A Week Of Lunches

Sunday(Easter)
Smoked Turkey
Deviled eggs
Mashed potatoes (red w/skin)
steamed carrots
Fermented veggies
Salad w/homemade dressing
Water


Monday
Taco salad
Hormone free ground turkey
Organic salad
Homemade dressing
Kombucha

Tuesday
Tacos
Same meat as Monday
3 sprouted corn tortillas
Organic onion and cilantro
Fresh salsa
Kombucha

Wednesday
Grilled hormone free chicken breast
Salad w/homemade dressing
Kombucha

Thursday
Baked wild caught salmon
Lightly stir fried asparagus
Kombucha

Friday
Amy's Organic frozen meal
Kombucha

Fermented Food: Benefits of Lactic Acid Fermentation

I had a conversation with a lady today that prompted me to dig in my notes and post some benefits of fermenting. This is from Jenny at Nourished Kitchen. Her knowledge has helped me and helped me help others. "We are eating for our lives, people!". I wish I knew how to convey the urgency to those I love most. Many just don't want to hear it. So, I don't bring it up. Maybe God will show them in time like he did me. My goal right now is me and to keep myself on the path. I seem to veer off so easily. God reminds me why I am doing this then I jump back in. I have to pray every time I walk in the kitchen. 

from nourishedkitchen.com: 

Born of both necessity and practicality, lactic acid fermentation proved to be not only an efficient method of preserving food for our ancestors, but also a critical one. Indeed, fermented food like sauerkraut, cheese, wine, kvass,   soured grain porridge and breads often sustained tribes and villages during harsh winters when fresh food simply wasn’t available let alone plentiful.In many societies including our own where yogurt has been heralded as a health food since the 19th century, fermented food has gained a reputation for its beneficial effects on immunity, intestinal health and general well-being. Modern researchers are just beginning to understand what the sages of old were tuned in to: fermented food conveys clear and calculable health benefits to the human diet. Lactic acid fermentation in and of itself enhances the micronutrient profile of several foods.

For example, milk that undergoes lactic acid fermentation either in the wild as in the case of clabbered milk or inoculated by a starter culture as in the case of yogurt, piima, matsoni and other fermented dairy products conveys more vitamins to the eater in comparison to raw milk and, particularly, pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature pasteurized milk. Fermented dairy products consistently reveal an increased level of folic acid which is critical to producing healthy babies as well as pyroxidine, B vitamins, riboflavin and biotin depending on the strains of bacteria present.The increases in the micronutrient profiles of fermented food aren’t just limited to yogurt, bonny clabber and kefir. Vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains subjected to lactic acid fermentation also see increases in both their macro- and micronutrient profiles. The bioavailability of amino acids – particularly lysine with its antiviral effects and methionine – increases with lactic acid fermentation. [2. Evaluation of lysine and methionine production in some Lactobacilli and yeasts. International Journal of Food Microbiology. Odunfa et al.]For grains, sprouting prior to souring can increase the availability of protein even further. Vegetables that have undergone lactic acid fermentation as in the case of sauerkraut and kimchi, often see an increase in the activity of vitamin C and vitamin A.

While lactic acid fermentation does not usually increase the level of minerals present in fermented foods unless unusual circumstances are present (as in fermenting food in a metal or earthen container), it does decrease the activity of phytic acid content naturally present in grains. Phytic acid is an antinutrient that binds up minerals – preventing full absorption of minerals in the gut. Since souring grains reduces the phytic acid content, the lactic acid fermentation process actually enables your body to absorb more minerals from the grain than you would be able to otherwise absorb. The end result is that you get more bang for your nutritional buck by souring the grains you eat.

Sample Breakfast Menu of My Week w/ Grocery List

Note: Usually, I cannot finish most of these meals. This is a menu for my eating plan.

BREAKFAST

                 Monday
2-3 Applegate Farms turkey sausage
links, 2 soft boiled eggs served over
sliced tomatoes & baby spinach leaves.
Top with one half sliced avocado. End with ½ cup of
oatmeal, with ¼ cup of almond milk,
cinnamon and 1/8 tsp real vanilla
extract.
                 Tuesday
2-3 Amy’s or Applegate Farms chicken
sausage links. Eat with lightly steamed
cauliflower. Lay strips of raw cheese on
top after turning off heat. Top with
diced tomato and chopped fresh or
dried oregano. Finish off with
½ cup of oatmeal with
a small amount of diced green apple
and cinnamon.
                Wednesday
2 soft boiled eggs, 4 oz lightly baked salmon,
sliced tomato, 2-3 chopped baby Bella  mushrooms &
chopped green onion. Top with 2 oz
shredded raw cheese. Add in 2-4
fresh kalamata or green olives.
                 Thursday
2-4 slices of hormone free turkey
bacon, ½-1 cup cottage cheese mixed w/
diced gr.onion, cucumber and tomato. Mix
and season with garlic powder salt and pepper
 and red wine vinegar. All "to taste". Eat with lightly
steamed cauliflower and top with 1 T butter.
Finish off with a small amount of pear with
nut butter.
                  Friday
Veggie omelet (3 eggs) with asparagus,
mushrooms and 2 oz of raw cheese. (It
is ideal to bake your omelet in a glass
Pyrex dish at 225 until formed.If
cooking stovetop use ½ tsp coconut oil
and a low flame. Top with 1 T raw
butter. The idea is "low and slow" (Low temp and slow cooking).
Finish off with a
handful of organic strawberries.

Shopping List

My staples: (always have)
Butter
S&P
Eggs 
Tomatoes 
Coconut oil
Green olives
Raw cheese
Almond milk
Cinnamon 
Vanilla
Garlic powder
Red wine vinegar
Nut butter
Oatmeal


Sausage
Salmon
Bacon
Cauliflower 
Mushrooms
Strawberries
Asparagus
Cucumber
Gr. onion
Pear
Cottage cheese
I might have missed some but there you go.

Coconut Oil

"Put the lime in the coconut...."   I love that song but really has no meaning. 

But when you start talking about extra virgin coconut oil, there is much significance. 
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is among the healthiest, most versatile dietary oils in the world. An excellent culinary oil with its natural coconut flavor and aroma.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is a stable, healthy, naturally saturated fat that is free from trans-fatty acids. It contains medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid which are readily converted to energy by the body. Consumption of coconut oil at recommended levels, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, helps maintain already healthy levels of cholesterol. 

Unlike refined coconut oils, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is not hydrogenated, bleached, refined or deodorized.

The faintly scented oil from the coconut is rich in lauric acid – a saturated fat that is known for its antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties.   Lauric acid is transformed into monolaurin upon consumption, and monolaurin has been known to destroy certain viruses and pathogenic bacteria.     Further, only coconut oil and human milk fat contain lauric acid in any substantial amounts.   Coconut oil is also thought to promote thyroid health and help to increase a sluggish metabolism.

Body Moisturizer: Once it is settled and blended into the skin, coconut oil leaves a silky finish that is not as greasy as you would think. It is especially great for really dry and sensitive skin. Carry a small amount in a tiny jar and apply it  throughout the day to lips, cuticles, and around the eyes where crow’s feet form.

Makeup Remover: Coconut oil is also a very effective makeup remover (including waterproof mascara). I put it right on my eye lids, massage it in circular motion and wipe with toilet paper. 

Pain Reliever:  “My mother has been applying it with a cotton swab around her inflamed gums and it has helped heal the inflammation immensely.” --Jenny McGruther from Nourished Kitchen

All-Purpose Healer: “I've just started ‘oil pulling’ with coconut oil this week—this means swishing the oil around in my mouth for 20 minutes. Although it sounds bizarre, this technique has been around in Ayurvedic medicine and in parts of Asia for centuries. Supposedly, it helps pull toxins out of the body, fostering healthy gums and breath, as well as easing sinus congestion and certain inflammatory conditions.” --Jenny from Nourished Kitchen

It is recommended as a hair conditioner, to cook with, to soothe a sunburn, to shave with, to treat diaper rash, and as nipple cream while breastfeeding (as long as it is 100-percent natural, it is safe).

On top of all its other virtues, coconut oil is also less expensive and more versatile than other oils. It is also more efficacious. (Jojoba oil, for example, is actually a wax and does not penetrate skin as well as coconut oil; argan oil can be pricey, though for acne it is considered the superior remedy.)