Pulled Pork Plantain Tortilla Tacos

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Ask me if I like Mexican food and I will tell you that I could literally eat it each and every day.  I think the most difficult part of following the Autoimmune Protocol is the nonexistence of nightshades.  I love tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos and all of the nightshades in between.  Eating Mexican cuisine is a bit of a different experience when you follow AIP but I do feel you can still get your Mexican fix but just in a bit of a different way.  In honor of the idea of eating Mexican every day I will be posting a series of AIP Mexican recipes this week.  Many of these are staples in my house.  I feel like we eat tacos at least once per week! I’m kicking off the week with Pulled Pork Plantain Tortilla Tacos.  I told you in a previous post that my hubby got me a tortilla press and it has changed my Mexican eating life.  Seriously!  I have made plantain tortillas in the oven in the past but what I love about using the press is you can make them nice and thin and they brown and puff up like the real thing when cooked in a cast iron skillet.  I get you may not have a tortilla press laying around but if you love Mexican food the way I do I think the investment is totally worth it! These tortillas also make amazing chips; just cut and bake.  The recipe will be coming later this week. Once you have the shell the next important part of a taco is of course the filling and toppings.  For this recipe I went with pork but you could easily use beef, chicken, fish or even veggies like cauliflower or sweet potato.  I love anything you can prep ahead of time and using a slow cooker will save you lots of time and mess so you can focus on prepping salsa and toppings.  Now that we are on the subject of salsa let’s talk salsa.  There is nothing better than a robust, complex salsa that has multiple flavors happening in perfect harmony.   Autoimmune Protocol salsa does not look exactly the same but I will say I have been able to move past it and really enjoy replacing the nightshades with fruit such as peaches, pineapple, mango, pomegranate and grapes.  The key is to use fresh…

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Acupuncture + Autoimmune Disease (Post 2)

This blog post is bit overdue.  I thought it was about time I share how the last month and a half of acupuncture has been going.  The one new challenge I have had during this time is an Iritis flare and not just one but two.  As soon as I thought I would be coming off my Pred Forte drops it came on again and treatment had to be restarted.  After 2 weeks of drops my eye made no improvement so my eye doctor put me on a 10-day course of oral Prednisone.  In less then 24 hours I saw vast improvement so I think I am on the road to recovery.  I am not a fan of pharmaceutical drugs but I know there are times when they are necessary.  I am not going to take any chances with my eyes.  When I analyze what may have brought these flares on my head goes right to stress and then a few slip-ups with diet.  The company I work for has been going through some large transitions the last month and a half or so which meant layoffs.  I was blessed to have made it through, but the stress of the weeks leading up to them was pure torture.  We also have been left with less people but the same amount of work.  Stress can be a huge factor in an autoimmune disease flare.  Controlling it is key and luckily acupuncture can help with that.  Because of the added stress in my life that means added happy hours with friends.  I also give blame to a few indulgences with wine and a few bites of nightshades here and there.  I think its good to test your body once in awhile especially if you eat clean the majority of the time.  It helps reaffirm that the effort you put in every day pays off.  My acupuncturist has not been doing anything specific for my eye but the total treatment I receive helps with stress and inflammation which in turn should help address the iritis.  Because of scheduling conflicts I have not made it in for an appointment for over two weeks and am excited to say this coming Monday is my next appointment.  I plan on having a more in depth conversation with her to understand if she has any additional thoughts on what we could add to my current treatment.  I need…

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Coconut Chocolate Cups

It sure has been a rough last 3 weeks.  If you follow my Instagram then you know I have been battling the worst iritis flare I have ever had.  My history with iritis has not been as long as my one with ankylosing spondylitis.  I had my first episode 3.5 years ago.  I experienced a flare last September, almost to the exact day I had it 3 years previously.  I was on Pred Forte drops for over two months and things improved very quickly.  Then, at the end of February this year I had another flare.  I caught it right away and again the eye drops worked wonders.  Almost 3 weeks ago I started noticing some symptoms creeping back.  I went to my eye doctor right away and at first he thought things looked fine but by the next day I had a complete re-flare.  Just as I thought my weeks of drops were coming to an end I had to start from the beginning again.  Major bummer!  I’m leaving in 2 weeks for an overseas work trip and was really hoping to be back in contacts, able to wear some mascara and my favorite sunglasses.  When he told me it was back I felt total defeat.  I tried to hold back my tears walking back to work but they got the best of me and when I got back to my desk the waterworks were uncontrollable.  It’s been a very long time since I have cried about my autoimmune disease.  When you battle an autoimmune disease or in my case more than one, when things are going good you feel like you are on vacation.  You can enjoy each and everyday from both a physical and mental standpoint.  However, when you are going through a flare it can be so hard to keep your head up and to keep fighting.  I am a positive person but we all have our breaking points.  I experienced mine this past week.  The pain with this case of iritis was almost unbearable.  Something I have not experienced with my other cases.  I had pain that was radiating into my face above and below my eye.  Looking at the computer all day or anything for that matter was draining.  I also experienced blurry vision this time around which even though is considered normal still freaked me out.  Today I saw my eye doctor again…

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Butternut Squash Cauliflower Soup

We had an absolutely beautiful week!  I need to pinch myself to remember that it’s not even May.  The fact that we had amazing weather made my busy stressful workweek much better.  I’m also bummed to say that my iritis is flaring again.  I was about 2 weeks away from coming off my eye drops and ended up with another flare.  I went 3 years from my first case of iritis before I experienced another and now I am onto my third in just 7 months.  What the heck is going on?  Overall, my AS symptoms have been in check and I have been feeling great so I am a little surprised at why I keep having a re-occurrence.  I am taking a hard look at my diet and am going to be making a few tweaks to see what helps.  I started with a 3 day water fast.  I know water fasting is controversial but I have read so much about water fasting during an autoimmune disease flare.  Fasting allows the entire digestive system to rest so that the body can focus on healing itself.  There are people out there with many different diseases that swear it helped them, so  I figured I would give it a shot.  Its only 3 days right?  I am happy to say that I am on day three today so tomorrow I will be adding back some simple, easy to digest foods like green juices and smoothies.  During my fast I have been diligent about dry body brushing as well as oil pulling to ensure I am ridding myself of any released toxins.  I will let you guys know next week if I feel like it made a difference.  Getting this far has not been as hard as I thought it would. Now onto the recipe.  This one is a version of my favorite pureed cauliflower soup but with the addition of butternut squash.  This Butternut Squash Cauliflower Soup can be garnished with simple fresh Italian parsley and a bit of olive oil.  Or, for more flavor add a dash of your favorite herb into the blender when you puree.  So fast and easy to make and so delicious.  If you are a lover of cauliflower soup you may also want to check out a few of my other recipes.  Purple Cauliflower Soup With Garlic Sage Olive Oil and Smoked Cauliflower Soup With…

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Brazil Nut Milk

The weather this weekend has been absolutely beautiful!  We have been working outside all weekend long setting up our patio furniture, filling our planters with fresh dirt and uncovering our vintage Preway.  So excited for our first meal outdoors.  Hopefully that will happen this week because it looks like it is going to be amazing.  I feel like we are getting to enjoy a real spring this year.  It’s not even May! I have not been eating many nuts lately and have really been missing homemade nut milk in my coffee.  The only nuts I had in my cabinet this weekend were raw Brazil nuts.  Instead of dashing off to the store I decided to use them to make a batch of Brazil Nut Milk.  If you have not tried this type of nut milk before I highly recommend it.  It makes a great rotation into your typical almond and cashew nut milk.  It’s delicious plain and even yummier with a little bit of raw cacao mixed in.  This recipe uses my same budget saving tip as my almond and cashew milk.  Enjoy! Print Brazil Nut Milk Author: Katie at WHOLELOVELYLIFE.COM Recipe type: Smoothies + Drinks + Juices Prep time:  8 hours Cook time:  10 mins Total time:  8 hours 10 mins Serves: 8 cups   21 Day Sugar Detox (omit sweetener), Whole 30 (omit sweetener), Paleo, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free Ingredients 1 Cup Brazil nuts 8 Cups Filtered Water ¼ Tsp Celtic Salt/ Sea Salt Sweetener and Flavor Options: 3 dried dates or Figs 1 Vanilla Bean or 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp Organic Grade B Maple Syrup or Organic Honey Instructions Add Brazil nuts to a jar or bowl and fully cover with water. Add salt and soak for at least 8 and as long a 24 hours. You can place them in the fridge or leave them on your counter. I find they plump up better outside the fridge but don’t soak any longer than 24 hours outside the fridge. Rinse soaked Brazil nuts and add to blender or food processor with 4 cups of filtered water. Blend for 2 min or until Brazil nuts are fully blended with water. In a large bowl pour blender contents into a nut bag and squeeze until all the milk passes through. Add the pulp back to the blender with an additional 4 cups…

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Sweet + Savory Kale With Maple Almonds

I can’t even explain how excited I am that winter is finally winding down and spring is officially here… at least I think its here.  I’m sorry for my lack of posts lately.  I have been really trying to detach at night when I get home from work and spend as much time with my little guy as I can.  Sometimes I can’t believe how big he is and how fast this now 2 years, 3 months have gone.  I also recently saw a new homeopathic Chinese medicine doctor and healer so have been focusing on continuing to heal my autoimmune disease.  In addition I am proud to say I have gotten up at 4am for 3 weeks straight to get my workouts in!  It feels so great to finally be getting my groove back.  For all you working Mom’s out there I would love to hear how you fit your workouts in.  I feel like if I don’t get them in first thing in the morning it just doesn’t happen.  I have been warming up with about 15 minutes of rebounding and then following the PiYo program.  I plan on writing a review of PiYo once I complete it.  So far I am really loving it but taking it a bit slower and repeating some of the videos until I feel ready to move to the next level.  I have really been more tuned into my body and what it needs lately.  I think that is one of the best things you can do regardless of if you have a chronic illness or not.  If you listen, your body will tell you what it needs! Now onto the recipe!  Kale is by far one of my favorite veggies.  I have loved it even before they were selling kale t-shirts and farmers market totes.  If you have not noticed kale has pretty much become a trend right along side brussel sprouts.  I think what makes kale so incredibly versatile is that you can prepare it in a number of ways raw as well as cooked.  The leaves are great thrown into smoothies, as a salad (massage with a bit of olive oil to soften) or as crunchy kale chips.  If you use just the leaves be sure to reserve the stems for juicing.  I am also a fan of roasting it in the oven or in this case sauteing it…

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Smoked Cauliflower Soup With Brussel Sprouts + Bacon

Winter may be winding down but I am still enjoying hearty soups and this Smoked Cauliflower Soup With Brussel Sprouts + Bacon might be my favorite of all time.  I recently served it when my husband’s parents were visiting and it received rave reviews.  If you like cauliflower, brussel sprouts and bacon you are going to love this soup.  With a substantial garnish you can take a simple soup and turn it into a main course. I am a huge fan of roasting brussel sprouts halved or quartered in the oven.  But, for this this recipe I took each little spout and peeled the leaves off one by one and then cooked them in a cast iron skillet.  I know it sounds time intensive and it is but I promise the end result is so worth the work.  Because I used the brussel spouts as garnish I wanted to make sure they were light and crispy so they didn’t sink to the bottom of the bowl.  By cooking them in a cast iron skillet you can control how brown they become, whereas the oven tends to dry out the leaves or burn them.  Top the brussel spouts with a little bacon and this soup is good to go! This soup can easily be made autoimmune protocol, vegan or vegetarian.  Instructions below.  Enjoy! Print Smoked Cauliflower Soup With Brussel Sprouts Author: Katie at WHOLELOVELYLIFE.COM Recipe type: Soups + Salads, Entree Prep time:  20 mins Cook time:  45 mins Total time:  1 hour 5 mins Serves: 4 servings   Autoimmune Protocol, Paleo, Whole 30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free, 21 Day Sugar Detox, Vegan (special instructions), Vegetarian (special instructions) Ingredients 1 yellow onion 1 large head of cauliflower 4 cloves of garlic 4 Tbsp olive oil 6 cups of filtered water (use less water if using a small head of cauliflower, water should just cover cauliflower) 1 bag fresh brussel sprouts 1 tsp + ⅛ tsp smoked sea salt 4 pieces of bacon (omit to make vegetarian + vegan) 1 Tbsp ghee (omit to make autoimmune protocol + vegan) Instructions Peel and onion and garlic and chop. Add onion and garlic to a pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sautee about 10 min or until the onion is translucent. Chop cauliflower and add to pot along with 6 cups of water (adjust as needed based on size of cauliflower head). Boil…

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Acupuncture + Autoimmune Disease (Post 1)

If any of you are contemplating the use of Acupuncture to either help manage a disease (autoimmune or other) or just considering it to help with day to day stress I’m hoping this blog series might help you to decide if acupuncture is right for you.  I went to acupuncture awhile back for a number of years.  This was prior to my Ankylosing Spondylitis diagnosis so I guess in a sense my acupuncturist was sort of shooting in the dark since she really did not know what was causing my pain.  She was an awesome practitioner and truly listened to my entire medical history.  Even though we were shooting in the dark the greatest benefits I saw at the time were better sleep, less stress, management of my neck, back and hip pain as well as improved digestion.  I would leave each appointment feeling so relaxed and pain free that I would have thought I had a 90 min deep tissue massage.  Back then the majority of my pain was in my cervical spine.  After dealing with a chronic stiff neck in what felt like forever, feeling pain free for even a few hours was a huge relief.  At the same time I was going to acupuncture on a weekly basis I learned about Active Release Technique which is a type of deep tissue massage that involves movement and relieves tension by removing fibrosis adhesion that develop in your muscles and tissue over time due to repetitive use.  I decided to give it a try and really liked it.  I felt it was increasing my range of motion and helping with pain but found it hard to shell out $200 a week for both treatments.  This is when I quit acupuncture and probably made one of the is biggest mistakes I have made since I started my healing journey.  I think acupuncture offers so many total body benefits that it truly is one of the easiest and most beneficial practices you can take up.  It has been at least 3 years since I revisited it and instead of beating myself up about how I quit in the past I am excited to be back at it. On Monday, Jan 26th  I had my first appointment.  I’m excited to take you on this journey with me and share my experience as it relates to treatment for my autoimmune disease and the other…

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Lamb Burger With Cucumber + Lemon Tahini Sauce

If you are a burger lover and have not tried lamb burgers then you are totally missing out.  This Lamb Burger With Cucumber + Lemon Tahini Sauce would be a great place to start.  Even though I am not a huge meat eater I do enjoy lamb once in a while and I think it’s one of the most overlooked healthy proteins.  Lamb is high in iron and zinc and the zinc found in lamb meat is more easily absorbed into the body than zinc from any other source.  Lamb also provides a good dose of B vitamins, copper, selenium and manganese.  If you can find grass fed lamb in your area you will also get a healthy dose of Omega-3.  The days are finally getting longer which means it is light after work and we can actually enjoy grilling again.  I love grilling in the winter because it’s an easy, quick way to prepare dinner and reminds me that summer is just around the corner.  If you are following strict Autoimmune Protocol be sure to omit the smoked paprika and lemon tahini sauce.  This burger is also delicious with a bit of lemon juice or dijon mustard instead.  Enjoy! Print Lamb Burger with Cucumber + Lemon Tahini Sauce Author: Katie at WHOLELOVELYLIFE.COM Recipe type: Entrees Prep time:  30 mins Cook time:  20 mins Total time:  50 mins Serves: 4 burgers   Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Autoimmune Protocol (omit smoked paprika + Lemon Tahini Sauce), Refined Sugar Free Ingredients 1 lb ground lamb 1 small red onion 3 Tbsp chopped mint 8 boston butter lettuce leaves 8 slices of cucumber 1 tsp + ¼ tsp sea salt 1 tsp smoke paprika (omit to make AIP compliant) 2 tsp garlic powder 1 cup tahini (omit to make AIP compliant) up to ¾ cup filtered water (add a little at a time until desired consistency is reached) up to 3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic) ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup + 2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley Instructions Wash mint, chop and set aside. Remove lettuce leaves and wash. Set aside. Wash cucumber, slice thinly into long strips and set aside. Wash parsley, chop and set aside. Peel and chop ½ of the red onion. Slice the other half thinly and set aside. To make burgers combine ground lamb, sea salt, garlic powder, paprika, chopped onion and ¼ cup…

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Lime Cream Pie Smoothie

If you are as tired of winter as I am then you are going to love this Lime Cream Pie Smoothie.  It is a refreshing, summer inspired smoothie with the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  The minute you taste it you will be reminded of long summer days and a walk on the beach.  I know that sounds a bit cheesy but for me every time I taste lime I think of sunshine, the beach and vacation.  Who doesn’t need that during the winter?  Especially if you live in a northern state.  The best part about this smoothie is it only takes a few minutes to whip up and it’s filled with a good dose of healthy fats and nutrients.  Enjoy! Print Lime Cream Pie Smoothie Author: Katie @ WHOLELOVELYLIFE.COM Recipe type: Smoothies + Drinks + Juices Prep time:  5 mins Total time:  5 mins Serves: 2 servings   Autoimmune Protocol, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Refined Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Pescatarian Ingredients juice from 2 limes 2 lime slices (slice before juicing) 1 avocado ½ cup full fat coconut milk 1 banana 4 dates ¼ cup ice Optional: up to ½ cup filtered water as needed to blend smoothly Optional: zest from one lime if you prefer a stronger lime flavor Instructions Slice lime in half. Slice again and cut slice in half. Set aside for garnish. Juice limes halves and pour into a blender. Add avocado (cut in half, remove pit and scoop out), coconut milk, banana, dates (be sure to remove pit), optional lime zest and ice. Blend on high until well mixed adding additional water as needed. Garnish with a lime slice and cute straw. Notes Use organic whenever possible! It’s always best to use coconut milk free of guar gum but it is critical if following Autoimmune Protocol. 3.2.2929  

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