RECIPE: A Slice Different than Plain ol Pancakes

I just have to share this recipe because YUM it was awesome and toddler approved!

Apple Ring Pancakes (taken from Family Fun Sept 2014 edition)

Ingredients:

2 large apples (cored and thinly sliced)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

7 ½ tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup flour (coconut or almond meal can be used instead of white or wheat flour)

¼ tsp salt

1 egg

2 tbsp butter (melted)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

½ tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1. Toss apple slices in lemon juice and then sprinkle with 3 tsp sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon.
2. Whisk remaining sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt.
3. Whisk together remaining ingredients in separate bowl and add flour mixture.
4. Assemble “pancake” by spooning batter over apple slice and letting remainder drop back into bowl.
5. Place into buttered pan and cook “pancakes” 5 minutes per side.
6. Enjoy!

7 Foods to Reduce Mucus During Allergy Season

Allergy season has sprung back to life! Want to reduce your symptoms without medication? Try out these 7 REAL foods with mucus fighting powers.

#1 Pineapple
Pineapple contains bromelain which reduces mucus and phlegm production and aids in allowing mucus to move through the sinuses and other areas of the body easier.

#2 Celery
Celery is a natural antioxidant that contains Vitamin A and beta-carotene plus a number of other vitamins and minerals. In addition, the lutein and zea-xanthin levels in celery are a powerful immune system booster.

#3 Papaya
Papaya contains an important enzyme called papain with anti-inflammatory properties and thins out mucus.

#4 Carrots
Carrots contain phyto-nutrients that are powerful immune system boosters. In addition, they contain silicon which help strengthen connective tissues and aid in calcium absorption.

#5 Radish
Radish contains enzymes that can literally dissolve mucus in our bodies and help fight allergies with anti inflammatory properties

#6 Garlic
Garlic also contains enzymes that can dissolve mucus in our bodies but this fighter is also a natural antibiotic that can be used not only in food but also in ear oils and sprays to help fight ear infections and sore throats.

#7 Apple Cider Vinegar
This powerhouse can not only fight mucus but can also alkalize your gut and boost your immune system. ACV can also help to thin and break up mucus making it easier to clear from the body. I'd recommend 1 tbsp with a full glass of water per day when you're having symptoms.


For more information or natural help with your allergies call 689-6200 to schedule your consultation at my office.

3 Ways to Reduce Allergy Symptoms

Spring is finally here and with it comes allergy season! Have you been sneezing up a storm or hacking and coughing from the pressure? Time to get relief the natural way without the dry itch or drowsiness.

Allergies are caused by the over-response of your body's immune system to common things in your environment. If your body is reacting to multiple things at one time it can increase your immune response by ten fold, this means if you have more than one allergy you are seriously suffering from some allergy effects. So what can you do to reduce your symptoms?

Step #1: Determine what you're allergic to

Step #2 Find out where you're getting exposed to it.

Step #3 Reduce your exposure or reduce your allergy response.

#1 Determining what you're allergic to may be as simple as keeping a food diary or just looking at the seasonal calendar. Skin scratch tests can be unreliable and even give false positives whereas most blood testing will only tell you your allergy markers are elevated. If you truly need help with determining what you're allergic to, an lymphocyte reactive assay (LRA test) is the most effective because it will test your white blood cells (your immune responders) against different antigens to see if they react and how serious of a reaction your body has. We do perform this testing in my office, however insurance coverage varies depending on your plan so you may have to pay out of pocket for this test. The good news is that once you know what you're allergic to you can avoid it to facilitate healing and even getting rid of your allergy for good.

#2 can be quite tough especially if you have allergies from food additives and the change of season at the same time. The best thing to do is to start by reducing common food allergens (gluten from wheat and cow's milk) to reduce the amount of inflammation and mucus your body is producing. If you're not sure what you're allergic too it's time to start a food diary or tracking allergies with the calendar. Many allergens today are found with food chemicals and preservatives which are very hard to avoid today.

#3 If you know what you're allergic to then simply reduce your exposure or avoid the allergen in food as much as possible, however if there's no possible way to avoid it then you need to find another solution. Many over the counter medications cause drowsiness, painful dry itch in the sinus cavity, and possibly even cause serious side effects to you (including weakening your immune system and putting yourself at risk for further sickness). A natural option that can be very effective is a product I carry in my office called Aller-aid. This product works by stopping your body from having an allergy response in the first place which will reduce all the inflammatory chemicals rather than waiting for you to have an allergy response like with most over the counters.

If you need more help, call 689-6200 to schedule a consultation to discuss natural ways of beating your allergies!