All the Things Doctors Do at the Office When You Aren’t Around!

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Paperwork
1. PAPERWORK!!! (Records requests, letters, Personal Injury documents, Medicare compliance, database attestations, blah blah blah)
-No one tells you about all THAT stuff in school!
2. Read
-I read obsessively because I am a researcher at heart and I love going through info and finding gems that will help my patients! I read stuff about nutrition, stuff about exercise and mobility, stuff about medication, stuff about chiropractic research, stuff about mental impact on the body, stuff patients give me, you name it…
3. Continued education
-Every year, we get to go learn new techniques, refresh info, see our old friends, and embrace chiropractic!
4. Answer emails
-Supplement reps, new research alerts, new issues of chiropractic and nutrition publications, family, friends, nutrition patients, etc
5. Put together educational events
-These events take tons of time!! You have NO idea…
6. Put together presentations and write blog posts
-Powerpoints about leaky gut aren’t going to write themselves!
7. Make phone calls
-Check up on patients, call back reps, make referrals
8. Consulting with colleagues
-We like to talk about our cases with one another! 2 heads are better than 1!
9. Run a business (payroll, fix the toilets, meet with employees, update computers, update social media…)
-They also don’t tell you that stuff in school!
10. Prepare for upcoming patient visits
-That report of findings packet? It didn’t write itself either….

When ALL of that is done…and your name is Dr. Angela
1. Do kettlebell swings in the PT room
2. Work on ankle mobility
3. Tell funny stories with the staff
4. Eat
5. Drink coffee
6. Get inspiration from blogs, chefs, news
7. Listen to Pandora
8. Get adjusted
9. Step outside to soak up the sun and fresh air
10. Watch the Crossfit Games and look up cute puppy pictures….;) What?!

Holy Moly Goodness

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image (1)
I don’t even know what to call this dessert because the recipe is actually a variation on “Eating Clean with a Dirty Mind’s” Ice cream Sandwiches When I saw her pictures, heard her descriptions, and saw the ingredients, I knew I had to try it. However, I’m not a big complicated recipe kinda person, and there were a few steps to actually get the goodness. I always start with the original recipe as it’s called for so I know exactly how it’s intended to taste. Then, I put my spin on it to make it more convenient, or suite my palate, etc. The original recipe was amazing! This is my personal spin on it though….and you could easily halve the recipe to make a thinner layer. The photo is a half batch that was frozen in an 8×8 to give you an idea of thickness. The photo is also of a version with homemade sunflower/walnut butter and tahini mixture. The first time I made it, I did the original cashew butter. All are good! The one with sunbutter tastes a lot like peanut butter fudge, so if you are going for a classic chocolate chip cookie flavor, I would stick with almond butter or cashew butter.

Holy Moly Goodness

-Cookie Dough Layers-

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups nut butter of choice (almond, cashew, sunbutter)
  • 1/2 cup browned butter (don’t change this! Although I’m sure it’d be good regular, too)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Brown the butter by putting it in a shallow sauce pot on medium-low heat until it becomes a dark golden brown. You will know it’s ready when it smells like toffee. Take the butter off the burner right after it reaches this point to prevent burning.

2. In a medium sized bowl add the nut butter, browned butter, coconut flour and stir together. Next add the maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and stir until combined.

3. Cover the bowl and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You want the cookie dough to harden up a bit but you still want it to be somewhat pliable so you can work with it.

4. Remove from the freezer and fold in the 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. If you add them before going in the freezer they will sink and settle at the bottom.

5. Line an 8×8 glass or metal pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter.

6. Put in freezer for at least 20 minutes.

7. While it is freezing, make vanilla ice cream!

This is amazing all by itself, but feel free to top a piece with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream! This will give you all the same flavors, minus the steps of making it into a sandwich!

Are You Overspending on Food?

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grocery bill
I hear people say all the time that eating “like I do” is so expensive! I’m not even sure what that means, eating real food? I have been doing months worth of research to determine how much I actually spend every month on food to see if what I spend is really THAT much more than people buying packaged goods. Let’s face it, it costs less to buy Mac and cheese in a box than some grassfed beef. I thought to myself that since I had no idea how much I was spending, that maybe I was actually spending more than I expected!!

Some of you may be wondering how I could have no clue how much I was spending, so I will give you an idea of what my food spending looks like. EVERYTHING I buy is quality; this is because I can give up the cost of baked goods with almond flour if I need to in order to have healthy whole foods. I buy all my beef grassfed, all my chicken free range, all my pork pastured, most of my produce organic (unless I can’t find it or I am peeling it). I am not saying this is the standard everyone is at or should be at, but I wanted to give you an idea of what spending is like when you do it “all the way clean.” It has taken months to evaluate because when I buy a 1/4 of a cow, it takes more than a month to eat! So, that month I may spend a few hundred dollars on meat but then won’t have to buy meat for months to come. The same with produce. I pay for my CSA share in the beginning of the year but do not get any veggies until June-Oct, which means I don’t have them as an expense through the summer.

Drum roll. I would say that on average, I spend around 300/mo (per person) on food. Let me clarify….that means everything! Meat, veggies, items to bake, beverages, eating out, etc. I looked up what the average American spends on just a standard diet and it was way more than that! In eating out one night, someone can spend what my entire week of groceries cost!

I am going to give you some of the same tips that most quality-conscious people will give you, so they should not be a surprise.

1. Join a CSA. The CSA costs me $15/week from June-Oct and I have so many veggies that are local, organic, fresh that I can’t possibly keep up with eating them all! Therefore, I freeze some, ferment some, give some away and I hardly ever buy produce from the grocery store because I have so much already.
2. Start a garden. This is partly just fun to watch stuff grow, be able to harvest your own bounty, and feel good knowing that it came from your backyard! However, seeds cost next to nothing, and if you plant accordingly, you will have plants that keep giving you FREE food all summer long!
3. Buy in bulk! I buy my cows and pigs by the 1/4, I buy my chickens by the dozen, and I buy butter by the box. In the summer, I go to the local, organic orchards or farms and stock up on 30lbs of blueberries and 2 bushels of apples, etc. This fruit gets made into applesauce, crumbles, etc and frozen to be enjoyed all year at a fraction of the price.
4. Buy what’s on sale, not what you “want.” It’s easy to go to the store with an idea of what you want to eat that week and buy the ingredients. However, if what you want to eat is not in season, then you may pay double or triple the amount for your produce than if you bought produce that the farmers can’t get off their hands fast enough. There is no shelf life to produce, therefore, when it is in season, it is abundant and fresh and nutritious….and cheap!
5. Bake with coconut flour and tapioca flour. If you bake everything with almond flour, you could risk spending 10 dollars on the flour to make one coffee cake! Consider those items “treats” not because they are desserts but because they are budget-busters.
6. Eat eggs often. They are the cheapest protein source around and are full of nutrients. Have breakfast for dinner a few nights a month and it can go a long way.
7. Figure out what things you buy may be costing you a fortune. I found that buying coconut milk ice cream was running me $6 a pint! It costs me $3 to make more on my own! Therefore, if it’s something you consume frequently, you may find that making it at home is rewarding and cost-effective! That same thing goes for chicken stock. Save your $3 a quart and simply throw your left over bones in the crockpot with water and make your own.
8. Make your own laundry detergent. I was spending obscene amounts of money on “all natural” products and laundry detergent has been one of the best things ever! It costs me less than $10 to make a big barrel of it and it lasts months.
9. Have people over! Not only is hosting friends fun, but you can enjoy better food and drinks for much less! Having friends over for dinner will save your dining out budget from tipping the scales (and you will know that the food was quality!). Especially if you drink wine, $10 at the store equals $35 at the restaurant!
10. Pack you lunch. I feel like a broken record with this one because I say it ALL THE TIME. Eating leftovers for lunch means eating amazing food, AND not having to spend $15 everyday for a crappy hamburger sans the bun.
I would love for those with families to chime in and let us know how much they spend! It is definitely a do-able thing. Once you have your pantry stocked with “new” things like coconut oil, milk, flour, spices, etc., it’s really just maintenance from there. ;)

Don’t Cringe….Burgers With Beef Heart

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burger
Some of my previous posts have alluded to all the weird things I have eaten in the past few years in addition to the importance of organ meats in our diet. However, lets face it, liver tastes so gross! I have tried to like it, tried to sneak it, and tried to plug my nose and swallow! I just haven’t found any way to eat it that I actually like. To me, you need to like your food! So, there are no recipes that I have created with liver, although I have not given up. ;)

That leads me to my burgers! One thing I have been able to use successfully and not even notice is beef heart. I got a meat grinder for Christmas and have been thinking to myself ever since about what I am possibly going to use it for. I ordered some heart from my last meat pick up and decided ground heart it is. I told myself I was going to mix with ground beef and see what happens. Ummm…amazing happened!

Beef heart burgers

  • Combo of ground beef and ground beef heart
  • couple splashes of worcestershire sauce
  • a few hefty dashes of garlic powder
  • a few hefty dashes of red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper

You should try this…organ meat is full of nutrients! If you don’t, I won’t hold it against you. However, you may want to inquire what your burger is made of at the next backyard BBQ at my house!

Things You May Not Know About Dr. Angela

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bags

For some reason, patients always have an idea of what I am actually like outside the office. I have had people tell me that “my house must be so clean” or that they bet “I never watch TV.” I have had more comical characters ask if when no one is looking I eat chocolate cake in the closet! The pic above is me just being me. Hanging out with friends. Unedited. Playing bags on a summer day. I have to say, I have no clue why people sometimes have a perfect persona of myself. I am anything but perfect….so to show you that I am just human like everyone else, it’s show and tell time…kinda….at least “tell”
1. I hate cleaning (and therefore do it as little as possible)
2. I take naps
3. I have 2 pit bulls (and want another one!)
4. I have been to more third world countries than I have developed nations. which means…
5. I have used a hole in the ground to go to the bathroom way too many times
6. I poop every morning (and am really cranky if I don’t)
7. I have wrinkles (which I think of as “passion lines”…maybe I’ll write a blog post about that)
8. I can’t wait to turn 40, 50, 60….really
9. I am a coffee addict. Not just love it…will endure a lot in order to not give it up!
10. I often care more about your health than you do
11. I like my thermostat at 72 degrees…no more, no less.
12. I am terrible at rowing (my gym-mates know that)
13. I would play volleyball everyday if I could
14. I go tanning in the winter
15. My favorite donut is a Bavarian cream-filled powder sugared donut (and I have one about once a year)
16. I dislike treating my family (and sometimes send them elsewhere)
17. I am a sucker for a man’s mind
18. I LOVE trashy reality TV (because I am a sucker for a love story, fake drama, and watching other people’s dreams come true)
19. My favorite movies are SEVEN, Shawshank Redemption, and American History X
20. My favorite TV shows are Intervention and Locked Up Abroad
21. My worst fear is losing my dad
22. I prefer having my boobs over having my muscles (that statement flip flops every 3 months of so…boobs…six pack…boobs…six pack. They don’t occur simultaneously!)
23. I worked days at Finish Line and nights for Bacardi when I was at IU
24. I taught anatomy, histology, and spinal labs at Palmer
25. I have some version of dessert on the daily
26. I just stepped down from my position on the state board
27. I hate hospitals (and avoid going to them at all costs)
28. My most difficult lifestyle change is managing stress
29. I let my dogs on the couch (How else am I gonna cuddle with them?!)
30. I’ve never had a facebook page
31. I am a stickler for staying on time when treating patients
32. I have enough clothes to not do laundry for months
33. I used to be an accountant
34. I know NOTHING about current events and history
35. I know WAY TOO MUCH about health and physiology
36. I’m ultra competitive (to a fault)
37. I do not take any medications
38. I love (real) yogurt (and have it occasionally….like 2-3 containers a year)
39. I wish all my friends would move into the same cul-de-sac
40. I wish people still practiced “the drop by” after college (so much planning just to see your friends these days!)
41. I still use a flip phone
42. I hate eating out
43. I prefer really dark beer if I’m going to have one
44. I have strong opinions
45. I never judge people (regardless of whether they think I do)
46. I am grateful for something everyday (but I am human and have to remind myself of that sometimes)
47. I don’t have all the answers
48. I am anal about spelling and grammar
49. I have a passionate and addictive personality
50. Despite all my faults, I love who I am. I wouldn’t be the same without the entire package…..

Paleo Shepard’s Pie: Happy St. Patty’s Day!

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Pardon the construction around here while I get things all posted, converted, and user-friendly! However, I did not want to deny you the recipe that I made for St. Patty’s Day. I have never had Shepard’s pie because quite frankly, a meat pie sounds gross. So, I doctored it up for a spin on the traditional!

Use this recipe as a template to swap out whatever your family enjoys…and to be honest, this was great for a special occasion but probably too many steps for what I typically want to be doing on a regular night. So, you could easily get all the same flavors by making the mashed potato mixture, and serving it right alongside the veggies and meat mixture. It will have all the same great flavor minus the layering, extra baking, etc.

Paleo Shepard’s Pie

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs of root veggies (I used 1 lb of buttercream potatoes (skin on), 1 turnip (peeled), 2 parsnip)
  • 1 apple (peeled)
  • 1 lb ground breakfast pork
  • 2 portobello mushroom caps, diced (you could use 1/2 lb more meat instead)
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano

Directions:

Cut your root veggies and apple into similar size chunks to throw into a pot with water. Season the water with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil until all veggies are fork tender (around 15 minutes). Drain the veggies and add them back to the pot. Add 1/2 stick of butter to them and begin mashing until you get a mashed potato consistency that you enjoy. Add more butter if needed. Add 1 tsp each of salt and pepper and set aside.

While the veggies are boiling, preheat your over to 450 degrees. Grab a cast iron skillet and brown your pork. Once the pork is cooked through for the most part, take it out with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel for later. Add 1 TBSP butter to the pork fat and then add the onion, celery, carrots and saute until softened (about 8 minutes). Then add the tomato paste and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the broth, worchestershire saucem oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.. Allow to simmer until thickened up a bit (3 more minutes).

Remove from heat and mix in ground meat and frozen peas. Add the mashed root veggies on top and spread with a spatula. Bake until the potato mixture is browned (about 30 minutes). Let rest another 5 minutes after removing from oven before serving.

Paleo Lemon Curd

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We are doing a challenge at our gym right now which requires me to post what I eat everyday.  I’ve noticed that the last few posts have had lemon curd in them and I can’t help but wonder if people think I’m weird?!  I’m sure they do.  However, I decided I needed to post this recipe for everyone to try.  It is packed with fat soluble vitamins and pairs amazing with fresh summer fruit.  Once you try it, you won’t think it sounds weird anymore!!!

Paleo Lemon Curd (this is derived from the nourishing gourmet)

  • 6 egg yolks (save the whites for macaroons, or smoothies, or an egg white omelette)
  • 1/4-1/3 cup honey
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest (1-2 lemons worth)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed, about 3-4 lemons)
  • 6 Tbsp grassfed butter (you could use coconut oil but I haven’t tried it)

Directions:

In a medium enamel or stainless steel bowl, whisk together the yolks, the honey, the zest, and the lemon juice.  Once combined, Put the enamel pot over medium heat or put the stainless steel bowl over another pot of boiling water (essentially a double boiler).  Continue to whisk as you add chunks of the butter little by little until well incorporated and smooth.  Continue to keep over heat while whisking until it thickens up a bit.  Take off heat.  Place in the fridge for a few hours or over night and then enjoy over fresh berries! (or cheesecake….)

I have made this with a combo of lemon and grapefruit since I had some grapefruit to use up and it was fantastic.  You could use any citrus you’d like…orange….lime.  I just happen to love lemon.  If you decide to switch it up or do a combo, just make sure to use zest from whatever fruits you are using.  I’m assuming most of you won’t try to make this…so I will probably try to make a batch for the next crossfit get together so everyone can try it out and see what they have been missing!!!

Paleo Olive Oil Ice Cream: No Joke

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It’s been over 80 degrees everyday, and when it’s that hot out, I want something a little creamy and cold.  Ice cream always seems to do the trick.  I have tried several variations of coconut milk ice cream and I can honestly say that “you can’t go wrong!”  However, I am a huge foodie and will watch the Cooking Network for hours for flavor inspiration.  One day, I was watching a show where the couple went back to Tuscany to cook a traditional meal and olive oil ice cream was on the menu for dessert.  Really?  Wouldn’t that taste absolutely disgusting?  I started researching it and I found out that this is a super traditional concept where olives are grown.  When you have good quality olive oil, it tends to be on the fruity side.  Who knew?!

We have a store called the Olive Branch in Granger and I knew they had tons of infused olive oils.  I went out to check it out and I was completely torn between one of the citrus infusions like lime, meyer lemon, or blood orange, but I ended up going with roasted almond.  The reason I chose Roasted Almond infused olive oil was because I could not resist the thought of using their espresso balsamic vinegar as a reduction over the top!   Done.  Had to go home and make it….right after I did the Regional workout #6.

It turned out great and I am going to say that this is an awesome option to add healthy monosaturated fats to your diet without the heat!  It really took on the flavor of the olive oil.  Try it with basic EVOO or ANY of the infused olive oils at the Olive Branch!  I considered trying to infuse my own with vanilla but sometimes I just get impatient when I have an idea….

*Lurong folks use honey instead

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup roasted almond olive oil (or regular EVOO, or any other flavor)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth.  Put into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions!

I put some of the espresso balsamic in a saucepan and reduced it gently while the ice cream was processing.  I drizzled it over the top to eat it….pure magic.

Paleo Sushi

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So, a couple months ago I was having the worst cravings ever for salmon.  I’m not sure why but I could not walk past it in the grocery store without buying it, stocking up on it, and ordering it off every menu at restaurants.  I must have had my craving satisfied; however, I never forgot about the amazing sushi roll that I came up with!  I had it again last night and thought that I had to share it with everyone.;)

Ingredients: (1 roll)

  • 1/2 an avocado, mashed
  • 1 nori sheet
  • a few strips smoked salmon
  • a few slices of mango
  • a green onion
  • a few sliced of fermented jalapeno, diced

Instructions:

Spread the mashed avocado on the nori sheet leaving about an inch at one end without any.  At the edge (the one with avocado) lay down the smoked salmon, then the green onion, mango, and sprinkles of jalapeno.  Begin to roll the sheet up into a cylinder and wet the edge without avocado on it in order to make it stick.  Done.  I eat it like a burrito but feel free to cut into bite size pieces like they do at the restaurant.  I tried that once and I just ended up smashing it and everything fell out. ;(  You can use any variation of ingredients!  Sashimi grade tuna, cooked shrimp, cucumber, bell pepper, jicama, etc.  I just love smoked salmon and avocado!

BTW-I thought I came up with this amazing idea….until you search it on the internet and everyone is doing it!  My roll is the best though….probably because of my homemade fermented jalapenos!

Paleo Almond Cookies

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This is a recipe that is so good that I almost wanted to keep it to myself.  It’s one of those recipes that’s just so perfect, people may think it’s a secret recipe from your grandma or something.  If I ever own a restaurant or make baked goods for money, or sell food at the farmer’s market, this would be the cookie everyone would be trying to copy to no avail!  I am starting to get mad at myself for telling you how good it is…for some reason when someone tells you how amazing something is, it never tastes THAT amazing!  So, I’ll stop.  This is not the thing to give your friends with pizza palates; this is a recipe for taste buds that have evolved to love flavors beyond peanut butter chocolate.  Eating this cookie is like having a present in every bite!  One minute I am loving the nutty flavor, then I catch a hint of salt…mmm….wait, what is that!?  Almond extract, lemon, omg.  Enough already.  Here’s the dang recipe.  I can’t take credit for this recipe; nor can I give one of my bazillion paleo cookbooks credit either.  This recipe came from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, with a couple switch-a-roos.

Paleo Almond Cookies (makes 18 cookies)

Ingedients:

  • 1 1/2 cups almonds processed into flour (a little less than 2 cups almond flour if you use preground)
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup grassfed butter or coconut oil, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • zest from one lemon
  • 18 almonds or chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F.

Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the butter and extracts.  Fold in the lemon zest.  You should have a pretty solid dough.  Drop tablespoon size balls onto a cookie sheet and place a whole almond in the middle of each cookie (or chocolate chunks if you wish).  Place in the oven for 5 minutes then use a fork to press the cookie down slightly.  Continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Let cool completely.  Try not to eat the entire batch in one sitting.