No-Mato Sauce

Photo: Angels Homestead

30 days FODMAPs-Free and cutting out nightshades for inflammation means finding new ways to feed your cravings.

This sauce is yummy and can be used as a pasta or pizza sauce.

Try it with my Pepperoni Pizza Casserole, Cauliflower Crust Pizza, or the Sweet Potato Crust Pizza recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp asafoetida
• 1 cup carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T Italian spices (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic powder*)
• homemade bone broth or water or stock
• 1 can pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. In a saucepan add all ingredients (except pumpkin) and just enough bone broth to barely cover the carrots.
2. Bring to a boil.  Turn to low and simmer until carrots are very soft, about 20 minutes.
3. When carrots are very soft pour saucepan ingredients into a blender and add pumpkin.  
4. Blend until super smooth.

This sauce freezes well.

* omit garlic powder to keep it FODMAPs-Free

Why I Started A FODMAP Free Diet

WARNING! This is my biggest ever TMI post.

Where have I been?  My last post was January 18th, almost a month ago!  Well, I've had some issues - gut issues.  I've known for a long time (most of my life whether I chose to pay attention or not) I have digestive issues.  Going gluten free 3 years ago didn't change anything.  Going paleo almost two years ago made a HUGE difference.  But now I've plateaued, gotten lazy, and added some inflammation weight.  As I started getting serious again about what I allowed into my mouth, trouble began to surface.  Let me add here that eleven years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  The fibro pain had only gotten worse over the years.  It was not until the last couple of years that I started to believe my pain was caused more from poor nutrition than anything.  Then ten months ago I got this horrible pain in my arms, different than the "fibro" pain.  It's like a burning in my bones from my shoulder to my elbow.  I can't lift my arms, put on/take off my bra or shirts, sleep, reach out or up without excruciating pain.  I've been seeing my fabulous chiropractor for 8 months and the pain is only getting worse.  Until two weeks ago.

So, I've been dealing with stomach pains, doubled over stomach pains with almost everything I was eating, and diarrhea.  Even a strict paleo diet wasn't helping.  It got to the point where I was afraid to eat anything. As I began to research I discovered fodmaps and started trying to eat a fodmap-free diet.  Then something very strange happened to me.  I got up around 2:30 in the morning with diarrhea.  After a few minutes I felt like I was going to faint and called for my husband to help me.  I didn't faint and I was aware of what was happening but I was unable to respond.  I couldn't talk.  I couldn't move.  My hands were curled up into my chest.  My husband (poor thing) had to clean me up and carry me to bed.  I could see he had the phone to his ear pacing and trying to decide if he should call 911.  I'm thinking (but can't respond) it's the morning of my son's birthday party and my daughter's big MUN conference I can't go to the emergency room.  I finally came around and could respond to my husband and then I realized the pain in my arms I've been dealing with for 10 months was gone.  Gone!  What's up with that?  What just happened to me?  Did I have a mini stroke?

Don't know.  I feel like all the toxic junk I've had in my body was coming out and my body didn't know how to respond.  The fact that the pain in my arms was gone after this made me think it was nutritional.  Especially since I didn't keep eating fodmap-free and the pain has returned.

Today I'm in the process of a 30-day low fodmap diet to see if this is my issue.  I haven't had any stomach pains but still have the pain in my arms.  We'll see...

So, what are fodmaps?  Fodmap is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols.  I don't know very much right now except what I can't eat (which varies depending on your source).  I'm following Chris Kresser's list and you can read more about fodmaps on his site here.

For a while I'll be posting recipes that are paleo and low-fodmap.  Stay tuned.

Oil Pulling

Have you heard of it?  Chances are you know someone who has started oil pulling therapy.

What is it?  According to oilpulling.com:

"Oil pulling or oil swishing, is an ancient ayurvedic, simple, cost effective, natural remedy procedure that involves pulling or swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits.  It is claimed to cure about 30 systemic diseases ranging from headache and migraine to diabetes and asthma."

My god-daughter, Tara, told me months ago she was oil pulling with olive oil.  I thought she was crazy and it was disgusting.  Come to find out my husband has been oil pulling with coconut oil.  We all know the health benefits of coconut oil so why not try oil pulling with it?

I did.  I've been faithful for almost two weeks.  Guess what?  First, I think my teeth are whiter.  Second, I got a canker sore (which isn't unusual for me).  Since I had started oil pulling the canker sore never erupted, I never felt pain, didn't use any orajel, and it went away in a few days!  I've never experienced that with a canker sore.  The true test will be my next dentist visit, mid-September.  I'm hoping for some healing of the many problems I have with my teeth.

The method?  Brad and I are swishing first thing in the morning.  We use 1-2 teaspoons of organic coconut oil and swish for 20 minutes.  This is very detoxifying so you want to do it on an empty stomach.  My second day, I forgot to swish in the morning and did it when I remembered which was right before dinner.  My stomach was queasy and I didn't feel so good.  I don't experience that problem when I swish in the morning.  After swishing with the coconut oil, we rinse with salt water (we use sea salt).  Oilpulling.com says, "Salt water rinsing isn’t absolutely necessary, but is very helpful as an antimicrobial and to soothe any inflammation and proven to be effective in rinsing out any toxins which may be left out in the mouth."

Let me know if you start oil pulling and if you notice anything different!