Natural Treatment for Foot Fungus

From your head to your toes, there are many parts to care for.  Keeping your little piggies healthy is not something we think about too often.  Many of us seek out pedicures regularly but don't think too much about their health value unless something goes wrong like a cut on the foot by way of the pedicurist or fungus that develops from unclean facilities.  These are things we don't like to associate with such a pleasant, pampering experience but they do happen.

Recently, I had a pedicure I had not planned upon with a close friend.  It was at this little salon out in Glendora, California called Salon 66.  I was just going to hang out in the waiting area and look at magazines while he got a hair cut when I was asked if I wanted a pedicure.  So, I thought why not?

Esthetician and Nail Tech Donna La worked on my feet that day.  She was the first pedicurist who took time to talk with me about the state of my feet.  It was not focused on how she would up-sell me into ten different services.  She had a genuine care for my feet and my over all health.

Donna explained the horizontal ridges on my toes were typical of athletes.  I am not one of those but I do like to hike.  She said they likely formed as a result of my toenails being too long coupled with walking in a down hill motion.  She also noticed that I have fungus in my toe nails and recommended that I not wear toenail polish for a couple of months while I treat them.

I have known for many years that there is a natural cure that's better than the commercial ones available for foot fungus.  The Black Walnut tree is the place to go for a couple of different remedies.  

The leaves of the Black Walnut Tree can be cut and placed in a small tub used for bathing your feet.  A dish pan is a good choice for this.  Place several big handfuls of the leaves in the pan and pour hot water from the kettle over them.  Let the leaves steep until the water cools down enough for you to put your feet in.  You can choose to remove the leaves or not as you soak your feet.  I leave them in just in case more of their healing properties can be extracted by the heat.  One treatment may be all you need but I recommend soaking them for at least a few days in a row - perhaps more if need be.

If you do not have access to a Black Walnut tree, you can still get Black Walnut Hull tincture at a health food store in the supplement section.  If you go this route, you can apply several drops per toe and just let it dry.  Just know that the tincture will stain clothing and carpets so put something under your feet that you do not mind staining.  Do this daily until the fungus disappears.    

Black Walnut Hull tincture is also used for treating parasites.  It can be harmful if too much is ingested so seek medical help from a certified naturopath who knows how to use it properly.  It's properties are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.  Perfect for ridding ourselves of the fungus among us.   

Living a delicious and healthy life includes caring for all of your precious parts.  Remember that your toes are connected to the rest of you.  They can affect your health so take good care of them.

To learn more about living a Delicious and Healthy life, go to www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com 

If you want to go gluten and dairy free, get my book, Done with Dairy, Giving Up Gluten for a guide to help you eat deliciously without gluten or dairy.

Oatmeal - What to put on it . . .

I used to loathe oatmeal. The texture, the flavor, the blandness of it all. I could eat Cream of Wheat until I was stuffed silly though.

Being gluten free means, of course, that I cannot have Cream of Wheat but, I can have oatmeal since it is technically gluten free. The thing is, though, oatmeal is usually processed on machinery that is shared with wheat based cereals. Even if the equipment is not shared, if glutenous dust is in the air, it will settle all over everything in the vicinity. The cheaper the oatmeal brand, the higher the parts per million of gluten will be in the oatmeal.

Of course, gluten free oatmeal brands have popped up over the last several years. You see, it took decades for them to figure out that oatmeal is gluten free because no one was using dedicated equipment just for oatmeal so people were having reactions to it.

Enough on the information about oatmeal, now that we can eat it, I do and now that I have fallen in love with the stuff, I have come up with my own creative toppings. Here is my favorite bowl of oatmeal with a decadent twist . . .

Dr. Meg's Decadent Oatmeal Recipe

1/2 Cup gluten free oatmeal

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

stevia to taste (I use powdered)

3 tablespoons walnuts

1 handful of black berries and strawberries

4 chocolate covered power berries (or dark chocolate chip or pieces)

A little almond milk (unsweetened)

I prepare the oatmeal according to directions, mix in cinnamon, cayenne and stevia, add chocolate, fruit and walnuts then top with almond milk. The trick is to use only a little chocolate to give it a nice flavor and not overdo the sugar content.

Since I used stevia, it is sweetened without all those empty calories. Cayenne pepper gives it a nice little spice and helps with blood circulation. Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugars and berries are low carbohydrate and low sugar fruits. Chocolate covered power berries are high in antioxidents but they do contain sugar. This isn't an every day thing. Just a couple times this week. I eat eggs and vegetables on the other days.

Dang, I love breakfast!

For more information on living a Delicious and Healthy life, see www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com

Coconut Water versus Coconut Milk

I keep hearing from people that coconut milk is bad for you and not to consume it. As usual, I want to find the story behind the rumors and provide it to you so we can all make informed, healthy decisions.

Coconut Water: Typically derived from young coconuts, coconut water is found in the center of the nut. Coconut water is a good source of potassium, magnesium and calcium. It is low in sugar but gains most of its calories from it. Coconut water is also a good source for electrolytes (minerals) that can be depleted during vigorous exercise or diarrhea and is sometimes called "Natural Gatorade".

Coconut Milk: Made from mature coconuts, coconut milk is processed by mashing the meat of the coconut with water. Because the meat of the coconut is high in fat, coconut milk is very high in calories derived mainly from saturated fat. The fats in coconuts do not raise your LDL or "bad" cholesterol as they are processed differently in the body than saturated fats from animal sources.

Canned coconut milk has been controversial due to the lining of the cans containing bisphenol-A or BPA which has been linked to cancer, diabetes, ADHD, infertility and heart disease. BPA leaches into products with high acid (like tomatoes) and high fat like coconut. Canned coconut milk also contains guar gum, a thickener that is often difficult to digest and can cause diarrhea.

According to one article I read, you can make coconut milk yourself or you can purchase one brand for certain that does not have any BPA in it. The one brand without BPA is Native Forest. For more information, please read.

Today, there are a number of coconut milk brands in cartons. I was unable to find enough information on them to make a comment on how they are processed and stored.

The best source of anything in the food world is as close to the whole food as nature intended. So, if you're going to consume coconut water, get young Thai coconuts and drink directly from the nut. If you want to have coconut milk for your recipes, go with home made.

For information on living a Delicious and Healthy life, see www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com and learn how to eat for health, graceful ageing and longevity.

Crazy Good Gluten Free Sunset Treat

A yoga class just let out a few doors down from Babycakes NYC in Larchmont Village, LA. I sit watching a firey sunset as I chomp on a vegan, gluten free cookie sandwich. I get a twinge of guilt as I spy the parade of yogis clutching their mats, all refreshed after an hour of downward facing dog and sun salutations.

I take another bite. The guilt lifts as I accept my cookie consuming fate and decide beyond all doubt that this is for a good cause.

The chocolate chip cookie sandwich reminds me of a junkie treat I used to love as a child - Little Debbie oatmeal cookie sandwiches. Ultimately, I know it's like comparing a 57 Bordeaux to Two Buck Chuck but it's only a reminder.

So really, this cookie sandwich was crazy delicious! With a combination of garbanzo, fava bean, sorghum, tapioca starch, agave, coconut oil and chocolate, this rich, delicious cookie miracle hit the spot. Now it did cost $5.00 BUT, it is all organic and Babycakes has a tiny markup (unlike unhealthy bakeries with 100% markup) AND, it's as healthy as you can get while still being a dessert.

Thanks Erin McKenna, owner of Babycakes NYC for working so hard to perfect this gluten, egg, dairy, and soy free treat. It's your great gift to the world and my sunset treat.

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

Looking for a Natural Energy Boost? This Is Amazing!

A lack of energy is a problem I hear described by many of the people that I work with. My clients that have the most energy to spare are super health conscious - some are raw foodists.

While not everyone can afford the time and money involved in a raw diet, there is an easy solution that can help you get the most important thing you can put into your body on a daily basis - quickly and easily - fruits and veggies!

I found this fantastic raw, vegan, fruit and veggie powder at Whole Foods Market on sale this week (in the West Hollywood store - check your location for certain by calling your Whole Body Department.)

Macro Life Naturals makes "Macro Greens" powder that is gluten free and low carbohydrate. It's delicious! Not too sweet. I cut it with filtered water alone and really enjoyed the flavor. If you know you are sensitive to flavors, try putting this in a smoothie or in apple juice.

I have dips in my energy levels due to early menopause symptoms and a suspected hypo thyriod issue. I was dipping in energy late this morning and really wanting a nap. BUT, I drank one glass of this and did not need one. In fact, I am very focused with plenty of energy to get everything done that needs to be!

This delicious powder supplement surpasses the suggested four servings of fruits and veggies each day. I am very happy with this product and will keep you posted over the next few days as to how I am feeling as I continue take it. So far, I am IMPRESSED!!

To read more about the product, go here: http://www.macrolifenaturals.com/

To sign up for my newsletter: http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/ or click on the "Newsletter" tab of this blog!

Brussels Sprouts; From Yuck to Yum

As a child, brussels sprouts seriously made me gag. I remember being forced to eat "at least two bites" and hearing how "good they are for you". Y-u-c-k! I did not care if they were the antedote to snake venom. They were gross.

Turns out that I was fed frozen Brussels sprouts. They are nasty bitter and they got soggy too. There was no amount of sauce or spice that could mask that fact. Mom couldn't possibly hide them in a casserole without my gag reflex finding out. Blech!

So, fast forward to 2009 and a cooking class I took in South Carolina. The chef sauteed fresh Brussels sprouts in butter, salt and pepper. That was it. Simple. When I bit into it, I was so pleasantly surprised by the flavor and even more so by the fact that I couldn't stop eating them! No gagging. No joke.

Tonight, I sauteed up some of those little cruciferous cabbages in olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to let the pan get nice and hot while I cut the sprouts in half. I then add the olive oil (about 2 tablespoons).

I drop them sizzling loudly as they hit the skillet. What a great sound. Music, really. I then add salt and pepper using my eyes and my intuition to determine the amount. I stay with them, stirring them, watching their color change to a bright, hot green. They get a little brown. A sign of flavor on the plate.

Ultimately, I like them salty and crunchy. I don't cook them long. I add a little water if the pan gets overheated to prevent burn. Too much water makes them soggy. Too little and it splatters. Just right and it will cook down and steam the outer leaves.

Pretty green half cabbages on a plate and I can't stop eating them. Yum. We have arrived.

A bag, already washed is only $1.99 at Trader Joe's - just so you know . . .

The Best Raw Snacks Ever!

I was in the kitchen at Whole Foods Market in West Hollywood, California preparing to teach a class when an angel floated in. She bestowed two huge bags full of her culinary gifts for me to sample, gave me a heartfelt hug and left. I was excited. I love food and presents and she had delivered both!

The angel in the kitchen was Susan O'Brien, the owner of Hail Merry raw food products. It's a Dallas, Texas based company with some of the best products I have ever tasted in the gluten free, raw, vegan world of foodstuffs.

Her "Grawnola" is scrumptious! She dehydrates the nuts (after soaking them in filtered water to release the enzymes), seeds and gluten free oats then mixes them with pure cane sugar and cinnamon. This is a great morning cereal or snack to take with you where ever you go.

Other treats she provided included gluten free macaroons, chili spiced pecans and lemon thyme pecans. All were extremely well balanced in their flavors. She certainly knows what she is doing in the kitchen!

The most impressive of all her gifts to me were her gluten and dairy free Merry's Miracle Chocolate Tarts. I have had numerous raw food chocolate desserts and have made many of them myself. These were, by far, the best I have tried. In fact, her tart won in the Natural Foods Expo West for best new product out of, are you ready for this? - thirty six hundred entries! Yeah, they are that good!

Now available in most Whole Foods Markets around the country, you can get her delicious treats too. Or, order online by clicking here.

Many thanks to Susan O'Brien and her angelic treats. Even if you are not into raw foods, try them. They are far better than most cooked foods I have had!

Kale Chips

In an earlier blog, I gave you a recipe for raw, spicy kale salad. What I did not tell you is that you can make a simple delicious snack out this raw salad - kale chips!

Once you have made the salad, all you have to do is spread the raw, marinated kale on cookie sheets and place them in a dehydrator or dry them out in the oven on a low setting - say, 170 degrees.

If you use the oven, check the drying kale about every 20 minutes to see how it is doing. You don't want to burn the kale unless you like that smokey burned flavor (some people do!) If it is mostly dried but not all the way, you can turn the oven off and let the chips finish drying in the oven overnight.

When dried, place the chips in a bowl and leave them out. The refrigerator is not necessary. The thing is, they are so good (they strangely taste a little like cheese!) they will disappear in no time flat.

To read about the benefits of kale - and boy are there! Click here.

Single Man's Soup - A Stupid Simple Recipe

On yet another cold and rainy night in what is supposed to be sunny Los Angeles, I received a call from my BFF, celebrity hair stylist, Billy Lowe with a simple request. "Meg! I want soup tonight! Can you come over and make it here?"

Knowing my dear bachelor friend, I began to ask questions pertaining to cookware and basic food supplies to see just what I had to work with. There were no knives, no chopping board, no salt, no pepper, and no olive oil BUT, he did have a stock pot, an a couple of wooden spoons.

My love for a challenge in the kitchen was ignighted by this request. My passion for teaching the kitchen clueless also perked right up. I then set off to a nearby Trader Joes to pick up the ingredients.

Here's the recipe:

Single Man's Soup

1 bag chopped vegetables (we used Asian Stir Fry Vegetables)
1 bag chopped onion
1 box Just Chicken (cooked and ready to eat)
1 box Chicken Broth (organic, free range)
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or Olive Oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste

First we sauteed the onion in Earth Balance butter substitute. Next we added the whole bag of veggies followed by the entire box of broth. We then added salt and pepper until it tasted great. We brought that to a boil then turned it down to low to simmer for a few minutes. We both like our veggies to be a little bit crunchy so we didn't cook them for long. For the last few minutes, we added the entire box of Just Chicken. You want to add the chicken last so that it just gets heated and not over cooked as it will become tough. Next thing we knew, it was ready to eat.

With no soup ladle, Billy improvised, using a mug to scoop his soup out. He had one bowl that he insisted I use while he used a glass, two cup, measuring cup. We then sat down at his table (yes, he does have a table) and began to devour this hot, delicious, simple treat. And it was tasty. Billy gushed about it's goodness - from it's health value to it's flavor - all throughout the meal. He loved it so much, he had a second helping - also known as four cups of soup!

When asked if he would make this soup again on his own, Billy offerd an emphatic "Yes!" But, we both agreed it's a lot more fun to make it together.

You can find all of these ingredients in most super markets. At Trader Joes, the soup cost about $15.00 (including salt and pepper grinders).

For a Trader Joe's near you, click here.

Nana's Gluten Free Cookie Review

I was at Rainbow Acres in Marina Del Rey with a dear friend today. She suggested I try Nana's Gluten Free Cookies. Her cookies are also fruit sweetened, egg and dairy free. Being a chocolate fiend, I chose the "Chocolate Crunch Cookie". Here is what I thought.

I like the big, individually wrapped cookie concept with the bright yellow and purple wrapper. The "O" in "NO" has a line through it with a drawing of a shaft of wheat. I thought, "clever". When I bit into the soft cookie, I immediately noticed the grainy texture of the flour. That's a big deal to me after nearly two decades of trying gluten free baked goods. It doesn't have to be grainy.

The flavor was nice. I really liked the crunch of the chocolaty rice and the richer flavor contained in that puffy rice crunch. It was like they added cocoa puffs to the recipe - without the nasty sugar content.

Over all, I enjoyed this cookie. It was satisfying and great to eat after a simple lunch of tuna salad and a veggie juice. I liked that I only had to buy one big cookie. It's nice not to have to commit to an entire box of them (for a number of reasons.)

As always, I recommend limited sweets, even ones that are fruit sweetened and especially gluten free ones with the high sugar content of rice flour, tapioca and potato starches. I would never say never to sugar unless you know it will do serious damage to you. Once in a while, go for it. Enjoy a delicious treat and as for Nana's, I recommend it as a healthier alternative to a lot of the products out there that are aiming mainly for taste and not nutrition. This brand cares. That's my impression.

For more information on Nana's, click here

Food 411 - Blueberries - Delicious and Healthy Living

Did you know that blueberries are high in flavanoids and cartanoids (powerful anti-oxidants), selenium, vitamin A and C? Do you know what that means? It means that among many things, Blueberries are great for the eyes. They have been shown to prevent and/or delay any number of eye related disorders associated with aging. So eat as much as you can for eye health.

A word to the wise:

Whenever you can, please buy organic blueberries. All thin skinned fruits and vegetables take on more herbicide (weed killer) and pesticide (bug killer) chemical residue. Certified organic blueberries do not use these dangerous chemicals that have been associated with a number of neurological disorders like Parkinson’s Disease and cancers.

A Restaurant with Gluten Free Taste

Recently I was at Jonathan's beach club in Santa Monica with a dear friend. I thought to myself that at a high end beach club where the memberships are not cheap, they ought to know what gluten free means. No such luck. The guy at the register actually said, with incredulity "You're allergic to glue?!"

Tonight for dinner was an entirely different experience. I had dinner with the same dear friend at a place called "Taste" and boy does this joint have plenty of it. I was SO impressed with their menu. It was the first time in sixteen years that I ordered pasta with sauteed basil, tomato, garlic and spinach over brown rice penne! This happens to be my favorite pasta dish so I was thrilled.

I savored every bite and happily went to talk with chef Brian about his gluten free option. He was highly knowledgeable on cross contamination and issues facing the gluten free. He said he would re-work any dish he could to satisfy the gluten free eater and with great pleasure.

There are two locations in the LA area. Their menu is inventive and their food well prepared and presented. They use hormone and antibiotic free meats and fresh organic vegetables when available. These are my kind of people.

They have two locations - one at Melrose near La Cienega and one in The Palisades. Go! Eat, drink and enjoy a conscious restaurant choice.

Here's their website: http://www.ilovetaste.com/