Romio’s Pizza has wowed me by offering dairy, gluten, and/or soy-free pizzas coming the first week of June!

They have partnered with DaVinci’s bakery to reach out to those of us who have food intolerances. DaVinci’s makes a D/S/F pizza crust and DaVinci’s has been offering soy cheese to those who are lactose intolerant (please note - the soy cheese make have the milk protein casein in it; check with staff to make sure). I’m no stranger to a cheeseless pizza from my vegan days (back in the 90’s, in Alaska, when soy cheese was relatively unheard of), so even if Romio’s hasn’t figured out a dairy-soy free cheese, I’ll gladly order a pie from them the next time I’m having a craving for pizza or wanting to prep for a long run.

Please show Romio’s your support by ordering from them the next time you want a pie. Thank them for considering those with food intolerances and encourage them to keep up the good work!

Romio’s is located in Greenwood, but offers delivers free to the following areas:
North to 160th St.
East to I-5
West to Puget Sound
South to the Ship Canal

Greenwood, Phinney, Green Lake, Wallingford, Fremont, Ballard, Loyal Heights, Crown Hill, North Beach, Blue Ridge, North Park, Broadview, North Gate, And Bitter Lake.

ROMiÓS PIZZA & PASTA
Greenwood
8523 GREENWOOD AVE. N.
SEATTLEWA 98103

Tel: (206) 782-9005
Fax: (206) 781-9181
E-Mail: office@romiospizza.com

You can’t be healthy all the time, right?

In fact, “they” have labeled it as it’s own disorder: orthorexia.
In defiance of othorexia, and spurred forth by menstrual cravings, I made brownies. Gluten, soy, dairy-free brownies.

With the help of my friends at Namaste Foods, I was able to pull some incredibly moist, delicious brownies out of my oven Friday evening. They were light, fluffy, and it was impossible to tell they were wheat-free! They did not crumble, were not gritty, and took my addition of almonds, dried fruits, and candied ginger quite well.

Namaste Foods is a purveyor of allergy-free products. They make it possible for people like me to get a sugar high without getting sick. And while this isn’t recommended, being able to have a slice of cake, a brownie, or some lovely treat without feeling miserable afterwards is a new and welcome concept; highly encouraged for those who have been missing out! No brain fog, no crazy fatigue. No bloating or unmentionable digestive distress. Just sweet, sweet chocolate cakiness in my mouth.

Thank you, Namaste Foods!

(Namaste Foods has a wealth of allergy-free products available at Whole Foods, PCC, Wild Oats, and hopefully - your neighborhood health food store. You may also visit their website by clicking here.

Acupuncture is a fantastic treatment for both physical and emotional maladies. I’ve been working closely with David Tucker for several months on re-balancing my system and have had wonderful results. David works on the whole person and is a skilled listener and practitioner. I want to share his personal, comprehensive approach with others, and decided the best way to recommend him was to have him introduce himself to all of you. Below is his written interview:

(more…)

…what you put on your body counts as well.
A phone client and spa owner told me last week that Americans ingest an average of 5-7 pounds of chemicals via their skin each year.
Shortly thereafter, a reader here in Seattle sent me a link to this Cosmetic Safety database offered by the Environmental Working Group. It rates common cosmetics on a numerical scale of safety based on standards that would satisfy the most hyper-sensitive, hypervigilant consumer. Information available includes ingredients listed by potential toxicity, possible side effects, and reference for specific studies indicating hazards.

Check it out!

FREE 50 minute phone consultation!

With the weather cooling considerably and the days shortening, my bones have been aching for some steel cut oats. Not just any steel cut oats, but my tea-soaked steel cut oats (a genius discovery last winter). Steel cut oats have staying power far superior to oatmeal and provide all the benefits of whole grain oats in a thick, warming porridge with more substance than Quaker will ever have.
The problem with steel cut oats (and why most of you have never had them) is cooking time. I certainly don’t have 45 minutes in the morning to stand over a stove and cook fresh oats! I pondered a plausible solution — if my rice cooker can cook and keep rice warm, can it cook and keep oats warm?
Answer: YES! A resounding yes!

Aside from my Vitamix, the kitchen tool that makes me the happiest is the Sanyo ECJ-D100S 10 cup rice cooker. It will cook and keep rice warm until gone. Period. How ever many days it takes, you will have hot rice. It is the modern kitchen maven’s secret to easy, available whole grains.
I’ve made brown rice, wild rice, and oats in mine. I can use the keep warm function to keep quinoa and other quicker cooking grains hot and ready when I want them. I wake up every morning and have hot whole grains in my bowl in less than 45 seconds. It’s the next best thing to being fed by family.

Ah, is that the sound of sniffles in the air?

Cold and Flu season has arrived! Normally I squeak by unscathed, but this fall I can’t make that claim. I’m just sick enough to be a little cranky and low energy, but not so ill to feel comfortable taking a rest day. After whining for a spell, I’ve realized that I’m going to nip this in the bud quicker by doing less, dosing up on my favorite remedies, and getting some extra sleep. This is somewhat of an amazing feat as it counters a multi-generational attitude in my family (on both sides) of “toughing it out” through illness and injury.

I know many get struck with the cold or flu every time it comes around. While long-term nutrition strategies for a healthy immune system are the best way to counteract this, individual consulting is the best place for that discussion. So I’m going to share some of my favorite “helpers” to recover from illness quickly after you’ve been bit.

1) EHB: One of NF Formulas most popular concoctions, this herbal and vitamin support for immunity cuts the duration of illness significantly. This coupled with the Master Cleanser (below) enabled me to knock out Mononucleosis in 3-4 days about a decade ago. I’ve been a faithful supporter ever since!

2) Master Cleanser: This recipe, adapted from Stanley Burrough’s notorious fasting beverage, will knock out just about any cold, flu, or infection you may be experiencing.

• juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp grade B maple syrup
• 2-3 small cloves garlic
• 1″ fresh ginger root, peeled.
• cayenne pepper or cayenne tincture, to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• hot water

Blend lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and half cup water until smooth. Pour into a 24-32 oz. mug and top off with hot water. This is most effective at night after a hot bath and before bed. Alternatively, it can be nursed throughout the evening. Use as much cayenne as you can tolerate. It tastes much better than it sounds, believe me!

3) Sweat it out! Saunas or hot baths increase the core body temperature will often kill off unwanted invaders. This is essentially creating a feverish environment within the body. Drink plenty of water during and after your bath or sauna. Also, wrap up in warm clothes and blankets afterwards to draw out the sweating potential.

4) Soup’s On! Mom’s chicken soup, a bowl of steaming pho, or your favorite broth-based soup rich with vegetables and protein will help boost your immune system, retain heat, and sweat out invaders. Garlic, ginger, cayenne, thyme, shiitake mushrooms, and licorice root can be added to further support the immune system and fight viruses.

What is your favorite way to combat colds and flus? Do you have any family recipes or tips that you’ve used to hasten the duration of a cold? I’m always open to suggestions and would love to hear what you have found helpful for you! Please share your favorite tips and recipes with me. If published, I’ll be sure to give you credit for your thoughtfulness!

I must take a moment to give great thanks to Jŏcalat, my chocolate savior the last month. Proudly labeled soy, dairy, and gluten free, this little bar has become one of the few sources of chocolate I can find. I’m not a big fan of the bitter cacao, and anything made with chocolate chips is doomed to be laced with soy lecithin. In a classic display of human psychology, a food which I did not have frequent strong cravings for before has suddenly become the Itch I cannot seem to scratch.
I chalk it up to a mix of expected and unexpected stressors over the last 4 weeks that markedly increased the desire for sweetness in my life. It’s only compounded by strict dietary protocol I am currently following. Whatever the origin, that nagging desire for chocolate is quelled with Jŏcalat. Not only that, but with ingredients so pure and natural* they sound almost holy, I can’t even feel guilty afterward!

*The above bar contains organic dates, organic walnuts, organic, fair-trade certified cocoa mass and organic cocoa powder. The nuts add healthy fats and minimize the blood sugar spike from the natural sugars found in dates. No one flavor overpowers another so the end result is an enjoyable, portable bar that doesn’t melt, isn’t overly sticky and is one of the purest products you can find! Other flavors are Chocolate Coffee, Chocolate Mint, and Chocolate Orange. Also try LaraBar’s Cocoa Mole and Chocolate Coconut and report back on what you think!

Since I’ve recently had to revamp my diet, I’ve found a few goodies I keep going back to:

• Blueberries! I averaged 3 pounds a week for much of July and August. It was heaven!

• My favorite breakfast right now: toasted rice bread with cashew butter and ginger jam. Tastes as decadent as it sounds!

• My favorite snack: air-popped popcorn spritzed with Napa Valley Toasted Sesame and Garlic oil and tossed in salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.

• Lara Bars: Gluten, Dairy, and Soy free - they are very handy to have in the car.

I’m sitting here, outside Da Vinci’s, finishing a chocolate blackberry muffin.
(I can hear some of you now: she eats chocolate muffins??!?!)

No, I haven’t gone on a gluten/dairy bender. I cannot say I haven’t been tempted! After noticing that the almond milk I have been using contains soy lecithin, I nearly threw in the towel in frustration. But rather than commit digestive suicide, I chose to hunt down a little known Seattle treasure, Da Vinci’s Cafe and Bakery.

Nestled in a relatively unattractive part of Greenwood, Da Vinci’s truly is a haven for the food intolerant. A dedicated gluten-free bakery, they have left no stone unturned, offering delectables for vegans, dairy intolerant, soy intolerant, and nut allergies. All items are gluten and peanut free, and varieties abound for those with other food intolerances. A big complaint about gluten-free goods is that they are gritty, dry, and tasteless. I assure you the chocolate muffin I just scarfed down was none of those things.

Traffic is pretty solid here for a Thursday afternoon. The five space parking lot became filled with my vehicle’s entrance, and there were several people inside eagerly chowing down on various baked goods and lunchtime offerings (quiche and pizza, to name a few). I walked up to the counter to stand in line after quickly scoping the place out (allergy-focused books on the book shelf, ingredients predominantly displayed next to the bread shelf) and was greeted by a young girl who asked if she could be of assistance. I informed her that I needed something soy, dairy, and gluten free. She was quickly able to point out several options. The owner behind the counter piped in once she was finished with her customer, informing me that everything is gluten free, and that there is a terrific soy-free French bread available on Fridays (just may have to come back tomorrow…)

The bane of my existence has become soy lecithin, which is everpresent in anything which may need emulsifying (chocolate, dressings, my freaking almond milk). While some ingredients did contain soy lecithin, I was able to find both sweets and savories that qualified with my new dietary restrictions. Now when I get irritated at the limitations and want to bury myself in a brownie, I have someplace to go.

Thanks, Da Vinci’s!

A belated congratulations to Keith of Thundering Hooves for his prize-winning potluck entry at the VIBRANCE open house in late April. Keith won a $25 gift certificate to Sur La Table to further cultivate his culinary imagination!

Keith’s grass-fed Mongolian Beef recipe was a fantastic addition to the potluck, and narrowly pulled ahead of a southwest quinoa dish contributed by the Purcell family. The mongolian beef was rich with multi-colored veggies and contained very added fat. Grass-fed beef is not only more humane, but it contains less saturated fat and has omega3 fatty acids from the cow’s natural diet of wild plants. VIBRANCE guests raved over the flavor and vegetable variety within this dish.

Thundering Hooves Grass-Fed Mongolian Beef with Veggies

• 1 lg head broccoli, chopped into florets, stalk diced
• 1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
• 1 each - red and green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 sm. serrano chili, diced
• 2 cups snap peas
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into matchsticks
• 1 lb. grass-fed top sirloin steak (skirt or flank steak will also do nicely)

Coat the beef in the following marinade for an hour, then stir-fry until browned:

• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tbsp. dry white wine
• 2 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

Whisk together the following sauce for the veggies:

• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp. dry white wine
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce

As meat is browned, add veggies and stir fry with sauce until crisp tender.

I spent all weekend in a business seminar for holistic, green businesses. There I met Keith from Thundering Hooves, and I have to tell you, I fell in love with this man.

Thundering Hooves represents beef at it’s best. At it’s BEST. I firmly believe if you are going to eat meat, it is absolutely necessary to choose organic and free-range. The standard methods of raising livestock in the country have horrid ethical and environmental consequences, but on a strictly professional level, I cannot endorse consuming non-organic meats. There are a number of reasons why that are best explained on a separate post. Through my research I’ve found several companies offering “natural” beef, and whenever possible, I look at their website and check them out. The quality of “natural” varies widely, but in many cases it means antibiotic and hormone free. Sometimes these animals are raised orgaincally, sometimes they are grass-fed — but even some grass-fed meats are “finished” with a few months of corn to boost fat content.
No website has ever discussed the unpleasant task of slaughter, which is something that is important to me on a personal level.

This weekend, the man sitting across from me informed me that they not only raise their livestock on 100% grass-fed diets, but they have a USDA-certified “harvester” on-site. Which means these animals never have to endure the stress of transport from farm to slaughterhouse.

Wow.

A company who gives the highest quality care to the animals all the way to the end.

How can I not swoon?

Thundering Hooves is very open about their slaughtering procedure on their website. I highly encourage you to check it out, look at what they have to offer (home delivery AND local pick-up sites in the Seattle area!). If you place an order, please let them know that Aimee at VIBRANCE Nutrition and Fitness sent you. It lets Keith know I care.

Support local.
Support environmentally-sustainable.
Support socially-responsible.
Support Thundering Hooves.

1 Powerful Machine, 34+ Kitchen Tasks Promoting Whole-Foods Living:

I’ve owned a Vitamix Total Nutrition Center for almost 10 years, and this bad boy never ceases to amaze me!
My favorite Vitamix story happened about 5 years ago. I was making homemade cornbread but discovered halfway through the recipe that I failed to purchase cornmeal! Rather than run to the store, I ripped open a bag of microwave popcorn, threw it in my Vitamix, and within 45 seconds I had finely ground cornmeal! Recipe saved! Vitamix replaces your food processor, mixer, blender, ice cream maker, and in some cases, stovetop. It can make hot or cold soups, ice cream, salsa, smoothies, and even whole-food juices - fiber intact! The two horsepower motor and strong blades pulverize fruits and vegetables so finely that the fiber is almost indetectable! I use mine for juices, smoothies, salad dressings, homemade nut butters, and make whole-grain flours and hot soups. If you want to see its power firsthand, I will be demonstrating the Vitamix 5000 at the Bastyr Herb and Food Fair on June 3rd. Order through VIBRANCE using code 06-001737 and receive free shipping! (a $25 value!)

A Refreshing Way to Stay Hydrated

Getting enough water in is a consistent challenge for many people. Filtered or bottled water is not always available and the taste of tap water often drives people to less healthy options such as sodas or artificially flavored “fruit” waters.

Now that need not be an excuse; True Lemon is a wonderfully portable product that gives a refreshing taste to water without any funky artificial flavors or colors. Available in portable packets, it offers a very easy way to liven up water and makes consumption feel like a guilty pleasure! True Lemon is available in Albertson’s stores throughout the Seattle area. If you would like a free sample before committing to a full packet, the friendly folks at True Lemon will send you a sample and coupons at no charge to you!