Creme Brulee

Crème Brulee

Ingredients

·         6 egg yolks

·         6 tablespoons palm sugar divided

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 1/2 cups coconut cream

·         2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

2.    Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.

3.    Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.

4.    Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.

5.    Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.

6.    Preheat oven to broil. Broil 1 minute.

 Variation:   Before pouring in baking dish crush 1 pkg Pamela’s Shortbread cookies and mix with ¼ cup grape seed oil. Press in bottom of baking dish. Pour crème brulee mixture on top. Toast ¾ cup coconut flakes.  Mix with ½ cup palm sugar. Sprinkle on top of crème brulee and bake.   

How Not to Fall Asleep After a Holiday Meal

How Not to Fall Asleep After a Holiday Meal

      Our typical Thanksgiving, and Christmas, meals usually full of starches and sweets, things high on the Glycemic Index. They are also typically low on fresh vegetables and fruits, with the live enzymes to help digest the heavy foods. 

      Serving a big green salad, with an assortment of many colors and textures of vegetables in it, helps satisfy hunger quickly, by giving the body the nutrients it needs. Enjoying the turkey, or other organic protein, and smaller portions of the starches and sweets, with plenty of slightly steamed, sauteed, or fresh vegetables, helps the body assimilate the other foods. 

      Taking a walk after dinner will help to burn off the meal, and prevent the after dinner daze. Holidays can be much more fun when family and friends aren't tired, and grumpy, from eating too much of a good thing.

                                                             Health & Happiness,

                                                                       Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                             534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                             For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

                                                                 

Pumpkin Pie, Wheat & Dairy Free

      No one ever notices the omissions in this delicious holiday tradition. It is one of the desserts requested for Thanksgiving and Christmas potluck events.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

• 1 can organic pumpkin
• 1 cups Hazelnut, organic Coconut, or vanilla Hemp milk, (sweetened with rice syrup, as        
•       opposed to cane juice)
• 1 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 large, organic eggs
• 3/4 cup palm sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cardamon 
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt

Organic Cranberries

Organic Cranberries

      Why Organic? As in other crops, oil based pesticides, and herbicides, are used in non-organic cranberries. If these chemicals weren't oil based, rain, and water in the cranberry bog, would wash them off, defeating their purpose. After harvesting, the berries are washed off with cold water, which does nothing to remove an oil based chemical.

      As in other foods, if they aren't organic, chemicals are also used to fertilize the crop. When the soil isn't organically enriched, the soil isn't prepared, crops aren't rotated to prevent depletion of the soil, we don't get the nutrients we need from our food, one of the reasons the US has as much malnutrition as third world countruies. 

      So, "Go Organic" and get what you pay for, clean, nutrient rich, fruits and vegetables.

                                              Health & Happiness,

                                                           Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

                                                       

Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Salad

      Another Holiday family favorite recipe is Waldorf Salad. The following is my "Healthier Version Of" recipe.

      2       organic apples, cored and cut into bite sized pieces

      2       celery stalks, organic, chopped

      1/2    cup walnuts

      1/4    dried organic cranberries

      1/2    cup good, organic,  mayonnaise

      juice from 1/2 organic orange

      dash of maple syrup, if needed to sweeten dressing

      green leaf lettuce or mixed greens, as bed

Mix apples, celery, walnuts, and cranberries. In separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, orange juice, and maple syrup. Pour dressing over fruit and nut mixture, mix thoroughly. Can make ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve on bed of lettuce or mixed greens.   Enjoy!

                                                     Health & Happiness,  
                                                            Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                   534 Washington St. Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

Apple, Cranberry, Pear & Walnut Piee

Apple, Cranberry, Pear & Walnut Pie  

Filling:
      1 1/2 cups     organic apples 
      1 1/2 cups     organic pears,
      1/2 cup         organic cranberries  (fresh or dried) 
      1 cup             walnuts
      ½ cup           pure maple syrup, or palm sugar, to taste
      ¼                  ground cinnamon
     1 teaspoon  organic vanilla
     2 teaspoons   arrow root, water chestnut flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, or other thickener 
      water, enough to cover bottom of sauce pan.
      1/8-1/4 cup water, to mix with thickener 

      optional:  1 egg  (for brushing on top of pie crust, for a brown sheen)     

               Peel and core apples and pears. Place all ingredients, except thickener, in sauce pan and cook until apples and pears are not quite soft. Mix thickener with 1/8-1/4 cup water, until dissolved. Slowly mix into boiling fruit mixture, stirring constantly, until thick. Place fruit mixture in pie shell. Bake until golden brown.  

Spelt Pie Crust:  for convenience  a pre-made is available in the frozen section of Health Food    
        Stores, but usually contains a bit of cane juice, and is in an aluminum pie pan, though    
        dough can be transferred to another pan. 

        For those with the time to make your own crust, the following is my "Healthy Version Of"   
                recipe.  

      2 cups       whole, organic spelt flour
      1/2 cup      grape seed oil
     1 teaspoon sea salt
     1 teaspoon palm sugar
      3-4 tablespoons very cold water

               Mix flour, oil, palm sugar and salt. Sprinkle in water, a little at a time, until flour is pie dough consistency. Can add a few more tablespoons of oil if dough is too dry. Roll out on wax or parchment paper, for easy transfer to pie pan. Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel pie pan, not aluminium. 
                Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake 35-45 minutes or until pie is a golden brown and juice is bubbling through slits in crust.   Enjoy!

                                           Health & Happiness,         
                                                Nancy Burton, L.Ac.
                                                         534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520
                                                         For Appointments Call: 541-646-0134       

                                            

Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Relish

    Made with fresh cranberries and nuts, this is my healthier version of one of our holiday,  family favorites.

1-2 pints fresh organic cranberries

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

juice of 1 orange

pure, grade B, organic maple syrup, to taste, about 1 cup

  

Cover bottom of sauce pan with water. Place cranberries, and walnuts, in sauce pan. Cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add maple syrup to taste. Cool. Can make ahead of time and refrigerate.   Enjoy!

                                                            Health & Happiness, 
                                                                Nancy Burton, L.Ac.
                                                                     534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520
                                                                     For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

Ginger, Coconut Yams

Ginger, Coconut Yams

     Coconut milk is considered to be a 'damp' food in TCM, one that has a lot of oil, or fat, or causes fat in the body. Damp foods also cause phlegm. Ginger dries dampness and phlegm, clears the lungs and aids digestion. Coconut and ginger are therefore a good combination, for flavor, and for health. 

     When I skim the coconut fat from the top of the can, to mix and refrigerate for Coconut Cream, (turns into the same consistency as whipped cream, to be used as an alternative) this is one way I use the left over coconut milk.  

 1 - 2       yams or sweet potatoes, sliced

 1 can    organic coconut milk, (Thai Kitchen is a good brand)

 1 Tablespoon dried, shredded organic coconut, for each yam or sweet potato

          for a stronger coconut flavor, toast coconut in dry frying pan

1 Tablespoon minced ginger for each yam or sweet potato

Steam yams and ginger. When soft mash. Add just enough coconut milk for the consistency of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle top with dried coconut. Can make ahead and warm up before serving in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

                                                            Health & Happiness,        
                                                                  Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                           534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                                           For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134  

Green Beans & Beets with Almonds

Green Beans & Beets with Almonds

This is a colorful dish, a beautiful addition to any holiday meal. Beets thin bile. Bile, created in the liver then sent to the gallbladder to be condensed and then released, into the small intestines, to break down fats. So including beets in a holiday meal not only adds color, it helps digest rich food.

organic green beans, slice then juliette

organic beet

slivered almonds

Toast slivered almonds in dry frying pan, stirring constantly. Steam green beans and beets, until green beans are cooked but still slightly crunchy and colorful. Top with tasted slivered almonds and serve.  

                                                                                 Enjoy!  

'Candied' Yams

'Candied' Yams

      A healthier version of a holiday favorite, this can be made with sweet potatoes or yams.  In TCM they say yellow vegetables, like sweet potatoes, or yams, tonify (strengthen) the energetic function of the Spleen, which has to do with digestion. A little bit of sweet, like naturally sweet vegetables or fruits, benefit the Spleen, too much sweet impairs it. This recipe would be too much except for an occasional 'Feast Day' food.      

Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Brown Rice Syrup 

Organic, Grade B Pure Maple Syrup

Grape Seed Oil

Peal and chop yams, into bite sized pieces. Steam, bake or boil until soft. Place in baking dish, lightly coated with Grape seed oil.  Drizzle with brown rice syrup, then maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts. Can make a day ahead of time and toast in oven, At 350 degrees, to warm, before serving, about 15 minutes.   Enjoy!

                                                     Health & Happiness.        
                                                          Nancy Burton,L.Ac.
                                                                 534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520
                                                                 For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134 

  

                                  

Hiccoughs

Red Dots: Liver 14

Hiccoughs

      Hiccoughs are a sign in TCM of "Rebellious Stomach Qi". ( Qi is the energy circulating in the body).  In other words, the stomach energy is going up instead of down. 

      There are all kinds of crazy remedies to stop hiccoughs, but this one really works. Why does it work? Because it reverses the Stomach Qi, enabling the stomach energy to resume its proper path.

      This is a technique I show all my cancer patients, since cancer treatments are notorious for causing hiccoughs that sometimes go on for days or weeks. The technique is to massage the Acupuncture point Liver 14. Liver 14 is at the end of the Liver channel, which starts in the foot and ends in the chest. Liver 14 is below the nipples, on both sides of the chest, just below the bottom of a bra, or where a bra would be if wearing one. Massage firmly until the hiccoughs stop. 

      If hiccoughs are an ongoing problem, it is a sign that the digestive system is not working as it properly and should be addressed by a Holistic Practitioner. In the meantime, or for occasional problems, massage away.

                                                                      Health & Happiness,

                                                                          Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                               534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                               For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134 

Treating Cancer with Acupuncture and TCM

Treating Cancer with Acupuncture and TCM

      It is becoming the norm for hospitals to employ Acupuncturists, mostly for pain management departments and oncology clinics. Does Acupuncture and TCM cure cancer?  No. What Acupuncture and TCM do is to give the body the tools it needs to heal. 

     My cancer patients have chosen different paths. I support them in any decision they make for their treatment, and do whatever they want me to to help. Some have used chemo, radiation, and surgery. My job is then to support the immune and digestive system, something that Acupuncture and TCM excels at. If the digestive and immune systems remain strong, people survive. I also help to minimize other side effects of cancer treatments, including leg cramps, hiccoughs, nausea, fatigue, dry mouth, etc. Other patients use everything TCM has to offer.

    There are Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas that can shrink and resolve tumors, and masses. One patient with an enormous mass had some time before the scheduled surgery to remove it. His surgeons were amazed by how much the mass had shrunk, and how much his energy and overall health had increased by the time of the operation.

      In some cases, patients come to me in such advanced stages that there is little I can do except make them more comfortable. Heat breaking as that is, it is something. In such cases supporting their spouse, significant other, or family care giver with Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas for stress, grief, and fatigue helps people deal with unbearable situations. 

     One middle aged patient with an advanced stage of cancer, was involved in a cancer study for an experimental treatment. "They said no Acupuncture. " he told me, "It could skew their study." "What about herbs?" I ask." No herbs!" was the response. "What about massage?" I inquired? Not caring as much about skewing their study as I did about the survival and well being of my patient. "Massage is fine." came the verdict. 

     So, we did massage, Tui Na, the Chinese medicinal massage. My patient came through the cancer, and their study, with flying colors. In fact, they informed him that he was their 'poster child' exceeding their expectations, and the recovery of their other patients. 

     Given the right tools, the body can do amazing things.

                                                        Health & Happiness,

                                                            Nancy Burton, L.Ac. 

                                                                534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                                For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134 

The Sugar Cancer Connection

The Sugar Cancer Connection

     A  seminar a few years ago confirmed my suspicions, and my observations in clinic, sugar makes cancer grow. It turns out that cancer cells can't live without glucose. Sugar and other  foods high on the Glycemic Index feed cancer cells. 

    There are some new oncology centers (cancer clinics) springing up around the country with some progressive techniques. Before other treatment, a patient is injected with a huge amount of insulin, which dumps the glucose from the body, killing off cancer cells. They can then use a fraction of the chemo, or radiation, on the remaining cancer.  

    With my cancer patients, I saw a cycle. Those that cleaned up their diets, and used sugar and empty carbohydrates as occasional 'Feast Day Foods' did well. Those that got proud of themselves after a good report, from their oncologist, and reverted to an unhealthy diet, high in sugar, and other empty carbohydrates, struggled with an ongoing fight for their lives.

   What does this mean in preventative terms? Moderation! Not sugar several times a day, not sugar everyday, read labels, know what you are putting into your body, and the possible consequences. Notice how much additional sugar is ingested in beverages, mints, gum, alcohol. Avoid 'sugar-free' food items that use artificial sweeteners, which are toxic to the body. And for those with sugar addictions, see a Holistic practitioner to check for Candida, anemia, lack of nutrients in the diet or lack of assimilation, all of which cause sugar cravings. 

      Everything we eat is turned into glucose in the body, except for protein, which is converted into amino acids. One theory behind lower cancer rates in the past, especially in certain populations, was the lack of any kind of food at the end of the winter, aside from animals that were hunted, or trapped. Once a year, in such cultures, little was eaten but amino acids, and any active cancer died off. 

     Cancer rates have been going up at an alarming rate in the U.S., right along with the rates of obesity. So help prevent cancer, enjoy sugar, and even healthier versions of sweeteners, in moderation.

                                                         Health & Happiness,

                                                             Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                   534 Washington St.   Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

Regrowth

Regrowth

     As an Acupuncturist, I get to go to work and see miracles everyday. One of the most amazing things I saw, in my practice, was a case where a man chopped off the end of his finger. It was gone from just above the joint up. At the hospital they were able to reattach about a 1/4 of an inch. But the part that had been sewn back on had turned black. "The entire finger will have to be removed.", he was told.

    That was when he came to see me. We did Acupuncture every other day and the color returned. "Well, we guess you get to keep the finger." he was informed. "But, you won't have feeling in the tip for over a year." In a month he had feeling in the tip. Then the bone started growing so fast, they had to do an operation to cover it with skin. "Well, that is weird." they said, "But the nail will never grow back." The nail grew back. 

      Now you would have to look closely to see that the finger is any different from the one on the other hand. 

      A year later he came in to see me. "The finger is great," he informed me, "except when I am out fishing, and it gets really cold, then it hurts." A few treatments, and an Chinese Herbal formula later, and he was comfortably fishing again.

      It never ceases to amaze me what the body can do to heal, when just given the right tools.

                                                                    Health & Happiness,

                                                                        Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                             534 Washington St.   Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                             For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

      

      

Arthritis

Arthritis

      Pain was the first thing that the AMA acknowledged that Acupuncture, and TCM, excelled at treating. Though helpful to know if it is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid the term  arthritis means little in TCM. From the perspective, of an Acupuncturist, arthritis just means pain. To develop an effective treatment plan, an Acupuncture point prescription and Chinese herbal formulas, it is necessary to know the type of pain. Are the joints hot and swollen, or does cold cause pain? Is there stiffness and pain, in the morning or after not moving? Are the ligaments and tendons getting the nutrients from the blood that they need?

      Twelve different people could come in with the same diagnosis, arthritis, but each person's arthritis might be caused by different things, or a different combination of things.  Each patient would therefore be treated with different Acupuncture points and Chinese herbal formulas. A much different approach than western medicine. An approach with much better results.   

       With few exceptions, people don't have to live with the pain of arthritis.    

                                            Health & Happiness,

                                                 Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                      534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

      

This is a variation of the vegetable smoothie recipe that appeared earier in the blog. The addition of ginger makes it more appropriate for colder weather. Ginger warms the whole body, expelling phlegm and aiding digestion. It therefore helps counteract the raw food in the smoothie, which is considered cold, in Chinese nutritional therapy. 

1 pear

3 slices of raw ginger, chopped

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

piece of a beet

handful of parsley

Place is strong blender. Cover vegetables and fruit with warm water.  Blend.  Enjoy!

Sugar Alternatives

Sugar Alternatives

      Using any sweetener on a daily basis isn't the best option, but for healthier alternatives to sugar there are a number of choices. For baking I use mostly palm sugar, grade B pure maple syrup, and occasionally brown rice syrup and barley malt. I also use Stevia.

      Palm sugar is like raw cane sugar in taste and texture. It can be used in equal amounts in recipes, and is low on the Glycemic Index.

      Pure, grade B maple syrup is not as processed as grade A, which makes it easier to digest, and lower on the Glycemic Index. Most maple syrups sold in grocery stores are grade A, mixed with corn syrup to cut the cost. Corn syrup, is very high on the Glycemic Index, and causes insulin insensitivity, for all blood types except blood type A, setting people up for weight gain and diabetes. Pure, grade B, maple syrup is a healthier choice.

      Brown rice syrup is comparable to a mild, light corn syrup, in consistency and taste. I look for it on labels if buying milk alternatives or baked products, instead of buying the products with cane juice. I occasionally use brown rice syrup for baking, in recipes that call for corn syrup. 

      Barley malt is like a mild molasses. It used to be available in liquid form, lately I have just seen it in crystals. I use it for a molasses substitute.

      Agave used to be a great sweetener, until it became so popular. At that point they started using a different part of the plant to make it. It is now higher on the Glycemic Index than sugar.

      Honey also used to be a wonderful sweetener, and still is most places in the world. Unfortunately, in the western United States it is no longer the best option. Originally  there were a different type of bees east and west of the  Allegheny Mountains, until someone got the bright idea to breed them. Cross breeding resulted in a diminished immune system, leaving them susceptible to a certain type of mite. The bees were dying. To kill the mite, the bees are now fed sugar water with antibiotics. When we ingest this type of honey, we are ingesting sugar and  antibiotics, which adversely effects our immune systems.

      Xylitol is now used for many gums and mints. It can cause what the Chinese refer to as 'damp heat' in the body, which can increase heat, sweating,and contribute to yeast and bladder infections, in some individuals. 

     Stevia has been used in other countries for some time, a great alternative to artificial sweeteners. It is available in several forms, a white powder concentrate, clear or brown liquid, and a green powder, which is the dried leaf. Most forms aren't good for baking or cooking, the exception being the dried, green form, which I use when cooking soups or sauces. the other forms are great for use in liquids, cold or raw foods. 

      I use many of these sweeteners in various recipes on my blog. Most Health Food stores have recipes and cooking classes using them. And most of these stores are happy to introduce people to these products, and their uses, if just asked. 

       

                                                                Health & Happiness,

                                                                     Nancy Burton, L.Ac,

                                                                             534 Washington St. Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                             For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134