Make your own whole foods Pancakes!

Here is my recipe for making your own pancake batter from whole foods ingredients (non-processed, natural):

• 2 cups Organic Spelt Flour 
• 3 tsp Rumford's aluminum-free Baking Powder
• 1.5 tsp Real Salt (that is the name of the brand)
• 1 tbsp Sucanat sugar
• 1.5 tsp all natural-vanilla extract
• 1 organic or pastured egg
• 1.5 cups organic whole milk ( I use raw, organic whole milk)
• 3 tbsp melted Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil (see my earlier post on Coconut Oil)

You can optionally add 1/3 cup ground flaxseeds or any other add-on, like wild blueberries, etc.  Mix together all the ingredients with a whisk and heat a tbsp of organic cultured (or raw) butter on a skillet (medium heat setting).  When the skillet is warm, pour the batter and make your pancakes!  I add another half tbsp of butter between each batch of pancakes.  I also warmed up some delicious Grade B (not as highly refined as Grade A) Organic Maple Syrup on the stove top and added some Real Salt to it because I love the salty/sugary flavor combination.

Let me know how it goes!

Get some SUN...or take this superb Vit D supp

So, we've all heard the news that Vitamin D3 is good for you and that perhaps we should all try to get at least 10-20 minutes of unprotected sun each day.  Vitamin D3 aids in thyroid function, metabolism, weight stability, mood, etc.  It also is said to aid in some types of cancer prevention.  I am hypothyroid and definitely believe in Vit D supplementation, even though I live in Southern California.  I have tried so many Vit D supps that I could write a book on them.  The BEST Vit D supplement is from Carlson Labs ( www.carlsonlabs.com ) and you can buy 360 softgels  that provide 2000 IU each for only $14.69 at Amazon.  Carlson makes the best Vit D supps because they are softgels, making them easily assimilated by your body and has higher bioavailability, they are inexpensive, easy to swallow, easy to purchase online and they contain NO SOY.  You will notice that most Vit D supps and most vitamins in general contain SOY.  More on soy later, but soy is currently way over-utilized in the food and supp industries and is not in its natural and healthier form, but in a "franken-soy" processed form.  "Franken-soy" is a phytoestrogen and acts like estrogen in our bodies, therefore disrupting the natural chemical bonds of our own hormones and endocrine systems.  This can promote hormone-driven cancers, like breast cancer.
Babycare tip: You can also buy Carlson Vit D liquid drops for babies at 400 IU per drop for only $14.83 and it lasts for an entire year!

Who knew Coconut Oil could be so interesting?

Coconut oil is GREAT and if you don't believe me, you can read all about it in the book "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Enig and Fallon.  This book is fantastic, even if you don't want to lose weight.  To sum it up, coconut oil can and should be used for high heat cooking (in lieu of olive oil in many cases, as olive oil goes rancid at high temperatures), on your skin to moisturize or soothe aching muscles, as salad dressing (mixed with olive oil and sesame seed oil - Mary's Oil Blend), as an anti-fungal, and to lose weight! Okay, the losing weight part sounds fantastical, but because coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid or MCFA, it takes your body a whole lot more energy to utilize than the energy or calories that coconut oil actually contains. 
Now the key is to buy the right coconut oil.  I have tried at least 4 different brands and all are amazingly distinct.  First off, you must buy unrefined, virgin, organic coconut oil to receive all of the above-mentioned benefits.  Secondly, do NOT buy the Spectrum brand.  It is crumbly, doesn't melt easily and tastes horrible.  The best brand you can buy in-store (Wholefoods) is Nutiva.  It tastes great, spreads easily on your skin and it is easy to find.  What brand do I use?  I buy mine online at www.tropicaltraditions.com .  It is the Tropical Traditions brand that is the purest, best-tasting and best bought in-bulk quantities.  You will notice there are different types of Tropical Traditions coconut oil to purchase, but the best one I've tried is the Gold Label one. 
Bodycare tip: coconut oil will be solid at room temperature and will melt above approximately 75 degrees.  When solid, spoon out a tablespoon of coconut oil from the jar and rub it between your hands - it will melt instantly.  Spread the oil all over your skin, including hair and face and then take a shower or bath.  You will not need to put on body lotion after your shower or bath!