Bodhi Bear Soup, a healing remedy for Coughs & Colds!

Leave a comment September 22, 2018 DrD4Health

After surviving a serious and traumatic case of Whopping Cough as a child, I always dive into healing mode when one of my younglings has a fever or a whooping like cough that is associated with Pertussis.

I created this “Bodhi Bear Soup” with a ton of Healthy goodness to strengthen my youngling’s immune system against “Winter Bugs”, especially Whooping Cough!

This soup is filled with chopped Carrots, which have tons of Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene, especially known for helping the immunity of children.

I made sure to add organic Avocado Oil, which is a good fat that works synergistically with Vitamin A absorption.

I also added organic minced Garlic, which contains Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Manganese & Selenium and other antimicrobial and antioxidant properties which can boost our immune system.

More over, Garlic is known to be super effective against toxic bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Next, straight out of my garden, I added many potent leaves of fresh Basil!

Basil has powerful antimicrobial properties, which has long been used in traditional medicine to fight bacterial infections.

In addition, Basil is known for it’s strong but natural anti-histamine properties… Wow, what a super hero herb!

To give this soup some hardiness, I added this beautiful mix of purple, yellow and red potatoes…

I specifically added purple potatoes for their free-radical scavenging and antioxidant capabilities, which is a natural medicine that has been used for ages and ages.

I also included Turmeric!
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in Turmeric. Curcuminoids have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and they are a very strong antioxidant.

Although acute, short-term inflammation can be beneficial, long term inflammation can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and inappropriately attacks your body’s own tissues.

Unbeknownst to many, Curcumin is such a strong anti-inflammatory, that it’s power matches or surpasses many anti-inflammatory drugs without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Turmeric and Curcumin really are healthy and powerful gifts from nature!

To give this soup a taste of home and just a little more healing power, I went back into my garden for some fresh Oregano leaves.

In addition to adding a comforting flavor and being an antiseptic, Oregano is a culinary and medicinal herb which has been used in medicine and cooking for thousands of years… How awesome is that!

In fact, many natural healers use Oregano for treating respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal (GI) infections, which can accompany many Winter Bugs!

So there you have it, my homemade Bodhi Bear Soup!

Will it work to heal you or your child?

Let me say this, when we follow these remedies at the first sign of symptoms, we tend to zap it in just 2-3 days! 😊

In full disclosure, in addition to giving my kids this soup, I also give them top quality gluten & dairy free probiotics three times a day, a Vitamin A capsule once a day, freshly cracked coconut water twice a day, then I apply a homemade mix of Tea Tree, Eucalyptus & Coconut Oil rub on their upper chest & back every morning and evening while symptoms persist.

I hope these natural remedies bring some nutritional comfort for you and your family this coming Winter!

Sending tons of healing vibes your way,

~Dr. Dee (aka Healthy.Desy)

Soup Ingredients:

2 T Organic Avocado Oil
1- 2 cups chopped Carrots
64 oz. of Organic Vegetable Stock, Homemade or Boxed.
1 cup of chopped Purple potatoes
2 cups of Red & Yellow Potatoes
4-6 cloves of minced Garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
10-20 leaves of Fresh Basil
¼ teaspoon of dried or 10 Fresh Oregano Leaves.
1 Tablespoon of Turmeric Powder

Soup Instructions:

In a large pot, add 64 oz of low sodium Vegetable Broth, along with Avocado Oil, mixed Potatoes, chopped Carrots, and Garlic. Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
While mixture is simmering, add Oregano leaves and Turmeric, then continue to simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
Add in the fresh Basil just before serving.

Jackfruit Taco Recipe: Healthy & Yummy!

Leave a comment September 7, 2018 DrD4Health

JACKFRUIT

The first time I had something similar to Jackfruit was in Jamaica, about 13 years ago. A street vendor in Kingston sold yummy Breadfruit plates for about $2.00. Although it didn’t taste like bread to me, it was starchy, unique and delicious.

Jackfruit is actually bigger than Breadfruit, is the largest fruit produced on trees and can keep us healthy in so many ways!

•Jackfruit is filled with Vitamin C and can help fight against viral and bacterial infections. In fact, one cup of jackfruit supplies our body with enough Vitamin C to support the function of our white blood cells, resulting in a stronger immune system and overall greater health.

•Jackfruit’s phytonutrients and antioxidants can help rid your body of cancer-causing free radicals, which can treat cell damage and build a resistance against different types of cancers.

•Jackfruit’s high fiber can soothe digestive disorders including constipation and ulcers. Every hundred grams of jackfruit is about four grams of fiber, so eating jackfruit can protect the colon by removing carcinogenic chemicals found in your large intestine.

•Jackfruit can also help you keep great skin, great eyesight, good blood pressure and healthy bones!

And as if all these amazing health benefits were not enough, jackfruit is also low in calories and free of fat! Yes, that’s right, you can eat a ton of sweet jackfruit without gaining a ton of weight!

The next time you have a hankering for something healthy and delicious, consider Darshana Thacker’s healthy jackfruit recipe!

CHIPOTLE JACKFRUIT TACOS:

INGREDIENTS:

🌮1 medium potato, cut into ½-inch dice (2 cups)

🌮1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (2 cups)

🌮2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)

🌮1½ cups of diced tomatoes with juice

🌮1½ cups fresh cut jackfruit or one 14 oz can.

🌮3 tablespoons taco seasoning

🌮1 tablespoon smoked paprika

🌮¼ teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce

🌮2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

🌮2 tablespoons lemon juice

JACKFRUIT TACO TOPPINGS:

🌮12 corn tortillas

🌮2 cups shredded lettuce

🌮1 medium tomato, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup)

🌮2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

🌮1 avocado, cut into ¾-inch diced

PREPARATION:

1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the potatoes, onions, and garlic in ¼ cup water for 10 minutes or until the onions are tender.

2. Add the diced tomatoes, jackfruit, taco seasoning, paprika, and chipotle in adobo sauce, and continue cooking for 10 minutes until the juice from the tomatoes is absorbed.

3. Using the back of the spatula, break the jackfruit into smaller pieces. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice.

4. Place half of the tortillas in a stack on a heated non-stick skillet. Cook each side of the stack on medium-low heat, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tortillas in the middle are heated through. Wrap warmed tortillas in a damp cloth to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. To assemble the tacos, place the filling in the center of each, and top with the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, and avocado, then serve immediately!

Doesn’t this Forks Over Knives recipe sound so Yummy Yummy Baby?!?

There are so many ways to eat Jackfruit, explore and let me know what you come up with!

Thank you to Forks Over Knives and Health Team Trista for the awesome recipe, pics and info!

🍈~ Dr. Desy

Very Berry Vegan Cheesecake Bars! 🍓

3 Comments February 10, 2015 DrD4Health

Welcome back and thanks for visiting Amigos! It’s been a while since I shared something with you! February is a crazy month for our family… There are so many birthdays and celebrations this month ~ Yikes!

I’ve been cooking and baking a lot more this month, but it really is rough to stop and just blog! I’ve been spending all my time with my family and the people I love…

I suppose that is what Valentines Day is all about… being with the one or ones you love! Among all the excitement, I did manage to remember to take some pics of these Creamy Pink Beauties I taste tested for my Valentine Crew! 💜❤💜

At its core, these Pink Bars are similar to my Blackberry Cashew Cheesecake, but it has some amazing twists that made my lil toddler say it was Yummy-licious! Yep… you heard me, my 3 yr. old said these are Yummy-licious Mommy! 😊 lol… he’s my funny Valentine!

Very Berry Cream Bars:

Ingredients for Nutter-Butter Crust:
2 teaspoons of Coconut Nectar
2-3 Cups Mixed Nuts (Almonds & Cashews/depending on how thick you like your crust).
Wash & soak mixed nuts for 24 hrs.
¾ Cup Medjool Dates (remove pits)
1-2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon.

Instructions for Nutter-Butter Crust:

Briefly process all ingredients until you get a rough, sticky crust mixture.
Process only 1-2 minutes max
Line a Square Pan with Parchment Paper.
Evenly pat down the crust into a square pan.
Place Crust in freezer while preparing Pink Mix.

Pink Cream Filling:

3 cups Almonds & Cashews (soaked 24 hrs)
¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (or more)
2/3 Cup Coconut Nectar
¼ Cup Coconut Manna
¾ Cup Room Temp, Raw Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
10 Organic Strawberries
20 Organic Raspberries

Instructions for Very Berry Filling:

Process together until smooth & creamy.
It will taste absolutely Yummy & Deeelicious!
Spread Valentine Mix on Frozen Nutter-Butter Crust.
Cover pan, then set infreezer.
Allow to harden a min of 3-5 hours or overnight.

Strawberry & Raspberry Topping:

¾ Cup of Organic Strawberries
¾ Cup of Organic Raspberries
½ Large Organic Banana *Optional
½ Tablespoon Coconut Nectar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
(more lemon if you like it thinner)
Blend ingredients until just liquified.

Final Touches:

When Frozen, remove cake by gripping the paper.
Gently Tug the Parchment Paper & remove it.
Cut the Pink Valentine by creating Square Bars!
Place slices of fresh strawberries over each Bar.
Drizzle the sauce over each slice & enjoy!

These are super Yummy Yummy Baby! Wishing you all a Sweet & Loving Valentine’s Day!

Remember… “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line”. – Lucille Ball! 😊

Sending you everlasting health & wellness! ~ Dr. D

Vegan Coconut Milk Recipe! Yummy!

3 Comments September 19, 2014 DrD4Health

Coconut Milk:

Aloha… For over 2 years my husband and I have been making this Coconut Milk to supplement my breastmilk.

We started giving him the Coconut Milk originally out of desperation, then continued to give it to him for stomach health, brain health and overall good body fat.

Coconut milk has become a staple in our refrigerator and a delicacy for us. I am finally able to truly enjoy milk again, the great thing is… I am enjoying milk that truly is good for me, not because the FDA said so, but because my body continually tells me so…

I hope that this piece inspires you to give it a chance, especially if you have dairy intolerance and sensitivities.

I know you truly are going to find that Coconut Milk is so Yummy Yummy Baby!

Instructions for Silky & Yummy Coconut Milk from Scratch:

First pick out a minimum of 2 Young Thai Coconuts that do not have pink on the bottom. A tiny tiny amount of light pink should be ok, but the more pink, the greater the likelihood of it being rotten or compromised.

The amount of Coconuts will vary because each Coconut is unique, some have a lot of meat and others have a lot of water.

Young Thai Coconuts

Use a the bottom edge of a Meat Cleaver to strike the Coconut. There is a sweet spot that is in the outer-center perimeter of the Coconut- with practice you will find it every time! Follow the perimeter in a Circular Pattern until the circle is completely open. Gently remove the top of the Coconut. Please mind your fingers when striking the Coconut.

STEP 1

Next use a large bowl to pour the Coconut Water into… then transfer it to a glass or cup and save it.

Use the front or the back of a spoon to gently but firmly extract the meat from the inside wall of the Coconut. If you press too hard you will scrape off too much of the inner wall and make more work for yourself…

STEP 2

This is what the Extracted Coconut Meat will look like. Do not worry if some of the shell is left on the meat, use your fingers to gently rub/pick it off. You can also use the Coconut Water to bathe the Coconut Meat.

STEP 3

You will also gently remove the Coconut Meat from the top of the Coconut… Depending on how much water the Coconut yielded and depending on how thick or thin you want your milk, you may need to use additional store bought Coconut water.

STEP FOUR

Next you will combine the Coconut Water and Meat. Use a strainer to make sure that you remove any particles from the Coconut Water, especially if you used it to bathe the Coconut meat. Repeat for the second Coconut. (Generally you want enough Coconut Water to fill to the Max line of the Nutribullet or a minimum of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of Coconut Water.

STEP 5

After using the Nutribullet, Vitamix and Ninja, we found the Nutribullet to make the silkiest & smoothest milk. If you are making it for an adult it probably doesn’t matter, but if you are using it for baby formula, I would strongly suggest a Nutribullet. *I have no affiliation with Nutribullet.

STEP 6

Blend it for about 45 seconds. By using soft Young Thai Coconut meat (instead of hard/mature meat) and by using the Nutribullet, there isn’t a need to strain the milk through a cheese cloth… It is instantly silky & creamy. You are ready to add anything you like to it or drink it fresh! Mmmm!

Silky Smooth Coconut Milk

Every other night for 2 1/2 years we made this Coconut Milk for our baby’s Coconut Milk Formula. We also drink it ourselves using various recipes.

Here are a couple of things you can add to the milk before you blend it and make it even more Yummy Yummy Baby:

Organic Vanilla Extract (1-2 drops)
Organic Almond Extract (1-2 drops)
Organic Toffee Extract (1-2 drops)
Organic Banana, Strawberries, Mango… really the list goes on and on!

Add anything that you would normally add to a smoothie, including ice and frozen produce!

Yummy Coconut Milk!

Mmmmm Enjoy… you are going to have a new obsession!

It is so Yummy Yummy Baby!

See you soon! Dr. Dee 🙂

Coconut Milk Vegan Baby Formula…

27 Comments September 17, 2014 DrD4Health

I love Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, Coconut Meat, Coconut Oil, Coconut Candy, Coconut Cookies, Coconut Cake, Coconut everything! I am definitely cuckoo for Coconuts!

As a child, my mother would repeatedly tell me how great Coconut is for my stomach and my skin. I always heeded her advice about the topical uses, especially for wrinkles and stretch mark prevention, but I never really ate Coconut for medicinal reasons unless she gave it to me. Coming from a Native American mom who would use food, plants and herbs as healing remedies, I came to learn that many of the remedies are now backed by Science.

Upon the birth of my second son, I mysteriously developed a severe stomach bacteria. I was advised to temporarily stop breast feeding if I didn’t want to pass the bacteria back and forth. What was I going to do? I didn’t have a plan B for Breast Milk.

I vigorously started studying every formula out in the market. I couldn’t believe what I found… I consistently found toxic ingredients that are known carcinogens in the majority of the world except the U.S. The majority of countries have banned the use of these ingredients, but we are giving it to our newborns and babies in our hospitals and homes?!?

I felt as if I was in the twilight zone! This isn’t happening… this isn’t happening! After studying further, I learned that there are many alternative home made milks that we can make for our babies who have allergies, bacterial infections, intolerances and sensitivities. Coconut Milk and Hemp Milk are similar to Mother’s Milk, they take some work to make, it requires adding various ingredients, but it is Healthy, Healing, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free and Low on the allergy index.

Please understand that I am not saying that Coconut Milk or other milk alternatives replace a Mother’s milk, I am saying you can create a safe alternative if Mother’s Milk is not a viable choice. Most of all, I am saying that Mother’s milk is a life force that can not be replicated by cows, goats or factories. Breast Milk is the sweetest milk I have ever tasted, yes… I tasted it, 🙂 and it is so understandable why babies prefer it, thrive the best on it and receive so many healing properties.

Coconut milk has been found to treat and relieve sore throats and even stomach ulcers, and like Breast Milk, it is very calming to the body and digestive system. The nutrients in Coconut also aid the body in over all immune system health. It’s B vitamins also aid in many immune and nervous system functions.

Unlike other unhealthy fats, the unique properties of Coconut also contain a large amount of MCTs and Lauric Acid, which is the primary fatty acid found in Mother’s Milk. Lauric acid is what makes breast milk so digestible and is believed to protect the body from infection and boost the immune system.

The great thing is that Coconut Milk is great for all of us, regardless of our age!

Home-made Coconut Milk is also a safe alternative for Diabetics who are concerned with the properties in Dairy Milk. Coconut Milk has a Low Glycemic Index and High Dietary Fiber. The human body cannot digest the dietary fiber in coconut, therefore it has no hazardous effects on Blood Sugar. Best of all, Coconut Milk is lower in sugar than Dairy Milk.

It turned out my baby did get the stomach bacteria and became very very ill and lost a severe amount of weight in less than a week. It was a very rough and scary time for us. After endless hours and days of research and consulting with various Naturopathic and Functional Medicine Doctors, we implemented the undeniable research on Coconut Milk, Oil and meat and it worked… It truly worked!

Our baby started to gain healthy weight, improve the quality of his poop and best of all… he began to thrive and heal! I was able to continue breast feeding and we couldn’t be happier! This was done in conjunction with other nutritional support, like probiotics and digestive enzymes, but that is another blog. 🙂

Here is a Yummy Yummy Baby recipe for Vegan Coconut Milk Baby Formula:

3 Cups of home-made Coconut Milk (Its easy after you do it once)
1 Tbsp Unsweetened, Rice protein or Pea protein (we prefer Rice protein)
1 1/2 Tbsp of Grade B Maple Syrup
1 tsp Calcium Lactate Powder
2 tsp of Infant Probiotic powder (we use Klaire Infant Probiotics)
2 tsp Vegan Omega 3 DHA
2 tsp of Extra Virgin, Unrefined, Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil
4 Cups of very good quality water

*Optional 1/4 Ripe banana

Combine all of the ingredients in a Large Cup Nutribullet and blend (you may have to split it in two depending on the size of your Nutribullet, Vitamix, Ninja, etc… Refrigerate immediately and use within 48 hours.
The formula will separate from the oils, so please shake before pouring into a bottle or cup and gently warm for baby.

***We later discovered a formula we felt was not perfect, but pretty wonderful. It is a great supplement once your baby is a Toddler. The Name is Toddler Supreme by Peaceful Planet.

***Important Legal Disclaimer: This recipe is intended to be a supplement for a nursing or formula-fed child’s diet. It is not intended to be a complete replacement, and should only be used when the Mother’s Milk is not available, Allergies to Store Formulas, Sensitivities/Intolerances to other formulas or because you don’t want to give your baby the carcinogens in some formulas…

Again, this blog does not replace the advice of your healthcare practitioner, this is me sharing what worked for my family.

* Next up… How to make Coconut Milk! Mmm! Yummy Yummy Baby!

Dr. Dee

Resources:

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/