Tag: 21 day sugar detox

Posted on

Managing Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetes is “the single biggest global health epidemic of our time” (Hyman, 2012, p. 7). It contributes to many other health problems including retinopathy, kidney disease, gastroparesis, neuropathy, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more. Managing blood sugar is a key to avoiding diabetes and the health problems that accompany it.

Glycemic Index 

The glycemic index (GI) is a way of measuring how quickly foods raise blood sugar (Cohen, 2010). Foods that are more slowly digested raise the blood sugar slowly, while foods that are quickly digested raise the blood sugar more quickly. The higher the number on the GI, the more that blood sugar will be increased. For those with Diabetes, managing blood sugar is key to managing Diabetes.

Glycemic Load

Glycemic load takes the glycemic index of the food and couples that information with the amount of that food, giving a more accurate prediction of how the blood sugar will respond. Glycemic load is considered to be a better tool when deciding what foods one should eat to manage blood sugar.

Glycemic Load and Glycemic Index

Food Serving Glycemic Load Glycemic Index
White bread 1 slice 10 70
Corn flakes 1 cup 21 81
Spelt Bread 1 slice 12 63
Rye Bread 1 slice 5 41
White rice 1 cup 23 64
Brown rice 1 cup 18 55
Baked Potato 1 medium 18 60
Sweet Potato 1 medium 11 25
Shredded Wheat 1 cup 17 83
Skim Milk 8 oz. 4 32
Oatmeal 1 cup 15 55
Banana 1 medium 11 42
Carrots, raw 3 oz. 1 16
Cashews 1 oz. 2 22
Lentils 1 cup 5 29
Pearl Barley 1 cup 11 25
Spaghetti 1 cup 23 48
Apple 1 medium 6 38
Orange 1 medium 5 42
Sucrose 2 tsp. 7 68

References:

Bauman, E. & Friedlander, J. (2014). Therapeutic Nutrition. Penngrove, CA: Bauman College.Bauman, E. (4/10/15). Personal Communication
Cohen, S. (2010). Diabetes without Drugs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, Inc.Hyman, M. (2012). The Blood Sugar Solution. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Posted on

Quick & Easy Deviled Eggs

This is quite possibly the easiest deviled eggs that you’ll ever make. I had a dinner gathering to attend and completely forgot that I said I’d bring an appetizer. We had basically ZERO food in the fridge, but we did have eggs, Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo, a lime, and cilantro. So I decided to give it a go! My uncle raved about these deviled eggs, so I knew they were good enough to make again for Christmas Eve dinner at a friend’s house. There were already deviled eggs at the party, (OOPS!) but mine flew off the platter. Needless to say, I knew I needed to blog about this recipe.

I would love to know your thoughts!

Quick & Easy Deviled Eggs

cleaneatingwithkatie
These deviled eggs require minimal ingredients and are easy-peasy to make. They will be a crowd pleaser for sure! The Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo adds a ton of flavor – don't swap this for regular mayo!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • electric pressure cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 6 eggs
  • ⅓ cup Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo
  • ½ lime juiced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • flake salt optional garnish
  • paprika optional garnish
  • 12 cilantro leaves optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • If you have an Instant Pot, you *need* to hard boil your eggs with it. Even farm fresh eggs peel like butter. Add 1 cup of water to the IP. Place 6 eggs in the IP on the removable rack or in a steamer basket. Using the Manual feature and the + / – button to adjust to 7 minutes. (I have found that 7 minutes is the sweet spot for me, but yours may range from 6-8 minutes). When the IP is done, manually release the pressure and add eggs to an ice bath to stop the eggs from continuing to cook. Peel! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you should get one! In all seriousness, feel free to hard boil your eggs however you like.
  • Once the eggs are peeled, halve the eggs. Place the yolks, mayo, sea salt, and lime juice in a bowl. Use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients until the texture is smooth and creamy.
  • Spoon the yolk mixture back into the eggs.
  • Sprinkle with paprika and flake sea salt (I like Maldon). Add a cilantro leaf to each deviled egg and serve!
Keyword deviled eggs, paleo deviled eggs, paleo side dish
Posted on

Paleo Gingered Beets

Most people feel kind of “meh” about beets and I used to be one of those people. I slowly began liking them more and more, but my husband wasn’t having it. He was firmly on the “meh” train. Enter Paleo Gingered Beets. They have revolution-ized beets for him. He could eat them EVERY DAY. I brought these to Easter too and convinced even more beet skeptics. I highly suggest you try the recipe and see if you become a convert!

Paleo Gingered Beets

cleaneatingwithkatie
Most people feel kind of “meh” about beets and I used to be one of those people. Enter Paleo Gingered Beets. They have revolution-ized beets for myself and other beet-skeptics. Once you make the recipe, let me know how you feel.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Asian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 packages Love Beets
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 in. piece fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint, chiffonade
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos soy sauce alternative
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • If you do not have Love Beets, you can certainly use fresh beets. Just boil until a knife easily pierces and peel.
  • In a small bowl combine coconut aminos, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, mint, sea salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl (with a lid), add the beets and then stir to combine all the ingredients. Allow the flavors to enhance by letting it sit in fridge for at least an hour. Enjoy!
Keyword beet salad, beets
Posted on

Hearty Turkey, Vegetable, and Lentil Soup

This soup was created with liver health in mind. Midway through my chemotherapy treatment for Breast Cancer, my liver enzymes were too elevated to continue treatment. We had to postpone treatment for at least one week to make sure that my liver was healthy enough to process the chemotherapy. At that time I was in school to become a Nutrition Consultant and I knew there were things that I could do to “Love my Liver”, so I went home and made some BIG changes to my diet for that week and well, IT WORKED! I went back the next week and my enzyme levels were low enough to continue with chemotherapy. Here is one of the recipes that I made for the “Love my Liver” week.

Hearty Turkey, Vegetable, & Lentil Soup

cleaneatingwithkatie
This recipe was created with liver health in mind to help my liver during chemotherapy. Whether or not you'd like a little extra support for your liver, I'm confident that this soup will be a crowd pleaser.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 14 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Soup Ingredients

  • 1½ cups green lentils soaked overnight
  • 1 jar diced tomatoes
  • 24 oz bone broth chicken or turkey
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • 1 med. onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 small summer squash diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 6 med carrots diced
  • 6 kale leaves destemmed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb pasture-raised ground turkey

Spices

  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Rinse lentils and let soak overnight. Rinse again until water runs clear before adding to the stock pot.
  • In a stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in butter. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and all veggies except the kale to the pot. Then add ground turkey and stir.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for 30-35 minutes. Add kale and cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Keyword paleo, soup, turkey, vegetable, & lentil soup
Posted on

Mexican Style Coleslaw

Weekly shopping trips to the farmer’s market are my inspiration for the week’s menu. Some people plan their meals around what’s on their shopping list, but I go to the farmer’s market to see what produce is in season and let that guide my weekly meal planning. Then I head to grocery store to pick up whatever else I need for the week’s meals. I realize this may seem backwards to many, but eating seasonally is my thing, so you’re probably not too surprised! 😉

This past week, there were the cutest little heads of cabbage for one dollar each. I decided coleslaw would make a great accompaniment to the Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs from The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally.

I always make my own paleo mayonnaise, but I remembered that I recently got a free jar of Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Avocado Mayo from Thrive Market. I was feeling a bit lazy and not wanting to make my own mayo, especially when I had a perfectly good paleo mayo on hand. I decided I would “make it work”.  Then I had a lightbulb moment: what if I made a coleslaw that had a Mexican flare to it? And thus Mexican style coleslaw was born. This coleslaw was much, much better than simply “making it work”. I have made this huge batch of coleslaw 3 times in the span of one week. My husband looks at me with a big goofy grin when he eats it, because it is just that good. It was also a HUGE hit at our Father’s Day picnic at the winery. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

Mexican Style Coleslaw

cleaneatingwithkatie
This coleslaw is so tasty and makes a great side dish at summer BBQs. It makes a LOT, be prepared to share!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10 people

Equipment

  • Cuisinart Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Coleslaw Ingredients

  • 1 small purple cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1 small green cabbage thinly sliced
  • 6 celery stalks thinly sliced
  • 6 med carrots grated
  • 1 small jicama peeled & grated
  • 1 med yellow onion grated
  • 1 cup Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup dijion mustard
  • ¼ cup raw local honey
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 2 tbsp chives, minced optional garnish
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chiffonade optional garnish

Spice Blend

  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • I prefer using a food processor with the slicer attachment to slice my veggies and using the grater attachment to grate my veggies. It makes making a big batch of coleslaw that much easier. But feel free to slice and grate your veggies with whatever tools you have on hand. You can also opt to buy pre-slice and/or pre-grated veggies.
  • In a large bowl, mix all the veggie ingredients (reserve the cilantro and/or chives for garnish).
  • In a small bowl, whisk mayo, vinegar, mustard, honey, and herbs and spices. Add the lemon zest.
  • Stir the dressing onto the coleslaw and top with chives and/or cilantro
Keyword coleslaw, salad
Posted on

Paleo Chili

Chili is one of my favorite dishes. It’s hearty, it’s warming, it’s tasty, I feel like ya just can’t go wrong with chili. In my vegetarian days I made chili and the recipe easily adapted once I began eating meat and the recipe adapted once again when I started avoiding beans (due to the type of fiber in them that can irritate people with SIBO and other GI problems). Here is my current recipe, but it gets tweaked often.

Paleo Chili

cleaneatingwithkatie
Chili tops my list of all time favorite and easy meals to make. It's honestly hard to screw it up! This recipe can be adapted to use any type of ground meat. We often use bison and it provides a great flavor. If you tolerate beans, feel free to add a can or two of kidney beans (or homemade equivalent).
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Chili Ingredients

  • 24 oz bone broth chicken, turkey, or beef
  • 16 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 med onion diced
  • 4 med carrots diced
  • 4 celery stalks diced
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • 2 lbs ground bison pasture-raised
  • 2 tbsp fresh sprouts optional garnish
  • 1 tbsp grass-fed sour cream optional garnish (per serving)
  • ½ avocado optional garnish (per serving)

Spice Blend

  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in butter until translucent.
  • Add bone broth, tomatoes, remaining veggies, spices, and bison. (If you're adding beans, add them in during this step.)
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Continue on a low simmer for 45 min.
  • Top with avocado, sprouts, and sour cream (if using). Serve immediately and enjoy!
Keyword chili, paleo, paleo chili, soup

Tomatoes are rich sources of vitamins C & K, carotenes (especially lycopene), biotin and fiber. They are protective against cancer and should be eaten with an oil to improve absorption.

Celery is helpful in preventing cancer, improves white blood cell activity, and helps to lower blood pressure. It is rich in potassium and sodium. It helps the liver to detoxify as well.

Onions are a member of the allium (lily) family and are related to garlic & leeks. Alliums are known to have a cholesterol reducing effect and are known for their ability to help fight off cold and flu viruses. Onions are rich in antioxidants and biotin, manganese, copper, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins B1, B6, C, and fiber.

Posted on

Breakfast Casserole

While visiting my Aunt Regina and Uncle John in Austin for our trip to South by Southwest in 2010, she made us a delicious breakfast casserole. Ever since then I’ve played with the recipe and made it my own.

First, I added MORE veggies to the original recipe, because, well, VEGGIES. Next, I began omitting the potatoes when we went Paleo. I’ve made it with several different meat options; just bacon, bacon and sausage, just sausage, or some leftover ham during the holidays. My latest version has no cheese since I’m avoiding most dairy. No matter which version you make, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. This is my current go-to version.

This is the perfect recipe for Sunday brunch, Christmas breakfast (our tradition), or to make ahead for quick-and-easy breakfasts for the week. While on The 21-Day Sugar Detox, this has been a great option for my husband and I. Let me know what you think!

This picture doesn’t do it justice. I’ll be updating the photo soon.

Breakfast Casserole

cleaneatingwithkatie
If you have a pot-luck or are entertaining some guests this breakfast casserole is perfect. You can use what veggies you have on hand or use your favorites instead. To make it more kid-friendly, reduce or omit the amount of green chilies and/or red pepper flakes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, casserole
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 12 eggs pasture-raised
  • 8 slices pasture-raised bacon cooked and chopped
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 1 med onion diced
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients (add any or all of these to tweak the recipe)

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 large russet potato grated
  • ½ lb ground pork sausage cooked
  • 1 cup ham cooked and coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 13″ x 9″ pan with oil of your choosing (I would use bacon fat reserved from cooking the bacon).
  • Sauté the bell peppers and onions in a skillet with the butter.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble. Season with sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
  • Optional items: If using the optional items, layer the potatoes first and the cheese last, so it is on top. If using the ham and or sausage, layer them with the bacon.
  • In the baking dish, layer the bell peppers, onions, chili peppers, bacon, and then pour the egg scramble on top.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. 
Keyword breakfast casserole, casserole

Eggs are a good source of protein and healthy fat; often considered a “perfect food”. They are a good source of vitamins B12, B6, and D, riboflavin, choline, phosphorous, selenium, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, and omega-3s. It is important to choose pasture-raised, organic eggs because they are rich in the above nutrients, while factory-farmed eggs generally are not.

Green Bell Peppers are one of the most nutrient dense foods and are a great source of fiber. They are rich in vitamins C, K, B6, thiamin, folic acid, and also beta-carotene. They are great sources of phytonutrients. Green bell peppers help prevent against cataracts, prevent blood clots, which reduces risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Onions are a good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese. They are also rich in antioxidants, particularly quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, which all play a role in cancer prevention. Onions also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.