Amy Myers's Blog, page 41

The Top 3 Ways Greens Support Healthy Blood Pressure

Whether we like them or not, greens including kale, spinach, and broccoli are the undeniable superstars of the food world. Low in calories, yet high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, greens are incredible for your health — including your cardiovascular system. Fortunately, especially for those who don’t love the taste of those all-important organic green veggies (I’m looking at you, Xavier!) my Organic Greens powder is a great way to get your daily dose.

Before I get into the ways greens can support a healthy blood pressure I’ll recap why having high blood pressure can be detrimental to your health. Then I’ll talk about how organic greens can benefit you and how they do it. When you understand how truly amazing organic greens are, you’ll be a lifelong green juice fan, even if you can’t bring yourself to belly up to a bowl of kale. 

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, also called HBP or hypertension, occurs when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is too high, like a hose that can’t handle the force of the water running through it. 

When your heart beats, it creates pressure — just like a pump — that carries blood through a network of arteries, veins, and capillaries. Blood pressure consists of two measures. The first is the systolic blood pressure, which occurs as blood is pushed out of your heart and into the arteries that are part of the circulatory system. The second is the diastolic blood pressure which is created as the heart rests between heartbeats.

These two forces are represented by the numbers in a blood pressure reading. The top number is the systolic pressure and the bottom is the diastolic pressure. New guidelines have recently been developed that measure high blood pressure as anything over 130/90.1 The only way to know for sure where you stand is to have your blood pressure checked.

How Common is High Blood Pressure?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 75 million Amerian adults have high blood pressure. That’s about one-third of the population.2 Before age 55, men have a greater chance of having high blood pressure while women are more likely to have high blood pressure after menopause. There’s also a good chance you don’t even know you have it.  And that’s an issue because even a small increase in blood pressure can have serious consequences: every 20/10 increment over 115/75 increases your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.3

What to Do About Hypertension?

If you are seeing a conventional physician for HBP, he or she has likely advised you to lose weight, cut your salt intake, and avoid fatty and fried foods. What your doctor probably didn’t tell you — and may not even know —  is that while hypertension and heart disease tend to rise with age in the US, it is not an inherent part of the aging process. In fact, the relationship between diet, lifestyle, and heart health in other cultures offers solid evidence that high blood pressure can often be controlled without medication. 

Even better, through a healthy lifestyle such as The Myers Way® which of course includes the avoidance of risk factors such as smoking and being overweight, it’s possible to stave it off. So now we know what high blood pressure is and who it affects, let’s turn to how greens can help.

 

1. Support Muscle Function

Magnesium is a crucial element for your body and plays an important role in bone health, protein manufacture, and muscle function, including that all-important muscle — your heart. In addition to magnesium’s capacity to help manage heart rhythm disorders, magnesium has been shown to support a healthy blood pressure.4 High levels of magnesium in the blood have been linked to improvements in blood flow, another factor associated with lowered blood pressure.5

Spinach, Popeye’s trusty standby and one of the foods we often associate with good health and vitality, is rich in magnesium. Just a half-cup serving has 78 mg of this nutrient. That’s about ¼ of a woman’s recommended daily allowance.

2. Optimize Fluid Balance

Potassium, a mineral and electrolyte found in abundance in greens, is essential to keeping an optimal fluid balance in your body. A diet high in sodium (often due to eating highly processed foods) must be kept in check by adequate potassium intake. Potassium lessens the effects of sodium because the greater the amount of potassium you eat, the more sodium you pass in your urine. An adequate potassium level also helps to ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps further lower blood pressure.

Once again, spinach can be an important source. However, another great option is broccoli, which has almost 500 mg of potassium per cooked cup,6or about 20% of your daily value.It’s an extremely versatile vegetable that can be boiled, steamed or sautéed with garlic and olive oil. It can also be easily incorporated into soups and casseroles. 

.

3. Promote Blood Oxygenation

The mineral iron is critical for your blood health. Having enough iron means your blood cells can carry oxygen throughout your body, one of your circulatory system’s most important functions. A recent study has shown that a lack of iron, also called anemia, is a factor in 30% to 50% of patients with heart failure. Iron is also critical in muscle function, so a lack of iron can directly affect the heart, which in turn can impact blood pressure, Furthermore, anemia can actually result in smaller blood cells which impact blood volume and pressure.

Spinach comes to mind for iron as well (no wonder Popeye loves it!) however, kale is a great choice for your blood on at least two counts. First, a single serving contains at least a gram of iron per serving. That may not seem like a lot but iron can only be absorbed if there is an adequate supply of vitamin C. Fortunately, that same serving of kale has 134% of the typical daily value of vitamin C — much more than spinach has — so the iron in kale is readily available for your blood.

The Best Way to Add Greens to Your Diet

While it’s ideal to get these incredible benefits from real, whole foods, I completely understand that not everyone is a fan of how greens taste, has time to shop for and prepare them or even knows the best cooking method to get the optimal flavor from them. Add to that the fact the greens may not be grown in optimal soil, that organic varieties can be difficult to come by, especially at certain times of the year and that it can be difficult to get enough of these nutrients from diet alone in even the best of circumstances, and it can be downright discouraging!

That’s why an Organic Greens powder is a great option to have on hand for when you’re just too busy to prep a big salad or cook a tasty meal. With a powder, you know exactly which nutrients you’re getting and how much of it. It’s also a great way to maintain healthy habits while on-the-go or traveling.

One scoop of my Organic Greens powder is a nutritional powerhouse, containing 14 USDA certified organic plant foods, including the green superstars spinach, broccoli, and kale that support a healthy blood pressure, as well as alfalfa, moringa, broccoli sprouts, spirulina and chlorella for additional nutrients that benefit your whole body. My Organic Greens powder is an easy and convenient way to ensure you’re getting your daily greens along with all the heart-healthy, blood-pressure support they provide.

The post The Top 3 Ways Greens Support Healthy Blood Pressure appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

I can’t wait for you to get your hands on this low-carb Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe. These healthy wraps substitute lettuce for tortillas, making them keto, Paleo, and The Myers Way®. The filling is shredded chicken salad, which is also the perfect no-bake meal prep for those hot summer days or anytime you want a tasty way to use leftovers.

Are these Chicken Lettuce Wraps healthy?

There are a ton of health benefits tucked away in these delicious wraps because their ingredients include whole, real foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll find in these Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Shredded Chicken

This recipe features delicious, pasture-raised chicken that’s packed with protein. When chicken is pasture-raised, it’s allowed to roam freely and eat a natural diet of insects, small plants, and seeds. They spend most of their lives in the sun and fresh air, and their natural diet produces a nutrient-dense bird with rich flavor. Pasture-raised chicken is a great source of high-quality protein, Vitamin E, and a range of B vitamins (especially Vitamin B3, or niacin). They also have a more optimal Omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than feed-supplemented, organic, or conventionally raised chicken.

Primal Kitchen Mayo (or homemade Eggless, AIP Mayo)

Conventional mayo contains ingredients such as rapeseed oil (which triggers your body’s inflammatory response), eggs from conventionally-raised chickens, sugar, and vinegar derived from GMO corn or petroleum, both of which are inflammatory. There is no way I’m letting conventional mayo sneak into my diet!

While I love preparing my own mayo, there are store-bought options available. Consider looking for a product with minimal ingredients including is avocado oil—a neutral oil that won’t trigger an inflammatory response. I stay away from inflammatory oils even in store-bought products. Although they are undeniably convenient, many prepared mayos from contain eggs so I’ve included an option for homemade, egg-free mayo for those of you who have not reintroduced eggs, or are unable to eat them.

If you’re following The Myers Way®, AIP, or you can’t tolerate eggs for any reason, you will not be disappointed by my recipe for homemade mayo. It tastes great! Sustainably-harvested palm shortening provides a great texture, and it is also antioxidant-rich, which supports your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Flavor and Nutrient Boosters: Green Onions and Cilantro

Green onions and cilantro are the herbs of choice in this recipe. They add some powerful nutrients and flavor. Green onions are loaded with Vitamins A (in the form of beta carotene) and K. They’re also fairly high in fiber to promote digestive health.

Cilantro is one of the most powerful foods to support detoxification. It is especially high in quercetin, a flavonoid that helps fight free radical damage in the body. This leafy green supports your liver, your digestion, and your body’s inflammatory response.

Red Leaf Lettuce

I chose red leaf lettuce to wrap the chicken salad because the stem isn’t as thick as the typical green leaf variety. It’s the perfect vehicle for lettuce wraps, and it adds nutritional value. Red leaf lettuce is especially high in Vitamins K and A, in the form of beta carotene. It also contains anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Both beta carotene and anthocyanins support your body’s natural detoxification pathways.

http://www.amymyersmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Recipe-Video_Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps.mp4
Can I make these wraps ahead of time?

You can prepare the chicken lettuce wraps in parchment paper, lettuce and all, up to 12 hours ahead of time, so long as they’re kept in the fridge. I can’t guarantee how nice the avocado will look if you prepare the wraps too far in advance. Avocado “oxidizes” and turns browns as it’s exposed to air. If you’re using avocado, I suggest eating your wrap within 4-5 hours.

I love making these as an easy, no-bake meal. They’re so versatile, with a ton of ways to mix it up and add even more fun ingredients. Here are a few wonderful ideas for variations:

Make a mini-version for your child’s lunchbox. These will hold up well to being sliced in thirds, or even quarters for tiny hands. You can pair them with green grapes and sweet potato chips for a well-rounded meal.
Prep 2-3 different varieties. Try a Waldorf-style with grapes, crunchy walnuts (if you’ve reintroduced them), and aromatic basil. Add bacon for a savory touch. Or mandarin oranges for an Asian-style salad.
Get everyone involved! If you’ve got a crew at home, set up a buffet-style line with various add-ins to make the wraps. Use markers to write on the parchment paper to ensure each person gets the wrap of their choice.

 

Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps






Course

Main Dish


Protocol

Autoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Breakthrough® and SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection








Ingredients

1.5 lbs chicken breasts cooked and shredded2/3 cup Paleo mayo OR Eggless, AIP Mayo1/4 cup cilantro chopped1/4 cup green onion chopped1/2 tsp sea salt1 head red leaf lettuce Optional Toppings: pickles, carrots, red onion, avocado, etc. Unbleached parchment paper

Servings:

Units:
MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Add shredded chicken, Paleo mayo, cilantro, green onion and salt to a large bowl and stir until combined. Place a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper on a work surface. Trim the stem ends and wash 6 leaves of lettuce. Lay out 3 leaves with stem side facing left, with the sides of the leaves overlapping. Next, lay 3 more leaves with the stems facing right, with the leaves overlapping so that a rectangular shape is formed and no parchment is visible beneath the leaves.Add one-quarter of the chicken salad to the center of the lettuce leaves.Layer on optional toppings as desired.Pinch together long ends of the outer 4 leaves of lettuce horizontally. These don’t need to completely cover the fillings.Holding the edges of the lettuce together with one hand, use your other hand to take the corner of the parchment paper and tightly pull it over the lettuce lengthwise. The key here is to pull tightly. Roll over the entire wrap and parchment paper 1 time.Tuck in the ends of the lettuce leaves, and fold each end of the parchment paper in towards the center of the wrap. Continue rolling the wrap until all the parchment paper has been used. Repeat with three more wraps.If making ahead of time, you can use a piece of tape to hold down the loose edge of the parchment paper. When it comes time to serve, use a serrated knife to cut through the center of the parchment-wrapped lettuce wrap. Keep the parchment paper on while you’re eating, folding it back slightly before taking each bite.






I can’t wait for you to get your hands on this low-carb Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe. These healthy wraps substitute lettuce for tortillas, making them keto, Paleo, and The Myers Way®. The filling is shredded chicken salad, which is also the perfect no-bake meal prep for those hot summer days or anytime you want a tasty way to use leftovers.
Are these Chicken Lettuce Wraps healthy?
There are a ton of health benefits tucked away in these delicious wraps because their ingredients include whole, real foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll find in these Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Shredded Chicken
This recipe features delicious, pasture-raised chicken that’s packed with protein. When chicken is pasture-raised, it’s allowed to roam freely and eat a natural diet of insects, small plants, and seeds. They spend most of their lives in the sun and fresh air, and their natural diet produces a nutrient-dense bird with rich flavor. Pasture-raised chicken is a great source of high-quality protein, Vitamin E, and a range of B vitamins (especially Vitamin B3, or niacin). They also have a more optimal Omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than feed-supplemented, organic, or conventionally raised chicken.


Primal Kitchen Mayo (or homemade Eggless, AIP Mayo)
Conventional mayo contains ingredients such as rapeseed oil (which triggers your body’s inflammatory response), eggs from conventionally-raised chickens, sugar, and vinegar derived from GMO corn or petroleum, both of which are inflammatory. There is no way I’m letting conventional mayo sneak into my diet!

While I love preparing my own mayo, there are store-bought options available. Consider looking for a product with minimal ingredients including is avocado oil—a neutral oil that won’t trigger an inflammatory response. I stay away from inflammatory oils even in store-bought products. Although they are undeniably convenient, many prepared mayos from contain eggs so I’ve included an option for homemade, egg-free mayo for those of you who have not reintroduced eggs, or are unable to eat them.

If you’re following The Myers Way®, AIP, or you can’t tolerate eggs for any reason, you will not be disappointed by my recipe for homemade mayo. It tastes great! Sustainably-harvested palm shortening provides a great texture, and it is also antioxidant-rich, which supports your body’s natural detoxification processes.


Flavor and Nutrient Boosters: Green Onions and Cilantro
Green onions and cilantro are the herbs of choice in this recipe. They add some powerful nutrients and flavor. Green onions are loaded with Vitamins A (in the form of beta carotene) and K. They’re also fairly high in fiber to promote digestive health.

Cilantro is one of the most powerful foods to support detoxification. It is especially high in quercetin, a flavonoid that helps fight free radical damage in the body. This leafy green supports your liver, your digestion, and your body’s inflammatory response.


Red Leaf Lettuce
I chose red leaf lettuce to wrap the chicken salad because the stem isn’t as thick as the typical green leaf variety. It’s the perfect vehicle for lettuce wraps, and it adds nutritional value. Red leaf lettuce is especially high in Vitamins K and A, in the form of beta carotene. It also contains anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Both beta carotene and anthocyanins support your body’s natural detoxification pathways.

https://www.amymyersmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Recipe-Video_Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps.mp4
Can I make these wraps ahead of time?
You can prepare the chicken lettuce wraps in parchment paper, lettuce and all, up to 12 hours ahead of time, so long as they’re kept in the fridge. I can’t guarantee how nice the avocado will look if you prepare the wraps too far in advance. Avocado “oxidizes” and turns browns as it’s exposed to air. If you’re using avocado, I suggest eating your wrap within 4-5 hours.

I love making these as an easy, no-bake meal. They’re so versatile, with a ton of ways to mix it up and add even more fun ingredients. Here are a few wonderful ideas for variations:

Make a mini-version for your child’s lunchbox. These will hold up well to being sliced in thirds, or even quarters for tiny hands. You can pair them with green grapes and sweet potato chips for a well-rounded meal.
Prep 2-3 different varieties. Try a Waldorf-style with grapes, crunchy walnuts (if you’ve reintroduced them), and aromatic basil. Add bacon for a savory touch. Or mandarin oranges for an Asian-style salad.
Get everyone involved! If you’ve got a crew at home, set up a buffet-style line with various add-ins to make the wraps. Use markers to write on the parchment paper to ensure each person gets the wrap of their choice.

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Add shredded chicken, Paleo mayo, cilantro, green onion and salt to a large bowl and stir until combined. Place a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper on a work surface. Trim the stem ends and wash 6 leaves of lettuce. Lay out 3 leaves with stem side facing left, with the sides of the leaves overlapping. Next, lay 3 more leaves with the stems facing right, with the leaves overlapping so that a rectangular shape is formed and no parchment is visible beneath the leaves.Add one-quarter of the chicken salad to the center of the lettuce leaves.Layer on optional toppings as desired.Pinch together long ends of the outer 4 leaves of lettuce horizontally. These don’t need to completely cover the fillings.Holding the edges of the lettuce together with one hand, use your other hand to take the corner of the parchment paper and tightly pull it over the lettuce lengthwise. The key here is to pull tightly. Roll over the entire wrap and parchment paper 1 time.Tuck in the ends of the lettuce leaves, and fold each end of the parchment paper in towards the center of the wrap. Continue rolling the wrap until all the parchment paper has been used. Repeat with three more wraps.If making ahead of time, you can use a piece of tape to hold down the loose edge of the parchment paper. When it comes time to serve, use a serrated knife to cut through the center of the parchment-wrapped lettuce wrap. Keep the parchment paper on while you’re eating, folding it back slightly before taking each bite.
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The post Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Eggless, AIP Mayo

Whether you’re in the first 30 days following The Myers Way®, or you avoid eggs altogether, you’ll love this recipe for an Eggless, AIP Mayo. It’s a delicious option that opens the door to a whole world of possibilities: chicken salad, home-made dressing, or even my Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad!

While there are Paleo, store-bought mayos available, some still contain eggs. This recipe keeps your body free of ingredients that may trigger an inflammatory response.

The oils used in Eggless, AIP Mayo are wholesome, healthy fats that will keep you full and satisfied. The combination of avocado, olive, and palm oil creates rich flavor and texture. My recipe is also void of added sugars, and it doesn’t use any vinegar derived from GMO corn or petroleum.

I try to avoid eggs in my everyday diet, and this recipe makes it all the easier!

Eggless, AIP Mayo






Course

Condiment


Protocol

Autoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Breakthrough® and SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection








Ingredients

2/3 cup avocado oil1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup + 2 Tbls sustainably harvested palm oil2 tsps apple cider vinegar1 tsp garlic powder omit for SIBO1 Tbls The Myers Way® Collagen Protein3/4 tsp sea salt

Servings:

Units:
MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Using a stand or hand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium or high speed for 8-10 minutes, until soft peaks form. Store covered in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.






Whether you're in the first 30 days following The Myers Way®, or you avoid eggs altogether, you'll love this recipe for an Eggless, AIP Mayo. It's a delicious option that opens the door to a whole world of possibilities: chicken salad, home-made dressing, or even my Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad!

While there are Paleo, store-bought mayos available, some still contain eggs. This recipe keeps your body free of ingredients that may trigger an inflammatory response.

The oils used in Eggless, AIP Mayo are wholesome, healthy fats that will keep you full and satisfied. The combination of avocado, olive, and palm oil creates rich flavor and texture. My recipe is also void of added sugars, and it doesn't use any vinegar derived from GMO corn or petroleum.

I try to avoid eggs in my everyday diet, and this recipe makes it all the easier!",
"image": "https://www.amymyersmd.com/wp-content...",
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"2/3 cup avocado oil", "1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil", "1/4 cup + 2 Tbls sustainably harvested palm oil", "2 tsps apple cider vinegar", "1 tsp garlic powder", "1 Tbls The Myers Way® Collagen Protein", "3/4 tsp sea salt" ],
"name": "Eggless, AIP Mayo",
"prepTime": " ",
"recipeInstructions": "
Using a stand or hand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium or high speed for 8-10 minutes, until soft peaks form. Store covered in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.
",
"recipeYield": " "
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The post Eggless, AIP Mayo appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

When Should I Start Taking a Multivitamin?

Do you remember taking a chewable multivitamin when you were a kid? Those brightly-colored pills may have saved you from a range of nutrient deficiencies, yet you probably gave them up long ago. However, there are lots of little bottles with a host of formulas lining supermarket and drugstore shelves. Are they effective? Should you start taking one such as The Myers Way® Multivitamin?

Why Do You Need Vitamins?

For optimal health, you must get all the essential nutrients your body requires to function. You must also guard against mineral and vitamin deficiencies, the most common of which are deficiencies in vitamin B-6, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B-12, and iron.

Would it be best to get everything you need from your diet? Food sources such as organic fruits and vegetables combined with grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish are the best way to get nutrients. Yet it can be difficult to get everything you require for optimal health, even from a balanced diet. For example, produce contains fewer nutrients than it used to. According to a recent report, today’s conventionally-farmed produce contains 10-25% less iron, zinc, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and other nutrients than it did even 40 years ago.1,2

Modern cultivation practices focus on speeding growth, increasing size, and improving pest resistance. The increased production from artificial fertilizers decreases concentrations of minerals in plants. This is called the “dilution effect.”3 Furthermore, while modern agriculture has increased the food supply, making more food available for more people, that process has also stripped the nutrients from the soil where our food grows. This is called soil depletion, and every new season of crops grown makes the problem worse.

And we all know that farm-raised meats, poultry, and fish can be packed with antibiotics and growth hormones.

In addition to modern farming practices, several lifestyle aspects impact your need for a multivitamin. If you eat junk food containing unhealthy fats, toxins, and chemicals, you’re not only displacing healthy food, you may be depleting nutrients from other foods you consume.4 When your body processes sugary foods that don’t contribute vitamins and minerals of their own, that work uses nutrients needed for cell repair, enzyme production, and other important functions.

Additionally, those who follow a restricted diet or have food aversions lack variety in their diets so their nutrient intake may also be imbalanced.5 Furthermore, studies show that those with anxiety or depression are more likely to be malnourished because they eat fewer variations of nutrient-rich foods,6 and their diets contain more of the junk foods that steal nutrients during metabolization.

What are the Best Multivitamin Ingredients?

A good multi should contain the essential vitamins and minerals that virtually everyone needs in a daily supplement, at levels that are high enough to ensure general wellness and detoxification. I recommend looking for a multivitamin that contains the following micronutrients:

 

Is 100% of the RDA enough?

I recommend relatively large doses of certain vitamins and minerals because I find that the USRDA (the recommended daily allowance) for many nutrients isn’t enough to be truly beneficial. Some nutrients, such as vitamin C and vitamin B12, pass through the body quickly and cannot be stored, yet a deficiency in those nutrients can be damaging to the body.

Higher levels than the USRDA for vitamin C, for example, can support the repair of tissues, the formation of collagen, the absorption of iron, your immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.7 High intakes of vitamin C are generally well tolerated, so my multivitamin contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, which is 1111% of the USRDA, yet half of the established upper tolerable limit.8,9

Vitamins and minerals interact, and they are also impacted by the food you eat. As your food is digested, digestive enzymes are produced to break them down. This is why multivitamins are best taken with food — the enzymes help your body absorb nutrients from the multi.

Multivitamins come in many different forms, including:

Capsules: This is generally the best form because no added ingredients are needed for flavor. With capsules, nutrients such as iron, which have a metallic taste, can be added without affecting the flavor of your multivitamin. Capsules can also include the broadest range of nutrients. This is the form I selected for The Myers Way® Multivitamin.
Liquid: Liquids work well for adults who find it difficult to swallow capsules and tablets. However, they are often alcohol-based, have a shorter shelf life, and don’t lend themselves well to multivitamin supplements.
Chewable: Children who haven’t yet learned how to swallow pills benefit most from chewable supplements. However, they are often artificially flavored, and because of the flavor, some formulations may not contain the necessary levels of nutrients such as iron. This applies to chewable vitamins for both children and adults.
Gummi: This form of multivitamin is typically formulated for taste, not nutritional content. It often contains a lot of additives such as sugar. Gummis often don’t include iron, and the vitamins may be sprayed onto the outside of the gummi. What’s more, the gelatin providing the gummy texture can bind to nutrients, making them difficult for the body to break down and absorb.

Does One Multi Work for Everyone?

While The Myers Way® Multivitamin is formulated with the optimal blend of vitamins and minerals in their most bioavailable form, certain periods of life call for special vitamins. For example, women who are planning to get pregnant, or women who are already in early pregnancy should almost always take prenatal vitamins. These contain a greater amount of folic acid to support fetal development, as well as additional calcium, iodine, iron, and Vitamin D.10

How much you work out can also affect nutrient requirements. If you are a high-performance athlete — or training to become one — you want to make sure to get plenty of B Vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium to ensure more effective workouts and recovery.11,12

Low levels of B-vitamins have been shown to reduce performance in athletes engaging in high-intensity exercise. Potassium supports recovery time by helping your muscles and nerves work properly. Because of its high potency and bioavailability, The Myers Way® Multi can be a good option for those who enjoy a challenging workout.

Those with thyroid dysfunction also need a specially formulated vitamin. The Myers Way® Multivitamin is tailor-made to help with thyroid dysfunction, including Hashimoto’s and Grave’s disease. It’s packed with micronutrients in the forms your body wants, and the amounts your thyroid needs. It contains optimal levels of thyroid supporting minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iodine, as well as vitamins C and E and other free radical scavengers to support general hormone balance.

It’s also great for anyone who is looking to support weight loss because it contains nutrients that help regulate your hormones, breakdown fat, and control satiety.13 There’s no other multivitamin on the market that goes to such lengths to give you targeted support in maintaining and reinforcing your health.

The post When Should I Start Taking a Multivitamin? appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Sweet Potato Fritters

If you’re looking for a savory breakfast option that’s the Myers Way® approved, look no further! These baked Sweet Potato Fritters are the perfect option. They’re full of ingredients that will nourish your body and power you through the day, plus they taste delicious. Sweet Potato Fritters are a great, gluten-free option the whole family will enjoy. Whether they’ve just turned two or eighty-two, no one will want to miss these.

What are Sweet Potato Fritters?

With coconut flour and mashed sweet potato, these Sweet Potato Fritters are a nutrient-dense breakfast, snack, or even a side dish. Sweet potato, leafy greens, and savory onions combine for in a recipe that will satisfy the pickiest of eaters. Not to mention, it’s easy! Simply mix all the ingredients together and form them into equal-sized patties. The fritters are baked in the oven to avoid any mess, but you can also make them crispy by lightly pan-frying them on the stovetop after they come out of the oven. Either way, they taste amazing!

Are Sweet Potato Fritters healthy?

They sure are! Although that doesn’t make them any less delicious. The sweet potatoes are the star of the recipe; however, don’t overlook the supporting roles of vegetables, herbs, and coconut flour.

Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, and Kale

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant which protects your body from harmful free radical damage and helps to fight inflammation. Some studies suggest that those who consume four servings of beta-carotene rich fruits and vegetables per day are at lower risk for developing chronic illness. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of fiber which contains resistant starch that helps feed your body’s good bacteria. On top of that, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and potassium in sweet potatoes can help keep your blood sugar stable.

In addition to sweet potato, these fritters feature some popular leafy greens: spinach and kale. In this recipe, they’re interchangeable, but that doesn’t mean one leafy green provides the same nutrients as the other. Spinach is higher in vitamins K and A, as well as folate while kale offers twice as much vitamin C as spinach.

You can support your body’s antioxidant defense and your digestion by including more beta-carotene and vitamin-rich foods, including sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, spinach, kale, asparagus, and squash in your diet.

Coconut Flour

Both grain and gluten-free, coconut flour is rich in fiber and healthy fats and low in carbohydrates. This recipe calls for ¾ of a cup of coconut flour—about 30 grams of fiber! Each serving will give you enough fiber to keep you full and satisfied while supporting your digestive system so that it continues to function optimally.

The abundance of healthy fats in coconut flour add more nutrients to fuel your body and keep you satiated. Coconut flour provides you with the same medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut oil and MCT oil. MCTs are a perfect source of fuel for our body—they’re easy to convert into energy!

Garlic

The garlic powder in this recipe is equivalent to about two cloves. Garlic is a nutrient powerhouse, exceptionally high in sulfurous compounds that act as antioxidants. It’s also a great source of manganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.

How to make Sweet Potato Fritters:

This is a simple recipe that lends itself to meal prepping or batch cooking. Combine mashed potatoes with chopped greens, onion, coconut flour, garlic powder, and sea salt in a bowl.

Stir until well combined and form into 8-10 patties. Bake until golden brown.

If you’d like to add a crispy outside to your fritters, you can fry lightly on each side in a skillet to crisp the edges.

If prepping in advance, Sweet Potato Fritters keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For a great meal, I recommend pairing the Sweet Potato Fritters with a home-made hamburger patty made with grass-fed meat, and a dollop of my delicious artichoke hummus.

Can I freeze Sweet Potato Fritters?

Yes, you can freeze them in an airtight container. To ensure your fritters don’t freeze together, cut parchment paper into strips or small squares, and place them between the fritters. Then place them in your sealed container (something like a reusable silicone bag works great!). To reheat the fritters, warm them in a skillet or put them in the oven under the broiler until thoroughly heated.

Sweet Potato Fritters






Course

Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack


Protocol

Autoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Breakthrough®, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection




Servings

8-10 fritters

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes3/4 cup coconut flour1 cup spinach or kale stems removed and chopped1/4 cup white onion finely diced2 Tbls full fat coconut milk1 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp sea salt3 Tbls avocado or coconut oil (optional)

Servings:
fritters

Units:
MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch pieces.Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of filtered water. Place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket in the saucepan and steam until tender- about 12 minutes.Once tender, transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add coconut milk and mash until smooth.Stir in coconut flour, chopped greens, onion, garlic, and sea salt.Once thoroughly combined, form sweet potato mixture into 8-10 individual fritters.Place fritters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and serve, or use frying instructions below. Optional: Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Cook fritters about 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Work in batches so the fritters are in a single layer to ensure crispness. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to skillet between each batch.






If you’re looking for a savory breakfast option that's the Myers Way® approved, look no further! These baked Sweet Potato Fritters are the perfect option. They're full of ingredients that will nourish your body and power you through the day, plus they taste delicious. Sweet Potato Fritters are a great, gluten-free option the whole family will enjoy. Whether they've just turned two or eighty-two, no one will want to miss these.
What are Sweet Potato Fritters?
With coconut flour and mashed sweet potato, these Sweet Potato Fritters are a nutrient-dense breakfast, snack, or even a side dish. Sweet potato, leafy greens, and savory onions combine for in a recipe that will satisfy the pickiest of eaters. Not to mention, it’s easy! Simply mix all the ingredients together and form them into equal-sized patties. The fritters are baked in the oven to avoid any mess, but you can also make them crispy by lightly pan-frying them on the stovetop after they come out of the oven. Either way, they taste amazing!
Are Sweet Potato Fritters healthy?
They sure are! Although that doesn’t make them any less delicious. The sweet potatoes are the star of the recipe; however, don’t overlook the supporting roles of vegetables, herbs, and coconut flour.


Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, and Kale
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant which protects your body from harmful free radical damage and helps to fight inflammation. Some studies suggest that those who consume four servings of beta-carotene rich fruits and vegetables per day are at lower risk for developing chronic illness. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of fiber which contains resistant starch that helps feed your body’s good bacteria. On top of that, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and potassium in sweet potatoes can help keep your blood sugar stable.

In addition to sweet potato, these fritters feature some popular leafy greens: spinach and kale. In this recipe, they’re interchangeable, but that doesn’t mean one leafy green provides the same nutrients as the other. Spinach is higher in vitamins K and A, as well as folate while kale offers twice as much vitamin C as spinach.

You can support your body’s antioxidant defense and your digestion by including more beta-carotene and vitamin-rich foods, including sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, spinach, kale, asparagus, and squash in your diet.


Coconut Flour
Both grain and gluten-free, coconut flour is rich in fiber and healthy fats and low in carbohydrates. This recipe calls for ¾ of a cup of coconut flour—about 30 grams of fiber! Each serving will give you enough fiber to keep you full and satisfied while supporting your digestive system so that it continues to function optimally.

The abundance of healthy fats in coconut flour add more nutrients to fuel your body and keep you satiated. Coconut flour provides you with the same medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut oil and MCT oil. MCTs are a perfect source of fuel for our body—they’re easy to convert into energy!
Garlic
The garlic powder in this recipe is equivalent to about two cloves. Garlic is a nutrient powerhouse, exceptionally high in sulfurous compounds that act as antioxidants. It’s also a great source of manganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.


How to make Sweet Potato Fritters:
This is a simple recipe that lends itself to meal prepping or batch cooking. Combine mashed potatoes with chopped greens, onion, coconut flour, garlic powder, and sea salt in a bowl.

Stir until well combined and form into 8-10 patties. Bake until golden brown.
If you’d like to add a crispy outside to your fritters, you can fry lightly on each side in a skillet to crisp the edges.

If prepping in advance, Sweet Potato Fritters keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For a great meal, I recommend pairing the Sweet Potato Fritters with a home-made hamburger patty made with grass-fed meat, and a dollop of my delicious artichoke hummus.
Can I freeze Sweet Potato Fritters?
Yes, you can freeze them in an airtight container. To ensure your fritters don’t freeze together, cut parchment paper into strips or small squares, and place them between the fritters. Then place them in your sealed container (something like a reusable silicone bag works great!). To reheat the fritters, warm them in a skillet or put them in the oven under the broiler until thoroughly heated.

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"2 medium sweet potatoes", "3/4 cup coconut flour", "1 cup spinach or kale", "1/4 cup white onion", "2 Tbls full fat coconut milk", "1 tsp garlic powder", "1/2 tsp sea salt", "3 Tbls avocado or coconut oil" ],
"name": "Sweet Potato Fritters",
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Preheat oven to 350°.Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch pieces.Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of filtered water. Place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket in the saucepan and steam until tender- about 12 minutes.Once tender, transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add coconut milk and mash until smooth.Stir in coconut flour, chopped greens, onion, garlic, and sea salt.Once thoroughly combined, form sweet potato mixture into 8-10 individual fritters.Place fritters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and serve, or use frying instructions below. Optional: Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Cook fritters about 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Work in batches so the fritters are in a single layer to ensure crispness. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to skillet between each batch.
",
"recipeYield": "8-10 fritters"
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The post Sweet Potato Fritters appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Is Leaky Gut a Medical Mystery?

Is leaky gut real? It’s all over the media, yet many in the medical community treat it as a medical myth. The truth is that while the symptoms may seem puzzling or confusing, leaky gut is far from mysterious. It’s a serious, proven health concern. With some simple steps, leaky gut can be both prevented as well as reversed. In fact, I used Leaky Gut Revive® to help thousands of my patients prevent and reverse leaky gut over the last decade in my clinic.

In this article, you’ll learn why your gut is so important and what a leaky gut is. I’ll also cover how to take back your health if leaky gut does occur.

Why is Your Gut so Important?

People often ask me why is the gut so important. The answer is simple. Your gut is the gateway to your health. It’s a major part of your digestive system and it’s also a key player in your immune and nervous systems.

When your gut health is compromised, your entire body can be affected. Your immune system suffers, and you increase your risk of developing chronic inflammation throughout the body, leading to autoimmune diseases, and other chronic health issues.

Intestinal Permeability vs. Leaky Gut

Intestinal permeability is a term that describes how your gut controls materials passing from inside your gut through the tight junctions in your gut wall into your bloodstream to the rest of your body.

Within your gut, there are the tiny projections called villi. They look like little fingers covered with hairs called microvilli. The villi grab micronutrients floating in your gut that have been broken down from the food you eat. The villi and the microvilli push these micronutrients toward tiny openings in your gut wall directly into your bloodstream. Then your blood carries this nourishment to all the cells in your body.

When you eat an inflammatory diet and are exposed to environmental toxins, infections, and stress, the toxic overload becomes too much for your body. As a result, the tiny openings in your intestinal wall break open. Microbes, toxins, and undigested food particles that should have been passed out of your body enter your bloodstream. Once this happens, the intestinal permeability that is the healthy functioning of your body becomes leaky gut.

Leaky gut can compromise your overall health and increases your risk of inflammation, leading to chronic disease. It is often the root cause of unexplained gastric problems such as gas and bloating as well as issues throughout the body from skin problems, and brain fog, to joint pain and other nagging health problems.1,2 ,3

Traditional Medicine and Leaky Gut

Leaky gut may be all over the media, yet it remains a controversial topic in the traditional medical community. Scientific evidence in controlled studies has shown that “increased intestinal permeability,” or what we call leaky gut, plays a role in various gastrointestinal diseases, including Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.

However, one of the biggest debates in the medical community is whether or not leaky gut plays a role in other health issues.5 allowing large particles to pass through and cause inflammation. He also proved that certain infections and a component of wheat called gliaden stimulate the production of zonulin. Finally, he was able to show a link between the opening of the gut wall, chronic inflammation, and autoimmunity.

You might think that most physicians would be delighted with this information. It’s a relatively straightforward explanation for a whole host of common ailments. Unfortunately, the traditional medical community doesn’t move very fast. In fact, it typically takes an average of 18 years for new research to make its way into clinical practice.

And although gastroenterologists may recommend removing known gut irritants such as gluten for people with celiac disease or even a liquid diet for Crohn’s disease,6 traditional medicine’s approach is generally treatment with harsh drugs including immunosuppressants and steroids.

In fact, at least one pharmaceutical company is in late-stage clinical trials to develop a zonulin-blocking drug.7 However, even Dr. Fasano cautions this creates a false sense of security. A drug such as this may temporarily help prevent gut wall openings from widening, but it will not close a hole blown in the wall by toxins or parasites. The drug will not get to the root cause of the problem.

Having been trained as a conventional medical doctor before I became a functional medicine physician, I have seen how new medications come to market. Once a drug is developed to treat a condition, its producer — generally a large corporation — will be interested in creating a market for it. I’m very confident the traditional medical community will be pushed to suddenly “believe” in leaky gut and prescribe a costly medication to treat it, rather than address it through diet and lifestyle adjustments.

The 4Rs to Repairing a Leaky Gut

As a functional medicine physician, I take a different approach. Dr. Fasano’s research proves that infections and your diet, among other factors, lead to leaky gut. Leaky gut, in turn, leads to the inflammation that can cause a range of issues from gastric problems, acne, and dandruff to, at its most extreme, autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.8

However, you can take back control of your health without harsh medications. The all-natural “4R” approach can help you repair your gut and return you to optimal health.

1. Remove the Bad

Your goal is to get rid of anything that’s harmful to your gut. I can’t stress enough that a gluten-free diet is critical to your gut health. In addition to avoiding gluten, you’ll also want to ditch dairy, as most adults are lactose intolerant or sensitive to the casein proteins in dairy products.9,10,11 Other gut-destroying and inflammatory foods including alcohol, corn, soy, refined sugar, GMOs, and highly processed foods need to be removed from your diet.

You’ll also need to eliminate any gut infections you have, whether caused by Candida overgrowth, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), or parasites. Finally, learning to manage stress and avoiding toxins are pieces of the puzzle you’ll need to address.

2. Restore the Good

Replace the bad with the good. Adding digestive enzymes and HCL to your regimen will help support optimal digestion and nutrient absorption, as well as assist your body’s intestinal repair and inflammation responses. Follow a nutrient-dense diet with plenty of organic greens, vegetables, and fruits, healthy fats, quality proteins.

3. Reinoculate

Restore beneficial bacteria in your gut with the help of probiotic supplements to create a healthy gut flora balance that protects your gut wall and your immune system as a whole.

4. Repair

To repair a leaky gut, I custom formulated Leaky Gut Revive® after working with thousands of patients with leaky gut. Leaky Gut Revive® is the perfect supplement for supporting a healthy gut lining.

It is an excellent source of L-Glutamine to nourish your gut cells. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is not only involved in your immune system, it also has a specific role in helping to build your gut lining. Anyone who is concerned about autoimmunity, food sensitivities, and inflammation, should be paying attention to L-Glutamine to help keep potentially allergenic and inflammatory proteins from entering your bloodstream where they can trigger an immune response.

Leaky Gut Revive® also includes aloe extract to help restore your gut’s normal mucosal lining as well as licorice extract to soothe the stomach and intestinal lining. I made sure to combine those with larch arabinogalactan to promote healthy gut microflora and gut mending fatty acid production. Slippery elm and marshmallow root maximize gut repair and mucous membrane health.

No other supplement combines these ingredients in this physician-designed formulation to enhance your gut lining and support your immune function.

With a nutrient-dense diet, healthy lifestyle, and Leaky Gut Revive® you can take back your health, restore your vitality, and have the energy you need to live your best life.

The post Is Leaky Gut a Medical Mystery? appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Coconut Cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse

This recipe for Coconut Cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse is a sweet treat that won’t derail your progress following The Myers Way®! It’s dairy-free, sweetened with dates, and super easy to make in your food processor. The mousse is delicious on its own, and you can also use it as a frosting for your favorite gluten-free cake. Either way, Coconut cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse is a beautiful dessert that can be topped with fresh berries and coconut milk whipped cream. It’s a healthy indulgence your family will love!

You won’t feel guilty indulging in this decadent treat that’s free of the refined sugar, eggs, and heavy cream found in traditional chocolate mousse recipes. This recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients, and it’s a fantastic way to curb chocolate cravings!

Is this chocolate mousse actually healthy?

It sure is! This vegan chocolate mousse includes just 4 ingredients: cacao powder, coconut milk, coconut butter, and dates. Combined in a food processor, these ingredients make a rich chocolate mousse that’s The Myers Way® approved. Here’s a few benefits of each ingredient:

Cacao powder

This powder is packed with powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols. Polyphenols have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and help support balanced blood sugar.

Coconut Cream & Coconut Butter

Lauric acid found in coconut is thought to support healthy immune function, while medium chain triglycerides provide a quick source of energy because they’re absorbed quickly into your bloodstream. Be sure to purchase your coconut cream in a BPA free can.

Dates

This fruit is a natural sweetener which also provides a creamy texture to this smooth dessert. They’re high in potassium, magnesium, and fiber, are a good source of antioxidants, and don’t negatively impact blood sugar levels.

How to make vegan chocolate mousse:

Make sure your dates are pitted and add throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Turn your processor on high to combine ingredients into a thick and rich chocolatey base.

Portion it out into 3-4 servings and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Serve as is, or dress it up with some freshly blueberries or raspberries for an extra antioxidant punch.

You don’t want to miss this recipe! It’s simple, creamy, rich, and delicious.

Coconut Cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse






Course

Dessert


Protocol

Autoimmune Solution (AIP), Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection




Servings

4 bowls

Ingredients

1 13.5 oz can coconut cream refrigerated for at least 8 hours2/3 cup pitted deglet dates (or 12 pitted deglet dates)2 Tbls cacao powder2 Tbls coconut butter

Servings:
bowls

Units:
MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Be sure your dates are pitted. This recipe was tested with deglet dates, so if you are using another variety like medjool, you’ll want to be sure to measure them using a cup and not by quantity as they’re different sizes. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.Spoon into 4 small bowls and place in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up. Option to dress it up by adding whipped coconut cream and fresh berries.






This recipe for Coconut Cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse is a sweet treat that won’t derail your progress following The Myers Way®! It’s dairy-free, sweetened with dates, and super easy to make in your food processor. The mousse is delicious on its own, and you can also use it as a frosting for your favorite gluten-free cake. Either way, Coconut cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse is a beautiful dessert that can be topped with fresh berries and coconut milk whipped cream. It’s a healthy indulgence your family will love!

You won’t feel guilty indulging in this decadent treat that’s free of the refined sugar, eggs, and heavy cream found in traditional chocolate mousse recipes. This recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients, and it’s a fantastic way to curb chocolate cravings!
Is this chocolate mousse actually healthy?
It sure is! This vegan chocolate mousse includes just 4 ingredients: cacao powder, coconut milk, coconut butter, and dates. Combined in a food processor, these ingredients make a rich chocolate mousse that’s The Myers Way® approved. Here’s a few benefits of each ingredient:

Cacao powder
This powder is packed with powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols. Polyphenols have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and help support balanced blood sugar.
Coconut Cream & Coconut Butter
Lauric acid found in coconut is thought to support healthy immune function, while medium chain triglycerides provide a quick source of energy because they’re absorbed quickly into your bloodstream. Be sure to purchase your coconut cream in a BPA free can.
Dates
This fruit is a natural sweetener which also provides a creamy texture to this smooth dessert. They’re high in potassium, magnesium, and fiber, are a good source of antioxidants, and don’t negatively impact blood sugar levels.


How to make vegan chocolate mousse:
Make sure your dates are pitted and add throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Turn your processor on high to combine ingredients into a thick and rich chocolatey base.

Portion it out into 3-4 servings and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Serve as is, or dress it up with some freshly blueberries or raspberries for an extra antioxidant punch.

You don’t want to miss this recipe! It’s simple, creamy, rich, and delicious.",
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"1 13.5 oz can coconut cream", "2/3 cup pitted deglet dates", "2 Tbls cacao powder", "2 Tbls coconut butter" ],
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Be sure your dates are pitted. This recipe was tested with deglet dates, so if you are using another variety like medjool, you’ll want to be sure to measure them using a cup and not by quantity as they’re different sizes. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.Spoon into 4 small bowls and place in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up. Option to dress it up by adding whipped coconut cream and fresh berries.
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The post Coconut Cream Vegan Chocolate Mousse appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Gut Microbiome Testing: How and Why

The gut is the gateway to health and for that reason it is where I recommend people focus first when working to reverse chronic health conditions or to achieve optimal health. It’s the home of 80% of your immune system. In addition, 95% of your neurotransmitters — the molecules responsible for keeping your mood stable — are made there as well. I cannot stress the importance of gut health on your overall health strongly enough.

I like to think of the gut as a rainforest, home to a vast and diverse range of living organisms living in a delicate balance known collectively as your microbiome. Trillions of microflora work together to ensure proper digestive function. They also aid in the production of essential vitamins such as B vitamins and vitamin K and act as a protective barrier for the immune system.

All the while, the good bacteria discourage bad bacteria and keep yeasts such as Candida from getting out of control. Each person’s gut microbiome — their gut bacteria — is as unique as they are, impacted by both inherited microorganisms and the environment.

Recently, I sat down with my good friend, Naveen Jain, the founder of a cutting-edge company called Viome, to talk about the microbiome. Here are the high points of our fascinating discussion. If you’d like to watch the original interview, I’ve also included it below.

 

My good friend Naveen Jain and I are talking all about the gut microbiome and what you eat can affect your gut health!Tune into this Facebook LIVE to hear the conversation.

The Best Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars are the quintessential warm-weather dessert, and they have always been among the first recipes I make as soon as hot weather hits! However, as anyone who knows me can attest, I’m always looking to make the good even better! So I decided to overhaul my original Lemon Bars. Word around the office is that the revised recipe is twice as good as the original. It has been taste-tested numerous times and each time it turns out rich, creamy, and full of lemon flavor.

This easy recipe for gluten-free Lemon Bars is going to be your go-to summertime clean-eating treat. They’re packed with healthy ingredients like honey, coconut cream, and grass-fed gelatin, making them Paleo and AIP friendly. This recipe is free of eggs, cream cheese, butter, and sugar. It’s so delicious—and you can serve it with pride, knowing it’s not packed with sugar, flour, and dairy!

How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Bars:

This is really a two-part process. First, create the crust by creaming together the palm shortening, honey, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients, and press dough into a parchment-lined baking dish. Bake until hardened.

While that bakes you’ll make the filling. In a small bowl, add water and sprinkle with gelatin and let sit. In the meantime, whisk filling ingredients together in a medium-sized pot, and stir over medium heat. Add gelatin mixture and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour mixture over crust and let solidify in the fridge for 3-4 hours before dusting with AIP and Paleo powdered sugar.

Substitutions in these Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

If you’re a seasoned gluten-free baker, you might have success playing around with a variation of this recipe, but I suggest baking it through as written before you work your creativity on it. This recipe has been tested for texture and flavor, and — especially in baking — a change in ingredients can really impact the result.

For example, this recipe uses raw honey rather than coconut sugar, which yields a golden-brown bar instead of yellow. However, the end result is still tasty! I prefer to use sustainably sourced palm shortening in my baked goods (Look for one that is RSPO certified), as the texture tends to be much closer to the original than coconut oil. However, coconut oil can often be swapped out 1 to 1 for palm shortening. Just keep in mind the texture and flavor will be different.

This recipe features coconut flour and arrowroot starch as the gluten-free flours. If you choose to swap these with other gluten-free flours, I suggest searching for a coconut flour conversion chart. Because coconut flour is so absorbent, if you choose another option, you’ll likely need to increase the amount of flour you use by several tablespoons, or your dough will be too wet.

If you do make substitutions, let me know! I love to hear what’s working.

Fresh Lemon Juice

This recipe is packed with Vitamin C from the fresh lemon juice. For convenience, you can purchase lemon juice from a jar, but be sure to find one that is pure lemon juice (not from concentrate) so you can avoid any added ingredients.

Grass-Fed Gelatin

Because this recipe is egg-free, the gelatin is the ingredient that binds it together. Not only does gelatin add to the texture in these lemon bars, but it also supports gut health and proper digestion. You can get my grass-fed Gelatin here.

Coconut Cream

A traditional Lemon Bar recipe often features cream cheese for the creamy lemon filling. This recipe uses coconut cream to replace the dairy. Coconut cream is full of healthy fats, and surprisingly doesn’t add too much coconut flavor to the final product.

The Best Gluten-Free Lemon Bars






Course

Dessert


Protocol

Autoimmune Solution (AIP), Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection




Servings

16 bars

Ingredients

For the Gluten-Free Crust1/4 cup raw honey1/3 cup palm shortening1 tsp pure vanilla extract2/3 cup coconut flour1/4 cup arrowroot starch1 Tbls The Myers Way® GelatinFor the Lemon Filling1 13.5 oz can coconut cream2 Tbls palm shortening1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)1/4 cup raw honey1/4 tsp turmeric powder1/4 cup arrowroot starch1 Tbls The Myers Way® Gelatin1/4 cup water AIP and Paleo powdered sugar (blend 1 cup coconut sugar and 1 Tbls tapioca starch in a high-speed food processor.)

Servings:
bars

Units:
MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

For the Gluten-Free CrustPreheat your oven to 325 F and line an 8×8″ baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.Using a spatula or a hand mixer, combine the palm shortening, honey, and vanilla. If you are using a thicker honey, you may want to warm your honey slightly over the stovetop before mixing, as it will help it come together easier.In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, arrowroot starch, and gelatin. Slowly add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir until a ball of dough forms.Press the dough into the bottom of your baking pan to form an even crust.Bake until lightly golden for about 25 minutes. Set aside.For the Lemon FillingIn a medium-sized pot, whisk together all the lemon filling ingredients aside from the gelatin and water. Stir occasionally over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. In a small bowl, add water and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let rest for 3-5 minutes until the gelatin firms up. Next, add gelatin and water to the lemon filling mixture, and whisk over low heat for about 3 minutes until the gelatin is well incorporated. For the Lemon BarsPour the filling over the crust and place into the refrigerator until the filling is set.When you’re ready to serve, remove the parchment paper from the pan, dust with AIP and Paleo powdered sugar if desired, and slice into 16 bars.






Lemon Bars are the quintessential warm-weather dessert, and they have always been among the first recipes I make as soon as hot weather hits! However, as anyone who knows me can attest, I’m always looking to make the good even better! So I decided to overhaul my original Lemon Bars. Word around the office is that the revised recipe is twice as good as the original. It has been taste-tested numerous times and each time it turns out rich, creamy, and full of lemon flavor.

This easy recipe for gluten-free Lemon Bars is going to be your go-to summertime clean-eating treat. They’re packed with healthy ingredients like honey, coconut cream, and grass-fed gelatin, making them Paleo and AIP friendly. This recipe is free of eggs, cream cheese, butter, and sugar. It’s so delicious—and you can serve it with pride, knowing it’s not packed with sugar, flour, and dairy!


How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Bars:
This is really a two-part process. First, create the crust by creaming together the palm shortening, honey, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients, and press dough into a parchment-lined baking dish. Bake until hardened.

While that bakes you’ll make the filling. In a small bowl, add water and sprinkle with gelatin and let sit. In the meantime, whisk filling ingredients together in a medium-sized pot, and stir over medium heat. Add gelatin mixture and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour mixture over crust and let solidify in the fridge for 3-4 hours before dusting with AIP and Paleo powdered sugar.


Substitutions in these Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
If you’re a seasoned gluten-free baker, you might have success playing around with a variation of this recipe, but I suggest baking it through as written before you work your creativity on it. This recipe has been tested for texture and flavor, and — especially in baking — a change in ingredients can really impact the result.

For example, this recipe uses raw honey rather than coconut sugar, which yields a golden-brown bar instead of yellow. However, the end result is still tasty! I prefer to use sustainably sourced palm shortening in my baked goods (Look for one that is RSPO certified), as the texture tends to be much closer to the original than coconut oil. However, coconut oil can often be swapped out 1 to 1 for palm shortening. Just keep in mind the texture and flavor will be different.

This recipe features coconut flour and arrowroot starch as the gluten-free flours. If you choose to swap these with other gluten-free flours, I suggest searching for a coconut flour conversion chart. Because coconut flour is so absorbent, if you choose another option, you’ll likely need to increase the amount of flour you use by several tablespoons, or your dough will be too wet.

If you do make substitutions, let me know! I love to hear what’s working.


Fresh Lemon Juice
This recipe is packed with Vitamin C from the fresh lemon juice. For convenience, you can purchase lemon juice from a jar, but be sure to find one that is pure lemon juice (not from concentrate) so you can avoid any added ingredients.
Grass-Fed Gelatin
Because this recipe is egg-free, the gelatin is the ingredient that binds it together. Not only does gelatin add to the texture in these lemon bars, but it also supports gut health and proper digestion. You can get my grass-fed Gelatin here.
Coconut Cream
A traditional Lemon Bar recipe often features cream cheese for the creamy lemon filling. This recipe uses coconut cream to replace the dairy. Coconut cream is full of healthy fats, and surprisingly doesn’t add too much coconut flavor to the final product.

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"prepTime": " ",
"recipeInstructions": "
For the Gluten-Free CrustPreheat your oven to 325 F and line an 8×8″ baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.Using a spatula or a hand mixer, combine the palm shortening, honey, and vanilla. If you are using a thicker honey, you may want to warm your honey slightly over the stovetop before mixing, as it will help it come together easier.In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, arrowroot starch, and gelatin. Slowly add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir until a ball of dough forms.Press the dough into the bottom of your baking pan to form an even crust.Bake until lightly golden for about 25 minutes. Set aside.For the Lemon FillingIn a medium-sized pot, whisk together all the lemon filling ingredients aside from the gelatin and water. Stir occasionally over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. In a small bowl, add water and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let rest for 3-5 minutes until the gelatin firms up. Next, add gelatin and water to the lemon filling mixture, and whisk over low heat for about 3 minutes until the gelatin is well incorporated. For the Lemon BarsPour the filling over the crust and place into the refrigerator until the filling is set.When you’re ready to serve, remove the parchment paper from the pan, dust with AIP and Paleo powdered sugar if desired, and slice into 16 bars.
",
"recipeYield": "16 bars"
}

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8 Real Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

There are many health benefits of apple cider vinegar, also known as ACV, including keeping your blood sugar in check, amping up weight loss, soothing skin issues, and helping keep your gut and your heart healthy. It contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids1 that help this liquid do so many things.

ACV has relatively low acidity compared to other types of vinegar, at around 5% acetic acid. Unlike other kinds of vinegar like red wine and balsamic, apple cider vinegar is made from apple cider that has been fermented with a bacteria that produces health-promoting probiotics and enzymes. The apples themselves have been shown to have very strong antioxidant activity thanks to their quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid content. Apples have also been shown to impact cholesterol levels.2

So how can ACV help you with your health? In this article, I’ll cover ACV’s main health benefits, easy ways to add it to your diet (and there are lots of great recipes featuring ACV in my cookbook!), how to select the best type, and how to avoid common ACV pitfalls.

Benefits

ACV has TONS of benefits as a home remedy, from killing bugs such as fleas to helping soothe a poison ivy rash to preventing infections. It’s one of the best natural cleaning products because of its acidity, anti-stain action, and ability to prevent streaks on windows and mirrors. It’s also been used as a food preservative.

Thanks to its healing properties, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used vinegar to clean wounds over two thousand years ago. It’s traditionally been pressed into service for treating nail fungus, lice, warts, ear infections, and gut issues. Here’s why it’s so beneficial.

1. Antimicrobial Activity

With so many people suffering from the bloating, brain fog, and discomfort of gut issues such as Candida overgrowth, natural antimicrobials are becoming more popular. Vinegar has antimicrobial effects on bacteria and yeasts such as E. coli, S. aureus, and Candida albicans, and restricts their growth.3 What’s more, ACV has been shown to break down bacterial biofilms, which are glue-like substances that bacteria use to stick to surfaces in your body. In a study on Streptococcus pyogenes and ACV, this vinegar helped eradicate the bacteria’s biofilm.4

2. Acid Reflux

Acid reflux can cause heartburn, bloating, burping, nausea, weight loss, the sensation that food is stuck in your throat, and other symptoms.5 In some cases, it’s thought to be caused by low stomach acid levels. Drinking diluted ACV can provide some relief from these symptoms.

3. Blood Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity

There’s growing evidence about apple cider vinegar and diabetes. Blood sugar control is important for diabetics and those with reduced insulin sensitivity, which can lead to higher blood sugar levels. ACV has been shown to help with both of these issues. A small study showed that ACV can increase insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes patients and reduce blood sugar and insulin level fluctuations.6

4. Weight Loss

What about apple cider vinegar for weight loss? ACV may be a great ally if you’re interested in reducing body fat and increasing your feeling of satiety.7 In a clinical trial, participants who drank 30 ml of ACV daily for 12 weeks and maintained a restricted-calorie diet were slimmer and had a reduced appetite score over those who only reduced their calories.8 A study on 175 people with obesity also showed that ACV consumption resulted in reduced belly fat, as well as weight loss.9

5. Cholesterol Levels and Cardiovascular Benefits

Adding ACV to your diet could help your cardiovascular health. Several studies show that the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help with high blood fat levels, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure by supporting your liver, which is responsible for making cholesterol.10,11,12,13,14 It’s also thought that ACV’s ability to lower your blood sugar levels is the key between apple cider vinegar and blood-pressure-lowering benefits.

6. PCOS

In a small trial on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), women with the condition were given 15 grams of ACV for around 100 days. More than half of those women had ovulatory menstruation (menstruation that followed the release of an egg from the ovaries) within just 40 days, suggesting ACV may help restore ovulatory function.15

7. Circulation and Varicose Veins

Varicose veins can be painful and distressing. Simple, natural treatments for varicose veins can help reduce their symptoms. A study on the topical use of ACV showed that it reduced symptoms of varicose veins such as pain, cramps, itching and the visual characteristics of the veins when compared to the control.16

8. Skin Benefits

Looking for natural treatments for acne? ACV’s antibacterial effects can help, on the inside as well as on the outside. ACV can also be used topically. A bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes that contributes to the development of a form of acne dies when exposed to ACV thanks to its acetic, citric, lactic and succinic acid content.17,18 It may also help prevent acne-related scarring.19

Poison ivy rash is the most common allergic reaction in the United States. Around 85 percent of those who touch the plant develop a rash, causing severe itching, redness, blisters, and swelling. ACV is thought to dry up urushiol, the sticky oil that poison ivy secretes, although no study has been completed.

Vinegar Consumption

Unpasteurized, unfiltered ACV has more benefits than the pasteurized variety because it contains the web-like “Mother,” or non-liquid mass that appears thanks to beneficial bacteria.

The easiest way to begin using ACV to improve your health is to make a quick salad dressing of 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Pour it over salad greens or even cooked vegetables. My cookbook, The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, has more than 120 recipes, many of which feature great ways to incorporate ACV. If you’d prefer to drink it, grab an 8-ounce glass of water and add a tablespoon of ACV to it.

ACV Pitfalls to Avoid

There are some side effects of taking too much ACV, so be careful not to:

Drink more than 2 tablespoons per day, or you may experience nausea
Damage your tooth enamel. Always drink ACV diluted, and rinse your mouth afterward, or drink it through a straw.
Burn your skin by applying it undiluted to your skin and not washing it after 10 minutes.
Combine ACV with medications that lower your potassium levels, such as laxatives, diuretics, Albuterol, and Sudafed.20

ACV is a great-tasting, economical, and healthy ingredient and all-purpose tool you can use for so many things from cleaning your home to symptom relief of ailments from acne to varicose veins to gut issues. Adding ACV to your diet is a great way to boost your health. You’ll be delighted with the flavor and your body will thank you too.

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