response. An imbalance of the bacterial microbes will result in a lowered immune response and greater susceptibility to foodborne illnesses.

Finally, the undigested waste is moved to the large intestines (bowel or colon) which is the storage organ for the undigested waste products. Parts of the large intestine take on the responsibility of absorption of leftover vitamins, water, and salt. When the large intestine is full, stool should pass through into the rectum to be emptied. When this doesn’t happen on a regular basis, the entire interrelated system can be adversely affected leading to a variety of disruptions.

Metabolic waste

Digesting food is only part of the body’s cleaning process. There are also waste by-products from tissue cleansing and regeneration that are continually produced, managed by the lymphatic and circulatory systems. These fluids are referred to as metabolic waste. The lymphatic and circulatory systems perform interrelated tasks delivering the waste to the liver where it is filtered and then transported to the kidneys through the circulatory system.

Serving a multi-functional role is the liver, responsible for breaking down toxic substances, chemicals, pharmaceutical medications, and byproducts of the body’s own metabolic process, such as ammonia, into urea. This urea moves on to the kidneys, eventually becoming urine.

Then there is the urinary system, filtering and removing the liquid waste. The urinary system and large intestine, also called the bowel, have their own interactive communication system, signaling one to take over in the work of reducing acidic waste when the other is at its limit.

The ureter, bladder, and urethra team together to move the waste fluid from the kidneys, store it, and discharge it as urine.

Adrenal glands

Playing an accessory but critical role in keeping the body clean are the adrenal glands. The adrenals sit on top of the kidneys and are made up of two parts, the medulla and the cortex, each with its own function. The medulla secretes the hormone adrenaline, which helps the body adjust during high stress situations by increasing heart rate and speeding up blood flow. The cortex produces cortisol, which reduces inflammation within the body. The role of the cortex is of particular interest here as the resolving of inflammation is critical in the cleaning process.

As you can see, keeping the body clean along with the production of urine and stool requires an entire system. Every organ is critical and if one is not performing optimally, the others will be directly affected and must compensate. When this happens, the perfect system loses its effectiveness and its ability to remove waste products is greatly reduced.

Symptoms to note

An important sign that your elimination is not optimized are symptoms of the body cleaning through alternate exits. These exits are utilized when, over time, the buildup of waste product creates an inflammatory state and the body needs to look for other ways to clean. The most common of these tend to be eyes, nose, ears, lungs, and skin and, in women of menstruating age, the uterus/vagina.

Here are some common symptoms that indicate your body is cleaning through emergency exits:

•Eye(s): discharge

•Ear(s): discharge, drainage, blockage, itchiness,

•Sinus(es): congestion, drainage

•Bronchial/Lungs: cough, croup, bronchial spasms, obstructed breathing

•Skin: acne, eczema, canker sores, cold sores, fever blisters, mouth or gum sores, rashes

•Genital: yeast overgrowth, warts

•Vagina: discharge, yeast, heavy menstrual flow or cramping (if a menstruating female)

•Anus: discharge, mucus, burning, itching, rash

So given this cleaning process, what is optimal bowel elimination?

•Bowels: 2-3 formed movements spread throughout the day;

•Urination: no night time urination and daytime frequency every 2-3 hours;

•Uterus: (for women who are fertile) 27-29 day cycle, bleeding 4-5 days that does not start and stop, pain free or minor discomfort only, no mid cycle spotting.

How do I improve mine?

So what therapies do I use during Stage One to open elimination?
1.I ask clients to begin to increase the raw plant-based items in their diets, starting with an all-fruit cleansing meal for breakfast to jump start lymphatic activity and elimination.

2.I also suggest a Gemmotherapy protocol that is individualized according to one’s current elimination, level of vitality, and state of inflammation.

Most of August, I just can’t imagine turning on anything that might raise the temperatures one more degree in the house. When you are experiencing one of those days you will thank me for sharing this delectable Cucumber Avocado Soup. This can be whipped up in your Vitamix, traditional blender or with an immersion blender each giving good results. Just take a look at that ingredient list—don’t you feel refreshed already?

Soup Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into rough slices
1 large Haas avocado, halved, pitted, and flesh scooped out
2 scallions, green and white parts included, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Mango Salsa Ingredients
1 cup Ataulfo mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup tomato, 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup shucked corn kernels (raw)
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Complete instructions available here.