California Vaccine Bill opposed from the Right and the Left

The battle between profits over vaccines, possible benefits to public health from mandatory vaccine programs, and a very real threat to personal health from forced vaccinations rages on.  The latest chapter comes as California recently passed SB277 taking away the right of a parent to choose which vaccines their child receives if they want to attend public school.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center.  People are being required "to give up the human right to informed consent to medical risk-taking in order to exercise a civil right to an education".

Click here for a link to a Washington Post article discussing opponents to the bill.  Politics does make strange bedfellows and this issue is a great example.  Opposition to the bill comes from the parents of vaccine injured children, Actor Jim Carey, Republicans who oppose too much government influence in personal lives, and liberals fearful of the chemicals in vaccines.  

As always I advocate for education and informed consent.  You should be informed of all the risks and benefits of any medical intervention, which could harm or kill you or your child.  For more information on vaccines please visit NVIC.org, or schedule an appointment with me for a vaccine consult.  

Aluminum, Hidden in food and skin care products, and linked to Alzheimers, fatigue and other health problems

I was shocked last year to learn that children may receive more aluminum from eating american "cheese" than from vaccines.  I am not talking about real cheese here, but the pasteurized processed cheese food product (that is what the label says) which comes in individually wrapped slices.  I ate TONS of it as a child.  Aluminum makes these fake cheeses easier to slice.  So even though it is harmful it is allowed in food to make things easier for the fake food manufactures.  It turns out aluminum is allowed to be added to many foods including flour, and baking soda.  Hopefully you have already thrown out your aluminum cookware to eliminate that source of exposure.  Aluminum is also common in skin care products particularly antiperspirant where it acts to block your sweat glands.  This is bad for you on many levels.  First you absorb a great deal of that aluminum which can damage your immune system, contribute to depression, fatigue, memory loss, confusion, impaired learning, Parkinson's, ALS, Lou Gherig's disease, bon and muscle problems, and possibly even breast cancer.  Secondly you need to sweat.  It is one of your bodies primary routes of detoxification.  We need to give our bodies every opportunity we can to dispose of the toxins we are exposed to every day.  

"But wait" you say "I don't want to stink!".  I hear you.  I have a few suggestions.  

First, clean up your diet.  If you eat live, organic, fresh, whole foods, you will smell better, no kidding.  I can notice the difference when I stray from my healthy whole foods diet in the way my sweat smells.  

Second, try switching to a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant.  Deodorants help mask the smell, without the pore clogging aluminum.  Many people have tried the deodorants at the health food store and hate them.  If you are accustomed to a commercial antiperspirant, you can not expect the same results from a natural deodorant.  They will not block your pores with harmful ingredients and prevent you from sweating.  Visit EWG.org for less harmful deodorant and antiperspirant options.  You can even make your own if you are so inclined.  

Third, If you just can not imagine the embarrassment of giving up your antiperspirant, try taking one day a week off.  Can you spend Saturday at home airing out your armpits?  One day a week not exposing your body to the harmful effects of more aluminum will add up, and contribute to your good health.

If you would like to learn more check out this post by Amy Neuzil http://primaldocs.com/members-blog/aluminum-deodorant-safety-and-natural-diy-deodorant/

Utility companies in the Roaring Fork Valley are installing new electric meters which may harm your health

New Electric Meters Carry Risks to Your:

Home

These meters have caused many house fires

Health

The radiation these new electric meters put out is classified by the World Health Organization as a class 2B carcinogen.  The same risk level as lead and DDT.

Privacy

These meters collect personal information available to the government, private companies, and hackers.

Wallet

New meters have skyrocketed electric bills.

Learn More

Thursday May 7th at 5pm a Free Documentary Film screening of Take Back Your Power at the Crystal Theatre, Carbondale

Educate yourself so that you may make an informed decision

You have a right to refuse this new technology

For more information Click Here for my article on Smart Meters, and links to local information on what to do about these new meters

and visit www.takebackyourpower.net

Naturopathic Doctors in Colorado get legal ok to treat infants and toddlers

I am fully trained and qualified to treat children under 2 years old.  However, I was limited legally from treating them until the passage of a recent bill in the state legislature.  So Hip Hip Hooray!!  Please bring your babies to me.  I offer a non-judgmental environment.  I explain both conventional and alternative options for treating your child.  Then you can make your own decisions about their health care.  I spend a great deal of my time educating people on what Naturopathic Medicine is and what it has to offer them.  The lack of information the public has on my degree has been a huge problem in getting Naturopathic Medical care to the people of Colorado.  The bill the Governor just signed to allow ND's to treat children under 2 took a huge amount of work to pass.  We had to get enough legislators educated on who we are and what we are qualified to do.  Thanks to a big effort to meet with them and explain our profession, they understand that we are very well equipped to help infants and toddlers.  ND's, like Medical Doctors are regulated on the state level.  This means every single state has to pass laws to allow ND's to practice legally in their state.  Unfortunately, because so many people do not understand the training an ND has, and because many others feel the practice of Naturopathic Medicine threatens their bottom line, legislation to legalize the practice all over the country faces incredible opposition.  Thanks to 20 years of hard work from Colorado citizens and ND's a bill was finally passed last year to regulate the profession in Colorado.  This gave legal recognition and oversight to ND's in Colorado offering more protection to its citizens.  Now anyone who uses the initials N.D. after their name or calls themselves a Naturopathic Doctor in Colorado must have completed at least 8 years of college including 4 at an accredited Naturopathic Medical school.  They must successfully pass naturopathic board exams, and keep their education current by completing continuing education requirements.  Before this law, anyone could call themselves an ND and the public was not assured of their qualifications.  As part of the political compromise process (read-what we had to do to appease enough lobbyists to get the bill to pass) the original registration bill forbade Naturopathic Doctors from treating children under 2.  This had nothing to do with our qualifications.  ND's are trained and highly qualified to treat infants and toddlers.  It had everything to do with other healthcare providers in Colorado fearing the loss of "customers" to us, and ignorance of our qualifications.  I am so happy that we have been given the state's blessing to do more of what we are trained to do, cradle to grave primary care.  The next step... prescription authority.  One of the things I really appreciate about Naturopathic Medicine is that we are trained to be integrative physicians; we learn pharmaceutical drugs as well as herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic and other "alternative" modalities.  This is wonderful as it means we are able to offer our patients more options.  Although many naturopathic doctors prescribe few pharmaceutical drugs, and many of our patients come to us because they do not want to take drugs, many other patients use some pharmaceuticals along with herbs and other alternative medicines and would like to be able to get everything from one Doctor.  I feel it is my role to explain options to my patients, then they make the choices between drug therapies and alternative therapies.   When they want to combine conventional and alternative I am there to guide them and them make sure they avoid interactions.   Here is a link to the Law Week Colorado article on the latest Bill

Free Screening of Take Back Your Power -Documentary on Smart Meters

I am co sponsoring a free screening of this movie exposing the possible risks of the new electric meters local utilities are replacing our current electric meters with.  Learn the facts, so you can make an informed choice about this new technology that may threaten your health, wallet and home.  

Thursday May 7th, 5pm Crystal Theatre, Main Street Carbondale Colorado

Free Admission, Donations appreciated

Click Here for more information

Vitamin D, Are you getting enough?

I am so pleased that Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention these days.  Today I wanted to share with you why it is important, how to know if your are low, and how to bring your levels up.

Why Vitamin D is important

Low vitamin D levels are associated with many different health problems including; diabetes, back pain, depression, osteoporosis, cancer, colds, heart disease, fatigue, flu, hearing loss, muscle pain, autoimmune disease, and many more.

How to know if you are low- A few things about testing

There are several different tests available make sure you are being tested for 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, NOT for 1,25(OH)D.

When you get your test results, look at the actual number, not just whether the lab report says you are low.  You want to see at least 50 ng/ml, better yet 80 ng/ml, but not more than 100 ng/ml.  

How to bring your levels up- A few things to know about Vitamin D supplements and food sources.

The best food source of bioavailable Vitamin D is Cod Liver Oil, other oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines are also good sources.  Thats it.  Oily fish or sun exposure are you 2 best natural routes to getting enough vitamin D.  It is not a big surprise then why so any people are deficient.  We slather on sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, and many of us are not big fans of fish let alone cod liver oil.  By the way, depending on what kind of sunscreen you use, you may be increasing not decreasing your skin cancer risk by using sunscreen with cancer causing ingredients.

I recommend a fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil blend to all of my patients who are low in Vitamin D.  Not only does it provide a highly bioavailable form of Vitamin D, it also has Vitamins A and K, 2 other fat soluble vitamins I find many people to be low in when I test them.    If you choose a vitamin supplement for Vitamin D make sure to get D3, not D2.

We are still being told over and over that 15 minutes in the sun will give us all the vitamin D we need.  I wish that were true, but it simply isn't.  Sun exposure does help, and I do recommend some sun exposure without sunscreen for short periods of time- less time than it would take to get "pink" or show signs of sun exposure an hour afterwards.  But it is not likely to get your levels into the optimal range when you live in Colorado, of anyplace else so far from the equator.

Conclusion;  More people are taking it, and more doctors are testing for it.    We have the technology to test for this vitamin, lets do it rather than guessing.  A test once a year and a daily high quality vitamin D supplementation might cost you $200 per year.  That is a small price to pay for reducing your risks of cancer, osteoporosis, depression and all those other things I listed above.

 By the way my prediction for the next vitamin to get mass media attention- Vitamin K.  

Need another reason not to drink soda? How about Cancer?

For some of us soda can be a real Achilles heel in trying to improve out diets.  Diet sodas have proven themselves to be truly terrible as they contain artificial sweeteners which wreak havoc on your blood sugar regulation, cause cancer, and are addictive.  Please, please, if you do drink an occasional soda choose organic brands with real, non GMO sugar available at health food stores.  A new study has found another potential carcinogen in sodas with caramel color.  This chemical 4- Methylimidazole, or 4-MEI for short is formed during their manufacturing and therefore not listed on the label.  The researchers of this study suggest that federal regulation of the chemical may be appropriate.  California Law recognizes 4-MEI as a carcinogen and requires labels on sodas sold in California if they exceed the levels set by California's Prop 65 law, which requires warnings on products which may increase your risks of cancer. 

Sign up now for Farm Fresh Produce all Summer from my favorite Farmers!

My good friends at Sustainable Settings Ranch are sharing the bounty of their better than organic produce with CSA shares available to the public.  CSA stands for community supported agriculture.  It is a brilliant system where a community works with their local farmers to bring the absolute freshest high quality foods to your table.  When you participate in a CSA you purchase a "share" of the seasons produce which comes to you in bags or boxes once a week.  You receive a variety of produce based on  where we are in the season, with everything picked at the peak of freshness.  Sustainable Setting CSA will include root vegetables, fresh greens, herbs, and you can even get farm fresh eggs, and fruit.  You benefit from food grown with love in nutrient rich soils, without toxic pesticides and fertilizers.  You also have an opportunity to get to know the people growing your food, and best of all- never pull a weed!  Although I am sure the folks at the Ranch would let you pull a weed if you like, just make sure they show you which one, as many of those weeds are food!  The benefit for the ranch is that when they sell shares they know they have a set number of families to feed each week, and they can plan their planting accordingly.  The "shares" are paid for before the growing really starts so they have money for seed and supplies, then they can focus on growing and harvesting your beautiful food all season rather than trying to market their products when they are working long days tending the gardens.  I purchased my share months ago and am very excited to see the variety of foods in my reusable hemp bags each week.  I know this food is being grown in the healthiest, best way possible for my health and the health of the environment.  Please do your health a favor and go to www.sustainablesettings.org/market-garden-a-csa for more information and to sign up!

March and April Classes! Healthy Baby, Healthy Home, Healthy Body, Healthy Diet & Paleo!

I am working with CMC to present a Healthy Living Series of classes.  Each class is just $25 or buy 4 get one free!  Learn ways to keep your baby safe from chemicals, and your whole family safer by choosing non toxic skin care, cosmetics, cleaning products, and home furnishings.  Then 2 classes will focus on diet, How to make good choices, and what the pale diet is all about.  If you are wondering if this diet would be good for you, join me and find out!  The first class is March 24th at 6pm at the CMC Carbondale Campus.  Registration is through CMC.  Click here for more information.  

Cooking with gas Health concerns

In preparation for my cleanse class today I was looking for some information on the fumes created while cooking on a gas stove.  I came across an article that summed it up well and thought I would share it with you in a post.   Burning natural gas produces toxic fumes including formaldehyde.  In the Berkeley study this article expands upon they measured the levels of toxic gasses coming from everyday gas cooktops and found that they exceeded the levels allowable in outdoor air.  This means that if you are standing over a stove cooking without an exhaust fan running you are breathing very unhealthy air, so unhealthy that if it were being produced outside, California Law would require it to be cleaned up.  So should you stop cooking?  Heavens no!  I do not believe you can be truly healthy unless you cook, but turn on the fan, and if you do not have one get one installed or get a small fan you can run in your kitchen while you cook.  When the weather is good open the windows.  Lastly, please, please do not cook with teflon coated pans!

Here is a link to the article.

Fatigued? Carrying a few extra pounds? Hows your Thyroid?

Your thyroid gland is composed of several spongy square inches of glandular tissue just below your adams apple and holds the key to your body temperature regulation, energy level, healthy weight maintenance, and much more.   Thyroid dysfunction is incredibly common, so common that if you get routine blood work from your doctor or even a health fair there will likely be at least one marker for thyroid function included namely TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone.  If you have your test results pull them out and take a look at this number.  If it is between 0.3 and 5.0 you fall within the "reference range" or "normal" and most Doctors would say your thyroid is fine.  That is the conventional "normal".  With my patients my goal is for that number to be between 0.5 and 2.0, that is where people seem to feel their best, have the least problems with infertility, and plenty of energy to enjoy their live.  When the number gets above 2.0, symptoms of low thyroid function can begin to show up.  These include weight gain, feeling cold, hair loss, and depression to name a few.  When the TSH gets below 0.5 symptoms of hyperthyroid can show up like anxiety, heart palpitations and weight loss.  These are short lists a quick Google search will give you many more.  If you have any of these symptoms or had a TSH above 2.0 or under 0.5, you could be feeling better.  Be forewarned if you levels are within the "reference range" your doctor may tell you you are just fine, but as a Naturopathic Doctor, I say you are not, and there are many things you can do.  I treat thyroid problems daily in my practice.  When I am suspicious of thyroid problems I order more testing to find out exactly what is going on and recommend natural treatments with vitamins, supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies to restore thyroid function, and in many cases reduce or eliminate the need to medications.  A great home test to see how well your thyroid is functioning is to take your temperature.  As I mentioned your thyroid gland helps control your internal thermostat and for most of us a low body temperature is the first sign that your thyroid gland is struggling.  To do this test all you need is a thermometer, and a pen and paper.  Each day for 3 days take your temperature in the morning, mid day, and in the evening, for cycling females it is best to do this test during your period.  If your temperature averages below 98.5 and you have symptoms, you would likely benefit from natural treatments.  Abnormal body temperature (remember 98.6 is normal) can be due to thyroid dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, or other hormone imbalance.  See a qualified practitioner, and get it checked out.

Healthy First Friday April 3rd

If you live in Carbondale you probably know that First Friday is a big deal.  The town puts on activities and encourages all of us to come out and mingle, building community and supporting local businesses, and in particular local artists.  Well this April, and hopefully many Aprils to come, the town has decided to shine a spotlight on businesses and organizations which promote health.  Our theme is Spring Into Wellness.  Please come out April 3rd from 5-8 pm for activities and information on being the healthiest you.  Learn what services we have right here in Carbondale, speak to local practitioners, and sample healthy foods and products.  The Third Street Center will be open with tables from local folks who want to help you be the healthiest you can be.  There will also be kids activities, music, and more.  If you are a business, individual, or organization with an interest in promoting health and would like to participate please email me at DrPowell@AspenND.com, and I will help you get involved.  For everyone else please spread the word!  Most importantly please come out for Healthy First Friday April 3rd 5-8pm!  Oh yeah and look for me either in front of the Carbondale Food Co-op, or at the Third Street Center answering your questions about health and Naturopathic Medicine!

Probiotics prevent the flu

In a recent study, giving school aged children probiotics decreased their chances of getting the flu.  Yet another reason to add to the list of how probiotics can help us.  The majority of your immune system cells hang out in your gut, and as a Naturopathic Doctor  I was taught that many many heath problems can be traced to problems there.  If your GI tract is not healthy it is a big drain on your system, and more difficult for you to digest and absorb the nutrition you need.  A very important part of the integrity and health of your GI comes from the bacteria which live there, and their populations in both number and variety are easily shifted by our modern lives.  Any gastrointestinal illness can disrupt this ecosystem, as can food choices, stress, and of course antibiotics.  Traditional cultures had unique cultured foods, which were eaten regularly to replenish this gut ecosystem including sauerkraut, kim chi, and yogurt, to name a few.  These are still excellent sources of lactobaccilis, and other bacteria to help keep our guts and therefore our bodies healthy.  I recommend eating them regularly, preferably home made versions.  If leaving a jar of cabbage out on your counter to ferment doesn't work for you, you are in luck, because thanks to modern technology we can manufacture billions of these guys and put them in a pill.  Not all probiotic supplements are the same though.  For the freshest, most potent supplements talk to someone like me who can order probiotics shipped on ice from highly respected manufacturers, and even choose a selection of bacteria best suited to your needs.  Many grocery store brands, though not as potent, are helpful.  In general refrigerated probiotics are likely to be more potent, and check expiration dates for a fresh bottle.   For more information on the study click here.

Traditional Foods Potluck

Do you think Weston A. Price and Sally Fallon are awesome?  Do you enjoy cooking and sharing foods made in traditional ways?  Do Salmon roe, raw butter, and home fermentation experiments get you really excited?  Then please consider joining me for a traditional foods potluck!  This will be a place to share nutrient dense foods prepared with the wisdom of Weston A. Price and our ancestors in mind.  If you are interested please send me an email and I will add you to the email list specifically for these potlucks.  If you have no idea what I am talking about please check out www.WestonAPrice.org, or come in for a visit.

Protect your baby from SIDS by being careful what they sleep on

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a very scary and very real threat for children born in the US.  It is a poorly understood illness as you might guess by the name.  Researchers and parents have been working for a long time to discover the cause of this mysterious illness.  One cause has finally been proven conclusively.  The current recommendation to lay babies on their backs came from the discovery that babies sleeping on their bellies had a higher likelihood of dying from SIDS.  What we now know is that a fungus can grow inside mattresses feeding on chemicals inside the mattress, and releasing toxic gasses.  Babies on their bellies are closer to the gas.  One reason it was so hard to figure out is that while new mattresses have the highest levels of carcinogenic flame-retardants and other chemicals, these were not the ones babies were dying on.  It was older mattresses, which had had time to accumulate large enough populations of the fungus to create enough gas to poison babies.  Sadly, this research has faced much controversy, with many authorities denying the theory.  If this explanation of the cause of SIDS were accepted millions of dollars in lawsuits would quickly follow, so again, follow the money to see why you haven't heard about it.  When it comes to our babies I am sure you would agree that anything that might be helpful should be tried.  So what can you do?  A sleeping place free from materials treated with flame-retardants is the best option, read labels carefully though because even organic mattress may contain the flame-retardants mandated by US law.  Think twice before lying baby down, even for a nap, on an unfamiliar sleeping surface.  Another bed in your home, a bed at a relative or friends house while visiting, or an upholstered piece of furniture like a couch is likely to have the same chemicals and fungus.  You can wrap mattresses to prevent the chemicals from rising up out of them, but you need to make sure the wrap will prevent gases from going through it and doesn't have other dangerous chemicals.  Here is a link for more information on the research http://www.cotlife2000.com.  The website lists manufacturers of such wraps in the US and abroad.  For more information on this and other ways to keep baby safe please join me for an entire class this spring on healthy babies at the Carbondale CMC class, just $25.  Click here for more information.

Butter and Bacon are good for you

Edit: It depends on how the bacon was processed see this post.

That is what the Weston A. Price Foundation says, and I agree with them.  Their mission is to share the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, a Dentist who did comparative studies of people eating traditional whole foods diets, with those eating more modern refined diets.  He found that people who ate traditional whole foods, and high quality animal foods had fewer cavities, did not need braces and were much healthier.  They also had less heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and childbirth problems.  The foundation is a fabulous resource for information about the dangers of soy, the benefits of raw milk, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K, and finding high quality nutrient dense foods.  Please check them out at www.westonaprice.org.  They publish a fascinating journal 4 times a year with great research and information.  I have copies in my office you are welcome to borrow.  If you join the foundation you will receive the journal for free, and from now until the end of the year they have a special bonus of $100 in coupons towards very high quality products for your health with membership.

New Years Resolution? How about a cleanse?!

Ah new years resolutions, some people love them, others hate them.  I look at the new year as an opportunity to take advantage of the increase in motivation around you and make a few changes.  Some kind of cleanse 2 times a year is a great practice to get yourself into.  I am not talking drastic measures.  You don't have to water fast for a week, choose a plan that sounds doable for you. Something you know you can accomplish for an amount of time you know you can do.  Don't bite off more than you can chew!  Maybe that means not eating anything that comes out of a package for 2 weeks, or cutting out dairy, citrus, corn, gluten, or soy, or all 5!  They are the 5 most common food allergens in America and one of them might be causing you problems.  I for example get sleepy when I eat soy, hyper when I eat corn, acne when I eat wheat, and gassy when I eat conventional dairy (that is why I stick to raw milk:)  Food sensitivities can cause all manner of symptoms from bloating and gas, to constipation, brain fog, sore muscles, arthritis, skin problems, depression, behavioral problems, and much more.  If there is a food you suspect might be a problem for you cut it out completely for 2 weeks and see how you feel.  If nothing changes then congratulations it is a good food for you right now.  It can be very helpful to keep a food diary whenever you eliminate foods or change you diet.  Write down what you ate, how you felt, how your bowels reacted, your skin, your mood etc.  In fact, if you are intimidated by a cleanse just write down everything you eat for a week.  It is scientifically proven that paying that much attention to what goes in your mouth will shift your eating, often causing you to eat better.  Then you can take that food diary to your friendly neighborhood Naturopathic Doctor and they can analyze it, make suggestions for you, and even help you figure out a food that might be problematic for you just by looking at your diary.  I do this all the time for my patients.  Other options for a new years cleanse- do a search online or go to the library and find hundreds of ideas for cleanses.  Or my personal favorite, join a group cleanse with the expert guidance of a doctor, like the one I am teaching beginning January 1st.  It is always helpful to have someone else "going through it with you" to help your motivation and maybe even share cooking duties.  For details about my cleanse which runs 6 weeks and costs only $200 click here.  For a copy of the diet diary I give my patients click here.

Supplements for Eye Health & Gift Certificates

Many of us are concerned about the health of our eyes particularly as we age.  My father has macular degeneration and has been trying out various supplements for many years.  I remember when he sent me an advertisement for a prescription eye capsule, which his doctor recommended.  It had tiny amounts of Vitamin C, E, and beta carotene- a pre-vitamin to vitamin A, which many of us cannot convert to active vitamin A, some, zinc without copper to balance it, and zero of the amazing antioxidants for eye health Lutein and Zeaxanthin.  What it did have were fillers know to cause allergy, artificial colors know to cause cancer, and a ridiculous price tag of $1 per pill.  Please be careful out there, many different companies market vitamins and supplements, not all of them offer a high quality, well-researched product.  In general you do get what you pay for.  I am now offering short 30-minute vitamin review visits.  Bring in all of those bottles and I can tell you if they are good bad or ugly in my opinion, offer suggestions for other forms or brands, explain why they are beneficial for you or not, and simplify how many things you are taking.  This can be a great jump-start to New Years resolutions, and you can even purchase a gift certificate for someone else that you think would benefit from the service.  Call about gift certificates for a vitamin review $90, a custom Bach flower remedy $25, a vaccine consultation, or any amount you like towards supplements or visits.  Give the gift of health this year.

Healthy Living Series Classes at CMC

I am so excited!  This spring I will be teaching a series of classes with CMC Carbondale on Healthy Living from a Naturopathic Perspective.  Topics covered will include choosing safe skin care products and home furnishings, and shopping for the healthiest foods, and a few classes on the paleo diet.  Check out the descriptions here.   

Click on the Flyer below to register.

Recipe Healthy Crispy Nuts

Crispy Almonds Recipe

 I love this recipe from Sally Fallon’s Cookbook Nourishing Traditions  

Nuts contain enzyme inhibitors which make them more challenging to digest, Preparing nuts in this way will make tastier and more gentle on your GI tract.

Makes 4 cups

 4 cups almonds

1 tablespoon sea salt

filtered water

Mix almonds with salt and cover with filtered water. Leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a stainless steel baking pan and place in a warm oven for 12-24 hours (no more than 150 degrees Fahrenheit or 65 degrees Celsius as this will kill the enzymes) . Stir occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Skinless almonds will still sprout, indicating that the process of removing their skins has not destroyed the enzymes. Skinless almonds are easier to digest and more satisfactory in many recipes. However, you may also use almonds with skins on.

You can use slivered almonds for this recipe.

You can also crisp peanuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, and walnuts.

hese are a great gift idea, instead of cookies or candy give healthful crispy nuts this year.  A great project to do with children, and give to teachers, the mailman etc.