Flax Flat Bread

Easy peasy recipe for you today. This recipe contains two ingredients and takes 20 minutes flat to make. It is super versatile too: if you are looking for a simple, healthy, and quick flat bread, crust, chip, or cracker recipe, this is it. Oh, and it's gluten-free and grain-free! I've made this bread four times in the past month and it never ceases to amaze me! 

Flax Flat Bread

3/4 cup ground flaxseed* 

1 egg, whisked

Two individual pizza crusts made from flax! I flipped the top one to show you what the underside looks like. 

Combine two ingredients until a thick, sticky paste/dough forms. Spread using the back of a spoon, onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place until piece of parchment paper on top and using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten the dough out as much as you can (to about 2-3 millimeter in thickness). Carefully peel back the second piece of parchment paper and discard it. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes. The more you cook it, the crispier the bread you'll get (so it will be more like a cracker or a crunchy crust). By baking it on the shorter side, it will be more pliable and chewier. Just make sure that it is no longer wet! You want that egg to be fully cooked. When done, slice the resulting bread into slices, pieces (if making crackers), or leave whole as a pizza crust. Or you could have separated the dough from the beginning to make two individual pizza crusts (which is what I did in the picture above). 

Now, use the resulting product like you would crackers, top with nut butter like toast, spread with marinara and other pizza toppings and use as pizza crust, or cut into triangles and use as corn chips/tortilla chips for guacamole and salsa!

*I ground 1/2 cup whole (golden) flax in my coffee grinder, though you can purchase pre-ground flax at the grocery store or bulk food store. Be sure to store pre-ground flax in the fridge. 

Enjoy!

Semi-Salty

Those who are mindful of their sodium intake also have to watch out for "hidden" sources. Ketchup and bread are both high in sodium and are often forgotten about. This cute "dip or squeeze" ketchup packet was seen in a restaurant; the package is cute, but the product still sucks.  :P

In my last Integrative Therapeutics lecture on Monday, we wrapped up our discussion of treatment options for cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and hyperlipidemia. We also chatted about hypertension (though we had already completed a model on treating hypertension, aka high blood pressure, earlier in the semester).

We broached the topic of salt when we were covering the dietary modifications portion of the lecture. Those with hypertension should be extremely mindful of their salt (aka sodium chloride) intake as too much salt can raise blood pressure. My professor mentioned the product "No Salt" (the product Nu-Salt also exists, as do many other salt imitation products). Instead of being a jar of sodium chloride (NaCl), this product is made of potassium chloride (KCl). Therefore, it is sodium-free ...yet apparently still tastes "salty". I haven't tried this product and thus can't vouch for it's salty taste, but I am intrigued by the idea of a salt-less salt. According to Amazon, the reviews are mixed.

I know I will treat many salt-addicts as a doctor, so I am definitely interested in salty alternatives beyond products like Mrs. Dash and Herbamare (though I LOVE Herbamare and highly recommend it; it is made of salt plus herbs and seasonings) ...and of course I will recommend that patients use herbs and spices to season food instead of salt when possible.

Insect Defend: A Cool New (Nutraceutical) Product!

On the weekend, I attended the Green Living Show here in Toronto. I had an awesome time checking out the vendors, talking to reps, eating the locally prepared grub (mmm vanilla drinking chocolate by ChocoSol), making a few 'green' purchases (a product from Pure Thanks and some amazing blueberry juice), and test driving an electric car, the Nissan Leaf! Fun times for sure.

One company with whom I talked at the expo was Insect Defend. They make this natural and safe alternative to toxic bug sprays: instead of using harmful chemicals to deter bugs, they use vitamins!

Their product is a small, clear patch that adheres to the skin and releases vitamin B1 into the body. You simply stick the patch on your body two hours before you plan on going outside and/or around mosquitos.

How does it work? Well, apparently mosquitos and other pesky bugs hate the scent of vitamin B1! When the vitamin is absorbed into your skin via the patch, the B1 that is now in your skin keeps those bugs away. That's it, that's all: no more bug sprays or nets, just vitamins!

Vitamin B1 to the rescue!

Taking vitamin B1 through the skin is more effective than taking it orally. When you take it orally, the vitamin has to go through the whole digestive tract and is subjected to the first-pass effect of the liver. But if it is absorbed through the skin, it avoids all the degradation that occurs during digestions.

Apparently many people have used and testified to the effectiveness of Insect Defend. Several major clinical trials are also being conducted to test its efficacy. I myself purchased a pack to give them a try; I want to see vitamin B1 in action for myself!

Thanks to a major deal on Dragons' Den, Insect Defend Patches are now available at most major stores, like Loblaws, Superstore, Metro, Walmart, Canadian Tire, and many more. ...if you give them a try, let me know your experience. As a naturopathic medical student who studies vitamins at great length, I am super curious about this new-to-me way of using vitamin B1!

10 Tricks to Eat More Vegetables

Fruit and Vegetable Heart. Source unknown; found this image on Pinterest months ago.

1. Sneaky, Soups and Stews: When vegetables are in chili, soups, and stews, they get really soft and usually undetectable. Think about a pot of chicken noodle soup: there are loads of vegetables in this soup, yet is very loved, even among so called veggie haters. Same goes for chili; very popular, yet is full of tomatoes, onions, peppers, sometimes sweet potatoes, etc. Butternut squash soup is a very yummy (and even a bit sweet) soup that masks several veggies (squash, onions, celery, etc). 

2. Availability: Make sure the veggies are on hand and available. When you're hungry and open the fridge to get a snack and all you see are baby carrots, celery sticks, left over baked root veggies, salsa and guacamole, and salad ingredients, you'll be more tempted to eat veggies for your snack! 

3. Super Sneaky Smoothies: Hide vegetables in smoothies. I promise you that you won't be able to taste a handful of spinach in your smoothie if it is paired with some protein powder, berries, bananas, mylk, etc. I've added all kinds of greens to my smoothies and never taste them. I've also added zucchinis and carrots without any detection. 

4. Crunch, Crunch! Dehydrate or bake veggies so that they are crunchy and chip or french fry-like. Kale chips are awesome, but you also make homemade sweet potato fries, cauliflower "crack", plantain chips, and even green bean fries. 

5. Sauces and Dips Galore: If you don't like the vegetables plain, consider them instead as a vehicle for awesome dips and sauces. Hummus is delish, but rather than eat it with pita or crackers, try baby carrots or red bell peppers. If salads aren't your thing, maybe you need to explore some new salad dressings to jazz up the greens. Same goes with the dinner time vegetables on your plate: before you toss your peas or asparagus, try dousing them in some awesome sauce! 

6. Weekly New Veggie Challenge: Commit to one new vegetable a week. Baby steps, right? One veggie at a time might be a good way to ease yourself into a more vegetable-rich diet. Make this week cauliflower, for example, and commit to giving this vegetable a fair chance all week, aiming to eat it daily. They say that kids need to be exposed to a new food ten times before they really know if they like it or not (and most of the time after ten tries they end up liking it); maybe adults who don't like cauliflower just haven't tried it ten times yet! Well a week of cauliflower can help with that. And after cauliflower week, how about a week of eggplant? 

7. Pureed Power: Kraft came out with a vegetable Kraft Dinner a few years back. It was normal KD with purred vegetables added. When a vegetable is pureed, you can easily "sneak it" into dishes you normally like. Pureed veggies obviously can be added to soups and stews, but also pasta sauces, gravies, salad dressings, casseroles, and even used in baking. Here is a recipe for a chocolate beet torte, sweet potato brownies, and of course, pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin is great. 

8. Creative Cooking: If you claim to not like broccoli, for instance, maybe you just haven't prepared it the right way! You could try it raw, steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, stir-fried, or pureed (maybe make a Cream of Broccoli soup). Personally, I don't really like broccoli that is raw or steamed, but roasted or stir-fried broccoli is awesome! I also know people who love fresh green peas, but absolutely despise canned peas. So try prepping your hated vegetable in other ways and see how it differs in taste. 

9. Up the Ante: If you really, really hate most vegetables and you've tried all of my suggestions, then focus on which vegetables you actually do like and increase your consumption of these veggies. Even if your veggie diet isn't varied, you can still benefit from having more vegetables on a regular basis. 

10. Focus on Fruits: And my last suggestion, is that if you can't tolerate vegetables but love fruits, then focus on eating a wide-variety of fruits. Fruits are slightly less healthy than vegetables because of their high sugar content (even though it is 'natural' sugar, sugar is still sugar and acts similarly in the body, wrecking havoc when in excess). But, fruits are still loaded in vitamins, water, and fiber, so if you can't do a lot of vegetables, try to regularly get fruit in your diet.

I Dream of Chickens

Chicken Coop Image from Wikipedia

I'm jealous of my friend J who is installing a chicken coop this Summer.

In the future, I definitely want chickens and a coop. I'd take great care of them and would love their company. I suppose you treat them like you would any other pets? Harvesting their eggs would be so much fun too!

The little chicken coop above is absolutely adorable, but I'd need to read more about my county's bylaws regarding chicken housing. Obviously, I have lots of questions before I build my coop: Is the above structure too small? How far from property lines must the chickens be? How much grazing room do they need?

I'd also love to be able to sell my fresh eggs to my patients. Is this even allowed? My parents' neighbor sells eggs on the side of the road... wonder if he ever looked into the legality of it? If I can't sell them, hopefully I can at least give them away!

Gadget Hygiene

Cleaning: a dreaded chore by many. 

Let's see, we clean our dishes, clothing (laundries), bathrooms, floors... but how often do we clean the devices we use each and everyday? I'm talking about our cell phones, laptops, tablets, music devices, and other technological goodies. I take my cell phone everywhere. It's been rested on countless dirty surfaces (desks, kitchen counters, dusty shelves, cafeteria tables, etc) and is always been touched by my grubby hands (I remember to wash my hands before eating, but do I wash my hands before calling someone, never!). I also use my laptop while eating all the time. There are likely many soup stains, fruit juices, and chocolate smudges all over my laptop (but it is hard to tell since it is a dark colored laptop...). The point I am trying to make is that we are a technology dependent society but I don't think we've learned how to properly take care of all of our devices, especially in the hygiene department.

So, here is my solution:

Biweekly, take out a hypoallergenic alcohol-free sanitizing wipe*, and give your cell phone, laptop, and other gadget you frequently use a little "bath". 

*See the picture above for my canister of Clean Well wipes, available at major grocery stores in the "Natural" aisle or at health food stores. The greener the wipe, the less you have to worry about the chemicals affecting the devices' functioning. 

I don't think we need to be soooo hygienic as to scrub our devices daily, but I think a "bath" every week or two is good to get rid of residue food, stains, bacteria, viruses, and other lingering microbes. One sanitizing wipe should be good enough to clean two to three devices as they are quite large. At that rate, one package of wipes should last you about a year if you use one biweekly...

...that's a good, clean, and healthy investment to me!

Idiopathic.

There is a scary, scary word in the medical community.  

It's called idiopathic and it's a term that patients never want to hear, and one that doctors never want to mutter.  Idiopathic is the term assigned to a pathology when the cause is unknown.   

Yep, you've got ____ and nobody knows why.

Just lovely.

The major problem with idiopathic pathologies is that it makes treating and preventing the condition extremely tricky.  If treating the root cause is the best form of treatment, what do you do when the root cause is unknown?  It also makes establishing risk factors for certain conditions harder.  Which puts everybody at risk... oh joy.

Another problem with idiopathic pathologies is the worry that if they are of unknown origin, that they will forever be of unknown origin. Perhaps this is a bit pessimistic, but I sometimes doubt that even with scientists researching all around the world at a constant rate, that we'll ever be able to explain the cause of every health condition out there.  The body is just too complex and we are all so individual that tracking down the root cause of everything can be tricky (especially due to the prevalence of autoimmune diseases, but that's another story for another blog post). It is possible, however, that an individual cause can be identified for one individual with the disease. For example, we don't know what causes X globally, but it seems that in Sally's case, Y was the trigger.

Progressive Dinner.

Last week, I organized a Progressive Dinner with some of my CCNM classmates.  A Progressive Dinner is a dinner-party, only instead of one friend hosting the dinner, everyone hosts the dinner!  It's like a Pub Crawl, only with food. You start at one person's place for appetizers, then move to the next house for salad or soup, then the main course is served at yet another house, and lastly, a final friend completes the night by serving dessert in his or her home. You can modify who makes what and how many courses depending on the number of people attending. It works well if you all live in relatively close proximity to each other, which was the case with this particular group of classmates. It is quite fun to not only visit each others's dwelling as the night progresses, but also you get to try a variety of different foods along the way!

Here is a recap (in pictures) of the dinner:

Appetizer 1: Cucumber-Soba-Sesame Stacks, courtesy of A.

Appetizer 2: Black Bean Salsa and Chips, courtesy of T.

Appetizer 3: Spring Rolls with Spicy Sauce, courtesy of M.

Main Course: Burrito Bowls (do-it-yourself), courtesy of L. 

Dessert: Salted Caramel Squares, made by me!

I made Salted Caramel Squares based off of this recipe but I made the following changes: all purpose gluten-free flour instead of almond flour, maple syrup in place of honey, no xylitol (used more coconut sugar), coconut oil instead of butter in the crust, 3/4 cup of coconut milk (not coconut cream, but then I omitted the extra honey in the caramel), and 100 g of 90% dark chocolate melted on top instead of carob. The picture is awfully bright (I took it outside, opps!), but if you zoom-in you can see some gooey caramel oozing out.  My first time making caramel (it was so good too and not hard!). Hands-down one of the best desserts I ever made. By the way, if you love the combination of salty & sweet, then you'll fall in love with these bars. Sea salt & chocolate is a surprisingly heavenly combination.

Chopped.

Highlights from Becca's CHOPPED night, June 2012

Have you seen the show Chopped on the Food Network?  In this show, chefs are given four random ingredients and must create one meal using all of them.  I asked Tony to yell out four ingredients at random (he didn't know what they why I was asking him this) and he yelled back "Grapefruit, Mint, Worcester Sauce, and Eggplant"...the most random group of ingredients I had ever heard of! Thanks a lot, Tony.  Using these four crazy ingredients as our guide, my friend A and I set out to create a gourmet meal using them all.  Here is what we created:

Pan-fried Cod with Mint-Tzatziki Sauce &

Millet Crusted Eggplant  

with a Grapefruit-Worcester Reduction 

Served with Italian Prosecco &

a Dark Chocolate Tasting Plate

While this meal was edible, it wasn't our finest creation. It was rather bland and photogenically ugly (everything was white and boring-looking, hence our garnishes of cherry tomatoes and cilantro, added just to give the plate some color). The best part of the meal, however, was the grapefruit-Worchester reduction.  Surprisingly (so, so surprisingly!) this idea worked really well.  We boiled the grapefruit juice down to a thick sauce and it ended up being very yummy. I might even consider making it again (especially since I now have a whole bottle of Worchester sauce on hand. I didn't have any so I had to buy one just for the Chopped soiree). I've included the recipe below. I believe it would taste swell on crackers or with some cheese (for those who like sweets with their savory cheese). 

Grapefruit-Worcester Reduction 

1 grapefruit, juiced (or 1 cup grapefruit juice)

1 tablespoon Worchester sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat until thick and syrupy.

How to Dry Your Hands.

I lieu of one official Earth Day post, I've opted to post a couple of environmentally-focused blog entries (one here and one here). You can add today's post to that Earth-loving mix. 

I saw this TED Talk last month and was thoroughly impressed by the hand drying technique! I've been drying my hands (in public settings only; I use a towel to dry my hands at home) using this method ever since I saw the talk. I must say that it really does work; hands are dry with only one measly piece of paper towel.  Might I add that it seems that most public bathrooms that I've visited have replaced paper towel with electronic hand dryers. Not sure which is better from an energy stand point... looks like I need to do some research!

DIY Deodorant.

This may sound a bit revealing, but I haven't worn deodorant for almost a year.

As a future naturopathic doctor, I can't help but want to avoid products that just seem so un-natural too me.  Deodorant falls into my suppressive chemical category that I try hard to avoid. You know, products that don't address the root cause and just cover-up the problem? (Another big example is taking tylenol/aspirin for headaches). Deodorant/anti-antiperspirants prevent your underarm from sweating by inhibiting sweat glands.  I decided about a year ago that I'll have no more unnecessary suppression in my life, hence my decision to drop deodorant.  I've spent most of the past year without anything under my arms.  I just made sure to give them a good cleaning (with soap and warm water, typically though I just clean them when I shower) once a day to prevent smell. Did you know that perspiration (aka sweat) is odorless and that it's the bacteria growing under our arms that feed off the sweat and cause the stink?

However, with warm weather and inevitably sweaty days on the horizon, I decided to create homemade deodorant to help combat smelling armpits.  I've been using this product for a month now and so far so good! No mid-day smell detected, even on my sweatiest days. I also feel fairly dry even when sweaty thanks to the baking soda. The recipe makes a lot, I'm thinking between 4-6 months of deodorant from one batch! If you are considering reducing your dependence of deodorants/anti-antiperspirants, I'd suggest giving this recipe a try.

Two cautions: First, apparently baking soda can stain clothes, so you may not want to use this product when wearing your best shirts.  I haven't had this experience, but I read of some people online with this problem.  Second, some people find the soda irritating if applied to freshly shaven armpits.  Again, I haven't had this problem, just throwing it out there.

DIY Deodorant (inspired by this recipe):

1/4 cup baking soda 

1/4 cup coconut oil (key ingredient because it stays solid at room temperature)

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (cornstarch would probably work too!)

Drops of essential oils for smell, like lavender, peppermint, orange, etc (optional)

Melt the coconut oil on low heat in a pan or pot.  Stir in the starch and soda until combined.  Pour into a little bowl or container.  Let sit on counter until firm (it will solidify completely!). Store container in the bathroom.  To use, simply use your fingers to dig-off a marble-sized amount of deodorant and spread under clean armpits (this amount will do both armpits). Wash hands after applying.

Grow Your Own Green Onions.

One of my New Year's Resolutions (2012) was to do more Do-It-Yourself projects, including gardening. Excitingly I have started doing a bit of gardening as of late! Well, gardening if you count putting green onion ends in a cup of water and sitting it by the window sill. Ha ha.  Yep, that's how easy growing green onions can be. Never buy them at the store again (well maybe not never, but far less frequently that's for sure).

What you need: 

A  sunny window sill

A shallow cup of water (refill when it gets low, about once or twice a week)

The white ends of some store bought green onions

Place the white bulb-y ends into the water, place on window sill, let grow.  After about a week the green onions will have completely regrown!  Using the same set of white root ends, I've grown FOUR completely new batches of green onions.  Just snip or rip the onion when you want to eat, leaving about an inch of green stem behind.  Then magically (thanks to photosynthesis) the green onions will grow back!  Easiest gardening experience I've ever had.

Side note #1: Tony marveled at how cool these are as they are made from nothing more than WATER and SUN.

Side note #2: Botany is beautiful.  The green onions make a lovely plant addition to the decor of the home.

Side note #3: Today is my grandmother's birthday.  Happy Birthday to the best gardener I know!

Goodbye, Greek.

I tried Greek yogurt for the first time in my life this week.

I became vegan before I had even heard about Greek yogurt.  But because I read a lot of food blogs (I am quite obsessed to be honest :P), I kept hearing about the wonders of this Greek yogurt. It kept popping up and I kept thinking that I just need to give this product a little taste. It is apparently a popular food staple for breakfasts, in smoothies, and as a condiment (like sour cream).  I contemplated for awhile whether or not I should give it a try (even though I now eat eggs and fish, I do not intend to reintroduce dairy into my daily diet).

Last week, I finally bought a tub of organic Greek yogurt (the one pictured to the right) just to see what all the hype was about. I was surprised how much it tasted like... yogurt. It tastes just like a remembered yogurt tasting, but it it thicker and sourer (probably because it was not sweetened, unlike the yogurts I used to devour years a go).  It was alright...  I'm glad I tried it, because now I know that I really am not missing much by keeping Greek yogurt out of my life.  Also, the dairy (after not eating dairy for almost four consecutive years) didn't quite agree with me. Not in a ohmygoshIfeelsosick kind of way, but in a rumble-y tummy and irritated bowel kind of way (but I'll spare you the specific details). Enough malaise to know that dairy is just not for me.

Nevertheless, if you do choose to eat dairy, I'm thinking that organic Greek yogurt is probably one of best sources of dairy available.  It's organic, contains good bacteria (probiotics), calcium, lots of protein (18 grams per serving), and is sugar-free (if you buy plain that is).

I will finish up the tub of yogurt I have already purchased (I hate food wasting!), but then it's goodbye, Greek.

The Naked, Guinea Pig, Pin Cushion.

Dear future students,

When you start at CCNM, be prepared to be challenged mentally, emotionally, and physically. Not just in the tired-and-achy-back-sense from being hunched over notes everyday, but because of all of the poking, prodding, palpating, rubbing, adjusting, and freezing!

Be prepared to become a test subject. Your body will be used as a learning tool during your Manipulation, Massage, Hydrotherapy, Practical & Clinical Diagnosis, and (practical) Anatomy classes. Rather than hiring models, you will learn off your classmates' bodies. And it forth-year, you'll be stuck with intravenous needles and will have other laboratory tests preformed on your body.

Thanks to all of the Acupuncture featured in the curriculum (almost four full years of needles!), you will be poked extensively. Your body will certainly feel like it is a pin cushion.

Leave your shyness behind too, because you will be exposed (being up to 90% naked) on many occasions. You will become very comfortable with your body, especially when almost every square inch of it will be touched and examined by your classmates.

Be prepared because this is no joke: during your four years at CCNM, you essentially will be a naked, guinea pig, pin cushion. You've be warned.

Image source here and here.

Celiac Disease Testing.

Today I had the opportunity to find out whether or not I had Celiac disease.

I've explained Celiac disease before here, but just to remind you, it is an autoimmune disease against the body's gluten-digesting enzyme. People with Celiac disease MUST avoid all wheat products (all wheat (including whole wheat), barley, rye, spelt, kamut, couscous, and more).

Everyone in my Clinical Nutrition class (all ~130 of us) was given a test kit. The kit contained a lancet (aka a small spring-action needle), alcohol swab, a band-aid, a test strip (it looked like a pregnancy tester!), and other medical supplies, like little test tubes and fancy chemicals. The process involved many steps, but in short: I pricked my finger, put a drop of blood in chemical solution, dropped that solution onto a test strip, and then waited ten minutes. If you are positive (meaning you have Celiac disease) you would have seen TWO red lines on the test strip. The test checks to see if you have anti-transglutaminase enzymes (if you have these in your blood, you are Celiac because you should not have antibodies against this enzyme).

As you can see from my test strip above (bad photo as it was taken with my cell phone), I DO NOT have Celiac disease because I only have one line. Phew!

It was a fun experiment for everyone in one room to be taking this lab test at one time. Out of ~130 people, no one tested positive. However, about ~30 people identified as having a sensitivity to gluten. Thankfully these people are just gluten intolerant/sensitive and don't have an autoimmune disease!

Other pictures from the experiment: the test package and my "wounded" finger (with the lancet in the background).

The Experiment ...Part Two.

So my egg-eating-experiment didn't work out too well in regards to the curing of my psoriasis. My next experiment is going to be taking fish oil.

I want to give my body a blast of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are really good for the brain, but they are also amazing for the skin and in the treatment of skin issues. As a vegan, I can get omega-3s from flax oil and seeds, hemp oil and seeds, and some fortified products. However, it is more difficult to use the vegetable sources of omega-3s in the body, so even though I am eating lots of omega-3 foods, I still may not be getting enough to see therapeutic benefits.

The omega-3s in fish oil, on the other hand, are readily absorbed by the body and pack a mean punch of these healthy fats! In the world of naturopathic medicine, recommending fish oil is like a medical doctor recommending Tylenol or Advil; you can take it everyday and it has a whole slew of health benefits, including many protective effects against cardiovascular/heart diseases, brain disorders, and skin problems.

The company of fish oil that I buy (which is also the one that I recommend to family and is the one that I will recommend that my future patients buy) is Ascenta. It is available at all health food stores and major grocery stores in the health foods isle.

As a vegan, I am particularly fond of Ascenta because they have a super concentrated omega-3 oil that is especially for vegans and vegetarians (it is made from nutrients from the sea floor, such as algae and a special plant called Echium plantagineum). Ascenta's fish oils are also responsibly harvested and the company donates regularly to sea protection programs. It is a very eco-progressive company; for instance, even all of the office furniture in their head office is made from recycled materials.

For your information, fish oil doesn't taste like fish. Most brands flavor their oil to make them taste fruity (usually lemon, citrus, or lime flavored) but even without the flavoring the oil should taste pumpkin-y. If the oil does smell or taste fishy, then it has gone rancid. Ascenta guarantees their products for ninety days before they start smelling fishy.

My goal is to take one teaspoon of fish oil a day for approximately thirty days. I will monitor over the course of this new "experiment" to see whether a boost of omega-3 fatty acids (in the form of concentrated fish oil) improves my skin situation.

The Experiment = CANCELLED.

While it hasn't been a month since I started eating eggs, I am no longer eating eggs. After a bit more than two weeks of eating two eggs, every second day, I decided to stop my egg-eating-experiment. Why? For two main reasons: one, I saw absolutely no improvement in my skin (psoriasis), in fact, at times it seemed to look worse. And two, the eggs were making me experience nausea. I typically ate the eggs lunch time and then every "egg" afternoon, I felt yucky in my tummy. I haven't had any eggs this week (and most of last week) and I haven't had any more tummy troubles. I am glad I tried eating eggs and eating them wasn't that bad (other than the queasy feelings); nevertheless, I am pretty sure that animal protein isn't the solution to my psoriasis.

Back to the drawing board!

The Experiment.

I am conducting a little experiment on a special test-subject... myself ;)

You see, I've been suffering with psoriasis which is concentrated on my torso, legs, and arms. Save for it clearly last summer, I've had it since winter 2009 and it doesn't seem to be clearing up. I've spent almost a year trying to find the root cause of this ailment, and despite trying almost everything, I have not been successful. This past winter it got really bad, to a point where only allopathic medicine could control it (namely corticosteroids).

Naturopathic medicine advocates that there is a root cause behind every illness. Even health issues that seem to be "genetic" or "in the family" more often than not are caused by something real and solvable. Something like psoriasis (which is an uncontrolled growth of skin cells) has been found to be caused by diet, stress, lack of vitamin D, vitamin deficiencies, dry weather, low fat diet, yeast overgrowth, fungal infection, decreased zinc levels, and/or low immunity. I've been "experimenting" on my own body since the psoriasis first developed (with the assistance of three NDs and at one time, an MD), but have had no luck. So, with few options left, I have decided to conduct one more--and pretty drastic--experiment: to eat some animal products.

A vegan eating eggs? Absolutely! Now, there is a method to this madness: first, other than the eggs I am living a vegan life. Even though I may eat organic, free-run eggs at home, I am not going to eat eggs in restaurants because I won't know where they come from. If I am going to eat an animal product as part of my experiment, I want to do it as ethical and sustainable as possible. Second, I choose eggs because I am nowhere near ready to eat animal products again and I don't believe that homosapiens should be consuming milk beyond infanthood, so eggs was my best option to consume some animal proteins. Third, I am deciding to introduce an animal protein into my diet because maybe my psoriasis is my body crying out. Maybe my body is lacking something that is better concentrated in animal products... Veganism is not for every body. Although I love my vegan diet, maybe my body doesn't, and thus I am choosing to listen to my body through the conduction of this experiment.

The "experiment" consists of me eating two eggs, every second day, for a period of one month. Unfortunately there are many confounding variables, such as the sunshine (psoriasis is thought to improve with high levels of vitamin D, which are produced during Summer months), so it will be difficult to tell if I see an improvement in my skin, if it is due to the sun or due to the eggs. (Eggs are also high in vitamin D, another confounding variable!).

So I ate my first egg the other day. It tasted like I remember eggs tasted ;). I had no digestive reaction to the egg, which was good, because my body could have reacted due to this "foreign" food :P

Anywho, just wanted to fill everyone in on my little dietary experiment. I'll report back once the month of egg eating is finished!