Posted on

Healthy and easy Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Recipe

Want a Healthy easy ice cream?

well this on has only 4 ingredients and is low fat and no preservatives…I am always looking for interesting flavour ice cream that are nut free for my son Leo who has a nut allergy and this home made pumpkin pie ice cream recipe  fits the bill and is super easy.

I don’t remember where I got this one – likely on the internet somewhere as I didn’t invent it – if I stole it from you please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

Ingredients

Here are the 4 healthy ingredients for this ice cream recipe:

4 bananas

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 c maple syrup

1  1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

 

Recipe Instructions

Here are the super complicated instructions for this recipe.  Are you ready?

Ok, blend all ingredients in a food processor.  Put in plastic container.  Freeze for 1-2 hours until frozen but still soft.

That is it. Seriously.

I tried this beauty last summer but did not take a pic – I will remedy that asap but here is another pic of pumpkin pie ice cream to hold you over…

 

Posted on

Elbow Pain Part 1: Tennis Elbow

So did you know you could get Tennis Elbow even if you have never played tennis?

True story.

My mom got it from mowing the lawn (She tended to do that especially after my Dad cut off the tip of middle finger once upon a time after a bar mitzvah luncheon.  FYI, don’t stick your hand into a lawn mower if it gets clogged. Better idea, don’t mow the lawn after a couple of beers or three… it was the late 70s, ’nuff said.)

So, if you have never played tennis why the hell do you have tennis elbow?

Possible causes of tennis elbow

  • repetitive strain injuries
  • vibration
  • overuse

These can happen from all sorts of things including: overuse at work, prolonged computer or mouse work, heavy work such as construction and repetitive strain, mowing lawns, all sorts of other stuff and of course…. tennis.

Symptoms of tennis elbow

Symptoms of tennis elbow can include the following or may be just one of the following:

  • pain at the outside (lateral side) of the elbow just above or at the joint line
  • sharp pain when picking things up (even an empty cup)
  • heat or swelling at the joint (possible but not always)
  • forearm pain or tightness
  • pain can be in ‘strange’ places such as wrist or thumb ( ‘whaddaya mean its my elbow not my thumb?’)

Treatment of tennis elbow

So what can you do for this painful condition?  The best thing of course is to get it treated… Here is what I do for a patient I diagnose with tennis elbow:

  1. adjust the spine
  2. Post Isometric relaxation (PIR) technique for the elbow extensors
  3. deep muscle tissue release of the forearm
  4. kinesiotape application
  5. muscle care application
  6. Wrist adjustments
  7. exercise prescription
  8. Icing instructions for the patient

So there is a gold standard exercise for this problem is super easy but really important to do daily.  Please see the YouTube Video below for full instructions on it!

Posted on

Neck Pain due to ‘Wry neck’

Neck pain is a pretty commonplace daily complaint in my office.  We see all kinds of neck pain from whiplash to herniated cervical discs. But today’s topic is for that special kind that makes it hard to turn your head to one side and look over your shoulder.  Some people call it wry neck or torticollis.  Others call it ‘wtf?!?! why can’t I turn my neck?

Causes of neck pain

  • accidents (car, sports injuries, falls)
  • arthritic changes
  • muscle spasm
  • subluxation
  • disc problems
  • nerve problems
  • and a bunch more fun things…

Treatment for many forms of neck pain

  • deep tissue muscle treatment
  • scar tissue treatment
  • chiropractic adjustments
  • specific exercises
  • postural retraining
  • cervical traction
  • kinesiotaping
  • inflammatory control

Today’s special kind of neck pain: Wry neck

Ok so what is wry neck/torticollis?

Ever wake up in the morning with pain in the neck and/or near the shoulder blade on one side?  Not able to turn your head to one side? Ya, that’s the one I’m talking about there.  It is often a problem actually in the upper back and rib cage which irritates one of the muscles that goes up from the shoulder blade to the neck and base of the skull.  Although the pain feels as though it originates in the neck, it really usually starts in the upper back. So, most of the time people get treatment for their neck alone and nothing helps…

We always treat both the upper back and the neck to resolve this problem and keep it gone.  Then we like to do postural re training so we can have a chance of keeping it gone for good. This type of thing is sometimes from sleeping awkwardly and it is important to change your pillow if it has happened frequently.  Especially if you notice that it seems to happen after sleeping.

An exercise that can help

Here are some stretches that can help- that said you really should seek treatment if you have pain.  Pain is the body’s warning signal that something isn’t quite right… so do something about it!

Posted on

My (not so secret) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

A classic banana muffin recipe

Some of you may have had my banana chocolate chip muffin recipe already.

Some maybe haven’t  had the pleasure.

This one is an easy one that I have made so many times I can do it from memory.  The original came from a family friend, Kathy Levy, many moons ago.  I have made this one since high school and my (male) roommates in University used to ask me very nicely (ya they begged) to make batch after batch after batch…

I take these with me as promotional items when I do a talk at a company.  Two mini muffins in a bag with my card stapled to it.  People love them.  I love to bake and love that they love them.

So here is the much anticipated recipe:

Recipe ingredients

3 overripe bananas mashed

1/3 c white sugar

2/3 c melted butter * note I do not measure this and just sort of eyeball it – I would guess I go overboard on the butter but that’s what makes these so tasty… I never said these were at all healthy! Anyway, on this one I follow in the footsteps of the great Ms. Julia Child… you can never have too much butter!  (I use unsalted)

1 egg

1 tsp each of baking powder and baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c flour

1 c chocolate chips if desired

 

Directions

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all wet ingredients.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add chocolate chips and mix.   Place in either mini muffin tins or regular sized ones.  I use silicone mini muffin tins and they work great with no liners and regular muffin trays (metal) with muffin cup liners in them.

Bake for 15 min (mini muffins) or 19 min (regular sized ones)

 

Posted on

Paleo Brownie Bite Recipe

Raw Brownie Bites Recipe(Vegan, Paleo)

A recipe for quick and easy brownie bites that are exclusively sweetened with fruit!

Course: Dessert

Calories: 135 kcal

Author: Detoxinista.com

A word about this recipe

so this recipe comes from a colleague through the website listed above – http://www.detoxinista.com  – I found it here:

https://detoxinista.com/raw-brownie-bites-vegan-paleo/

It is essentially a no go in my house because it has nuts but not everyone is nut allergic or allergic to all nuts – this recipe uses Walnuts but any nut could be substituted – in my house we can do it with coconut I think…

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol free, if you prefer)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup soft dates , pitted (about 10 Medjool dates)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Additional cocoa powder , for coating (optional)

Instructions

1.In a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, grind the walnuts into a fine meal. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and process again until a sticky, uniform dough is formed. Scoop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Roll the balls between your hands, and roll them in cocoa powder, if desired.

2.Store the balls in the fridge or freezer, and serve them chilled for the most firm texture.

Posted on

Detox Friendly Vegetable Curry

Detox Friendly Vegetable Curry Recipe

This recipe was given to me by a friend and amazing Chiro friend when I asked for help since dad is still in the hospital…

it actually came from a link from this website and you can find the original recipe here:

Detox-Friendly Vegetable Curry

More awesome detox recipes

Actually that site looks awesome – I am going to have to recommend it and make a bunch of things from there now… let me know if you do and we can post more!

Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups steamed sweet potato chunks
1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon salt

Any veggies you like, for serving
Rice, or cauliflower “rice,” for serving

Instructions

  1. In a saute pan, heat the butter or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, and saute for about 5 minutes, until tender. (You can do this while your sweet potato chunks are steaming!)
  2. Transfer the onions, garlic and sweet potato chunks into a blender, and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend well, scraping down the sides, until everything is creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside– this is your curry sauce.
  3. In a separate pot, saute any veggies you like until they are nearly tender. (I included sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and onion.)
  4. Once your veggies are nearly cooked, pour the curry sauce over them.
  5. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cover, to let the flavors blend for about 5-10 minutes. Your veggies will be nice and tender, while packing a huge punch of flavor!
  6. The best part of curry dishes, if you ask me, is eating it the sauce with rice, so even if you’re not eating grains, you can still enjoy this curry sauce over a bed of cauliflower “rice!” (Simply pulse raw cauliflower in a food processor, until you have a rice-like texture.) Pour the curried vegetables over the rice and serve warm.

 

 

 

Posted on

Ketogenic Broccoli and Spinach Soup Recipe

Ketogenic Friendly Recipe:  Healthy Broccoli Soup

This recipe is one I invented and posted last weekend – for broccoli and potato soup with more green than I am used to as I added spinach! It turned out great and I have a ketogenic twist on my original recipe that worked really well!.

AND it has the added bonus of deliciousness!

Ingredients

– large freezer bag full of broccoli stalks

-2 potatoes or 2 turnips for the ketogenic equivalent

-Stilton cheese or other blue cheese

-1 large box baby spinach

-chicken stock or bullion cubes (2 litre equivalent)

A Brief Explanation

I tend to collect the ends off of my broccoli and freeze them and once I have collected enough I make a soup – way better than throwing it all out!  I just cut the stalks into smaller pieces and cut the hard woody end off of the bottom and voila! extra meal…

Instructions

Throw everything except spinach into a pot and boil, making sure the water/stock covers the veggies fully.  Boil until everything is really soft and at the very end throw in all spinach and wilt.  Then place all chunks and liquid in blender and blend until smooth.

There you have it a healthy, green, ketogenic friendly if needed home made delicious soup!

Enjoy!

Posted on

Auntie Janet’s Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe

Auntie Janet’s Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe

Another Recipe from my Auntie Janet – an alternative to store bought creamy dressings that have way to many chemicals and additives. This one is great over spinach and any type of salad you like a creamy dressing on.  If you are doing paleo/keto diets you can omit the sugar.  You can also use home made mayo which I think I posted a recipe to previously (really easy to make and stores well)

Here is a nice creamy salad dressing:

 Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbls chopped chives
2 Tbls finely chopped capers
1 Tbls chopped parsley
4-5 Tbls mayonnaise
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbls white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients and pour over spinach.
Yep. It’s that easy.
Posted on

Core Stabilization Exercise #2 of 5 Bird Dog

Core stabilization is super important – in keeping with out theme here is exercise #2.  Please watch the video below click the words “Bird Dog ” that are underlined and a video screen will pop up.  This is the weird name of the exercise… once you get your legs going and it is easy for you, for an increased challenge add the opposite arm.  For an even more difficult exercise hold for 10 or more seconds in each posture.

Bird Dog

The important thing to know here is that one side will be harder to do than the other side.  You will want to cheat when raising one of your legs and drop your hip to achieve it.  This is because the gluteus medius is weak or not activated and this exercise helps us reactivate it.  This in turn also turns on the Transversus Abdominus muscle… that is all chiro speak for core stabilization.  These muscles, if strong, lead to more stable cores and less back pain.  So just do it already!

As always, if you have pain, stop.  If you have questions, please call me 🙂

Happy Stabilizing!

Posted on

Asking for Help when you need it is healthy

We go about life independent and strong and doing things for ourselves or on our own because we are supposed to be able to handle life.  But when life happens – and life is messy as we all know – we need to be able to ask for help and more importantly let people help us.

Here is what is going on with me.  Busy life as usual, practice, patients, home, husband, small child… and now a very sick parent.

My dad is in hospital for the past 10 days with a subdural hematoma.  A bleed between his skull and brain as a result of being on blood thinners and falling.  He alternates between semi coherent and conscious and unconscious, or confused.  He was better a week ago but I am told it goes like this. Up and down on the roller coaster of life we go.  So he will be in hospital for a while and then likely (hopefully) rehab and then who knows.  One day at a time. One day at a time.

Duirng this period I am trying to go to the hospital for a few hours per day and work and continue to do all the things I need to do to build my practice. But there are things I can’t do or don’t have energy for.  One of those things is my blog – I skipped the recipe this week (sorry).  But an amazing chiro woman warrior friend of mine came up with a solution. Ask for help.

I did this yesterday on facebook – I put it out there what had happened and I asked for help.  I said ‘I don’t know what I need but I need help. Please reach out.”  My friends immediately started calling, I got offers of babysitting and the casserole patrol has been activated (thank goodness).

I also got something I was surprised by – praise.  People telling me how strong I am and how proud they are of me for asking for help.  Lets not pull punches here, I am fiercely independent and generally want to do things on my own but I have learned recently the value of asking for help. Human beings are social creatures, we need our social networks for survival.  People genuinely want to help but first they need to know you need their help.  I read a study recently, or maybe actually it was a Ted talk, saying that the best predictor for longevity and health into old age was food social networks.

So, moral of the story – ask for help. People want to help you. It will be your turn to help some other time.  And round and round it goes.

In the coming weeks I will have guest bloggers and recipes from friends on my blog – some will be chiro friends but if you want to participate and send me something  to post please do at karenchiro@hotmail.com

All contributors will receive credit and if you have a website a link will be on my blog as well to your site. Google likes things like that anyways 🙂

And thank you, for all of your help and your readership. xoxo