# Nourishing Traditions support



## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

I'm starting this thread because I need support and conversations regarding cooking the _Nourishing Traditions_ way. Does anyone else need to discuss questions and comments?

My current challenge is cooking within my current daily routine (Flybaby here: www.FlyLady.net).

Thanks,
Amy

* _Nourishing Traditions_ by Sally Fallon
* _Nutrition and Physical Degeneration_ by Weston A. Price http://www.westonaprice.org.


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## Aster (Aug 12, 2002)

I dont have the book yet, but was cruising the net looking for info about it and found this...

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/native-nutrition/

It looks like a pretty active group who are really into fallon's book.


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## Mama Bee (Aug 20, 2003)

I have absolutally no help for you, sorry.







But if you have time, I would really like to hear a run-down of what Nourishing Traditions is all about. I am in the process of changing lots of things in my family's lives- diet/nutrition, consumerism, etc. I would love to hear a little bit more about what you're doing nutrition wise. I would also love to hear more about Flylady, if you don't mind, but that's off-topic so if you want, you can PM me about that. I hope you don't mind the questions... I wish I knew more so I could help you instead of just taking from you. You've gotten a lot of hits but not many responses.... maybe someone will have something for you eventually. Brook


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

I'd like to discuss Nourishing Traditions. I read it a few months ago and some things I agree with and some I don't. I definitely agree that we need to eat more cultured and fermented foods. WHen I studied macrobiotics, we were taught always to eat cabbage pickles, miso, pure sourdough bread, or umeboshi plums with each meal to aid digestion.

I have started making my own sourdough bread again after reading the book. And making delicious chicken stocks.

What I questions is that she recommends animal products so much. She cites examples from Weston Price's studies of native tribes and their eating habits but I think that may be be an accurate comparision of times today. Those people got so much more exercise and worked so much harder that they needed much more protein and fat. I think if we ate like them, we would not have the chance to burn it all off.

I also haven't tried all soaking all my grains in whey. I would be interested to know if you have tried any recipes and how they have turned out.


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

I'm really interested in reading this book- I'm a wait list for it at the library. I don't want to spend $18 for it until I find it if it's something I will use in the long term.


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## Mothernature (Jun 10, 2002)

I have read it as well as the Weston A. Price book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration . Although the arguments are compelling and the case for using only whole grains and unprocessed foods is aptly made, Some of Fallon's ideas are a bit far fetched. I have a friend who has dedicated her family to this diet and even started a Weston A. Price Foundation here as well as a support group. They tend to do things in the extreme. I agree with many of the concepts. I do think it makes sense that milk and cheese should be raw and that grains should be fermented, but in practice this is extremely laborous. You have to plan your meals sometimes 3 days in advance and she calls for so many meat products. I'm not a very good planner and thus have trouble soaking my grains. I've done it, but the end result wasn't to my liking thus making the extra effort more dredge than joy. I think this diet can be applied moderately and incorporated into your own diet, but to go all the way with it would mean spending many hours a day in the kitchen just soaking grains and planning menus before you even get started with the cooking. I have resigned myself to taking what works for my family and leaving the rest. That said, there are some nice recipes in the cookbook.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Quote:

Those people got so much more exercise and worked so much harder that they needed much more protein and fat. I think if we ate like them, we would not have the chance to burn it all off.
cathe, I understand what you're saying. On the other hand, I think about all the dangerous fats we have in our American diet from things like hydrogenated oils, rancid oils and other GMOs. I think that the animal fat and proteins have to be nothing but a drastic improvement. I've noticed when I eat a high-animal fat meal, I don't crave the artificial, processed foods (salty chips, sweet candy bars). My personal experience is yo-yo dieting (and I'm not overweight) with low-fat diets (including a bunch of artificial foods), then binging on junk because I couldn't take going without fat for too long, and also 7 years of vegetarianism up to 2.5 years ago. I think the NT type of diet is something that feels right with me. No, I'm not as active as native tribes, but that didn't stop me from eating a high-fat artificial diet.

I've soaked oatmeal overnight, spelt flour for pancakes (delicious!), and brown rice--all with yogurt. I've made chili roughly following NT recipe, and the meatloaf. I am trying to stay away from breads, though. Maybe I'll make non-wheat, soaked grain bread one of these days. Plus, dh and dd enjoy bread; I'd rather have them eat homemade, of course.

I get pretty overwhelmed with the stuff in the book. But I figure I'll just take it slowly. I would love to figure out how to do a lot of NT meals in the crock pot. I want a Menu-Mailer (menu and shopping planning) for NT like this: http://www.menumailer.net
(as referenced a lot in the FlyLady e-mails).

Aster, thanks for the referral to the mail list. I signed up with the daily digests. There are tons of e-mails; so I might just read the posts of interest from their page eventually.

IlaBrook, I'd love to tell you about FlyLady...I will PM you.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Mothernature, I can relate to what you're saying. I don't intend to follow the book exactly either. But I do agree with soaking grains and like having meat in my diet. I would like to come up with menus for 5 weeks that roughly follow NT--but using the crock pot and other methods. I just can't spend hours and hours in my kitchen because my 21-month-old gets so bored with it. (I mentioned "FlyLady" because I, too, have trouble planning ahead which is why I'm trying her approach.)

So, I would pay someone to do this (okay, not too much money, but I'd buy the book):

* Write up 5 weeks worth of NT-style recipes for the crock pot
* Come up with the grocery list for each recipe
* Write some sort of planner to incorporate into my daily routine which includes soaking and other meal prep.--kind of like a method I heard about where the cookbook author figured out how to overlap ingredients for a month's worth of recipes.

Am I asking too much? LOL


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## mama2annabelle (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

On the other hand, I think about all the dangerous fats we have in our American diet from things like hydrogenated oils, rancid oils and other GMOs. I think that the animal fat and proteins have to be nothing but a drastic improvement.
This is an idea I have a problem with. I've read NT and spent a lot of time reading the weston price website. There seems to be this prevailing idea that one either eats the NT way OR eats the "standard American diet" full of artificial "foods." There doesn't seem to be any acknowledgement that there are many many people who eat a healthy organic whole foods diet that just doesn't happen to fit in with Fallon's/Enig's/Price's ideal.

It IS possible to not eat "hydrogenated oils, rancid oils and other GMO's" and at the same time not have to replace them with all the animal fats. I don't think many people realize that you don't have to replace one for the other.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Quote:

It IS possible to not eat "hydrogenated oils, rancid oils and other GMO's" and at the same time not have to replace them with all the animal fats. I don't think many people realize that you don't have to replace one for the other.
I think the fats are important, myself. I'm not yet educated enough on this topic, though, to know which fats can safely replace animal fats. And there's the whole saturated, unsatured fat discussion...

mama2annabelle, Do you use the cookbook? I'm interested in reading about things that you've done with the NT style of cooking and meal prep.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

This morning we ate oatmeal that I had soaked with vinegar to ferment and for the first time ever, my girls didn't finish their oatmeal. I think next time I may just soak them with just water . . .

I also soaked and roasted almonds, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds to make a snack mix and they are yummy.


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

I also agree that a lot of Americans are not eating a diet high in saturated fats and junk food- I don't eat that way. I have gone to raw milk cheese, which tastes a lot better- although we can't each much dairy.

I bought some kefir over the years and it gave me terrible sinus/chest congestion- it wasn't something I'd want to consume. But I do buy it if my kids get the stomach flu and feed it to them for recovery.

I soaked my red lentils overnight in vinegar a few weeks ago and the resulting soup didn't cook properly- the lentils stayed too crunchy and didn't taste good (I did drain/rinse the lentils in the morning).

I soaked white beans in vinegar and the soup was really good, though. I don't have the book, just went by what I read on the board.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

I tried soaking lentils too and soaked the taste right out of them. I've decided lentils are not supposed to be soaked.

Quote:

I also agree that a lot of Americans are not eating a diet high in saturated fats and junk food- I don't eat that way.
I know I've heard from several sources that America has (one of?) the highest obesity rates. And I know FritoLay doesn't make its big bucks from native tribes in South America.

Anyway, you all, I honestly didn't start this thread to get into debates. I know there are other threads which contain debates about NT, meat-eating, and so on. I don't care to use my and my dd's time, energy and effort to go there.

I want support and clarity and discussion from those that are also trying to do meal prep and cook the NT way.


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## ChristieB (Jun 17, 2003)

AmyMN, I hope you don't mind changing the topic just a little and just for one moment. You mentioned non-wheat soaked-grain bread. Is this like sprouted grain bread? Do you have a recipe you plan to use? Could you share it? I've just recently decided to follow a diet by a dentist who removes amalgams and treats people with MS (I was recently diagnosed). He recommends staying away from wheat (or at least minimizing it) and says that people with MS do better with sprouted grains than others. But I can't find a recipe for sprouted grain bread! And for various reasons, the stuff you buy in the store isn't an option for me. It's very frustrating.

Sorry, sorry, for changing the topic here!

Christie


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

ChristieB - I've been making sourdough bread and use spelt or rye instead of wheat - but they are both glutinous so I don't know if those would work for you.

I try sprouting wheat, drying and grinding the sprouts to make bread but the bread didn't rise well - prehaps it was because I don't have a grain grinder and used my blender so it didn't grind that fine . . .

When I buy bread, I usually get Ezekiel or Alvarado breads which are sprouted - they have a barley version.

As for the comments about the hydrogenated stuff - I totally agree and that is the part I really like about NT. I've been telling parents in my workshops for several years about the dangers hydrogenated oils and processed foods. I've also found out the hard way about how unhealthy a non or low fat diet is. I am no longer stingy with fats (olive oil, coconut oil, organic butter, nuts, seeds, etc.)

Mama2Annebelle - I agree that you don't have to use animal fat to eat healthy fats. I have really enjoyed my experiments with coconut oil in baking and sauteing as a replacement for butter. I'm glad the myth about coconut oil being bad for you has been dispelled.


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## mama2annabelle (Dec 29, 2002)

Hi Amy,

I'm sorry if I sounded argumentative. I shouldn't have voiced my opinion when you specifically asked for support.









To answer your question: no I don't use the cookbook. A friend let me borrow her copy and I gave it back to her after I read it. I focused on the first part of the book (the nutritional info) and really only skimmed the recipes.

I have to agree with what Cathe said. I really liked that the book really brings to light the problems with hydrogenated oils and fake foods in general. Also, that the book stresses the importance of eating organic. That is so important.

I have a good friend who does eat the NT way and she posts on this board occasionally (Mommykim). And it seems to me that she goes "all the way" with it and is able to do it with two small children. Maybe she'll jump in here with some ideas for you.

Carmen


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

I would also like to aplologize for debating the issue when you asked for support. Good luck and I'll sit back and read, hoping to learn something!


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## allys jill (Aug 24, 2003)

cathe,
you can soak your oats with lemon juice, too and you should not notice much change in taste. we much prefer the consistency of soaked oats now (after having done so for about a year) and i honestly won't eat them if they are not soaked.

so i guess i am one of the hard-core "followers" though in no way do i eat nearly the amount of dairy that seems to be in lots of the recipes in the book. i also just try to do my own "thing", which does include for me eating on some days lots of animal food. i metabolize foods quickly and can eat the fat and protein that my grandfather did on his farm easily without gaining an inch. in fact, i have come to the realization that i actually stay leaner the more fat and protein i eat, i kid you not. i think we're all different in that respect. but seriously, if i wanted to i could eat eggs and bacon every morning and steaks for dinner. i do not, though. i fluctuate....some days i eat just salads, nuts, bean stews, all veg food. then i'll notice that i want an egg or something so i go for it. i try to follow my body. i also do yoga every day and take walks and am generally active (i just mean i don't sit down much!).

i have noticed that grains are not nice for me at all and that is what puts weight on me, not fat and protein foods. so i generally avoid them but we do them about once a week and if we have pancakes, we always soak the flour.

i do not find this to be difficult in the least. it's all about getting into a habit with it. we make homemade almond milk and i thought it was this big chore the first time i did so! now it takes 5 minutes start to finish, including getting out the gear and rinsing it when i'm done. it's so simple and as soon as we run out i just put out the almonds to soak again so i don't forget. really, it's all about establishing habits so it's not nearly as taxing as it seems like some people are feeling like it is. just my opinion.


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## elainie (Jan 5, 2002)

I got into NT about 8 1/2 years ago when I was pregnant with my son (third child) and it was an improvment in terms of health etc.. after having been on a macrobiotic diet for over 12 years.

Over the years I've refined my personal diet (I don't eat grains) and found that raw goat or sheep dairy agrees with my system.

When I make grain products for my family, I always soak them in whey (not lemon juice or vinegar which prodices a yucky result IMO) and they seem to do fine with that.

We only eat grass fed meats, wild fish, pastured eggs, use virgin coconut oil, raw olive oil, raw grass fed butter and the children do get some raw cheeses.

I have 4 children and one due in 9 weeks and it's not hard although I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen (less so than when we ate macrobiotically) and for me it's worth every second in terms of my childrens health. You just have to plan ahead but I have done thast in regards to cooking and eating my whole life so it's no big deal to me.

The Native Nutrition list is great and so is the NN family list in terms of support.

I'm also heavily into metabolic typing and do think that some people are better suited eating animal protein and fat and others may fare better eating vegetarian or eating grains etc.. not everyone on the list eats dairy or even grains. There is a great variety of people on the list who just follow what their intuition and body type demands.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

thanks for the tips on the oatmeal. Vinegar was actually my last choice of acidifiers but I hadn't gone grocery shopping in a while and didn't have lemons or yogurt. I'll try it again with one of those.

Boy, those soaked and roasted nuts are delicious. I sprinkled some paprika on them to make the a little spicy. I have been trying to increase my protein intake and decrease my carbs and it was so hard to find a good snack but the nuts do the trick.

I agree that protein and fat do not put weight on but excess carbs are usually the culprit. I don't have a weight problem in any case but do have an energy problem and more protein really helps. We don't eat meat much but am trying to eat fish at least once a week (and trying to work up to 2 times). Cook a chicken about once a month and make stock. We eat a lot of eggs because we have chickens.

Does anybody else make sourdough bread?? I have been making it about 3 times a week for several months now. Yesterday, I made my own english muffins and they were YUMMY!


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Thanks, guys. I didn't intend to offend anyone with my broad generalizations regarding the "American" diet. I know a lot of people on this board, at least, are very health-conscious.

ChristieB, I haven't made sprouted grain bread. I know it's expensive in stores. You might be interested in reading NT. It's got a lot of nutritional/chemical information as well as being a cookbook.

I agree that soaking oats and grains with yogurt is delicious.

elainie and allys jill, Wow, you must be what FlyLady calls "BO" people (Born Organized). I'd love to know your, and others', tips for working in the kitchen for long periods of time with children (toddler), and also your routines for meal planning and food prep. Do you cook the same meals every week/month?

Last night I made the oriental salmon and the oriental celery/carrot salad, plus soaked brown rice. It was so good! Dh wants me to put this on my list of regular meals.

I've made whole-wheat sourdough bread from one of Christina Pirello's (spelling?) macrobiotic cookbook. I stopped making it since I decided to try to stay away from wheat. I love sourdough bread, though.

Can anyone suggest some good holiday treats to make as alternatives to the cut-out sugar cookies, chocolate-dipped pretzels, etc?

Also, I would love *simple* snack ideas for my toddler.


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## PumpkinSeeds (Dec 19, 2001)

I am on the waitlist for the NT book at the library.

I do have the Weston Price book from the university library, and WOW, kind of makes you think hard, doesn't it? I'm still trudging through it, it's quite a read.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

Here are a couple of my recipes you might like:

Cream Cheese Bon Bons

These are a favorite with children of all ages. They are delicious, easy to make, and the kids have fun rolling them up. Best of all, they contain no sugar.

1/2 cup raisins (regular or golden)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Suggestions for rolling:
Minced walnuts, wheat germ, flaked coconut, or sesame seeds

Place raisins in food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped and start sticking together. (Might take a few minutes depending on how dry the raisins are.) Add cream cheese and vanilla. Process until smooth.
Pour your choice of rolling ingredient into a shallow dish. Scoop out teaspoons of cream cheese mixture and drop onto dish. Roll into balls until coated. They will resemble truffles. Keep balls refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yield: About 1 1/2 dozen

For holidays, you can use the coconut and call them "snowballs"!

I got the idea for this next one from NT:

Flourless Sesame-Almond Cookies
This cookie combines ground sesame seeds, almonds, and arrowroot to make a delicious crispy cookie that is high in calcium. The lauric acid in the coconut oil increases calcium absorption.

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup softened coconut oil or butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dehydrated cane juice (Rapadura)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon grated orange rind (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons water or orange juice

Preheat oven to 300. Oil 1 or 2 large cookie sheets. In food processor or blender, grind sesame seeds and almonds to powder. In mixing bowl or in food processor, mix in remaining ingredients except liquid. Add liquid a little at a time until dough holds together. Place walnut-size balls on prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 inches in between. Press balls with fork twice to form a criss-cross pattern. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until bottom and edges are golden.

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Note: Regular sugar can be substituted for Rapadura if you wish.

This one was on Peggy's Kitchen last week but in case you missed it . . . It's my favorite.

Coconut-Almond Shortbread
These amazing wheat-free treats are so luscious, you won't believe they are good for you. Although you can use butter in this recipe, coconut oil has anti-microbial properties and contains lauric acid which aids calcium absorption.

1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup honey or brown rice syrup
1/3 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Cream coconut oil or butter with almond butter, sweetener, and extract. (Mixer or food processor both work for this.) Add remaining ingredients and mix. You may need to use your hands to knead this dough a few times so it will hold together. Place dough on unoiled baking sheet. Press into an 8-inch disk. With sharp knife, cut dough into 12 wedges but don't separate. Prick each wedge several times with a fork or even create a pretty pattern. Bake 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool before separating wedges.

Yield: 1 dozen

Note: Whole wheat pastry flour can be substituted for the brown rice flour. If nut allergies are a problem, tahini can be substituted for the almond butter.


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## elainie (Jan 5, 2002)

Amy- I can give you what a typical day might look like for me and my family. I cook according to what is in season ans what I feel like eating and we eat a very varied diet with a large variety of land and sea vegetables.

Breakfast for my kids might be: goat milk yogurt with raspberries, or NT pancakes, or a soft boiled egg with sourdough kamut toast finger served with kimchi or sourkraut. And this varies a bit. Sometimes they eat soaked and cooked amaranth served with steamed greens etc... sometimes mufins made with soaked flour etc..

Lunch for the 3 who go to school are usually a sandwich made with sprouted bread and filled with a variety of things and fruit and perhaps vegetable sticks (we sometimes make a dip out of homemade mayo and sheep yogurt)
and they will sometimes take a homemade treat and sometimes they take soup. My youngest and myself eat a different lunch which varies daily (steamed greens, some from of protein and perhaps another vegetable)

I make stock once a week and incorporate it into dinner for the week (braised greens in stock, sauces and soups and stews made with stock etc..)

Dinner again varies and could look like this:
Wild salmon terriyaki, arame with onions and parsnips, braised kale and baked root vegetables along with some form of lacto fermented vegetables

or it could be a venison stew , a salad and for the kids some kamut biscuits made from soaked flour and raw butter

or another meal would be bison stir fry (we only use virgin coconut oil/ghee for cooking) with bok choy, onions, shallots, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, scallions etc.. in a kuzu glaze served with kimchi and soaked and cooked rice for my husband and kids.

Those are just 3 examples. My breakfast is simple (I make a synergy smo othie with raw goat probiogurt, some coconut oil and raspberries or strawberries, sometimes I add a raw egg yolk) since I work out every morning and wanted something easy to digest that didn't weight me down while I work out.

My lunch is also simple and consists of one whole bunch of greens (usually steamed and served with a light dressing I make) and some form of protein and a lacto fermented vegetable. It could also include a soup or salad which we tend to eat more of in the spring/summer.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

AmyMN - here are some toddler snack ideas that my kids like:

hard boiled eggs with a some unrefined sea salt for dipping

apple slices or carrots slicks with almond or peanut butter for dipping

grapes and cheese

yogurt with fruit

crackers and nut butter

muffins, toast, leftover pancakes or waffles with butter

they love to make and eat the cream cheese bon bons that I posted above

also, here is a recipe for my no sugar raisin bars . To make it NT worthy though, I guess you'd have to soak the flour first. But is very easy and delicious.


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## Wildcrafter (Mar 11, 2003)

There's so much that I love about Nourishing Traditions, like the stock making chapters, the grain soaking and lacto fermenting, and the meat recipes. It is a lot of work though and there are a few things that are just a bit much for me. For instance, in making hummus, soaking the chick peas for 2 days and then cooking them for 6 hours and then PEELING them? I doubt that will ever happen and we make hummus all the time.

I guess it's best for me to take what I like and what makes sense from the book and then rely on my own common sense and sense of taste and nutrition. As much as I believe in so much of what Fallon says, I also believe that nutrition is highly individual. And so is taste. If you were to completely change to a Fallon type diet, you will have to reprogram your tastebuds and those of your families. Incorporating as many of her sound ideas as possible in my family's diet is as far as I'm willing to go at this point.

By the way, the zuchini bread recipe that I tried came out horrible. Or maybe it's just my taste buds!!!!

If you eat meat, you must try soaking a pot roast in buttermilk for 2 days. Oh yummy, and tender!! (ps it was organic).

One thing that I try ardently to do is to serve fresh raw foods at every meal. For my 18 mo old this usually means fruit and ground seeds & nuts. I believe getting those food enzymes, which are killed in cooking, are very important.

Great thread.


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## heveasoul (Sep 27, 2003)

Have you read the food journals on the weston a price site?
http://www.westonaprice.org/nutritio...oarddiets.html

No, we don't follow it in detail either. We follow the basics - grass-fed meat, organic, free-range eggs, raw dairy, butter/olive oil/cococunt oil, organic veg. We limit our bread/carb consumption, but not completely, certainly not in an NT way. We try to incorporate fermented veg like saurkraut, but not daily. Try to compensate with apple cider vinegar.

One thing I'm very happy about is that I make my own butter - was relying on the farmer, whose supply wasn't consistant, then I realized it takes a food processor and 5 minutes - how liberating!

I soak my oats in water and about 1 tsp yogurt, or fresh whey, if I still have some from making butter. Doesn't taste overly sour.

sample day:
breakfast - 2 soft-boiled eggs with a 1/2 slice sourdough rye with raw butter, caffe latte (I know - I don't claim to follow NT totally :LOL ), 1 tsp cod liver oil, 1 Tbsp coconut oil

lunch - (brown-bagged) leftover cold meat from dinner, or tin of wild-caught salmon with some fish roe, 1/2 avocado, lettuce with an olive oil/acv dressing, some sea salt.

snacks - raw wheat germ with yogurt, frozen organic blueberries and raw cream, organic fruit

dinners - varies a lot more. ribeye steaks in a pan sauce (see http://www.januarymagazine.com/profiles/bittmanrec.html), chicken livers (sautéd chicken livers recipe from Joy of Cooking is yummy!), chili, stews, etc. steamed greens with raw butter, or salad with olive oil and acv.

Didn't list the non-NT foods we eat...


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

Interesting development - turns out it wasn't the soaked oatmeal that the kids didn't like but the soaked and roasted nuts that I ground and put on top







:


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

i have been trying to work her ideas into our diets.
the soaking the oatmeal has gotten second nature now and as far as the bean thing goes for hummus. i make a huge batch and then freeze them in 1 cup portions. the freezing process helps to break it down even more


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## mehndi mama (May 20, 2003)

We've made some basic changes, but are not totally eating ALL NT ways. Some of the things we use now:

Low-temp pasteurized non-homogenized milk in glass(can't get raw milk)
Organic butter
Local free-range eggs
Organic meats, local if possible
Local honey
Maple syrup
Organic Sucanat
Coconut oil
olive oil
Sprouted breads - I buy them frozen - Food for Life or Alvarado Street Bakery
Brown Cow or Seven Stars whole milk yogurt
Ak Mak crackers
Real Salt mined sea salt

We usually have oatmeal for breakfast (does anyone know if whey-soaked has a milder flavor than yogurt-soaked? I haven't been soaking at all becuse the kids complain so much about the "yucky oatmeal"!), and we beat in a few eggs right after turning off the heat - it makes the oatmeal extra creamy & "custardy" with butter or cream & maple syrup, and milk if anyone wants to drink any.

Lunch is usually soup, and unfortunately, I've been really bad about soup-making lately. So lately it's been Organic non-hydrogenated peanut butter & honey or fruit spread on Alvarado sprouted Kids' Bread with milk, or raw-milk cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches with local preservative-free non-pasteurized cider. Sometimes we'll do cheesy scrambled eggs or something like that because it's really easy, and we just have toast & butter with it.

I have trouble with dinner, unless I do the usual meat, vegetable, starch, or a good soup. I stink at good meat preparation, so I do, unfortunately, rely on store-bought preparations more than I care to admit. And pizza. But a good baked chicken dinner usually goes over well, and I always butter our vegetables and keep sea salt on the table. I figure baby steps is better than giving up completely! And everyone in my family loves soup - I think they'd be happy with a soup-and-bread dinner every night of the week, if I can provide enough variety!

I'm still doing a lot of "out of the can" cooking, mainly because I'm not organized enough to get staple items (like properly cooked beans, etc.) into the freezer so that they are available when I need them. I absoloutely CANNOT begin preparing a dinner 1-2 days ahead of time, as our schedule can be so erratic that we might not even be home at the time when I'm supposed to be cooking!

I'm going to have to check out the lists & boards that have been mentioned - maybe someone can give me some "frazzled mom" tips


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## OceanMomma (Nov 28, 2001)

Bumping this thread back up again.

I have recently come across a source of raw milk where the animals are treated very ethically & the excess bull calves are allowed to get big & are then home killed & never trucked off to the meat works. So, as a former vegan, I am kinda OK-ish about this. The lady with the cow herd suggest to me that I read NT, but I have been unable to locate a copy in the library here.

I read some of the stuff on Sally Fallon's web site. I was especially interested in the myths & truths about vegetarianism. I think we've debated the ppl with the miscarriage story before here. I found the tone of the whole article a bit self righteous & condescending until I stopped & thought about how all the vege press must come across to meat eaters. I was especially interested in the bit where the article said ppl with sea coastal ancestry could not do vege diets as they had probs with EFAs from plants ( paraphrsaing here as I read the article last night ) I've been a vege for over 20 yrs now. I've always been very healthy & had good iron levels but my skin has always been both oily & dry & flakey & my feet crack. MY paternal grandfather's family came from the north east coast of scotland & were there for many generations. My paternal grandmother's family were a mix of portugese & german sea coast dwellers too. My maternal grandmother was Irish ( Not sure if coastal or not ) & my maternal grandfather was english ( south coast ). The thoery was not referenced that I noticed & I have not seen it elsewhere but it makes perfect sense to eat to match your ethnicity. Does anyone want to discuss this ? Should we start a new thread ?


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

*Nourishing Traditions debates*

Here's a thread where you can post debates about the book:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...threadid=97314


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

I made pickles (cabbage/carrots/wakame/garlic mix) and they are AWESOME! They are so yummy.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

I will be doing a drawing/gift exchange with my family; and I will be giving small gifts to my in-laws. I would like to give food as my gifts. Have any of you done this? I would like your ideas on what to make (breads, treats, etc.) keeping inline with Nourishing Traditions. Also, I'd like to avoid hard-to-obtain ingredients.

Thank you.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

The "crispy nuts" would be a good idea. I made a mixture and had some chili powder and sea salt and they was delicious.

Also, some of the cookies would be good. I think I made the almond cookies with arrowroot powder and they were good.


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## DreamWeaver (May 28, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by cathe_
*The "crispy nuts" would be a good idea. I made a mixture and had some chili powder and sea salt and they was delicious.

Also, some of the cookies would be good. I think I made the almond cookies with arrowroot powder and they were good.*
Cathe, where do you get arrowroot powder? Is it the same as arrowroot flour?
TIA


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Good idea. What kind of nuts do you use? What sort of container do you put them in (for gifts)?

I thought about making sourdough bread, but I'm not sure I want to take that on right now.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

Here's what I did - I would put them in a nice jar with a ribbon around it.

Spicy Trail Mix
This is a wonderful high-protein, mineral-rich snack and easy to take along. Soaking and roasting the nuts and seeds makes them more digestible. Although it will take an entire day to make this, there is almost no work involved and you don't have to be around to monitor it either.

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 heaping cup raw almonds
1 heaping cup raw walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon sea salt
chili powder or paprika

Place seeds, nuts, and salt in medium-size bowl. Stir to distribute salt. Fill bowl with water to about an inch above nut mixture. Let sit 7 hours to 12 hours. Drain in colander. Preheat oven to 150. Spread nuts and seeds in even layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle chili powder or paprika evenly over mixture. Roast 8 to 12 hours. Keep in covered jar.

Yield: 4 cups

Variation:

Fruity Trail Mix: Add 2 cups dried fruit to cooked mixture.

- I was thinking about suggesting sourdough bread too but wasn't sure if you had a starter. It's actually quite easy to make and even making the starter wasn't hard but it does take about a week and then it might take a little experimenting until you get familar making the bread.


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

Dreamweaver - I get arrowroot at my health food store in the builk section. It powder and flour are the same. I usually keep it on hand to thicken sauces instead of cornstarch and never thought of using it as flour. Here is my modified version of the NT cookies:

Flourless Sesame-Almond Cookies
This cookie combines ground sesame seeds, almonds, and arrowroot to make a delicious crispy cookie that is high in calcium. The lauric acid in the coconut oil increases calcium absorption.

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup softened coconut oil or butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dehydrated cane juice (Rapadura sugar)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon grated orange rind (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons water or orange juice

Preheat oven to 300°. Oil 1 or 2 large cookie sheets. In food processor or blender, grind sesame seeds and almonds to powder. In mixing bowl or in food processor, mix in remaining ingredients except liquid. Add liquid a little at a time until dough holds together. Place walnut-size balls on prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 inches in between. Press balls with fork twice to form a criss-cross pattern. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until bottom and edges are golden.

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Note: I think according to NT, the nuts and seeds should be soaked and roasted but I just used them raw.


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## AmyMN (Sep 21, 2002)

Another thing I've thought of doing is making and shaping cookie dough, and freezing it. And then I'd give the shaped dough, the baking instructions and recipe card as part of a gift.

Someone from the native-nutrition list said this:

"Everybody in my family is getting a gift basket this year, with a quart of ginger carrots, quart of sauerkraut, quart of crispy pecans, a pint of whey, and a half pint of sea salt, and the recipes to make more."


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

cathe,
i wanted to try that seseme almond cookie recipe, but i don't have any seseme seeds on hand, do you think i could use flax seeds? would that taste horrid? lol

tia!


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

The original recipe used just almonds (1 1/2 cups) so you could do that. Otherwise, you might try using sunflower seeds for sesame. I think that much flax seed would be too strong . . .


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Amy - I am so glad you started this thread. . .and I have bought her book for $15 ea from my midwives office. The first one for me and one for my mom.

*tip for Cathe - my very very very picky 2 year old scarfs down the oatmeal. DONT soak in vinegar -YUCK but try kerfir. Kerfir or whey work much better. All I do is add butter and raw honey - yummy!

Also you all will apreciate this I lacto-fermented some home grown beets and other things. . . I'm now starting to break into everything!

I absolutely love the ginger-ale and make about two batches of it and 1 Orangina each week. The minestroni soup is awsome. . .I also make varrious chicken soups on my own that go along with NT philosophy.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

What do you ferment your gingerale in? I made the 'Punch' but would like to try the gingerale (have a root sitting on my counter for the last month...hahah)


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Heather - I have these 2 quart glass jugs called "nantucket coolers". I hate to admit this but I got them at walmart. I think that a 2 quart glass milk container would work good to. I make so much ginger-ale that I need to find a gallon jug to make it in. Is a grueler a gallon? Anyhow, I like the punch but the ginger-ale in my opinion is much better.


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Heather - i just noticed that you are from colorado also. . . which part?


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm about 17 miles north of Colorado Springs. In Monument.


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## Brookesmom (Oct 12, 2002)

I'm just getting serious about NT too- We are in the SF bay area for a year but our house is on the north side of Colorado Springs- Great to see more NT mamas in Colorado!


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

It's great to see more NT moms in colorado. . . but I really haven't met to any in my area (Durango)









Also, I made the ginger carrots and they tastes soooooo salty. I may try to make them again, but I think I'm going to throw out this batch. Unfortunately it was 2 jars worth. Anyhow, I've made the beets and sourkraut which were good.


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## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

It's good to read this thread. I've been following the NT-August Thread as well. Can somone post the link about the site for debating the NT diet again, as I couldn't open it ?
We've been trying to move over to the NT diet over the past few months and I have convinced my husband on no more cold cereals, which was a bugbear of mine for a while. I soak porridge oats every night in water with a little yogurt and they are fine. We do have sugar on them, though. I have been soaking beans and lentils for longer and changing the water a few times and we have been finding them much easier to digest, i.e. less gassy. And we have been drinking much nicer milk and eating raw butter and cheese. My problem is that a lot of the things I want to eat more of - coconut, nuts, seeds - are "snacky" and don't fit in easily to sit down meals. Also, in focussing on dairy, fats, and preparing grains, I've been losing track of vegetables and just having steamed brocolli with butter every night of the week.


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