Blog - Ancestral Nutrition

Blog July 24, 2013

Essiac Tea: A Cure For Cancer?

Essiac tea was re-discovered by Rene Caisse. She was a Canadian nurse working at a hospital when she encountered a woman who claimed to have been cured of breast cancer. The woman and her husband did not have a lot of money, so they turned to alternative measures to treat her cancer, specifically an Ojibway Indian healer. This is why I say re-discovered. The healer told the woman to make a tea from specific herbs, which she did. Her cancer went away and never returned. Caisse had the woman write down the herbs, which she then gave to her aunt that was suffering from stomach cancer. Her aunt lived for 21 more years with no recurrence of cancer. Essiac tea is made up of specific herbs that are great for detoxifying the body and strengthening the immune system. It contains burdock root, slippery elm inner bark, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb root.…

Blog July 23, 2013

Basil Marinated Chicken & Veggie Kabobs

I recently wrote a post about meal planning and prepping food for the week. In it I described how I cut up and marinated a shit ton of vegetables. And also chicken. But I date a vegetarian, so half of the kabobs were just veggies, the other half chicken and veggies. Here’s how I made them. Basil Marinated Chicken & Veggie Kabobs Basil Marinated Chicken & Veggie Kabobs is a great low-carb dinner or lunch! The fragrant marinade makes the meat super tender and aromatic! Basil Dressing1 bunch parsley1 bunch basil2 cloves garlic2 cups olive oilsalt and pepperVeggies To Marinate2 green peppers1 red onion1 cup cherry tomatoes1 cup mushrooms1 cup chicken (if using) Just blend all ingredients for the basil dressing in a blender until smooth.Cut up all the veggies and chicken into cubes, roughly the same size. Halve the tomatoes and mushrooms.Pour the marinade over and toss to combine. You don’t…

Blog July 21, 2013

How To Meal Plan

I’m going to be honest. It pisses me off when people tell me they do not have the time to eat well, that they don’t have the time to cook. This tells me three things, that they assume people who do cook have more time than them, they are busier than people who prioritize healthy eating, and that they do not prioritize healthy eating. We all have the same twenty four hours in day. Some of us work two jobs, some of us have kids, some of us are taking care of a sick family member. That’s called LIFE. And you’re going to make the time to take care of yourself, or you’re not. But here’s how to do it. Choose one day out of the week, a day that isn’t busy, a day that you take to chill out, watch some TV, do whatever you want. Sundays work best…

Blog July 20, 2013

Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes

Who else loves cupcakes? It’s all about the cupcake goodness. Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes An easy recipe for paleo almond flour vanilla cupcakes with the best ever coconut butter frosting! Make these for Easter or Mother’s Day! Muffins2.5 cups almond flour1/4 – 1/2 cup honey (depending on how sweet you like it)1/2 cup coconut milk1/2 tsp baking soda1 tbsp apple cider vinegar1 tbsp vanilla2 eggsFrosting:the hardened cream from one can of coconut milk1/2 cup coconut butter (softened)1/2 cup maple syrup1 tbsp vanilla Preheat oven to 350F.Combine all ingredients and mix with a hand blender, or mix them all in the blender. I like to mix in the Vitamix to get the flour extra fine.Bake for 15-20 minutes.For the frostingCombine all ingredients and beat with a hand blender until smooth and and top cupcakes with frosting. I used these piping bags to decorate my cupcakes!

Acne July 18, 2013

How Vegetarianism Ruined My Health

When I was sixteen I started dating a vegan. He was older, lived on his own, was in a band and I thought he was so cool. The relationship lasted all of five minutes, but he left me with something I would hold onto for the next five years: vegetarianism. It was sort of the perfect storm that led me to become a vegetarian. My mother had always told me I had the body that was “prone to getting fat”, I was compassionate and then introduced to the horrors of factory farming, I was sort of hippie-ish by nature and didn’t want to destroy the environment or kill anything, I wanted to be healthy and have clear skin, and I thought going vegetarian was my answer. How had I not seen it sooner? Of course, the answer to life’s problems was eschewing meat! I didn’t want any part of factory…

Blog July 17, 2013

Simple Summer Salad

Simple Summer Salad This simple salad with tomatoes, avocadoes, and red onions is perfect for summer! Ideal for meal prepping as well. 1 avocado (diced)4 cherry tomatoes (halved)1/4 red onion (sliced)2 tbsp olive oilsalt and pepper Combine all of the ingredients and give it a toss. Eat on a hot day. Cool down.

Blog July 16, 2013

Paleo & Primal Veggie Bake

This recipe is based off of one found in this gluten-free vegetarian cookbook that Scott’s mom bought for me. When we were out and about at the farmers market I saw all of the veggies I needed to make the recipe. God I love summer. So I altered the recipe and made this. Because I hate following directions. Paleo & Primal Veggie Bake This recipe is based on one found in this gluten-free vegetarian cookbook that Scott’s mom bought for me. When we were out and about at the farmers market I saw all of the veggies I needed to make the recipe. God, I love summer. So I altered the recipe and made this. Because I hate following directions 2 summer squashes (even though only one is pictured below)2 cloves garlic1 large onion2 tomatoes2 eggplants1/2 cup olive oil2 tbsp butter cheese of choice to sprinkle on top (asiago)1 cup…

Blog July 15, 2013

Raw Mixed Berry Cheesecake (Vegan, Paleo, Primal)

I am a huge fan of raw treats. Raw taco wraps? I love ’em. Beef jerkey made in my dehydrator? Amazing. Raw desserts? ARE THE BOMB. Unfortunately, a lot of store bought raw desserts contain agave nectar and are super expensive. If you have a good blender, raw desserts are actually really easy to make at home. Summertime is the perfect time of year to make this dessert. Berries are juicy, fresh and in-season. I even got these at my local farmers market. Raw Mixed Berry Cheesecake ( paleo, primal, vegan) Try my healthy raw vegan berry cheesecake! It’s free from refined sugar and gluten and is the perfect easy summer dessert for dinner parties. 1 cup dates (soaked for at least one hour)2 cups almond flour3 cups cashews (soaked for at least one hour)1 cup raspberries2 cups blackberriesjuice of 2 lemons2/3 cup coconut oil1/2-2/3 cup raw honey or maple…

Blog July 14, 2013

The BEST Paleo Pizza Recipe

I have finally done it. I’ve found a recipe for grain-free pizza that doesn’t include any crappy ingredients. I’ve been searching for this for YEARS. There have been so many cauliflower pizzas in my house (which really are nothing like pizza, you can’t even hold a slice of it like pizza) and almond flour pizzas (which have bad texture and well, taste like almond flour). I’ve made coconut flour pizza and it has both a bad texture and bad taste. I have even had those all-purpose gluten-free pizza mixes, which are remarkably similar to cardboard. I had resigned myself to the fact that the only pizza that could ever truly taste like pizza, is a wheat-based crust. Until now. This recipe isn’t all me. I’ve gone Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade on ya for this one. The crust mix does come out of a box. But guess what? It’s made of tapioca,…

Beef July 11, 2013

Spicy Jalapeno Spinach Burgers

An easy recipe for spicy beef patties – serve them on a spinach salad for a low-carb dinner or lunch! Spicy Jalapeno Spinach Burgers An easy recipe for spicy beef patties – serve them on a spinach salad for a low-carb dinner or lunch! 1/2 lb grass-fed ground beef1-2 jalapenos1/2 an onion2 cups raw spinach2 garlic cloves1 egga few drops of liquid smoke (hey, I don't have a grill!)1 tbsp Worcershire saucesalt and pepper The easiest way to prepare this is to blend all of the ingredients together. I did this in the Vitamix. I like to blend my ground beef, it makes it moister. Alternatively, you could chop all of this and mix it together by hand.Form into 4-5 burgers.Fry in coconut oil, lard, etc. for about two minutes on each side. I served my on spinach salad but you could also go for a gluten-free bun.