Cornish Game Hens

I'm not a huge fan of turkey... OK, I despise it! I eat it at Thanksgiving because I love tradition. Instead of turkey for this Christmas, how about a special dinner of Game Hens?

"HEALTHIFIED" GAME HENS
4 Cornish game hens
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 TBS coconut/macadamia oil or butter (or more if desired)
24 cloves garlic
2/3 cup organic chicken broth (or dry white wine)
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together chicken broth and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes. Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (per serving) = 218 calories, 17g fat, 14g protein, 0 carbs

The Best Brussels Sprouts and HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE

If you have read any of Suzanne Somers’ books, you already have read about the amazing properties of human growth hormone. She is a huge advocate increasing this hormone and injects it into her body every night. I also believe that we need to increase this awesome hormone, but unlike Susan, I have tips and tricks on how to boost it through diet and exercise; which come with no scary side effects.

Human growth hormone, also known as hGH, is an amazing hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. This hormone stimulates cell production and is responsible for increasing height, building muscle mass, keeping bones healthy, controlling sugar and insulin levels, absorption of calcium, reducing fat as well as helping numerous other functions that are fundamental for growth.

The human growth hormone is produced at full-speed when we are young but the pituitary gland slows down the production as the body ages; usually around age 30 it really starts to decline. The level of hGH peaks during puberty when there is a growth spurt. The levels continue to decline throughout our adult life. This decrease in the levels of HGH is what causes elasticity in our skin, wrinkles, increase issues with diabetes, depression, loss of energy, and loss of muscle mass. Increasing the levels of human growth hormone can make you look young and feel healthy.

Foods play a huge role in the secretion of HGH, as well as WHEN you eat and types of exercise, sleep and hydration. To read more on this awesome hormone, check out my chapter on Hormones in Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism, which you can now also get in audio form! Thank you for your support!

"Healthified" Brussels Sprouts
1 TBS butter or macadamia nut oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed, larger spouts halved
Celtic sea salt and pepper, to your taste
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
3 slices bacon, chopped (optional)

Blanch the Brussels sprouts in boiling salted water for about 15 seconds. This accomplishes 2 things: 
1. It keeps their bright color. 
2. It cuts down cooking time to retain more nutrients and keep the fresh flavor.

Quickly drain and rinse the Brussels sprouts in cold water. Cut the large sprouts in half lengthwise.

Brown bacon in a medium skillet. Remove bacon, chop into small pieces and set aside. Add butter or oil to the pan and add shallots to saute for about 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts about 3 minutes or until they begin to soften, then add the broth and continue to cook for 7-10 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits. Makes 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving)

"Healthified" Brussels Sprouts = 124 calories, 6.5g fat, 8.2g protein, 10.4 carbs, 4.3g fiber

Creamy Artichoke Lasagna and Crohn's

I see many clients with a variety of problems. One issue on the rise is Crohn’s and Colitis. If Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are caught before serious damage has been done, both conditions can be treated simply by restricting carbohydrates. This chart clearly shows that when carbohydrates are limited, both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis respond very quickly. Carbohydrates, sugar and vegetable oils are extremely inflammatory and terrible for our intestinal health. Could the increase in carbohydrates and sugar be the cause of all these problems??? In 1840 the average person consumed 2 tsp of sugar a day and in 2009 a typical person consumed over 63 tsp every day!!!

The main thing to avoid is Long Chained Triglycerides. Long-chain triglyceride impairs the healing time in active Crohn’s disease. These fatty acids are substrates for inflammatory eicosanoid production. Polyunsaturated oils: Red meat has long been wrongly blamed for IBS. A study published in December 2009 shows that linoleic acid harms the gut but news reports and health websites mislead by blaming ‘red meat’ — which contains the least linoleic acid. It’s the polyunsaturated fats and oils, derived from seeds such as sunflower, safflower, soy and corn, which are the major dietary sources of linoleic acid; they are the most harmful oils for those with intestinal problems because they increase inflammation.

When it is absorbed in the intestinal lining, linoleic acid is transformed to arachidonic acid, which is a component of the cell membranes in the bowel. Arachidonic acid can then be converted into various inflammatory chemicals. High levels of these chemicals have been found in the intestinal tissue of people suffering from intestinal disorders.

Long chained triglycerides come from VEGETABLE OILS...this means anything that is pre-packaged; salad dressings, roasted nuts, "baked" chips, popcorn, crackers, cereal...you name it! We have been wrongly pushed to replace healthy saturated fats like coconut oil with harmful fats such as canola!

Coconut oil is a medium-chained fatty acid. MCFA are broken down almost immediately by enzymes in the saliva and gastric juices so that pancreatic fat-digesting enzymes are not even essential. Therefore, there is less strain on the pancreas and digestive system. This has important implications for patients who suffer from digestive and metabolic problems. Since it is easily absorbed in the digestive tract it also helps other essential healing nutrients become absorbed as well. Ulcerative colitis often begins with a virus or a bacterial infection and that the body’s immune system malfunctions and stays active after the infection has cleared. Coconut has antimicrobial properties that affects intestinal health by killing troublesome microorganisms that may cause chronic inflammation. Coconut oil resembles breast milk more than any other food...breast milk helps keep babies healthy!

People with the highest intake of omega 3 fatty acid also known as docosahexanoic acid reduced the complications of crohn's and colitis by 77%. Omega 3 fatty acid is found in oily fish such as salmon and sardines.

I prepared this one Sunday afternoon and froze it before baking it. The other day, I knew I was going to be too busy to prepare a meal when I got home, so I took the frozen lasagna out of the freezer and placed it in my oven on a "delay timer." I had the lasagna finish baking about 60 minutes before dinner so it could "set"...most people cut lasagna and such too early, which will make it runny.

"HEALTHIFIED" Dairy Free Lasagna
1 (14 oz) jar artichoke hearts, quartered
1 lb thinly shaved chicken breast (Protein Noodles)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup snipped fresh basil
1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce (no sugar or soybean oil)
"CHEESE SAUCE:"
1 cup organic beef or chicken broth
4 oz soft goat cheese
4 cups hard goat cheese, shredded
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse and drain the artichokes.

In a saucepan, heat the broth and soft goat cheese, whisk until well combined. Add in the shredded hard goat cheese and mix well. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Slowly whisk in the eggs (not too fast or you will get scrambled eggs).

To assemble, spread about half the marinara sauce over the bottom of an un-greased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Layer the Protein noodles in the dish. Spread with one-half of the artichokes and one-half of the goat cheese sauce, then a layer of chopped basil and pine nuts. Repeat layering Protein noodles, artichokes, and goat cheese sauce. Top with basil leaves and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Lasagna = 337 calories, 20g fat, 1g protein, 25g carbs, 2g fiber (23 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Lasagna = 305 calories, 14.4g fat, 24.5g protein, 8g carbs, 3.5g protein (5.5 effective carbs)

Pizza Protein Waffles and GABA

I love Jay Robb for so many reasons, but here's one more! They are offering my readers a 20% discount! Thank you JAY ROBB! 

GABA is the primary neurotransmitter in the temporal lobe, the area of the brain that governs perception, attention, speech and motions. Low levels of this chemical have been linked to psychological symptoms such as insecurity, excessive worrying, fear of new experiences, poor concentration and lack of impulse control (EMOTIONAL EATING). But as GABA shortfalls are corrected, we can regain calmness, dependability and objectivity. GABA deficiency displays as anxiousness, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, allergies, blurred vision, clammy hands, butterflies in the stomach, dizziness, IBS, constipation, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, headache, insomnia, trembling or shaking, tinnitus, manic depression, and mood disorders. You don’t need all of these issues to be deficient in GABA. To read more on foods and supplements that can increase GABA, check out my book: Secrets to Controlling Your Weight Cravings and Mood.

One way to help our brain is to fill it with healthy protein and fats. So here is a way to get our kids started on the right foot! Growing up on GMO filled cereal and hormone filled skim milk is so detrimental to a growing brain!

TIP: Make sure your waffle iron is hot hot hot before adding any batter or it will stick.

1 cup almond flour (or 1/2 cup coconut flour)
1 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein (Jay Robb)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (1 1/2 cup if using coconut flour)
2 eggs (4 eggs if using coconut flour)
4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted
1 TBS oregano
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese (I love Asiago, but any kind works:)


Preheat waffle iron to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). Enjoy! Makes 10 servings. NOTE: Waffle iron has to be VERY hot and leave the waffles in for a few extra minutes before opening, or they will stick!

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Waffle = 247 calories, 27 carbs, 0.7g fiber
"Healthified" with Almond flour = 239 calories, 16.8g fat, 17g protein, 2.9 carbs, 1.5g fiber
"Healthified" with Flaxseed Meal = 254 calories, 18g fat, 17.3g protein, 5g carbs, 4.5g fiber
"Healthified" with coconut flour = 179 calories, 10g fat, 14.3g protein, 6g carbs, 2.3g fiber

Click HERE to find an affordable waffle maker that I love!