Falling in love again....with my kitchen: Learning the value of "Nourishing Traditions"

Recently, many people have asked me what I'm doing differently, and telling me how well I look.  I am flattered, and amused.  I usually wind up telling them that I've been making better choices about my food.  This is an understatement.  Most of my life I have had a strong craving for carbs, especially chocolate, pasta, and breads.  As is often true, the things we most crave are the very things we should avoid.  I'll skip the psychology...

I have suffered with headaches, inflammation, and chronic pain for many years.  In August I went to Oriental Health Solutions in Durham, and met with a new doctor, an acupuncturist, whom my husband I affectionaly refer to as Dr. Ken.  During my visit, Dr. Ken talked as much about my need for nutrition as he did about my pain.  It was refreshing to focus on something other than which body part hurt.  No x-rays, blood tests, or visits to physical therapy were ordered.  Instead, we talked about rich, delicious broths loaded with fresh, organic vegetables, and topped with butter or cream. We talked about how to find local farmers markets, and about supplementing market veggies with produce from quality food stores in our area.  We talked about real food.  My acupuncture session was painless, and my weary body began to feel a bit better.  Armed with Dr. Ken's Bone Broth/Gelatin recipe, and a book entitled Nourishing Traditions, this amazing new leg of my journey began.

By the time I left his office, I couldn't wait to make my first pot of bone broth.  I stopped on the way home and bought a huge stainless steel soup pot and a whole chicken.  Since that day I've been energized and transformed by the gift of good nutrition.  I love going to the market to buy fresh vegetables, eggs, and pasture raised chicken and beef....the most tender, delicious meats we've ever eaten.  I cook and make bone broth weekly, and add it to most meals I prepare.   Local, organic, and pasture-raised foods are available in most areas.  While these foods are not inexpensive, I have found that we eat out less, throw almost nothing away, and prepare almost all of our food at home.  We have actually realized a savings in our food costs.

Both my husband and I have lost weight since changing our eating habits.  I've also greatly reduced bloating, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, joint, muscle, and body pain.  But the list continues to grow.  Each day or two I realize that I'm able to do something I couldn't, or that something unpleasant has vanished.  This gift, I wish I could give to everyone.

So, this is not just a food journey.  It has changed my life.  I'm guessing that some of you will appreciate this growing list of gifts I continue to realize.
Clear thinking
Clear conversation
Improved attention
Improved memory
A good night's sleep
Love of cooking
Energy for projects that I enjoy
Energy for projects that I don't really enjoy
Being able to finish a project
Delightful anticipation of going to the market each Saturday morning
Desire and ability to travel comfortably
Satisfaction of my food-preparation instincts
Being able to tell people who love me that I've had a good day, and that I'm putting together more and more good days

I have also confirmed some suspicions about foods that my body does not process well.  These I still avoid.  Some common allergens are dairy and corn.  If you have phleme in your throat after eating/drinking dairy, you might try eliminating it from your diet for a few days.  You may notice a difference, particularly with bloating or with your sinuses.  If you try re-introducing it to your diet, you may also notice that your old symptoms return.   We are virtually surrounded with corn products, so avoiding corn has proven to be a particular challenge for me.  For starters, pay attention to corn syrup, corn starch, corn chips, etc.  You may find that avoiding these products improves the way you feel.   Eating fresh whole foods has allowed me to pinpoint products that I don't tolerate.   The symptoms we feel from allergens are an extension of internal reactions that we're not aware of...the ones we can't even feel, but are very much present.


Tips for Getting Started:
This may all seem a bit overwhelming.  Start simply...you will learn, and add what works for you.

 1. Find a source for local, organic veggies...free of toxic chemicals, and full of nutrition.  Vegetables that travel thousands of miles before they make it to the grocery store have already lost most of their nutritional value. 

2. Choose two or three vegetables, and cook them as simply as possible. 

• Cabbage, collards, and kale are chopped and boiled for 5-10 minutes, then drained...add butter. 
• Tomatoes are delicious sliced and baked, with olive oil, raw cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh chopped basil.  
• Slice parsnips and carrots into coins, and toss in olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  Bake for around an hour, turning occasionally, until they're a bit crisp.  Delcious on salads, sprinkled over warm meats or veggies....I eat them like chips. 

3. Make a pot of bone broth. It's the foundation of my cooking. Bake a chicken, then follow Dr. Ken's bone broth instructions, at the bottom of this post.

4. My personal preference is to buy chicken and beef that is pasture-raised. 

5. I like to make my broth on the weekend, and cook several containers of vegetables.  When I get home from work it is so easy to take the containers out of the refrigrator and put whatever combination I'm in the mood for in a stainless pan, warm it up, add some cream, butter, extra broth, seasonings, and warm it for a delicious supper.  My husband absolutely loves it!

6. I found that the selection of healthy foods for lunch was limited at most restaurants, so I went to Target and bought a stainless Thermos for each of us.  In the mornings, I warm leftovers or throw a new combination into the pan, and fill our Thermos's.  It's a great and easy way to have a hot lunch every day at work.

7. I love using the book, Nourishing Traditions, with its 650 pages of recipes and vital information about the foods we currently eat, and about the foods our ancestors ate.

From Nourishing Traditions:  "The premise of this book is that modern food choices and preparation techniques constitute a radical change from the way man has nourished himself for thousands of years and, from the perspective of history, represent a fad that not only has severely compromised his health and vitality but may well destroy him; and that the culinary traditions of our ancestors, and the food choices and preparation techniques of healthy nonindustrialized peoples, should serve as the model for contemporary eating habits, even and especially during this modern technological age." (Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions)

If you're inclined to try anything you've learned....or if you've learned something in your own journey that might help those of use who are just beginning, please leave a comment, or e-mail me at teenytinypieces@gmail.com.

No matter how well, or how unwell you are....I hope you're feeling even better soon!
Jane


Bone Broth Recipe:
Oriental Health Solutions, LLC
Durham, NC

Cover about 1.5 lbs organic bones with about 3 quarts water and bring to a simmer with 1 Tablespoon vinegar.  The vinegar helps to extract nutrients out of the bones.

It is best if you use a high end stainless steel pot (316-grade as in Saladmaster brand), glass (Pyrex or Visions) or enamel (Enamelware or LeCruset) to make your bone broth.

Cooking times:

Chicken 12 hrs (good universal bone broth)
Beef 12-24+ hrs (like chicken but heartier with stronger flavor)
Lamb/pork 12-24 hrs (has a strong flavor - not for use with some dishes)
Fish 1 hr or slightly less (an art, the right kind of fish and technique is important or you get very "fishy" broth that doesn't taste good in some dishes.)

Skim any fat that comes to the surface once the broth comes to a boil.  You may keep it for later use.

Once the simmering is complete, strain the liquid.  Remove debris and throw away the bones.  Let liquid cool on the counter.

*I freeze my broth, using quart canning jars.  Fill the jars only about 3/4 full or they may break, and wait until the broth is frozen before putting on the lid.  Keep one jar in the fridge for immediate use.  Use bone broth in soup, beans, grains, stir-fry. Liquids can be thickened with arrowroot or kudzu.