Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" is Awesome

Pasta is my comfort food.  As my sister Ellen can attest, we used to come home from middle school and fix ourselves a "snack" of spaghetti noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese (the powdered kind from the green can!).  It is cozy, comfy, comfort food, Midwest style!
In the last few years I've switched over to brown rice pasta, which is almost as delicious, and a bit healthier, than the classic durum wheat spaghetti.  But even brown rice pasta is a processed food, and contains less nutrition than eating whole brown rice.  So I try to limit my consumption, although we still need comfort food every now and then.
With this pasta history in mind, you will understand why I was suspicious when I heard about spaghetti squash "pasta."

Hello again!

If you've been following our blog, you've undoubtedly noticed that we've taken a bit of a break from blogging (a LONG break!).  Since Ellen's pain has been extremely debilitating these past few months, it's been hard to remain inspired to continue the upbeat tone of the blog.  But we've discussed it and we do want to continue with the project.  After all, we weren't looking for quick fixes (although deep down, maybe we hoped for one??).  It's still about healthy living and sustainable (which sometimes means slow) healing.

All-Natural Teeth Whitening

I'm getting married in 2 weeks (AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!), and all of a sudden I've started panicking about all sorts of incredibly important details like my toe hair, my unfortunate gardener's tan, and the less-than-perfect whiteness of my teeth!  Really, I know this day is all about me and Darryl, and receiving love, advice, and support from our friends and family.  But in the midst of feeling so incredibly lucky and blessed, I have found a moment (or two) to worry about my teeth looking yellow against a white dress.

Sweet Nothings

Most days I love the endo diet.  Kale makes me smile; a perfectly ripe pear is an unbelievable gift; and beans keep my tummy feeling full and happy.
But then, every so often, there are those days.. like yesterday, when the puppy had to get up 3 times during the night and I was so tired my eyelids drooped through all of class.  Or when it's that oh-so-special time of the month, and all I want to do is lock myself in a closet with a giant chocolate bar.

Recipe: Quick Oat & Raisin Cookies

This recipe is my newest find in Carolyn Levett's Recipes for the Endometriosis Diet.  They are really crunchy and delightful.  I like to make a big batch and freeze them to have on hand for cookie emergencies.

Recipe: Endo-Tonic Tea

2 parts burdock root

2 parts pau d'arco

2 parts red root

1 part red clover

1 part red raspberry leaf

1 part wild yam

Getting Through the Tougher Times

I hope you all haven't given up on me since I haven't posted in quite some time.  I'm still here and I haven't given up on our project!  I just have become overloaded as the end of my semester approaches in grad school and my body is bombarded with a major pain flare up.  This is the worst and longest flare up I've had since beginning Endo Undo, and it has been interesting to try to compare to how things were before we began our project.  The trouble is, as many of probably know, pain is something that is nearly impossible to remember.  We can remember that we have been in pain, but our minds are incapable of truly recalling the exact levels--which would be helpful for a comparison--as a means of self-preservation.  Imagine if you could actually remember exactly how much everything in your life physically hurt it would essentially be a constant reliving of that pain, which would be unbearable.  Believe me, our minds are doing us a favor by not letting us compare.  This does make comparisons over time a challenge, though.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Spring break!!!!  As the faint smell of freshly-cut grass and charcoal makes its way on the breeze, I'm starting to get spring fever, big time.  In honor of the commencement of grilling season, I was craving something burger-ish, so I tried making these spicy black bean burgers.  They were a huge success.   I actually ended up pan-frying them in olive oil, but they are firm and stay together pretty well, so I think you could get away with grilling them!  Check out the recipe here.  I served them with cool slices of avocado, salsa, and a dollop of yogurt.  They would also be good classic American style, on a sprouted bun with mustard and grilled onion.

Harvard Red Meat Study

A new study put out by Harvard found that eating red meat significantly increased the risk of dying a premature death.  The study followed more than 120,000 people over 20 years, and found that the more red meat a person ate, the more likely they were to die during the study.  Check out some of the news coverage of the study.
It is good for us to realize that eating with the endometriosis diet  not only lessens endometriosis symptoms--it makes us more likely to live long, healthy lives.  This is a diet for everyone.

Recipe: Heavenly Toasted Sesame Soba Noodles

This recipe really speaks for itself.  I know it'll be a hit with you and you are going to be singing my praises forevermore!  Well, actually, I got the recipe from a friend, so technically, you should be singing her praises. This is also a great recipe to make with kids--the original directions had them divided up into parents' jobs and kids' jobs:  kids don't boil noodles, but can help mix, stir, and even chop!

Love It!  That's a wish for you.  And an order.

Recipe: World's Greatest Vegan Chili

Ok, so this is a superb superlative recipe name and I didn't even make it up!!  But, I agree with it!  I got this recipe from a friend whose son has many food allergies so she is no stranger to modifying and changing things up in the kitchen.  This chili is filling and rich enough to warm you up on cold days (with a little gluten-free cornbread, if you like), but is also light enough to be eaten during the summer months without that really heavy beefy feeling that regular Texas chili gives you.  And, it is a FANTASTIC way to get in a serving of beans without even thinking about it!

As a side note to Clara's post on the flatulence associated with beans, there are several things you can do besides eating more of them to reduce the digestive worry beans can cause (for those of you who missed the note at the bottom of my incredible hummus recipe):

Daily News

I get daily updates from Rodale.com in my email inbox--little tidbits about healthy eating, gardening, and living.  Today, the headline, which was "9 Super-Healthy, Vegetarian Protein Sources," seemed so appropriate for our blog.  The list was as follows:

What Should Your Meals Look Like?

So by now we've given you a few recipes for the endometriosis diet (and many more are to come!), but you may still feel confused about what you should be eating on a daily basis.
Here are some tips to get you started.  Remember, we call this the "endometriosis diet," but really these rules apply to everyone.  This is the healthiest way to eat.

1) The salad is the main course.  This may seem counter-intuitive, but once you start eating this way, it will start to feel more natural.  You should be trying to eat a salad at every meal (well, maybe not breakfast...but even then I sometimes do!).  And as you dish up your food, try to think of the salad as the main event of the meal.  You should think of the other stuff (grains and other starches, meat/fish) as side dishes.  You're probably thinking you are going to get very sick of salad.  But there are so many wonderful recipes that you can try something different everyday.  Besides, you don't always have to eat your veggies raw (though that is the best way to get all their nutrients)--so, if you need a change, try steaming or lightly sauteeing your veg, or make it into a delicious stew.  We'll be posting tons of recipes here to help keep you inspired in the kitchen.

Recipe: Carob Muffins

Leave it to me to post recipes for sweet treats!  I find that an important way for me to stay motivated on the Endometriosis Diet is to be sure I have healthy treats on hand for when I need a pick-me-up.  Today is my first try on these carob muffins, but I like how they turned out. 

I Dream of Thin Mints (Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chia "Tapioca")

This time of year is always difficult for me.  Yes, you guessed it...it's Girl Scout Cookie season again.  From every street corner girlish faces accost me with pleading looks.  Every time I close my eyes to sleep, fevered dreams of Thin Mints and Shortbreads haunt my nights.  I'm telling you, it's torture.  I don't know what they put in those cookies, but I'm pretty sure it's addictive.

This Hummus Will Make You Happy :)

Recipe:  Basic Bad Breath Hummus (But Who Cares When It Tastes This Good?) 


2 cans* drained and rinsed garbanzo beans or equivalent of soaked and cooked garbanzos
juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic
salt, to taste
olive oil, minimal (less than 1 t)
about 2 T sesame tahini, to taste
1-6 T broth (add to desired consistency)

Recipe: Easy Fruit Smoothie

I've been eating this delicious smoothie for breakfast every day this week.. it's so good, and so quick to make.   You can use the recipe as is, or substitute different fruits.

1/3 c. frozen raspberries
1/3 c. frozen blueberries
1/3 c. frozen pineapple (no sugar added)
1/3 c. goat yogurt
2 drops liquid stevia
2 teaspoons ground flax seed
Almond or hemp milk, to desired consistency

Blend everything in a food processor or blender.  Yum!
Check out the endometriosis diet guidelines as a refresher.

Recipe: "Cheesy" Kale Soup

I made this soup for friends last night, and it was such a hit that I thought I'd share it on the blog.  It's vegan, but the cashew butter gives it a creamy rich texture and flavor...not exactly cheesy, but almost!  It's really hearty, and soul-warming for a winter day.

Veggie Broth for the Soul

You may have heard some of the recent buzz about body pH affecting our health.  The theory is that too much acidity in the body fosters disease. 

You've been planning what???

I love my sister with a fierceness that knows no bounds.  She is one of the few people in this world for whom I'd do just about anything to take away suffering.  I remember watching her cry as a preteen after having an argument with our parents and wondering why my chest felt like it was going to explode--why I wanted to tear her away from the grief she was feeling and just take it upon myself, since I could already feel it so acutely.  Seeing her disappointed was always more devastating than being disappointed myself so I spent a lot of time and energy trying to protect her from anything that I thought might make her sad, scared, disappointed, or uncomfortable.

The Endo Undo Diet

As you can see by the luscious veggie photo on our blog entrypage, a lot of this project is about food, food, and more food.  Diet was one of the biggest things we worked on as we formulated our plan.  So, what foods should you be eating?  We have compiled a summary here, though we'll get more specific in future posts.

Welcome

Welcome to Endo Undo, and thank you for looking.
As you read in the introduction, my sister Ellen (you'll hear from her soon!) was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 15, after nearly collapsing with unbearable pelvic pain during practice for the school play.  Nearly 15 years later she still deals with severe and chronic pain.  On January 1 of this year, the two of us embarked on "Endo Undo," a project of our creation to experiment with natural healing methods and to document our journey.  We started a new regimen that includes a restricted (but delicious!) diet, exercise, yoga, and herbs (you'll hear more about all this stuff, along with other topics, in future posts).  Part of our project is to share what we learn, and that's where this blog comes in.  There are a lot of helpful endo resources out there, it's true, but not many that do what we aim to do.  So...we hope that you find this helpful, inspiring, entertaining, whatever.  If you have endometriosis (or if you don't) and are interested in hearing about our progress, please become a member and leave comments and questions.
By the way, we are new to this blogging deal, so please be patient while we work out the kinks.
Peace