Chris Pedersen's Blog, page 5

Give Yourself a Shot of Health

Instead of medications or getting a flu shot, boost your health with a daily shot of health. Taking two shots a day (even one shot a day) of this health drink—one in the morning and one in the evening—will give your immune system a kick. But don't expect it to make-up for an unhealthy diet of processed foods and sugar. Nope!

Shot of Health
from Ancestral Nutritionyield ~14 shots
category Drinkcuisine Vegan
ingredients1.5 C filtered water7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)Juice of 1 lemon or 1 drop lemon essential oil1 Tbsp raw honey5 Tbsp of collagen (if you have it)
directions1. Combine in glass jar and shake until blended.2. Store in fridge.3. Take 1 to 2 shots (one morning, one evening) daily
I just took my shot for today and, I should add, it blows your hair back. Woo!

BTW if you use Bragg's ACV (which I highly encourage), you'll be getting a dose of prebiotics as well. Prebiotics is food for the good bacteria in your gut. For more information on pro and pre-biotics, read What's the Scoop on Probiotics and Prebiotics.

What healthy habits do you use to boost your immunity?

Wisdom Wednesday

Fight inflammation by choosing the right foods.

Are you tired of having sore and painful joints, catching that perennial cold or flu, experiencing itchy, dry skin, off and on allergies?

You're suffering from inflammation and your immune system is not in top condition.

Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (salmon, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil)Fiber (beans, seeds, fruits and vegetables)Herbs (turmeric and other spices)Green TeaAvoid/eliminate:SugarTrans Fats (hydrogenated oils)Artificial IngredientsYou'll be amazed at how quickly your pains and problems go away.

Fall Giveaway: The Quest for the Cures... Continues

It's time for a giveaway! Spread the word to all your friends. Enter to win one of two DVD sets from The Truth About Cancer:
The Quest for the Cures... Continues—11 Episode video series 

The Quest for the Cures—7 Episode (original) video series

The DVD series that started it all! Ty Bollinger's courageous effort to push back against Big Pharma and the strong-arm tactics of the conventional cut, poison and burn medical treatments for cancer.

Although these aren't the latest DVD's, they contain a lot of very useful information for anyone seeking help for their cancer.

Enter to win a series for yourself and your loved ones.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't miss the replay of the latest video series  The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest over the Thanksgiving Holiday, November 26th - 30th: http://tinyurl.com/of2sjan

You'll see my interview in Episode 9.

Now go spread the word. Enter and share.

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

I've got some great recipes for your fall and winter enjoyment. I hope I can get them all to you in time. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the many parties requiring a "dish to share."

Consider last week's Pear and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash the first installment. Please subscribe to this blog to get them all.

Here's a yummy bean recipe for those who love green beans, but don't love the milk-based ingredients or the bacon that seems to be the latest to add to veggie salads and side dishes. Whaa! Can anyone tell me what bacon is doing in a broccoli salad?

Did you hear or read that the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling us that processed meat is cancer-causing? Yeah! That means bacon with the added nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals.

Back to our recipe... You'll never miss the real bacon. Using shiitake mushrooms soaked in tamari, maple syrup and balsamic then roasted in smoked sea salt, you'll discover a whole new kind of wow you can add to a dish.

I discovered this great bacon substitute at the Soup Addict when I made the Vegetarian BLT Tacos with Shiitake Bacon. Check our other recipes at the Soup Addict. I know you'll find something to love. Karen is not a vegan nor vegetarian, but does post recipes that are—or can easily be modified, such as substituting items like butter with something appropriate for my diet.


Here's what the shiitake mushrooms look like after being soaked in the tamari, maple syrup and balsamic mixture and laid out to roast.

Don't fret if you don't have sherry vinegar for finishing off the cooked beans. You can use any vinegar you might have, for example, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon
from Chris Pedersenyield 4-6 servings
category Side Dishcuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
ingredients3 Tbsp olive oil2 tsp tamari or soy sauce1 tsp maple syrup1/2 tsp smoked paprika1/2 tsp balsamic vinegarsea salt (smoked is best)8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4" (stems discarded)1 Tbsp oilive oil 1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced1.5 lb. green beans, ends trimmed1.5 lb. green beans, ends trimmed1/2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp dried majoram2 tsp sherry vinegarfresh ground pepper to taste
directions1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack centered. Line a baking sheet with foil.2. Whisk olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika and balsamic in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add shiitake slices, tossing until each piece is thoroughly coated.3. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheet. Season generously with smoked salt. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes then flip over and roast another 10 minutes. Finished mushrooms should be dark and sizzling, but not charred.4. Remove from oven and set aside.5. Add olive oil to large skillet or wok on medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. 6. Add green beans, salt and marjoram. Cook and stir 5 minutes or more until green beans are crisp to tender. Add cranberries, sprinkle sherry over beans and stir until beans are cookied, but not soft (about 5 minutes).7. Season with pepper and serve with shiitake "bacon" sprinkled on top.
I had a little more shiitake mushroom bacon than I needed to put on the beans. If that happens, hold the extra back and add it to your organic eggs the next morning for a delicious change of pace. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that earlier.

What's your favorite recipe to take to a holiday party?

It Takes Time & Patience...

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving table? Are you doing traditional Turkey and all the accompanying starchy foods? Or do you plan to make some changes in your meal choices because you've been adjusting your lifestyle to be healthier?

There are great options for yummy food–perfect for fall. I made this delicious recipe and it was all we had for dinner. Mmmmm! The fresh herbs make it really sing and it's so easy to prepare.

The recipe calls for red D'Anjou pear, but you can use any variety of pear. I used a Bartlett pear and it  was mmmm good. I think you could experiment with using other fruit. How does fuyu persimmon sound?  I must try that one. Persimmons are my favorite fall fruit—maybe my all time fav actually.

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash
from Costco Connectionyield 4-8 servings category Main Coursecuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
ingredients2 Acorn Squash2 tsp olive oil1/4 tsp sea salt1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper1 C chopped pistachios2 Tbsp diced pistachios1 red D'Anjou pear, diced2 tsp olive oil2 tsp maple syrup2 tsp red wine vinegar2 springs of rosemary, finely chopped10 leaves of mint, finely chopped4 springs thyme, finely chopped1/4 tsp sea salt1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
directions1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice squash in half through stem and scoop out seeds.2. Place squash cut side up on baking sheet. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30-35 minutes, or until soft.3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cup of chopped pistachios, pear, oil, maple syrup, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.4. Portion out the pear mixture to fill the squash halves and sprinkle with the diced pistachios.5. Preheat broiler. Place the squash under broiler for about 3 minutes, until golden. Serve warm.
I plan on bringing this dish to the family Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers. I used to bring the Tofurky with vegan dressing for any vegans (which is usually just me and my hubby) at the feast. But since I stopped eating soy this year, I'm bringing only veggie options for my meal. No more fake turkey.

What changes have you made that will effect your Thanksgiving meal?

20 Questions to Ask Your Oncologist

Chris Wark, fellow cancer conquerer, cancer killer, cancer whisperer and all around nice guy, is making a difference in disseminating the truth about cancer. He just posted a great resource that everyone should have for themselves or someone they know who is facing cancer. Go to ChrisBeatCancer.com and sign-up for his FREE 20 questions for your oncologist.

Asking the right questions is a powerful tool and (as Chris had learned) can save your life.

Chris writes, "Most cancer patients have NO IDEA what they are getting into. They have no idea how effective the treatments will be. They have no idea what the real risks are. They have no idea how much suffering is involved. They have no idea about the long-term damage the treatments will inflict on their body... "

And oncologists are likely not going to tell you... unless you insist and ask the questions.


Getting truthful answers to your questions, may cause you to wonder whether the recommended conventional treatments are worth it. It may send you on a journey to find a better way to heal from cancer. One that will not harm you in the process.

Remember one thing, you have time to get answers—take that time to do your research and be informed. Check our my post I Have Cancer—6 Tips for help.

Which questions on Chris' list surprised you?

Now Appearing: Cure Today Online Magazine

I'm happy to announce that I am a new contributor at Cure Today online magazine. Catch my debut article Being Passionate About Health Saved My Life. You may learn a bit more about me you didn't already know.

As you might guess, I provide a different approach than most contributors to the site, who offer stories of survival while undergoing the conventional treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Take a look around and read a few other posts.

Look for future articles at Cure Today that provide motivation and support for a different approach to cancer. Something you (my faithful readers) would expect from me.

Note: If you haven't gotten to see The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest 9-part video series, you would have missed my interview in Episode 9. You'll hear me speak to being an example of epigenetics. Look for epigenetics to be the subject of a future post. Some viewers of the series wrote me and expressed a hope for their genetic cancer condition after watching me.

What would you like to see me address in this blog or at Cure Today?

Wisdom Wednesday

Was there some significance to Frankincense being one of the gifts given to the Christ Child? Today we find it to be a powerful cancer fighter—kills cancer cells (apoptosis), stops cancer cell reproduction and is toxic only to cancer cells. Also known as Boswellia, throughout the ages it has been used to fight disease and inflammation while strengthening the immune system.

Studies show frankincense effective at killing ovarian cancer cells which are resistant to chemotherapy and may be used to treat many other cancers.

Available from several essential oil companies, frankincense may be administered orally (check each brand as some are not food grade oils), topically or defused.

Have you or someone you know had experience with the healing properties of frankincense? Share the experience.

Redesigned Carrot Cupcakes Recipe

This is the second Carrot Cupcake recipe I've created. I decided the first recipe could be easier and, yes, even yummier. So I set about to make a newer, better recipe. Motivated by the upcoming celebration of our son's marriage to his college sweetheart, I spent the week before the event (dubbed the I Do BBQ) planning, shopping and making the dishes and dessert.

Our son Nur and his college sweetheart Annaliese met over 11 years ago. Nur participated in the Anime club on campus and met Annaliese there. Smitten from their first meeting, Nur spent much of the years winning her over—a true romantic tale. Both being minimalists and creatures of habit, they seem made for each other, highlighted by their love of Anime and annual vacation to Comic-Con in San Diego. The two lovebirds married in a private ceremony at San Francisco City Hall (a beautiful and cheap venue) on June 19th. The I Do BBQ allowed the extended family to meet Annaliese and share their well-wishes with the newlyweds.

Run the carrots through your juicer and add the filtered water. Add coconut oil, honey and eggs to a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly then add to the carrots.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. I used quinoa flour and buckwheat flour, but you can choose any flours you want—make it gluten-free or add 2 cups of one type of flour. Your choice.

Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, walnuts (optional if you like) and raisons. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too dry. Batter should be wet enough to easily scoop into cupcake papers. Sprinkle with some natural sugar and bake.

Viola! The buckwheat flour made these cupcakes look like chocolate cupcakes. I certainly fooled a few when they bit into the delicious cake. The crowd loved em!

Carrot Cupcakes ReDesigned

from Chris Pedersenyield 16 cupcakes
category Dessertcuisine Vegetarian, no sugar
ingredients 3 carrots1/2 C filtered water2/3 C coconut oil, melted2/3 C raw honey2 eggs1 C buckwheat flour1 C quinoa flour1 C rolled oats2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp baking soda1 tsp sea salt1 tsp vanilla1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice1/2 C chopped wlanuts1/2 C raisons1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar or sucanate
directions1. Preheat oven to 350º2. Run carrots through a juicer and use juice and pulp. Add water to carrots and pulp.3. In medium bowl, mix together oil, honey and eggs. Add to carrot mixture.4. In separate bowl, mix flours, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.5. Add carrot mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Add vanilla, lemon juice, walnuts and raisons. Combine.6. Scoop mixture into cupcake papers in a muffin tin. Fill to just below the top. Sprinkle coconut sugar or sucanate on top of each cupcake.7. Bake for 20 minutes. Test with toothpick.
I elected to add some fun and decorative frosting to the cupcakes. A search for vegan cream cheese frosting yielded this perfect and easy recipe. If you want to do something similar on top of your cupcakes, take a sandwich bag and cut a teeny, tiny triangle off one bottom corner of the bag. Scoop in the frosting then squeeze from the top of the bag (this can be messy) until the frosting comes out of the hole. Decorate away!

What's your idea of a good cupcake recipe?