Amy Myers's Blog, page 55

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers

Fire up the grill! These Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers are perfect for an outdoor barbecue with friends and family. And with hardly any hands-on prep work involved, you can socialize while dinner cooks itself!

Cilantro and lime are one of my favorite flavor combinations, and are a fresh complement to crispy, savory shrimp!

Enjoy these shrimp skewers alongside a big, green salad for a light, summery meal. Bon appétit!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers





CourseAppetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection











Ingredients








1lb

large shrimpdeveined

1/4cup

avocado oil

1/2cup

fresh lime juice

1/4tsp

ground black pepper

1/4tsp

fine sea salt

3cloves

garlicminced

1/2cup

fresh chopped cilantro

8

bamboo skewers










Instructions









Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before cooking.




Whisk together oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro.




Place shrimp onto skewers. Pour marinade over shrimp and evenly coat.



Grill at medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Optionally, bake in oven on a lined baking sheet at 450 F for 5 minutes.

The post Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Calcium 101: Why You’re Probably Deficient in This Key Mineral

A question I get asked all the time by my patients is, “Should I be supplementing with calcium?” Let me tell you, the answer is almost always a resounding “yes”. Calcium is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies around the world today. In fact, many people who aren’t already taking a high quality calcium supplement are highly likely to be low in this critical mineral.

In America, calcium insufficiency is rampant, with large portions of the population not consuming enough. Government data from 2003-2006 tells us that almost every single female in the country over 4 years of age is not consuming enough, and boys aged 9-18, as well as men over 51 are all generally consuming suboptimal amounts. These stats even take into account nationwide calcium supplement use!1

While calcium’s most famous role in the body is helping to build strong bones, it’s actually crucial for many different areas of health you may not be aware of. Optimal calcium levels are important for normal blood pressure, strong teeth, an even heart rate, the ability of your muscles to properly contract (including you heart!), nervous system health, cellular immunity, and even pancreatic health and blood sugar balance.

Why Is Calcium Insufficiency So Common?

People all around the world are getting less and less dietary calcium every year. We have a plethora of environmental practices to point the finger at for this, as well as a host of dietary and lifestyle decisions that negatively affect our calcium intake. Aging and many health conditions can have a deleterious effect on our calcium absorption too, including Celiac disease, low stomach acid, Vitamin D and K2 deficiency, and more. Let’s look at some of the most impactful causes of dietary calcium deficiency, along with a few factors that impact absorption and utilization.

Modern Industrial Farming Practices

Our current chemical intensive farming practices vary wildly from the way we grew our produce throughout history and even just 100 years ago before the ‘Green Revolution’. Massive amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizers, glyphosate (RoundUp®) dependent genetically modified crops, and liberal application of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, have all done their share in depleting our soil of its precious and health promoting minerals.

Conventional farming’s failure to properly rotate crops and replenish soil with natural fertilizers, such as manure or the compost from last year’s harvest, means that food crops today are much lower in calcium than they were when your grandparents ate them.2

Diets Lacking In Calcium

The typical western diet is sorely lacking in nutrient-dense foods such as whole sardines, long-simmered bone broths, leafy greens, and other calcium-rich foods, because, let’s face it… most of us could stand to eat a lot healthier. To compound this issue, our modern western diet is filled with foods such as gluten, soy, yeast, and conventional dairy that irritate and inflame the digestive tract. Inflammation in the digestive tract results in reduced calcium absorption from the foods we do eat and, arguably, a greater need for calcium due to the increased levels of inflammation those foods can cause.

Dairy foods have long been thought of as the most abundant source of dietary calcium in the standard western diet. Recently however, many people with health challenges who are gravitating toward a more paleolithic style diet, people with sensitivities or allergies to dairy, and vegans and vegetarians who may not consume dairy products for other reasons, often find that the largest source of dietary calcium in the western diet is effectively off the menu.

Low Stomach Acid

Here’s a shocking fact: Most middle-aged and older adults absorb only 15% or less of the calcium they consume.3 Calcium absorption is highest when we are young. This is when the demand for this mineral is at its pinnacle in order to help us reach peak bone growth at around age 30. After 30, calcium absorption rapidly declines. While many factors other than aging can negatively influence calcium absorption–such as not adequately chewing your food, eating while standing up, eating too fast, and consuming too much fluid with meals–low stomach acid, also known as hydrochloric acid or HCL is most often times the culprit. This condition is referred to as hypochloridia. Calcium in the food you eat is always bound to another molecule, and in order to actually be absorbed and utilized by your body, it must first be ionized by stomach acid.

The issue here lies with the fact that many of us actually have low, or even no stomach acid. When stomach acid is low due to stress, H. Pylori or other bacterial infections, antacid use, inflammation of the stomach lining due to food intolerances or certain medications, or a number of other reasons, dietary calcium simply cannot be ionized and absorbed, and passes through your body wasted and unutilized. If you have low stomach acid or poor digestion, consider a high-quality HCL supplement to support a normal stomach PH and healthy digestion.

Vitamin D3 Insufficiency

While low stomach acid is often to blame, the next largest barrier to absorbing and utilizing the calcium you consume is having adequate Vitamin D3 levels. This is especially impactful as so many people worldwide are deficient in Vitamin D. Over a billion people around the globe are clinically deficient, with billions more having suboptimal levels. Millions of American adults and children are counted among these numbers.

The Endocrine Society has higher standards than the United States Government’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) with regard to what constitutes sufficient Vitamin D levels in a healthy person. The FDA and WHO classify deficiency as being below 20ng/ml. The Endocrine Society has set the bar higher by setting their standard for deficiency as being below 30ng/ml. According to that standard, 55% of the US population was deficient between 1988 and 1994, and 77% were deficient for the period between 2001 and 2004!4 I actually consider even 30 ng/ml to be too low, and prefer to see my patients with levels above 60 ng/dl. According to my standard, the Functional Medicine standard, more than 90% of the US population likely has suboptimal levels of Vitamin D3.

Proper levels of Vitamin D3 are essential for intestinal calcium absorption, as vitamin D, activated by your parathyroid hormone, can increase calcium absorption in the intestinal tract by up to four times the normal rate when your body needs it the most.5

Calcium’s Important Role in Your Health
Calcium Supports Bone and Dental Health

Your bones and teeth are most likely the first thing you think of when they think about calcium, and that would stand to reason! Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. In fact, your bones and teeth are quite literally made of calcium and a collagen protein and mineral matrix called hydroxyapatite.

When we do not consume enough dietary calcium, or we are not absorbing the calcium we do consume, our bodies are forced to leach calcium from our bones and teeth to keep calcium levels in the blood stable. This is because calcium levels in the blood are essential to keep your heart beating properly, and are therefore tightly regulated by your brain. This leaching of calcium from your bones can lead to shrinking and more disease prone teeth, thinning and weakening bones, higher rates of fractures and even osteopenia and osteoporosis. We’ll talk more about why keeping blood calcium levels stable is so important in the next section.

In my clinic, I often recommend my patients take 1100 mg of Calcium as calcium microcrystalinehydroxyapatate (MCHC) per day in order to support and maintain bone health and growth, as well as support and maintain dental health. This is especially important for women who are approaching menopause as women over 51 are the highest at risk population in the world for calcium deficiency.

Calcium Supports Cardiovascular Health & Normal Blood Pressure

Optimal calcium levels are crucial if you’re looking to improve the picture of your cardiovascular health. While you probably most often think of dental and bone health when you hear the word “calcium,” this amazing mineral also helps regulate blood pressure and supports an even heart rate. This is because calcium is essential in helping your heart muscle properly contract to pump your blood through your vascular system. Calcium’s impact in modulating blood pressure is also related to its role in helping your blood vessels dilate to allow blood to flow freely and unimpeded by constriction.

I encourage my patients to use a bioavailable form of calcium that has been clinically shown to be absorbable in order to support heart health. This is crucial as lower quality calcium supplements are often not well absorbed. These forms often simply pass through the digestive tract, unutilized, and leave your body through your bowels.

Calcium Cofactors: Vitamin D3 & Vitamin K2

I always have my patients take a high quality Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 supplement with their calcium. As we discussed above, D3 is critical to ensuring that your intestines can effectively absorb the dietary calcium you consume. However, once it is absorbed, Vitamin K2 helps it actually find its way into your bones. I can’t stress how important this is as calcium that is absorbed yet not properly utilized, or that cannot find its way “home,” may be deposited into soft tissue, causing cysts. Excess calcium in the bloodstream can also be deposited in your kidneys, where it may cause kidney stone formation. Finally, improperly utilized calcium in your arteries may even bind to waxy and oxidized LDL cholesterol, creating plaques that have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular health.

In short, always be sure you’re getting an adequate amount of Vitamin D3 & K2 from the sun, your diet, your multivitamin, and if needed, a high-quality Vitamin D3/K2 supplement combination.

Calcium Supports Whole Body Health

Optimal calcium levels go a very long way when it comes to whole body health. It’s not just your bones, teeth, and cardiovascular system that reap the benefits. Calcium is directly involved in supporting a host of other areas of health such as:

Nervous system and muscle function
Cellular immunity
Fat loss and weight goals
Blood sugar balance and pancreatic health
Healthy digestion
And much more!

How To Optimize Your Calcium Levels

As you can see, optimal calcium levels benefit far more than you might have imagined. In fact, calcium has a positive impact on many more conditions that we simply don’t have time to cover here. From mood and neural impulses, to DNA synthesis and resilient adrenal glands, to healthy hair, skin, and fingernails, sufficient calcium intake benefits your body entire body, head to toe.

Recommended Daily Intake

Calcium is an interesting mineral in that the government’s RDI is the same for every single person over the age of four years old. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium for children over four and adults is 1000mg of elemental calcium per day. For various reasons, many of us only absorb 15-20% (or less!) of the calcium we consume, so your optimal daily intake may be even higher than the RDI.

Many doctors recommend up to 2000mg per day based on age, weight, and digestive status. Certain disease states, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and prescription medications may also increase your daily need. Achieving the optimal daily intake of calcium every day can be a challenge, and that is why I recommend choosing foods that are good sources of this healthful mineral, as well as selective supplementation to ensure that you are always consuming an adequate amount on a daily basis.

Best Calcium-Rich Foods

My favorite calcium-rich foods include:

Whole sardines (look for wild caught sardines in olive oil or spring water in BPA-free tins)
Fresh and dried organic figs
Bone in canned salmon (again, look for wild caught salmon in BPA-free cans)
High quality bone broth
Okra
Leafy greens (collard greens and mustard greens are my favorite!)

You should aim for organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables as conventional farming methods often leave the soil depleted of minerals such as calcium.

If you do not have any food sensitivities, or you have completed one of The Myers Way® programs in the past and have successfully reintroduced nuts, seeds, and legumes, there are a few other foods you may enjoy that will help you reach your optimal daily intake. You may include the following to the list of foods high in calcium:

White beans
Kidney beans
Unhulled sesame seeds
Almonds

Legumes should be soaked overnight in pure filtered water, and then thoroughly rinsed before cooking.

Which Form Of Calcium Supplement Is Right For You?

A high quality form of supplemental calcium helps support the entire body and all of its systems and processes. If you’re looking to supplement with calcium, the supplement you choose should be of the highest quality, and in a form that is highly absorbable and well suited to you. For this, I prefer a special form of calcium called microcrystalinehydroxyapatate calcium (MCHC), and yes, that certainly is a mouthful.

Most calcium supplements on the market come from limestone deposits… You read that correctly. Most calcium supplements on the market today are literally inorganic calcium chloride, calcium oxide, and calcium carbonate from limestone deposits. These forms of calcium are famously difficult for your body to absorb and utilize, and may even be dangerous to your health.

My Calcium 1100mg comes from grass-fed New Zealand cows. Forget about calcium from limestone. My Calcium 1100mg is derived from whole bone extract from healthy cows that graze on pristine grasslands in New Zealand.

MCHC may be the most bioavailable calcium in the world. Clinically shown to be more absorbable than calcium gluconate supplements, microcrystalline hydroxyapatite complex sourced from bovine bones may be the most bioavailable calcium available. It is backed by decades of positive research into its safety, effectiveness, and tolerability.

Even equipped with a list of healthy, calcium-rich foods, and making it a point to include a few of them every day, it’s still terribly easy to fall short of your optimal daily intake. If you’ve made it this far, then you likely understand that calcium is just too crucial to not get the recommended amount. I hope this article has taught you the importance of optimal daily calcium intake, and has helped you decide which form of supplemental calcium may be the right choice for you.

The post Calcium 101: Why You’re Probably Deficient in This Key Mineral appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Green Apple and Cabbage Slaw

With picnic and cookout season in full swing, this delicious and classic favorite is perfect to have on hand for your next summer gathering!

In this recipe, I added green apples for an extra bit of crunch and tartness and a light touch of sweetness.

Refreshing and bursting with flavor, your family won’t even notice this recipe skips mayo and eggs. Trust me, it’s so yummy they will be adding another spoonful to their plates!

And whether you’re cooking for one or your entire family, you can easily double and even triple this recipe to accommodate your guest list.

I already have plans to add this dish to my upcoming pool party menus and hope you will too!

Green Apple and Cabbage Slaw





CourseAppetizer, Side Dish

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection





Servings4 people







Ingredients








2 cups

shredded red cabbage

2 cups

shredded green cabbage

1

green applespiralized or shredded

1/2 cup

carrotsshredded

3

green onionssliced

2tablespoons

olive oil

2tablespoons

apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon

honey(optional - avoid for AIP)



salt and pepperto taste










Instructions









Combine cabbage, apples, and green onions together in a bowl.



In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.



Pour dressing into slaw mixture and combine. Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, then serve.

The post Green Apple and Cabbage Slaw appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

5 Perfect Summer Collagen Recipes

Do you want to repair your gut, ease joint pain, and grow strong, healthy hair? Look no further than collagen! Collagen is the “glue” that holds your body together and is found in your organs, muscles, skin, hair, nails, teeth, bones, blood vessels, tendons, joints, cartilage and digestive system.

In addition to repairing a leaky gut and supporting healthy hair, skin, and nails, this essential protein assists in muscle formation, controls blood pressure, supports bone growth and repair, improves detoxification and liver function, and is anti-inflammatory to help reduce joint pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis.

Unfortunately, beginning at around age 35 your collagen production plummets. By 40, collagen depletes faster than your body can produce it, and by 60 over half of your body’s collagen has been depleted. Along with aging, collagen production can take a hit from environmental factors such as excessive sun exposure, genetics, smoking, pollution, and nutritional deficiencies. For this reason, I highly recommend supplementing with collagen so you can reap all of its amazing benefits long into your golden years!

I take a collagen supplement every day in a convenient powder form. Hydrolyzed Collagen, such as that found in The Myers Way® Collagen Protein, is a unique combination of amino acids in concentrated levels that promotes rapid reproduction of blood cells for healing and conditioning over other proteins, especially for bone and joint health care. The Myers Way® Collagen Protein is made from grass-fed, pasture raised cows, and is non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher.

I enjoy stirring a scoop of collagen into my morning smoothie or a hot cup of tea, however there are so many other fun ways to incorporate collagen into your daily diet, from mocktails to popsicles! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite collagen recipes with a summery twist to get you ready for barbecues and poolside lounging, while showing your body some much-needed love from head to toe!

1. Tropical Sunset Smoothie

Tropical Sunset Smoothie









Servings1 person







Ingredients








1cup

strawberries

1cup

pineapple

1scoop

The Myers Way® Vanilla Paleo Protein

1scoop

The Myers Way® Collagen Protein

1tbsp

coconut oil










Instructions









Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and combine.

2. Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca









Servings2 people







Ingredients








1 1/2cups

cantaloupe

3/4cup

sparkling water

1scoop

The Myers Way® Collagen Protein










Instructions









Puree melon in blender or food processor. If you want to strain out the pulp, use a fine sieve and strain juice or use as is with the pulp.



In your favorite summer-time pitcher, mix melon puree, sparkling water and lemon.




Pour into glasses and garnish with mint leaves.

3. Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream

Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream









Servings2 people







Ingredients








1/2cup

blueberries

1/2cup

full fat coconut milk



juice from 1 lemon

3

ice cubes

2scoops

The Myers Way® Collagen Protein

1/2

avocado










Instructions









Blend blueberries, coconut milk, lemon juice, ice cubes, collagen and avocado in a blender until smooth and creamy.




Spoon into serving dishes and serve.

4. Ginger-Mint Mocktail

Ginger-Mint Mocktail









Servings2 people







Ingredients








1/2cup

fresh lime juice

20

mint leaves

1cup

Zevia Ginger Beer

2scoops

The Myers Way® Collagen Protein










Instructions









Divide lime juice and mint leaves evenly between two glasses. Muddle in the bottom of the glass.




In a separate glass, whisk together ginger beer and collagen until completely combined. Alternatively, place ginger beer and collagen in a blender and lightly blend to combine.




Place ice in each glass. Pour ginger beer mixture evenly into each glass. Stir and serve.

5. Cherry Ice Popsicles

Cherry Ice Popsicles









Servings4 people







Ingredients








2cups

frozen cherries

1cup

filtered water

2scoops

The Myers Way® Collagen Protein

2-4drops

stevia(optional)










Instructions









Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and combine.



Pour into popsicle molds and place in freezer. Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

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The post 5 Perfect Summer Collagen Recipes appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

The Myers Way® Mocha Paleoccino

If you’re a coffee lover who’s trying to cut back on caffeine, I’m so excited to share with you my new favorite coffee replacement: The Myers Way® Mocha Paleoccino!

I start most days with this delicious iced drink that tastes just like a Frappuccino from Starbucks! It’s so yummy and refreshing, and the protein keeps me full and energized throughout my busy morning. I promise, you won’t miss coffee once you try this! Enjoy!

The Myers Way® Mocha Paleoccino





CourseBeverage

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection











Ingredients








1scoop

The Myers Way® Mocha Latte Paleo Protein

1cup

dairy-free milk

1/2cup

ice

1dollop

coconut cream(optional)

1tsp

cacao nibs(optional)










Instructions









Start by adding 1 cup of your favorite dairy-free milk into a blender along with 1 scoop of Mocha Latte Paleo Protein & ½ cup of ice.



Blend until it’s thoroughly mixed, and pour it into a glass.



Add a dollop of coconut cream to the top and sprinkle on the cacao nibs, if using.











Recipe Notes

You can easily make coconut cream by placing a can of full-fat coconut milk into the fridge overnight, and scooping out the delicious cream that solidifies at the top!

The post The Myers Way® Mocha Paleoccino appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

7 Reasons to Start Your Day with a Smoothie

I’ll admit, I’m a smoothie fanatic. I love to start my day with a filling Paleo Protein smoothie (with a scoop of collagen and Clean Greens, of course) for sustained energy to get me through my busy morning. It’s quick and convenient and requires little to no planning whatsoever! Whether you’re just beginning to explore the wonderful world of smoothies or are looking for more reasons to step up your smoothie game, let’s take a dive into this delicious trend and all the incredible benefits of starting every day with a smoothie.

1. It’s super convenient.

Making a smoothie for breakfast is a no-brainer. Every morning lately I’ve been drinking a smoothie made with a scoop of my new favorite Paleo Protein flavor, Mocha Latte, blended with some non-dairy milk and a couple of ice cubes to make it nice and frothy. How much easier can it get than that? There’s no need to deliberate over what you’re going to make, and then trying to quickly prepare and eat a nutritious breakfast before you run out the door. And that goes double when you don’t have time for a sit-down meal. Just whip up a smoothie and bring it with you on-the-go!

Since I travel a lot, smoothies can be especially handy when coming back from a long trip before I’ve had the chance to shop for groceries. By keeping my freezer stocked with frozen greens and berries, and having a supply of essential pantry items such as Paleo Protein, collagen, and Clean Greens, I never have to worry about being without a nutrient-dense breakfast from not having fresh food in the fridge.

2. It’s packed with vitamin and minerals.

Shockingly, only 12% of U.S. adults eat the recommended 1 ½-2 cups of fruit per day, while just 9% meet the federal requirement for 2-3 cups of daily vegetables, according to the CDC, and those are minimum requirements!1 What if you could get most or all of your fruits and veggies for the entire day in your first meal? You can easily do so with a smoothie, especially when you add an organic greens powder to boost the veggie content of your morning drink. My NEW Clean Greens Superfood Juice Powder contains 14 powerful plant foods to get you well on your way to meeting (and exceeding!) your daily vegetable needs.

Not only will you be way ahead of the game nutritionally, starting your day with a smoothie will ensure that you’re starting the day on track. In fact, many people report finding it easier to make healthy choices throughout the day if they have a smoothie for breakfast. Plus, even if you have to make compromises later in the day, you’ll have a solid foundation to make sure you’re still getting your essential vitamins and minerals for the day.

3. Its nutrients are bioavailable and easy to absorb.

Nutrients in smoothies are significantly more bioavailable for your body to use because they are already partially broken down, making them easier to absorb than whole foods. This is especially important for those dealing with leaky gut or gut infections such as SIBO, who have a difficult time digesting food and absorbing nutrients.

4. It keeps your blood sugar stable.

A nutritionally balanced smoothie will provide you with filling protein and healthy fats to keep you satiated throughout the morning and prevent blood sugar spikes. I always choose berries when adding fruit to my smoothie because they are so low in sugar. I also include full-fat coconut milk for satiety, and of course Paleo Protein to help me stay full until my next meal.

For a creamy consistency, instead of banana try frozen avocado! Avocados are an excellent low-carb smoothie add-in, full of monounsaturated fats for reducing inflammation as well as fiber to help further stabilize blood glucose levels.

5. It’s an autoimmune-friendly energy boost.

If you’re following The Myers Way® Autoimmune Solution Protocol, you may be missing your morning cup of coffee. Fortunately, green smoothies are a terrific replacement for your inflammatory caffeine habit, and can provide you with sustained energy–without the dreaded “caffeine crash” in the afternoon. Green smoothies contain protein, fat, and complex carbs, plus B vitamins which are essential for helping our body turn those proteins, fats, and sugars into usable energy.2

6. It helps repair a leaky gut.

Smoothies that contain either collagen or a clean-sourced protein powder free of inflammatory ingredients are ideal for repairing a leaky gut. That’s because your intestinal wall is made up of microscopic folds, or “villi”, which are built from collagen. The amino acids in collagen quite literally “seal the leaks” or perforations in your digestive tract by repairing damaged cells and building new tissue. Collagen supplementation can also help a number of other gastrointestinal disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), by assisting with water absorption in the intestines.

Adding The Myers Way® Paleo Protein powder ensures that you’re getting the essential amino acids you need in a form that your body can readily utilize. Plus, it’s free of inflammatory ingredients that many protein powders on the market contain that can actually damage your gut such as added sugars and protein sourced from whey, hemp, pea, or soy. It even passed the test for heavy metals with flying colors!

7. It’s endlessly customizable.

One of the greatest smoothie perks is that it is endlessly customizable based on your own personal tastes or what you happen to have on hand at the time! All you need is a base (water or non-dairy milk), a source of protein (Paleo Protein or collagen), healthy fats (coconut oil or avocado), some greens, and optional fruit for a bit of sweetness.

With these guidelines, you can easily throw together a smoothie with infinite possibilities for flavor combinations, being as basic or elaborate as you want! For inspiration, try my Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie or Key Lime Pie Smoothie, and be sure to check out The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook for an entire chapter dedicated to delicious, energizing, and immune-boosting smoothies!

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The post 7 Reasons to Start Your Day with a Smoothie appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

The Best All-Natural Sweeteners for an Autoimmune-Friendly Diet

As you know, the first pillar of The Myers Way® is to remove the toxic and inflammatory foods such as sugar, alcohol, and processed foods that can damage your gut. While following the first 30 days of The Myers Way® Autoimmune Solution Program, I recommend avoiding all sugars (including natural ones). This is particularly important if you’re addressing gut infections such as SIBO and Candida overgrowth, because the bacteria and yeast feed off of carbohydrates and refined sugars.

However, if you’ve completed the protocol, have worked your way down the autoimmune spectrum, and are living symptom-free, you might be ready to celebrate and enjoy the occasional indulgence! For me, this meant baking my scrumptious AIP Birthday Cupcakes for my daughter Elle’s 1st birthday (they were a huge hit at her party!), and as a New Orleans native, I celebrated Mardi Gras by ordering a special gluten-free, dairy-free king cake for my team at the office!

I want to set you up for success by helping you to make smart choices about sugar, and this includes choosing only organic, non-GMO versions of any of the sweeteners listed below. That’s because GMOs contain excess amounts of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, and their use has been correlated with a long list of health problems, including thyroid cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and infertility.

In my cookbook, The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, I include a few recipes that incorporate natural sweeteners to help you make The Myers Way® a way of life. Now, let’s take a look at some of the best all-natural sweeteners for you to indulge in while following an autoimmune-friendly diet.

1. Stevia

Stevia is one of my favorite all-natural sweeteners. I actually grew stevia when I was a Peace Corps worker living in rural Paraguay, and helped farmers export stevia plants to Japan and the U.S. Unlike other sugar alternatives, stevia contains zero calories and does not impact your blood sugar. Its leaves are 300 times sweeter than sugar, so a little bit goes a long way!

I recommend purchasing 100% organic stevia in powdered leaf or liquid extract form. Brands such as Truvia and Pure Via are not pure stevia, rather they are stevia mixed with sugar alcohols and natural flavors and other added chemicals.

2. Monk Fruit

Another great AIP sweetener is monk fruit, a type of sub-tropical melon. According to legend, monk fruit gets its name from the Buddhist monks who cultivated it over 800 years ago. Monk fruit is another zero-calorie sugar replacement, and derives its sweetness from the natural antioxidants in the fruit.1 It has a glycemic index of zero and can be used as a 1:1 substitute for sugar. While more stores are starting to carry this all-natural sweetener, you can also find it at online retailers such as .

3. Honey

Honey is an antioxidant-rich, whole-food, and autoimmune-friendly sweetener you can use in place of regular sugar. It’s a good source of vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, calcium, copper and various amino acids, making it a better alternative to artificial sweeteners or refined sugar. Honey has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol, and also contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.2

Each tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of sugar, so you’ll want to use it sparingly, especially if you are diabetic. Darker types of honey tend to be higher in its beneficial components, and make sure to always choose raw over processed. Raw honey is pure, unfiltered, and unpasteurized, whereas most of the honey consumed today is pasteurized, meaning it has been heated and filtered. This robs it of its incredible nutritional value and healing powers. The only exception is children under 12 months, who should not consume raw honey.

4. Maple Syrup

More than just a pancake and waffle topper, maple syrup can be exchanged for sugar in nearly any recipe! Full of B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium, this all-natural sweetener is derived from the sap of maple trees and then evaporated to create the thick, gooey syrup we know and love. I use maple syrup in my Amazing AIP Lemon Bars (from The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook) that gives them their luscious, golden-brown color! When buying maple syrup, read labels carefully to be sure you’re buying real maple syrup, and not “maple-flavored syrup” or “pancake syrup,” which is usually just high fructose corn syrup in disguise.

5. Blackstrap Molasses

As a Peace Corps volunteer, I helped make molasses with my Paraguayan family! I had fun cutting the sugar cane down with a machete (it was much harder than it looked!), and then would remove the outer leaves and run the stalk through a hand-cranked press to extract the “sugar” or juice. The juice was then boiled several times to make molasses. Each time it was boiled the molasses became darker and thicker. On the third boil, you get blackstrap molasses.

Although blackstrap molasses is made from cane sugar, it is much more nutrient-dense than cane syrup or even regular molasses. Blackstrap molasses provides iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. Selenium is one of four essential nutrients for patients with Hashimoto’s or other thyroid dysfunction, needed to convert inactive T4 thyroid hormones to their active T3 state. Selenium has also been shown to decrease thyroid antibodies in Hashimoto’s patients. By increasing their intake to just 200 mcg, patients were able to decrease their antibodies by 64%!3

Blackstrap molasses is digested much more slowly than other sugars and so it can be a better option than other sweeteners for keeping blood sugar levels stable.4 You can use blackstrap molasses in baked goods (it’s what gives gingerbread its characteristic flavor!), although its taste might be too strong for other recipes.

6. Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, and sodium), which keep your body’s fluid levels in balance and are important for a number of other functions as well. It’s lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar, and because it’s made from dehydrated coconut sap, it is considered a raw food. Coconut sugar also contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber to help feed your friendly gut bacteria and stabilize blood sugar. Plus, it’s SUPER tasty and is the perfect substitute for brown sugar in baked goods.

7. Date Sugar

Date sugar is one of the top all-natural AIP alternatives to regular sugar, as it is just made from dried, finely ground dates! You get all the benefits of whole dates, including fiber, tannins, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals, as opposed to regular sugar that offers no nutritive value whatsoever. Because date sugar does not dissolve in liquids, it works best in baked goods, sprinkled on foods, or even blended into smoothies if you need a little extra sweetness!

The key to making all-natural sweeteners a part of The Myers Way® for life is “less is more”! To keep those sugar cravings in check, be sure to eat protein or fat with every meal for optimal blood sugar balance and satiety. I love adding coconut oil and avocado to a meal whenever I need the added blood sugar support. And remember: enjoy your sweet treats–just save them for special occasions and celebrations!

The post The Best All-Natural Sweeteners for an Autoimmune-Friendly Diet appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Coconut-Chocolate Energy Bites

When you’re on-the-go, it’s important to have some nourishing snacks on hand to keep you energized throughout your busy day. That’s why I love these Coconut-Chocolate Energy Bites!

These power-packed bites are full of healthy fats and protein to keep your blood sugar stable, and are perfect for satisfying your cravings for something sweet!

Plus, these Coconut-Chocolate Energy Bites have a little secret…greens! Made with my NEW Clean Greens Superfood Juice Powder, you’d never know these chocolatey treats are also an excellent way to get your daily greens. Enjoy!

Coconut-Chocolate Energy Bites





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





Servings10 bites







Ingredients








12

dates

2scoops

Clean Greens Superfood Juice Powder

4tbsp

coconut butter

1scoop

The Myers Way® Chocolate Paleo Protein

2tbsp

full fat coconut milk

1tbsp

honey

3tbsp

coconut flour










Instructions









Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor. Process until combined, scraping down sides occasionally.



Roll into 1 inch balls. Place in refrigerator to harden up. Store in refrigerator.

The post Coconut-Chocolate Energy Bites appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Video: The Amazing Benefits of Greens

We’ve all been told we should eat our vegetables, and green juice has become wildly popular in the last few years.

So why are greens important for your health? I went LIVE on my Facebook page to share all the AMAZING benefits of greens, from making your skin glow, to fighting belly bloat, and even increasing your lifespan! Watch the replay below!

Between now and Thursday, June 21st at midnight CST, you can get a FREE bottle of Clean Greens when you spend $125 in my store! To claim your FREE bottle, just head over to amymd.io/greens!

The post Video: The Amazing Benefits of Greens appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

12 Incredible Benefits of Getting More Greens in Your Diet

Leafy greens including kale, spinach, arugula, and chard are the undeniable superstars of the food world. Low in calories, yet high in fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients, greens are incredible for your health in more ways than you would even suspect. Whether in whole food form, smoothies, or organic greens powders, greens have the power to make you look and feel younger, and can even extend your lifespan! If you still need convincing, read on to learn about all the amazing benefits of getting more greens in your diet.

1. Protect Your Brain

Want to stay mentally sharp as you enter your golden years? Eat your greens! A recent study published in Neurology found that those who ate the most leafy greens each day had slower rates of cognitive decline compared to those who ate the least.1 In fact, the greens-eaters had the memory equivalent of someone 11 years younger! This was even true after adjusting for other factors including lifestyle, education, and overall health.

2. Fight Belly Bloat

If you struggle with bloating, whether caused by diet, hormones, gut infections, or other digestive issues, there’s a secret ingredient in leafy greens that could help. Potassium, a mineral and electrolyte found in abundance in greens, is essential to keep an optimal fluid balance in your body. A diet high in sodium (often due to an overreliance on processed foods) can trigger or worsen bloating, and must be kept in check by adequate potassium intake–roughly 4,700 mg/day according to the USDA’s 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines.2 A single cup of cooked spinach contains a whopping 840 mg of potassium to get you well on your way to meeting your daily requirements.3

3. Make Your Skin Glow

Beta-carotene, the plant pigment that we normally associate with carrots and other yellow-orange veggies, is also hiding in leafy greens. Think of leaves changing color in the fall. As they lose chlorophyll (the pigment that makes them green), you can see the red, orange, and yellow pigments those leaves contain underneath. It’s these vibrant colors that are also responsible for the amazing health benefits of leafy greens. Beta-carotene can give your skin a youthful glow and even works from the inside-out as a natural sunscreen, protecting your skin from harmful UV rays!4 Kale is one of the top sources of beta-carotene, and research shows that cooking, juicing, or dehydrating greens helps your body better absorb this carotenoid.5

4. Relieve Stress

For a natural way to relieve your stress, anxiety, or other mood disorders, start every day with a big green smoothie! Leafy greens are an excellent source of folate, which helps your body produce mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin to keep you calm and enhance your sense of well-being. In the Journal of Affective Disorders, a study showed that middle-aged and elderly people who ate the most folate had a lower risk of depression than those who ate the least.6 Plus, the magnesium found in green leafy vegetables can help your blood vessels relax as well, lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk of hypertension that could lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart failure.7

5. Build Strong Bones

All those “Got Milk?” ads might have you believing that drinking milk is the only way to build strong bones. However, research has shown that milk consumption has no protective effect on fracture risk and may even increase the risk of hip fractures among women.8 That’s yet another great reason to ditch dairy for good! Instead, you can get plenty of calcium for supporting optimal bone health and preventing osteoporosis from dark, leafy greens. Green veggies such as broccoli and kale also contain tons of vitamin K, which can increase bone mineral density and reduce fractures in patients with osteoporosis.9

6. Extend Your Lifespan

Are you looking to live as long as possible (who isn’t)? Forget biohacking–the fountain of youth could be found at your local juice bar! That’s because greens have the power to delay the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps on our DNA that shorten with age.10 Once its telomeres are completely gone, the cell dies. The rate of telomere shortening can be increased or decreased based on lifestyle factors including exercise, diet, environmental toxins, stress, and smoking. Broccoli sprouts in particular seem to have a superb ability to preserve telomere length.

7. Reduce Inflammation

Though this may be a no-brainer, I want to re-emphasize how important it is to reduce your inflammation in order to protect yourself from a battery of chronic illnesses. Leafy greens contain anti-inflammatory properties thanks to their abundance of antioxidants and polyphenols, the disease-fighting compounds found in plant foods.11

8. Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Eating a serving of leafy greens with every meal can help prevent or regulate diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose levels. Even just including a little over one extra serving of greens daily can reduce your risk of diabetes by 14%!12 Not to mention, if you have a thyroid condition, dramatic swings in blood sugar encourage your body to convert more T4 to Reverse T3, the inactive form of thyroid hormone. This slows down all of your metabolic processes and can exacerbate thyroid hair loss. Greens can help temper blood sugar spikes and reduce thyroid dysfunction flare-ups.

9. Support Optimal Gut Health

Do you struggle with leaky gut, food sensitivities, or autoimmunity? If so, getting more greens into your diet could help. A recently discovered gene known as T-bet that gets switched on by cruciferous veggies such as broccoli or brussels sprouts instructs precursor cells in your intestinal lining to produce innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). ILCs protect your body against gut infections and inflammation, control food allergies and intolerances, support a healthy immune response, and seal the leaks in your gut.13 They also protect your body from bad bacteria, while the fiber in greens feeds your good bacteria, making leafy greens an all-around great choice for anyone dealing with gastrointestinal distress of any kind.

10. Tame the Toxins

Taming the toxins is an essential component of The Myers Way®, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by getting more greens in your diet. Greens are expert detoxifiers, thanks to chlorophyll–the pigment that makes greens…green! Chlorophyll-rich foods such as spirulina, chlorella, parsley, and alfalfa bind to heavy metals and toxins in your blood and carry them out of your body. Chlorophyll also helps cleanse your liver to support your body’s natural ability to detox, and improves immune function to keep toxins from collecting in your body in the first place!14

11. Boost Digestive Enzymes

As I always say, you aren’t what you eat, you’re what you digest and absorb. Digestive enzymes are critical for breaking down and absorbing the nutrients from our food, so if you are deficient in these enzymes you are likely to experience all sorts of gastrointestinal issues including bloating, constipation, reflux, and nutrient deficiencies. Leaky gut it one of the biggest culprits of enzyme deficiency, as well as inflammation from food sensitivities, chronic stress, genetics, and aging. Raw, leafy greens are one of the best foods you can eat to support your body’s natural ability to produce digestive enzymes.

12. Help Prevent Cancer

One of the most promising benefits of greens may be their ability to help prevent cancer. Greens such as moringa leaf protect your cells from oxidative damage, which is what leads to mutations and cancer growth.15 Plus, inflammation and cancer have been strongly linked, so the anti-inflammatory nature of leafy greens keeps normal cells from transforming into tumor cells and inhibits tumor cell survival.16 Studies specifically link cruciferous vegetables–including broccoli, arugula, and kale–to lower risk of colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian, and bladder cancers.17

While it’s ideal to get these incredible benefits from real whole foods, not all of these foods are commonly available, in season, or grown in optimal soil, and it can be difficult to get enough of them from diet alone. 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 smoothie, or when you’re looking to stay healthy while on-the-go or traveling. One scoop of my Clean Greens Superfood Juice Powder is a nutritional powerhouse, containing 14 USDA certified organic plant foods, including green superstars spinach, kale, alfalfa, moringa, and broccoli sprouts. It’s an easy and convenient way to ensure you’re getting your daily greens along with all the disease-fighting, anti-aging, and immune-boosting benefits that they provide!

Get a FREE Bottle of Clean Greens When You Spend $125

Did you know that one of the core values of my company is to celebrate successes? That’s why we’re celebrating the launch of my brand new Clean Greens by giving it away for free!

Here’s how to get your FREE bottle of Clean Greens:

1. Add a minimum of $125 of your favorite products to your cart**

2. Next click the “Checkout Now!” button

3. Then a popup will appear

4. Click “Add to Cart” to add a FREE bottle of Clean Greens to your order

That’s it, then a FREE bottle of Clean Greens is all yours! However, you have to act fast because this offer expires Thursday, June 21st at midnight CST!

>>Just click here now to start shopping & claim your FREE bottle!<<

The post 12 Incredible Benefits of Getting More Greens in Your Diet appeared first on Amy Myers MD.