Another Delicious Detox Review By Colleague!

It's been a busy weekend. Friday I did another Delicious Detox seminar; this time in the newest of the Goodness Me stores. The Waterdown store is a beautiful spot and the 50 or so people that showed up for the talk and cooking demo were fantastic.

Saturday I saw patients at the clinic and then crashed at home with Chris where he made a delicious tomato sauce with kale for some brown rice pasta.

Today we went out for breakfast at one of our favourite spots in our area - Mitzi's. A cute little spot on Sorauren Avenue in Parkdale where I had some tasty scrambled eggs with fresh dill and sundried tomatoes. Palm Sunday at Church and then this afternoon flew by as we were prepping for my sister's visit. Cleaning, groceries, baking some cosmic cookies from the Planet Organic cookbook..... mmmmmm.

And last but not least I was reading this issue of The Pulse and found a colleague's review on my cookbook. So nice to read and hear how people are enjoying the recipes. Thank you Elmira Francinelli, an ND who practises in Woodbridge!

Artichokes Into a Stir-fry

Last night we made a quick stir-fry of veggies to go alongside our Crunchy Chicken Nuggets (from Delicious Detox). What started out as a quick mix of fennel, peppers, asparagus, and some olive oil, S+P, and red chili flakes turned out to be a wow mixture with just a fancy little addition of artichokes. This is a great reminder of how your fridge does not need 5 bottles of prepared stir-fry sauces from the grocery store that contain sugar, salt, and preservatives to make a tasty dinner meal.

I had a bought a jar of artichokes on the weekend with the intention of making some halibut with an artichoke sauce and decided to throw a few in at the end of the stir-fry. Sometimes I'll do the same thing but with sun-dried tomatoes.

Artichokes are definitely a veggie that I would love to use more -- too bad they are so much work to cook! From time to time I'll buy frozen artichokes or a jar of artichokes in olive oil. They are super liver friendly which is key for the Spring. They stimulate bile secretion and are included in many digestive tonics. They are wonderful to help lower cholesterol levels and help support the liver from alcohol damage. The latin name is Cynara Scolymus.

Le Scandinave Spa

Sometimes it's nice to remember that we don't have to take a flight to escape and relax for a weekend. We are so fortunate to have so many great things to see and do in our own backyard. Last weekend was one of those weekends. We booted up to Collingwood for Saturday and Sunday to relax and check out Le Scandinave, a spa in the middle of the woods!

If you have come to see me as a patient and you have had a cold or sinus congestion you probably were prescribed cold wet sock treatment, a simple hydrotherapy technique to increase flow and decrease pain. I love hydrotherapy as it really matches my philosophy in how I practise Naturopathic Medicine: back to the basics. So at Le Scandinave after a nice massage, Chris and I trekked outside to the waters. They have 3 hot pools ranging in temperature from 102-104 degrees and then 3 cold 'plunge pools' ranging from 56-58 degrees. So we would sit in a hot pool for 5 minutes then plunge in the cold for a few seconds and then go to one of the 3 relaxation rooms where we would sit for 15- 20 minutes just sitting in silence and reading magazines. There was also a eucalyptus steam bath and a sauna that we rotated through.

Everyone was very respectful of the silence and the goal of relaxation. No talking, no blackberrys... it was lovely. Great spot that we'll for sure go back to and enjoy.

Chris was giving me grief though because although I was good to do these hydrotherapy baths I wouldn't let us do the traditional banya in Moscow or St. Petersburg 4 years ago when we had the chance. We spent HOURS looking for these damn baths in the confusing streets in Russia and after we finally found them and walked in I chickened out. Maybe the yelling in Russian and the neon signs scared me off. Next time!

Moksha Yoga Hamilton Tomorrow!

From 2-3:30 pm I'll be chatting with MYH's 30 day challengers about all the things to keep in mind when keeping a regular yoga practice.

We'll be chatting about proper hydration, thermoregulation, nutrition and supplementation, and of course detox!

Not only am I chatting about the things I love in the environment I love but in the city I love - Hamilton! Can't wait to drive by McMaster and Cootes Paradise and all my favourite spots!!

If you haven't had a chance to say hello to me on twitter check out my tweets: @Carol_Morley

Superfoods on Global TV

A few weeks back Global TV's Family Health segment came to Zawada Health. This time is was to do a piece on "superfoods". What are they and are they worth the price tag?
It aired last night.... Here's the link! It's the video piece on the side of the screen.
http://www.globalnews.ca/health/First+full+face+transplant+done+Boston/4478237/story.html

Testicular Cancer

When someone hears those words they usually think of Lance Armstrong. Well this week I saw a patient with testicular cancer and I thought that I would blog about some of the basics behind this disease.

Exact cause is unknown but there are certain risk factors like abnormal testicle development, undescended testicle, family history, and possibly exposure to certain chemicals and HIV infection.

It is most common in male 15 - 35 years of age, and is one of the most treatable cancers. There are two types: seminomas (slow growing and sensitive to radiation) and nonseminomas (fast growing). Symptoms may include but are not limited to: discomfort or pain in the testicle, or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, pain in the back or lower abdomen, enlargement of a testicle or a change in the way it feels, excess development of breast tissue (gynecomastia), and lump or swelling in either testicle. Lab tests to confirm may include alpha fetoprotein (AFP), beta HCG and LDH. A CT scan is also done to confirm.

The male is being treated by a great group of oncologists in Toronto at Princess Margaret and as a partner in his health care team, I've been asked to help support nutritionally to keep him strong and healthy.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancake Recipe

Happy Pancake Tuesday! Here's the recipe from Delicious Detox that I tweeted about earlier. Love this with some coconut butter on top...
¾ cups light or dark buckwheat flour
½ teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1 mL) sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons (45 mL) unsweetened rice or almond milk
3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sunflower oil
½ teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract
1 flax egg replacer*

*To make the flax egg replacer, combine 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of water and let it sit for 2 minutes.

1. Stir the flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the blueberries.
2. Combine the milk, water, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the sunflower oil, and the vanilla in a small bowl.
3. Stir the flax egg replacer into the milk mixture.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing until just combined, using a whisk if necessary. If the batter is too stiff, add a little more milk.
5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of sunflower oil on a griddle or in a sauté pan over medium-low heat, and then pour 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of the batter onto the griddle or sauté pan, making 4 pancakes. Buckwheat flour browns quickly, so make sure the griddle is not too hot.
6. Once the edges are slightly browned and a few bubbles have formed on top, flip the pancakes over to cook the other side.