Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen

I first saw signs advertising the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Medicine’s Health & Wellness Conference a few years ago.

The topics and speakers always sparked my interest, but the timing never seemed to work with my schedule, so I never went.

After spending the past three years learning how to listen to my body, help it heal from years of medication use and poor diet, and optimize my health, I’m more passionate about the power of functional, integrative medicine than ever before, and I knew I had to go.

For the first time ever, the conference was held downtown at the Institute for Integrative Health’s facility on Fleet Street in the old Broom Corn factory. The recently renovated building has been converted into an open, inviting, vibrant space designed to provide an environment for innovative thinking, convene leaders and visionaries to promote true health care, reverse the sick care crisis, and educate the community about integrative health. Health is extremely important and it has been known that marijuana can have medicinal purposes, this includes physical and mental health, you can check out a medical marijuana card provider. A marijuana card provider is handy to get yourself a marijuana card – looking after your health!

Attending events like this and being surrounded by such brilliant, passionate, like-minded people energizes and inspires me and reminds me of why I do the work that I do.

As I wrote back in January, there is a special gift that comes from being with “your people.”

The conference started with some mingling and breakfast provided by my go-to healthy and nourishing meal choice in Towson – Zia’s Café – and Belvedere Square – Plantbar.

Daniela Troia, who owns Zia’s Café and Plantbar at Belvedere Market, uses whole, unprocessed, nourishing, vibrant food as a platform to promote health and wellbeing in Baltimore and beyond.

Not only did they serve breakfast, but they also provided snacks of veggies and hummus, fresh cold-pressed juices, wraps and salads for lunch and a chocolate ganache brownie for an afternoon snack. YUM!

Following the morning mingle, everyone convened for a Welcome to Wellness led by a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Brian Berman. He is the President and Founder of the Institute for Integrative Health and Director of the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Berman has dedicated his career to researching and promoting complementary and integrative medicine, and in 1991 he founded the first U.S. academic medical center-based program for integrative medicine.

He started the conference by asking,

“What is wellness? What is health?”

Those two words have a range of meaning depending on whom you ask.

Dr. Berman’s comment about how integrative health can change the future really resonated with me. I share his vision:

YES!

I firmly believe this to be true and am honored to be part of such a transformational movement that has already helped and will continue to help so many people restore and optimize their health.

We were then led through a centering morning chanting session with monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery, who will be at Baltimore Yoga Village in Mt. Washington speaking, singing, praying and creating a sand mandala from now until May 14^th.

To learn more about these events, click here.

The rest of the day was filled was passionate speakers sharing the latest research and life learnings about a variety of integrative health topics.

While we know food is important to overall health and is something I write about a lot on this blog, non-food nourishment is equally important.

The conference was filled with both forms of nourishment and truly focused on integrative health and the connections between our mind, body and spirit.

The first session I attended was about the science of happiness and forgiveness and was co-led by Drs. Delia Chiaramonte and Dahlia Hirsch.

A whopping 50% of our happiness is hard-wired and inherited while a mere 10% is influenced by our circumstances. That means 40% of our happiness is changeable. We have the power to influence that.

The most fascinating thing I learned in the session on happiness was that writing and talking about negative things in our lives increases our happiness, while intentionally dwelling on and THINKING about positive things that happen boosts our happiness. Talking and writing about positive things doesn’t change our happiness, but dwelling on the negative decreases it.

So, when bad things happen, write or talk about them, but try not to mentally dwell on them. When good things happen, think about them over and over again.

We can actively increase our happiness by doing these things:

Identifying and using our strengths and making note of how we’ve used them each day
Looking for the good, even in tough situations
Purposely ruminating over positive experiences (instead of forgetting them and fussing over the not so good stuff)
Nurturing social connections
Committing to a gratitude ritual, whether it’s keeping a journal, reflecting on three appreciations before bedtime each night or writing a gratitude letter to another person and reading it aloud to them

As we shifted from happiness to forgiveness, we were challenged by Dr. Dahlia Hirsch to consider,

“What ideas are running your life? Your body?”

This resonated with me, as I’ve been struggling with some negative thought patterns lately and feeling “stuck” in my thoughts and my body. It can be so hard for us to forgive ourselves and other people.

She reminded us that we CHOOSE what to focus on. We can either focus on being frustrated, stuck, annoyed or angry, or we can choose to forgive to free ourselves from those feelings.

The question that stuck with me the most was this:

“What do I have to give up to have peace?”

It’s something each of us can ask ourselves.

Whether it’s a feeling, a relationship, a job, a wrongdoing, or something else entirely, what are you holding on to that is preventing you from having peace in your life?

We transitioned from happiness and forgiveness to the healing power of touch. I’ve experienced this myself in the past through massage therapy, chiropractic care, and most recently, acupuncture. Donna Audia, the main speaker for the talk, is an integrative therapy nurse and team lead for the integrative Inpatient Care Team at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

She opened with talking about the anti-inflammatory response of shock trauma patients to acupuncture and had to make a shift in her own mindset from “intubating and sedating” patients to using healing touch to help and heal them.

Donna captured her patient philosophy in one brief statement:

I LOVE that.

Imagine if every health care provider adopted that same mentality. The epidemic of health that Dr. Berman is calling for could be here sooner than we thought!

What stuck with me the most from our session was the knowledge that 20 seconds of continuous touch releases the bonding, trust, and safety hormone oxytocin – for both the giver AND receiver – assuming the touch is wanted.

As part of the session, each of us had an opportunity to buddy up with someone else at our table and alternate giving each other light back rubs. My partner was a beautiful young woman named Maura, who at the age of 19 is discovering what health means to her, as she has battled with weight and smoking, but is determined to change her life. I encouraged her that what she is going through and growing through will ultimately be used to help and inspire others.

It’s in our struggles that we become relatable and real and connect to other people. Imperfect people are the greatest inspirations.

I plan to stay in touch with her, so I can continue to follow her journey. She will be a voice of change one day, and her story will impact more people than she ever thought possible.

She said something so profound that I had to write it down:

Wow. Wisdom from a 19-year-old. Isn’t it true for so many of us?

We’ve so deprived ourselves of genuine, meaningful, healing human touch and connection that we reach for other things to satisfy and fill us – from food to alcohol to cigarettes and even credit cards.

The next time you hug a loved one, see if you can hold it for at least 20 seconds or offer to give them a back rub for at least that long.

There is healing power in touch.

Before heading to lunch, I attended a session on increasing sustainable, healthy local food led by Louise Mitchell, who has worked with one of my company’s clients, Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown.

Louise taught us about the importance of eating locally, which usually means the food has traveled under 250 miles from farm to table, whereas most conventional food has traveled anywhere from 1,500 to 2,400 MILES before it reaches us.

A lot of the tips she shared about how to make eating sustainable, locally grown food more affordable are captured in this blog post about how to eat organic without going broke.

She also shared great information about the harmful health effects of pesticide use (what is sprayed on conventional, non-organic produce to keep it looking “perfect” and bug-free):

I learned about the work of Dr. Jim Duke, and the “green farmacy” he grows on his farm in Fulton, Maryland, where anyone can volunteer. I plan to check it out this summer! To learn more about his work and the farm, click here.

One of the most useful tips Louise shared was how to pick the highest quality and safest meats and poultry, so here you go. We want to eat:

Pasture-raised pork and poultry
Grass-fed and grass-finished cows, dairy products, and lamb. This means they are fed grass throughout their entire lives rather than being grain-finished, which is what helps “fatten up” and marble beef, but is not how cows are designed to eat. Check out the Eat Wild website to find sources for this type of meat near you.

Also, I teach this in the workshops I lead, but it’s worth reiterating that the word “natural” on a food label is unregulated and has nothing to do with how the food is produced. Don’t buy the marketing hype!

To learn more about sustainable farming, check out these resources:

After lunch, I was honored to attend a keynote presented by Dr. Chris D’Adamo, a nutrition researcher who is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine. He also teaches workshops at the Institute for Integrative Health.

With Dr. Berman and Dr. Chris D’Adamo before his keynote

We learned the top tips to optimizing gut health, which many of you know is a passion of mine because of my own healing journey. I’ll be sharing those tips in a separate post because there was just so much great information that I can’t do it justice by summing it up here!

Dr. D’Adamo shared how over 50% of our immune system activity is in our “gut,” which starts in our mouth and ends, well, you know where 😉

Because of poor diet, stress, alcohol intake, and years of antibiotic and medication use, many of us have compromised our health and immunity and are dealing with the consequences in the form of everything from bloating, abdominal pain, reflux, allergies, and colds to rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and anxiety.

According to Dr. D’Adamo, the bottom line is this:

That’s right. We can heal and be well. The body is incredibly resilient. We just need to give it half a chance to do its thing.

Dr. D’Adamo will be teaching a series of workshops about What Science Says about Dietary Supplements in May and June, and I will definitely be attending! Click here to learn more and register.

After going through an energizing movement routine led by Lynne Brick, we finished out the day by attending a few more workshops.

The first was a healthy cooking workshop led by Jennifer Helene, who emphasized the message that it’s not about deciding between being healthy OR enjoying food.

It’s about having it all.

Healthy food can be both nourishing and delicious, and I seek to constantly reinforce that point in every recipe post I share on this blog.

She said it’s about becoming the best version of ourselves and planning for the space between where we are now and where we want to be. It’s about making a commitment to our health and ourselves and not letting excuses get in the way.

As Jennifer said,

“Invest today to save tomorrow. Be in action every day without guilt.”

She shared some delicious recipes with us, and you can find more of them on her website.

The second part of the experiential workshop was led by Susan Weis-Bohlen, an ayurvedic expert, who taught us about the different doshas – mind/body constitutions that are reflected in our physical characteristics, temperaments and emotional traits.

My friend Susanna having her ayurvedic pulse points read by Susan Weis-Bohlen

I learned that I am DEFINITELY Pitta dosha, known to have a “fiery nature” in both spirit and body.

According to the Chopra Institute, “Pittas have a powerful intellect and a strong ability to concentrate. When they’re in balance, they are good decision makers, teachers, and speakers. They are precise, sharp-witted, direct, and often outspoken. Out-of-balance Pittas can be short-tempered and argumentative.”

#NailedIt

Want to discover your dosha? Check out this free quiz.

To learn more about Susan’s ayurvedic and vegetarian cooking classes at her home in Reisterstown, check out this link.

The day closed with a workshop that dove deeper into digestive health, specifically as it relates to adverse food reactions, allergies, sensitivities and intolerances led by Erin Peisach, a registered dietitian who sees patients at the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Medicine. I’ll include the highlights from her workshop when I share the write-up about Dr. D’Adamo’s session in a future post.

Reflecting on the day, a few key insights stood out to me that summarize the mindset behind the day.

Sue Berman, Dr. Berman’s wife and Executive Director at the Institute for Integrative Health, noted,

“It’s great to have a day to be nourished in so many ways.”

I wholeheartedly agree. I wish more people could experience what TRUE nourishment looks and feels like and how transformational it can be for our health and our lives.

So many of us look to a TV show, book, “expert,” or doctor to “fix” us and tell us what to do. Part of what I’ve learned along my journey to healing my body and boosting my health is that I have responsibility in the process. I had to start listening to my body and stop ignoring and suppressing the signals it was sending me about how I felt.

That’s the secret.

At the close of her session on ayurveda, Susan Weis-Bohlen declared a truth that captures the essence of functional medicine and integrative health and the gist of the day. I hope it resonates with and inspires you to start paying attention to your body and take back YOUR health!

12 Tasty Cinco De Mayo Recipes {Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On May 5, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Recipes

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!

One of my earliest memories of Mexican food was celebrating Thanksgiving in a Mexican restaurant while I was studying abroad in Spain as a junior in college.

It was an experience I’ll never forget!

I feel funny getting excited about this holiday because I used to hate Mexican food!

As a kid, I was partial to Chef Boyardee, Kraft, Rice-a-Roni and Tysons and pretty much didn’t eat anything that others might have considered to be “ethnic” food. I was very picky and unwilling to try anything I deemed “weird.”

Fast forward to my 30s, and I’ve learned to not only try but also enjoy Mexican food.

After returning from a recent trip to San Diego, Bill and I have both had our share of tacos, guacamole and salsa, so I thought I’d dedicate a post to all things Mexican and highlight the Cinco de Mayo-friendly recipes on this blog.

Like all of my recipes, they are dairy-free, gluten-free, and muy delicioso 🙂

Make-Your-Own Chipotle Style Burrito Bowl with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Walnut Taco Boats with Cashew Sour Cream (Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it! My friends Sam and Jillian LOVE their sour cream and go nuts over this stuff!)

Mexican-Inspired Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Watermelon Mojito Salad

Cashew Queso Dip

Mexican Brownie Bites

Salsa Fresca

Green Goddess Guacamole

Mexican Black Bean Scramble

Here are a few more Cinco de Mayo-friendly recipes to try:

Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Against All Grain

Avocado Crema from Against All Grain

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken (great for tacos!) from The Gracious Pantry

Do you have any favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes? If so, feel free to share them below with all of us!

Not-Just-for-Moms No-Bake Lactation Cookies {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On May 3, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegetarian

The other day, Bill and I were hanging out with my brother, his wife and their two adorable kiddos, Braxton & Raleigh.

We are lucky to live so close to each other to be able to see our nephew and niece grow up.

We had just finished eating this Better-than-Takeout Chicken “Fried” Rice dish for dinner before throwing together our favorite Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites (which our nephew LOVED!).

He wanted to help us make them, too, so we propped him up on the counter next to the food processor and laughed as he watched the food processor whirl, mesmerized and totally focused on his newfound entertainment.

My sister-in-law, Layne mentioned that she’d heard a mom on a local radio station talk about Lactation Cookies that she used to stimulate milk production while she was nursing.

The only problem?

It costs $40 for one dozen cookies.

Not exactly something most of us could afford on a consistent basis, no matter how tasty or helpful they are.

Layne had also heard about the benefits of Mother’s Milk tea from Traditional Medicinals, which contains many of the lactogenic ingredients listed below.

Determined to find an alternative to the $40/dozen cookies, I went into nerdy food research mode and started looking online to learn more about lactogenic foods called galactagogues (ga-LAC-ta-goggs) – foods that are known to naturally increase milk production. I found a few different lists, but certain foods were consistent:

Flaxseed
Oats
Nuts, seeds and nut butters
Beans & legumes (lentils, peas, beans)
Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, etc.)
Carrots
Stone fruits like papaya, dates, and apricots
Ginger
Garlic
Coconut & coconut milk
Brown rice
Herbs & spices like cumin seeds, anise, fennel seeds, fenugreek, alfalfa, milk thistle, and turmeric

As I was looking through the list, I noticed some common themes. They’re all whole, unprocessed, real foods, and many of them also have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

So whether you’re breastfeeding or not, these foods are nourishing! And, no, you won’t start lactating just because you’re eating lactation cookies. You have to be breastfeeding for that to happen 🙂

Check out the recipe below to make your OWN no-bake lactation cookies (much cheaper than $40/dozen!). The key lactogenic ingredients are oats, flaxseed, dates, cinnamon, and coconut.

A few notes about this recipe that will be helpful as you shop for ingredients:

We buy gluten-free oats from Trader Joe’s.
We use a coffee grinder to grind our flaxseeds, but you can also just buy milled flaxseed or flaxseed meal. You get the most nutrition from the seeds when you grind the whole seeds just before using them.
We always use raw honey because of its health benefits. Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, MOMs, Whole Foods, and any natural foods store sell raw honey.
You can use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a greater lactogenic effect. If you use almonds, use a total of two tablespoons of honey because almond butter is milder in flavor than peanut butter.
The shredded coconut is optional and doesn’t leave a coconut taste – it just adds another galactagogue! If you absolutely hate coconut (like my husband) or are allergic, you can leave it out. The peanut butter dominates the taste anyway, so Bill didn’t even notice the coconut 🙂

No-Bake Lactation Cookies

These little bite combine a bunch of lactation-supportive ingredients that nourish both mama and baby.

2/3 cup rolled oats (gluten-free)
1/3 cup flaxseed (ground)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Medjool dates (pitted)
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or almond or peanut butter (I prefer to make them allergen-free))
2 tablespoons raw honey
1.5 tablespoon vanilla extract

Put the oats, ground flaxseeds, shredded coconut, salt and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the S-blade, and run for about one minute until it reaches the consistency of a fine meal.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and run the food processor for about 60-90 seconds or until everything is combined and starts to clump around the sides.
Mold hunks of the dough about one tablespoon at a time into round balls. Store in the fridge in a glass container. We like taking them out a few minutes before eating so they soften up a bit.

I used to put chocolate chips in these, but babies are supposed to stay away from chocolate until about their first birthday because of the caffeine content, so if you’re not a nursing mama, feel free to add in 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs before taking the dough out of the food processor!

If you’re not a huge fan of flax, cut the portion back to 1/4 cup.

If you’re a mom and want to learn more about how to increase your milk supply, boost your immunity, lift depression, lose weight, and even reduce colic and allergies, check out the book Mother Food by Hilary Jacobson. Please consult with your doctor or lactation consultant for further guidance.

Here are a few other recipes on my blog that are full of galactagogues. I’ve given you a link to the recipe and listed the lactogenic foods next to it:

Curried Lentil & Rice Casserole (lentils, brown rice, carrots, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, cumin turmeric) – This is one of our FAVORITE dishes of all time. It freezes well, too!
Taste the Rainbow Super Food Kale Salad (kale, tahini, garlic, turmeric, carrots, pumpkin seeds)
Mediterranean Chickpea & Sundried Tomato Kale Salad (kale, chickpeas, garlic)
Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole (sweet potatoes, coconut milk, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, almond meal)
Chai Almond Butter Bites (almonds, coconut, ginger, almond butter, dates, cinnamon). These were featured on mindbodygreen!

coconut chai bites

Mediterranean Chickpea & Sundried Tomato Kale Salad {Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 28, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegan, Vegetarian

I’ve been a kale lover for a few years now and have fun coming up with new ways to incorporate it into recipes.

I even found these super cool kale-lover clothing items at a small store called Simply Local in San Diego that reflect someone’s serious obsession with this leafy green veggie.

Today’s salad recipe has some Mediterranean inspirations with lemon, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and chickpeas. It comes together in a matter of minutes and can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.

From the kale and garlic to the hemp seeds and chickpeas, this delicious dish is LOADED with cancer-fighting and fat-storage fighting foods known as GBOMBS. Click here to learn more about GBOMBS and why we should eat them daily.

The key to this salad is massaging the lemon juice into the kale leaves to “cook” and soften the kale and break down its bitterness; it’s always important to give your raw kale a little massage.

Speaking of massage, when I was in college I considered going into massage therapy and even went so far as to buy a KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) guide-book to learn the basics. Clearly I didn’t pursue that route, so massaging kale will have to do! 🙂

What I love about kale salads (one of the many things) is that they “keep” for a few days in the fridge.

Any other greens’ salads will wilt in a matter of hours once you put dressing on it, but kale salad holds up for about 3 days, so it’s something you can make ahead of time and enjoy for several meals.

Check out today’s recipe, and let me know what you think!

Mediterranean Chickpea & Sundried Tomato Kale Salad

I love the Mediterranean-inspired flavors and ingredients in this salad. Feel free to add some chicken or fish on top, if you’d like, for a complete meal!

1 bunch curly kale (destemmed, washed and dried)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic (crushed and finely minced (1 large clove or 2 small cloves))
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 15-ounce can chickpeas AKA garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed (I use the Eden brand))
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (chopped)
2 tablespoons hemp seeds (hulled)
Black pepper (to taste)

Tear kale leaves into pieces and put in large bowl.
Add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and sea salt, and massage everything into the kale leaves for 1-2 minutes, until the leaves are shiny, soft, and have reduced in volume by about half.
Add the black pepper, nutritional yeast, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and hemp seeds and toss until evenly combined. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Two Moms in the Raw Cookbook Preview & Bill’s Favorite Breakfast! {Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 22, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I love cookbooks. I wrote about some of my favorite cookbooks in this post around Christmastime.

I have lots of them and always SWEAR that I’m going to make 20 more recipes out of each of them before buying another one.

Cookbooks for me are like shoes or purses for a lot of women…I can never have too many!

I’m excited to introduce a brand new cookbook to all of you that I just found out about a few weeks ago after being contacted by a company that I met at the Natural Products Expo back in September – Two Moms in the Raw.

Two Moms in the Raw's booth at the Natural Products Expo. They're coming out with a new line of bars and granola made withOUT agave and with coconut sugar instead!

Two Moms in the Raw’s booth at the Natural Products Expo in Baltimore in September. They’re coming out with a new line of bars and granola made withOUT agave and with coconut nectar instead!

They gave me a sneak peek at some of the recipes from their cookbook and even let me make one of them and share it with you a few weeks before the cookbook is set to release on May 5th.

Having never made any of their recipes before, I didn’t know what to expect but hoped for the best.

All I can say is HOLY COW. This is what the final dish looked like…

The name of the dish was a little odd yet intriguing – “Beet Shakshuka” – but the taste was incredible. It reminded me of something I’d buy at a fancy restaurant for brunch.

Bill and I both devoured it, and he said it just shot up to one of his favorite meals we make!

The recipe comes from the new gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook written by Shari Leidich, founder of Two Moms in the Raw and is titled TWO MOMS IN THE RAW: Simple, Clean, Irresistible Recipes for Your Family’s Health.

Shari and I totally align philosophically (which is the only reason I was 100% on board with promoting her book). She thinks of food as medicine and knows what we eat can truly change our lives.

Sound familiar? 🙂

The cookbook highlights both raw and cooked recipes that are focused on helping all people (good cooks and not-so-good cooks) upgrade their diet by adding in healthy and nourishing foods.

TWO MOMS IN THE RAW has recipes for over 130 dishes, broken down into chapters based on meal: juices and smoothies; breakfast; dips; soups; salads; veggie mains; fish, poultry, and beef; and sweet treats and snacks.

From the Garden Jewel Salad and No-Stress Meatballs to Peanut-Free Thai Noodle Salad (pics below) and Single-Skillet Chicken Puttanesca, the cookbook is full of delicious meals.

And just like the other desserts on this blog, the dessert recipes in the cookbook ditch processed sugar in favor of natural sweeteners and power nutrients.

In addition to the recipes, Shari offers insight on her preferred ingredients, kitchen equipment, and “household healers.”

I love when cookbooks offer more than just recipes and give practical information, too. When I write my first one, that’s what I plan to do, too.

Ok, so back to the food.

Do you want to try this amazing beet breakfast recipe for yourself? Here’s a sneak peek of the recipe before anyone else can see it. It’s TOTALLY worth making 🙂

Want to buy the Two Moms in the Raw cookbook? Pre-order by May 5th to take advantage of the sale price – it’s a great deal. You can pre-order it here!

Beet Shakshuka Recipe

Serves 4 to 6

From Shari: I keep the way I eat interesting by swapping in a variety of produce whenever possible.If that means using a veggie that contains a little more sugar—in this case, fiber-filled beets with their beta-carotene-packed leaves—I’m fine with it as long as it keeps me harnessing the power of produce at every turn. A dish with roots in Middle Eastern cuisine, shakshuka typically consists of eggs cooked to perfection in a savory tomato sauce. I keep the flavor profile Mediterranean by seasoning the dish with cumin and add a healthy shot of raw at the end in the form of springy scallions and earthy raw beet greens, which contain immune-boosting carotenoids, including lutein, which protects the eyes.

Ingredients
2 pounds assorted beets, such as red, yellow, and Chioggia—whatever you have—including the beet greens/tops
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Separate the tops from the beets and rinse and dry the beets and greens. Thinly slice the beet greens to yield 1½ cups and set aside; reserve the remaining greens for another use. Peel and cut the beets into ½-inch cubes.
In a heavy, ovenproof 10- or 12-inch skillet (we used cast iron), heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and scallion whites and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the beet greens and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beets and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until the tomatoes release their liquid and the liquid is mostly reabsorbed, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Using a spoon, create 4 to 6 wells in the beet mixture and crack an egg into each well. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining ½ cup beet greens and the scallion greens. Serve straight from the skillet.

Click here to pre-order the cookbook for more recipes like this!

Recipes and Photo from TWO MOMS IN THE RAW by Shari Koolik Leidich. Copyright ©2015 by Shari Koolik Leidich. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

This is a sponsored post. Please know that I only align with companies that 100% philosophically support my mission for health and well-being, and Two Moms in the Raw does.

Baltimore’s EmporiYUM: My Top Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Eats

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 19, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Healthy Dining, Products I Use

If you love food, Baltimore is a great place to live.

I was born and raised here, and only in the past few years have I come to appreciate all that this city has to offer.

This weekend’s EmporiYUM event downtown was a great showcase of dozens of local vendors and companies who put love and passion into their food.

I volunteered at the event with a company that my husband and I have used for the past year and a half or so – Hometown Harvest.

They’re a doorstep delivery service of local fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, poultry and other foods from local vendors, including fresh pressed juices, granola, hummus, nut butters, and salsa.

It was fun telling the dozens of people who came through the booth about how much I love their service and how convenient it is for us to wake up on Friday morning with a bag full of produce and cage-free eggs for the coming week.

After hanging out at the Hometown Harvest booth for a couple of hours, I ventured out to visit the rest of the vendors to see what dairy-free, gluten-free goods I could find. (If you’re new to this blog, I eat dairy-free and gluten-free because of what I’ve learned helps my body feel best!)

I also look for foods that are completely in sync with how I prepare my own food and don’t use ingredients like refined oils or sugars.

Here are my favorites from yesterday!

Some are familiar faces that I’ve mentioned before on this blog, but others were newbies and are worth checking out.

Daniela Troia, the owner of Plantbar, is one of my favorite food people in Baltimore and I’ve been a fan of her restaurant in Towson (Zia’s Café) for years.

Now that she’s set up shop with her juice, smoothie and raw/vegan/gluten-free and aptly named Plantbar at Belvedere Market (my favorite place in Baltimore), I’m even more of a fan.

Plantbar had a bright and colorful booth with samples of their coconut bacon and three kinds of fresh, cold-pressed organic juices. Thai The Knot was especially refreshing on a hot day.

Wandering down a little farther, I stumbled upon a long line for Little Baby’s Ice Cream, which I soon came to find out is an ice cream vendor based out of Philadelphia that will be making its way to the Baltimore market (Whole Foods and MOMs) by the summer.

I was elated to find out that they had a dairy-free, gluten-free option that I could sample called Coconut Tea.

OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD.

They use coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, and the texture was JUST like regular ice cream.

The only hitch is that they use agave as one of the sweeteners, so I met the owner and suggested it might be worth considering making a version with coconut nectar instead because of the controversy around agave. He was open to it, which was really cool.

Making my way across the floor, I saw an eye-catching display for tahini-based dips (made from ground up sesame seeds) from a company called Soom.

I’m a big fan of tahini and use it in my Super Food Kale Salad Recipe as well as this Snickerdoodle Smoothie, so I knew I would be on board with their products.

I sampled a few of their dips and became an instant fan. With flavors like Classic Sesame and Spicy Sriracha to Thai Red Curry and Zesty Mediterranean, these dips were delicious! I asked about the ingredients and found out that they don’t use oils I avoid like canola oil, so that was a bonus! 🙂

They’re not in Baltimore yet but hope to make their way here. You can buy their plain tahini on Amazon though and check out this link for a list of where they sell in the Philly/NYC/DC/Rockville area.

I ventured up the steps to one of the upper levels and met a company I’ve been hearing about from Hometown Harvest for the past year or so – Kate Bakes.

After dealing with years of frustrating health issues herself, Kate was determined to make delicious treats that she could enjoy without gluten, dairy or any animal products. The bars are handmade in small batches using organic ingredients.

She does use agave as the sweetener along with a soy protein powder in the bars, so I emailed her to get more information about that and to see if she has plans for using alternative ingredients in future creations, since I generally avoid those two ingredients. She was prompt, thorough, and honest in her response (all things I really appreciate and respect!):

Currently we’re comfortable using agave for how it behaves in our recipes (texture and flavor profile) as well as it’s low glycemic index. Each bar actually has less than one serving (less than one tablespoon) of agave and the rest of our sugar content comes from the fruit we use in the recipes – bananas, raisins, dates, or cherries. We use soy for the same reason. When I was creating the recipes, I actually tried several different protein powders including rice and hemp. The bars that came out the best (by far) were the ones using soy. Since I personally don’t have trouble with soy (and the list of things I do have trouble with is quite long!) I wanted to use it since I could eat it and felt it created the best tasting product. I know these ingredients may not be for everyone and I really appreciate you asking these questions to learn more. As someone with a lot of restrictions, I completely understand there are many reasons why people may choose not to consume certain foods.

Click here to buy Kate’s bars online and to read more about her story.

The next booth on my stop was Blind Spot Nut Butters, who I first found out about through Hometown Harvest. They sell them on their website, but I had never met the owner or tried more than one variety of their nut butters, so I was excited they had a booth at the event.

My favorite flavor is their Birds & Bees Almond Cashew Nut Butter, which is a great add-in to smoothies. Check out the ingredient list: Raw Almonds, Raw Cashews, Sunflower Seeds, Honey, Ground Flax, Millet, Chia Seeds. All real, whole foods. Just the way I like it!

Here’s where you can buy their nut butters in the MD/DC/VA/PA area and online on their website.

Tucked away in a back corner (but always with a line) was my favorite Baltimore chocolate maker – Pure Chocolate by Jinji.

I wrote extensively about how amazing her dairy-free, gluten-free chocolates are here and here. She sets up shop at Belvedere Market along with Plantbar and one more vendor I mention at the close of this post – Hex Ferments.

If you like chocolate, you HAVE to know about Jinji. Everything she makes is divine.

My second to last stop for the day was Cava Mezze, which makes Mediterranean dips like hummus, tzatziki, harissa, and tapenades. They had a veggie platter and a variety of their dips available for sampling.

I tried the roasted red pepper, spicy and traditional hummus varieties and they were all savory, creamy and reminded me of my semester abroad in Southern Spain. I love that Cava doesn’t use refined oils like canola oil in their products, unlike some other brands of hummus.

Check out all of their flavors on their website here or find them at MOMs Organic Market or Whole Foods.

The last stop on my gluten-free, dairy-free, journey brought me to Hex Ferments – a company I’ve known about for just over a year (mainly because they are parked right next to Jinji’s Chocolates at Belvedere Market).

As I’ve been in the process of healing my body and digestive health from years of antibiotics and acid reducers, I’ve incorporated more healing, nourishing foods into my diet, including some things I – as a picky eater – SWORE I would never eat.

Like sauerkraut and kimchi.

Both are fermented foods that support, protect and shield our immune system, digestion and overall well-being.

Hex was sampling their Sea Kraut and Miso Kimchi – both of which were packed with flavor.

Check out their shop at Belvedere Market and remember to “go with your gut!”

And, that’s a wrap 🙂

I do what I can to support local businesses by voting with my dollars and how I spend my money.

As the daughter of two entrepreneurs, I feel particularly compelled to buy local and support small businesses.

I know they appreciate the love and confidence from their customers and that it encourages them to keep doing great work dedicated to helping us be well while at the same time enjoying amazing eats!

Did you go to The EmporiYUM? What were some of YOUR favorite stops? I’d love to hear from you!

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 16, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

After making this Cinnamony Snickerdoodle Smoothie a few weeks ago, I told you I would come up with a recipe for Snickerdoodle bites…so here it is!

These little treats comes together in about 10 minutes and are great to make with your kids. I was able to recreate the chewy texture and cinnamon-sugar flavor of traditional Snickerdoodle cookies without using refined sugar or flour.

The key is using blanched almonds.

I bought mine at Trader Joe’s and dumped the whole bag in the food processor to grind them up until they reached a fine almond meal. You can also just use blanched almond meal if you have it, but the method I used is the cheaper way to go.

Most grocery stores sell blanched almond slivers in the baking aisle, so you should have no problem finding them. (I tried the recipe with whole almonds, and it didn’t taste as good.)

These bite-sized treats make a great dessert or after school snack.

They have an energizing combo of healthy fats, fiber and protein from the almonds and almond butter along with a hefty dose of blood-sugar balancing cinnamon. I know you will love this recipe! 🙂

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites

1 cup blanched slivered almonds
1 cup Medjool dates (pitted)
1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons coconut sugar

Put almonds in a food processor and process until it reaches a fine consistency and no chunks of almond remain.
Add dates, almond butter, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and process until everything is combined, about 60 seconds.
Shape dough into small balls (press between your hands, so they stick together) and roll in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Store in the refrigerator.

*If dates are not soft, soak them in warm water for 15-20 minutes and drain them, squeezing out excess water before adding them to the food processor.

How to Live to Be 106: Lessons from The Blue Zones & Great Grandma

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 12, 2015

In Inspired, My Story

Whether you’ve read this blog for a while or if this is your first time here (welcome!), you’ll notice that most of what I write about is food – food for nourishment, fuel, healing, connection and community.

The past two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind (hence my brief hiatus) but have reminded me that there’s more to being well than food.

Although what we eat matters, other lifestyle habits can significantly impact our health and wellbeing, the quality and happiness of our lives, and even how long we live.

I recently spent 11 days in San Diego to attend two wellness conferences and relax with a much-needed vacation with my husband, Bill, to celebrate what has been the most exciting year in my career.

During the conference, I was honored by the Wellness Council of America and had the privilege of meeting and spending time with some remarkable people in the field of health promotion.

The second to last day of the conference, as my husband was preparing to fly across the country to join me, he called to tell me that his great-grandmother, Anna “Loucene” Trueworthy, had passed away at the age of 106.

It was a bit ironic yet poignant that the topic of the conference keynote that morning was Blue Zones of Health by Dan Buettner, a man who has studied the lives of the longest lived people in the world to learn their secrets of longevity. Dan is the author of the books Thrive, The Blue Zone Solution and The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.

Dan shared what he learned in his research as he traveled around the world, spending time with and studying the lifestyle habits of people living in “Blue Zones,” regions around the world with the greatest concentrations of centenarians – people who live to be 100+.

In his talk, he shared the lessons to a long life, and while diet was one of the key components, he and his team found that other factors impact a person’s longevity with genetics accounting for about 20%, as established by the Danish Twin Study.

As I’ve spent the past week or so reflecting on what Dan shared, I couldn’t help but think of Bill’s great-grandmother and the life she lived. She certainly had genetics on her side with a mother who lived to 99, just six months shy of her 100th birthday, and a sister who is now 97. Great Grandma even smoked for many years (which is not a free pass to smoke!), but it just shows us that aging well is a complex process and is never about just “one thing.”

Without even knowing it, Great Grandma was a living example of many of the Blue Zones lessons.

“For Rachel – I dedicate this book to the memory and example of Loucene” ~Dan Buettner

I wanted to take a moment to honor Great Grandma’s legacy and highlight just a few of the ways she lived out these lessons. For a full list of the Blue Zones “Power 9” longevity lessons, click here.

Move Naturally

Great Grandma didn’t spend hours at the gym. She didn’t have to. Much of her day was filled with natural movement – from doing chores, gardening, and taking after-dinner walks with her husband to square dancing and line dancing into her 80s, she moved naturally and enjoyed it. For people living in Blue Zones, being active without having to think about it was found to be a key to longevity. So many of us try to force activity and do things we don’t enjoy. Find ways of moving that make your body feel good and make you happy and incorporate them into your daily life.

Great Grandma and Great Grandpa enjoyed dancing

Hara Hachi Bu

This one might sound a little bit strange, but it is taken from the Japanese and means we should eat until we are 80% full or no longer hungry. Many of us eat until we are “stuffed” and fall completely out of touch with our body’s hunger signals.

As her granddaughter Susan shared during the eulogy, Great Grandma lived a life of moderation, never to excess. She was “the master of portion control” and never counted calories or fussed over what she ate, and unlike many of us today, she was never “on a diet.” She cooked a full meal every night for dinner, and the family ate together. We can all learn something from her example of listening to your body and eating to live rather than living to eat.

Purpose Now

Great Grandma had a reason to wake up in the morning. She lived on the family farm and lived independently in a small cottage until just a few years ago when she went to live next door with her daughter. Whether her purpose was to spend time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren or even great great grandchildren, she had a reason to live. She was also an organist and in the bell choir at her church and played piano for the Yankee Doodle Entertainers until she turned 100. She found joy in socializing, music, reading, and needlework. A sense of purpose is one of the keys to living a long time.

Great Grandma played the piano well into her 100s

Downshift

Taking time to relieve stress was another lesson Dan shared with us. During her eulogy, Loucene’s son John commented how Great Grandma was never stressed. I would imagine she felt stress at times, as all of us do, but she knew how to handle and contain it in such a way that it didn’t impact her negatively. She spent time with family and her church community on a regular basis and found music to be relaxing as well. She was described by many as a devoted woman of faith, and her connection to God and her church also served as buffers to stress.

My mother-in-law told me that Great Grandma and the rest of the family observed Sunday as a day of rest and set it aside for family time and a big family meal each Sunday afternoon. They would Cook as a Family, spending quality time together to make their bonds stronger. This is somewhat of a lost art today. Centenarians take time to slow down, reflect and downshift their lives and Great Grandma knew how to do that, too.

Great Grandma celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary. She was very social and made time to unwind and celebrate.

Great Grandma celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary. She was very social and set aside time to unwind and celebrate.

Belong to a Spiritual Community

Healthy centenarians have faith and are involved in serving and socializing with a spiritual community. Loucene’s granddaughter described the church as “the center of Great Grandma’s life.” She was involved in the Women’s Society, and she was a church organist and in the bell choir until age 100. She and her husband participated in the Couples Club, so the church was the center of her social life as well. The sense of belonging, purpose and connection that comes from being part of a spiritual community is one of the Blue Zones Power 9 keys to longevity. Managing a church to accommodate all people, young and old, can be a tall task but there are ways that this can be done in a simpler way. Something like the Tithe.ly church management system could help to engage the church community while making admin tasks and leadership easier; see here – https://get.tithe.ly/church-management.

Loved Ones First

The most successful centenarians put their families first. Great Grandma never missed a birthday and sent a card for all major holidays, which was no small feat considering she has two children, 9 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

Her great grandchildren described her as admirable, talented, honest, witty, resilient, unifying, encouraging, wise, gentle, warm, welcoming, and classy.

Great Grandma Loucene in the front row in the white with her younger sister, Eva, to her right in green, and her daughter, Cynthia, to her left in blue. Her great and great-great-grandchildren surround her.

She embraced technology and Skyped with one great-granddaughter in Haiti, another great-grandson in the Middle East and her first great-great-grandchild in New York City.

She lived independently with her daughter, Cynthia, until the last few weeks of her life when outside care was brought in to help. An in-home care company like Always Here Home Care, helped look after her until the very end. In a society where caring for aging relatives is often seen as a burden, her family revered her and rallied around her to support and take care of her. Before she went to live with her daughter, her family bought her a new phone from somewhere like fanmisenior to make communication easier. She just wanted to be independent and having a phone which she could easily use, really helped with this.

During her memorial service, the pastor pointed out how Loucene’s life is an example to all of us of how to live fully. I feel blessed to have married into her family and to have had the privilege of knowing such a remarkable woman, who I’ve learned more about in her passing than I knew and appreciated while she was here.

As I listened to everyone share their stories and memories, I reflected on how much Great Grandma lived the Blue Zones lessons – from living a joyful, simple, purposeful life of moderation and low stress, to belonging to and serving her religious community, socializing, and putting family first.

The example of her life will continue to impact and influence the lives of all of the generations that follow her.

Here’s to Great Grandma and the love and inspiring legacy she’s left behind.

My WELCOA Moment: A Day I Will Never Forget

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On April 2, 2015

In Inspiration, Inspired, My Story

Each of us has days in our lives that we’ll remember forever.

Tuesday, March 31st was one of those days for me.

In February, I found out that I had been named the Top Health Promotion Professional in the U.S. by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).

I was overjoyed and shocked when I got the news and am pretty sure I didn’t stop smiling for about a week!

Doing the work that I do is rewarding in and of itself because I’m put in a position on an almost daily basis to impact people’s lives for the better and to give them hope that they can be well.

A super cool perk that was packaged with the award was a trip to San Diego to attend WELCOA’s annual summit, which brings together leaders in our field and serves as a source of inspiration, energy, and community each time I come.

On the second day of the summit, I had the privilege and opportunity of delivering an acceptance speech to nearly 400 of my peers, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I had spent several weeks working on what I wanted to say, crafting the words based on inspirations that came to me first thing in the morning, on a run, after conversations with my dad, and even in the midst of reflecting on what other speakers shared during the conference.

Our message was essentially the same: Tell your story. Stories are powerful.

As Ryan called me up on stage, I was so present to that moment and just took in everything I could. You know you’re doing what you’re meant to do when you feel so alive and excited you could burst with joy, and that is how I felt in this moment.

I was humbled by the kind words complete strangers, colleagues, and industry leaders shared with me afterwards. Several people commented that I should speak at a future WELCOA conference.

Wouldn’t that be the coolest?! 🙂

I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude for being given this honor and so humbled that what I had to say meant something to and touched so many people.

Some people wait their whole lives to feel how I felt on Tuesday.

At the beginning of this year, I declared that I wanted to FEEL five things:

The experience I had at the WELCOA Summit gave me the opportunity to feel all of them at once.

I felt so alive.

I can hardly put into words how incredibly special and meaningful this experience has been for me.

It was a feeling, a moment, and a day that I will never forget, and for that, I am grateful.

Do you want to bring health and wellbeing to your workplace? If you want to learn more about how I can help, including leadership training and interactive health and nutrition workshops, contact me at rachel@silbs.com.

Cinnamony Snickerdoodle Smoothie {Paleo, Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On March 30, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I always loved Snickerdoodle cookies as a kid.

My brother Zack and I would go to The Great Cookie whenever we were at the mall to buy a few of their warm and soft but perfectly-crunchy-around-the-edges Snickerdoodle cookies.

Fast forward a few decades, and snickerdoodles are now one of my husband Bill’s favorite cookies. My mother-in-law is known for her snickerdoodles, so he’s done quite a bit of taste testing 🙂

I looked around online to see if I could learn anything about where these tasty treats come from and came to the conclusion that “snickerdoodle” comes from a really long German word for “cinnamon sweet roll.”

I have plans to make another snack ball treat inspired by snickerdoodles (here’s the recipe for those!), but in the meantime, I thought I’d give a snickerdoodle smoothie a try! I was surprised by how much cinnamon I had to put in to get the flavor I wanted, but I was happy with the final version 🙂

The tahini (sesame paste) in this smoothie is a good source of calcium, iron, heart healthy fats and protein. Learn more about tahini in this post about my Top 10 Pantry Essentials. Tahini also adds some creaminess. The hemp seeds are another source of healthy fat and protein, which we need to help balance our energy and blood sugar levels.

Cinnamon – the signature ingredient in Snickerdoodles – is a naturally sweet tasting spice that helps us regulate our blood sugar, which is key for sustained energy. Check out the top 10 proven health benefits of this super spice from the folks over at Authority Nutrition.