Broccoli To The Rescue

In a vegetable pinch?

You have that bag of broccoli in the fridge you have to use it, but steam it again?!? You can’t bring yourself to do it.

My go to for a veggie side is roasted broccoli. Why? Because I’m married to Dr Matt and he loves broccoli. He loves it so much in fact that he used it as his boutonnière on our wedding day. My sister made the boutonnière, she’s so crafty.

Anyway preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dump a bag of broccoli on a cookie sheet (I use mass quantities of organic Trader Joe’s precut broccoli).

Drizzle lightly with avocado or olive oil and season with Herbamare.

Place in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes depending on how you like it. It will be slightly crispy on one side.  I basically just gave you a recipe for candied broccoli!

You are welcome. – Dr. Ama

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Baked Sweet Potatoes

6 sweet potatoes

3 teaspoons coconut oil or Avocado oil

Sea Salt and pepper Or just sprinkle with Herbamare

Cut into 1 inch pieces toss in coconut oil or avocado oil, place on cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle on spices or Herbamare.

Using a Mandoline or Food Processor to slice the potatoes saves a lot of time and your wrist.

Cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 15 minutes.

Why eat Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A and Vitamin C.  It can be difficult to get adequate levels of vitamin A in a standard American dietary fare.  This is great reason to bring sweet potatoes on board.  A lack of vitamin A is associated with significant immune deficiency, along with a host of mucous membrane ailments. Sweet potatoes also contain the phytochemicals cyanidins and peonidins which studies show have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

It is important to add a little fat to your sweet potatoes so you can extract all the beta carotene from them.  About 3 grams of fat seems to be just right to gather all the benefits.

Sweet potatoes are also a good source of resistant starch when they are eating cold.  Resistant starch is extremely important for the balancing of our gut bacteria in the large intestine.

Pass the sweet potatoes!

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What is stress anyway?

Stress is anything that makes us uncomfortable physically, mentally, spiritually, and/or relationally.

A couple things to consider related to stress:

1) Stress isn’t not going anywhere.

2) Opportunities to be uncomfortable in life aren’t going stop.

3) Stress/Load can be an opportunity for life growth

Keys to enabling our body to better metabolize and utilize the stress or “load” in our life.

Identify the life factors that have the greatest contribution to our life load.

Food

Eat colorful foods, loaded with nutrition.  Most of us are eating foods loaded with energy (calories) but devoid of nourishment.  Consider flipping the food equation and overload on colorful foods.  Aim for high volume foods as opposed to calorie dense foods.  Vegetables have the highest volume with the lowest calorie content.  Meaning they give us the biggest benefit with the least amount of metabolic stress.

Sleep

Sleep on a consistent schedule.  Turn your bedroom temperature to 65F.   Turn off all or even better, remove all electronics from bedroom.   Keep all animals out of bedroom.  Black out your bedroom, so it is like a cave.

Activity

Perform daily physical activity.  At some point during the day we want to make sure we get our heart rate into the 75-95% of our max heart rate range. We owe it to ourselves to prioritize 10 minutes a day to create longevity in our body.   If we exercise for a shorter time period then we would want to be on the higher percentage of our max heart rate.  If we are exercising for an extended period of time then being on the lower side of our max heart rate would be most beneficial.

Estimating Maximum Heart Rate Equation: 208 minus 0.7 times Age.

So, my maximum heart rate would be: 208 – (0.7 x 36) = 183 beats per minute.

Hydration

Drink a moderate amount of water throughout the day.  For general living drink about 1/3-1/2 your body weight in ounces of pure water per day.  A person weighing 150lbs would aim for 50-75 ounces of water per day.  This would also include tea and carbonated water.  If you are currently drinking city water, then getting a water purification system is high priority.

Gratefulness

Write down three (3) different things you are grateful for before bed each night.  Keep it simple.  Write it down with a pen on paper, do not type into your phone or computer.

Supplemental Intervention

As necessary utilize adaptogenic herbs, B vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Speech

Remove the following statements from your life testimony: “I am so busy.” “I am so stressed out.”

Try, “I have a full life” or “My day is full” or  get really crazy and say, “I have everything I need to excel today.”

Testing

If your bodies response to life seems completely irrational and you are eating a nutrient dense diet, getting regular activity, hydrating and sleeping consistently.  Then getting blood, urine or saliva testing to look at nutrient deficiency, hormone imbalance,

Habit Building

Now don’t go out and try to do everything on the help stress response list today.  That in and of itself is going to create stress.  Just pick one thing that you are not currently doing and start TODAY!

Health is a lifestyle.  Lifestyles are developed through habits.  Habits are created over an extended period.  We can’t force habits on our body, we can only feed them.  So, keep sowing the daily seeds that will propagate the habits you hope to develop.

The post Stress: How To Overcome It appeared first on Angove Family Medicine.

“I have not time to exercise.” Well, do you have six minutes a day that you could carve into your break neck schedule?  Of course, we all have six minutes.  Not enough time is not a sufficient excuse for letting your health go and becoming yet another chronic disease statistic.

The following are examples of six minute EMOMs you could perform essentially anywhere at anytime.  Banish excuses and your gut all in six minute a day.  Let’s do this!!!

If you can the reps in less than 50 seconds then you should increase the number of reps or increase the weight you are using.

EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute

6 minutes

Even minute: 12 box jumps or 16 Step ups

Odd minute: 15 kettle bell swings

6 minutes

Even minute: 12 Goblet Squats

Odd minute: 10 push ups

6 minutes

Even minute: 10 burpees

Odd minute: 15 Air squats

6 minutes

Even minute: 12 Thrusters

Odd minute: 45 second plank hold

6 minutes

Even minute: 20 Lunges (each step counts as one)

Odd minute: 35 jumping jacks

6 minutes

Even minute: 24 Mountain Climbers

Odd minute: 12 Standing rows

6 minutes

Even Minute: Sprint with high knee in place for 30 seconds

Odd Minute: 12 Chair Dips

6 minutes

Even Minute: 12 Overhead presses

Odd Minute: 12 Dumbbell Deadlifts

6 minutes

Even Minute: 12 push ups

Odd Minute: 20 Seconds High knee sprint + 20 second butt kick sprint

6 minutes

Even Minute: 12 Air Squat and Jump

Odd Minute: 20 bridges

6 minutes

8 second sprint

12 second rest

The post 6 Minutes of Daily Fitness appeared first on Angove Family Medicine.

Vaccines are always a hot topic with much emotion and lack of true science on both sides of the debate.  Dr. Paul Thomas a pediatrician of nearly 30 years practicing in Oregon is a great resource on understanding vaccines.  What I find most helpful about Dr. Thomas’ approach, is that it is not simply based off his “belief” but rather actual science coupled with his experience treating many 1000’s of children over three decades.

Below is a link to a great educational course if vaccine injury is something you or your doctor suspect.

The post Do I Need To Get Vaccinated? appeared first on Angove Family Medicine.

So again I present you with a chocolate chip cookie recipe…these turned out AMA-zing! I attempted to make the Every Last Crumb chocolate chip cookies that were egg free, but I couldn’t bring myself to not add an egg and I ran out of almond flour so I had to improvise.  I just added all ingredients to a bowl and mixed by hand! This is the recipe I ended up with.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1.5 cups almond flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/4-1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 heaping teaspoon aluminum free baking powder (cause Libby measured)

1/4th tsp sea salt

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons cashew milk or any milk would probably work

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Drop tablespoon size or larger globs of dough on parchment paper lined baking sheets.  Preheat to 350 and bake for 14-15 minutes.  Made about 20 cookies for me.

These chocolate chip cookies hold together so well when compared to the Against All Grain recipe! They are also slight chewy, which is awesome. So easy to make, no extra steps!

Via Dr. Ama

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Our mindset will be the difference maker in 2017.

Health begins with a state of mind and the activities that promote health flow from this state of mind.

We humans are constantly creating self-inflicted limitations.  We foolishly believe that our own self-assumed limitations based on our life experience are hardwired into all humanity.

They are not.

Self Assumed Limitations

“My parents had this or that.”

“I am an all or nothing kind of person.”

“I have never been able to get a break at my work.”

“I must get a college degree to get a good job.”

“My skills are not adequate.”

“I have started 100’s of diets and always end up farther behind then the last time.”

“My body sees food and gains weight.”

“I don’t like vegetables.”

“I can’t live without diet coke.”

“I have tried quitting tobacco or alcohol but my body needs it.”

“I just don’t like exercising.”

“I struggle with mental illness, just like my mom.”

Listening to the testimony of 1000’s of patients and people at large, I have seen how we handicap our capabilities by our own self-imposed limitations.

Did you know there is no real limit?  It is all a facade but our life experience has engrained in us that this is how it is and will be.

I rarely run across a person talking about how they gain muscle easily, lose fat efficiently, and learn new things quickly.

We perfect what we practice

If we practice negative failure laden self-talk we are going to carry that out in our life.  Our bodies and lives have no choice, that is all they know.  It doesn’t matter how beautiful and perfectly positioned the light switch is.  If we have not been made aware that flipping the switch up turns on the lights, the lights will never come on.  Potential is what life is before action is taken. Please hear me, we ALL have this immense amount of positive life potential.

Here is the deal though, we can run around with potential and never really get anywhere or we can take a moment, stop everything and redesign our life.

Then every single day purposely practice what we want to perfect.

We then feed this new life design by reading, listening, communicating, and fellowshipping with those who are headed in that same direction.

Delete Distractions

Write down everything and everyone that is distracting you from your life purpose.

Then act on those distractions and immediately dismiss them from your life.  Remember, tomorrow NEVER comes.

For instance, I purpose to be fully engaged with my children this year.

In order to accomplish this and make them feel like they are the most important human entities on the planet, I will set apart specific times for patient interaction, for medical research, for working out, etc.

This way when I am with my girls, I am fully present with them.

Taking action

1.       I will disengage from the distractions of my smart phone and social media except for specific predetermined times.

2.       I will get up a few minutes earlier each morning to make sure I can accomplish tasks that I would normally do in the evening after office hours.  This will allow me to put 100% of my physical and mental energy into my girls in the evening.

People will likely see me with my girls and say “Wow, he is a great dad.”  But I am no greater or worse than any other father, I am just purposely practicing fatherhood.  I am feeding my internal desire to see my girls flourish in life.

The cool thing is that the more I purpose to be a fully present, consistent father to my girls, the more I will see their talents blossom and the more motivated I will become to see them develop even more.

Momentum is a force that makes each new step more powerful than the previous step.

I still remember 15 years ago when I bought a candy bar and then completely befuddled by that action threw the candy bar in the parking lot garbage bin.  Burning that $1.50 was enough to give me the momentum to continue my practice of mastery over food.

Now I have zero fear that I will be controlled by food or won’t be able to say “No” to a food item that is not congruent with my desire for outrageous health.

If you desire outrageous health and are not currently experiencing it, then do the following right now:

1)      Write down what you are going to do to create improved health in your body.

a.       Ex. I am going to eat 3 extra servings of vegetables each day.

b.       Or I am cleansing my house of all processed food.

c.       Or I am saying 5 things that I am grateful for first thing when I wake up and right before bed each day.

2)      Create at least one boundary or rule to support this action

a.       Ex. I eat a serving of vegetable before I permit myself to eat anything else at a meal.

b.       If I choose to bring junk food into my home, I first must perform 100 air squats, or 50 push-ups or walk 1 mile or call up my friend who is health conscious and tell them what I am about to do.

c.       I do not permit myself to speak to anybody or eat anything until I have said out loud the 5 things I am grateful for.

3)      Refer and review #1 every single day, morning and night.

Life is a collection of our daily choices.  Don’t overthink, make ONE great small decision and keep making it day after day.

Then momentum hits and watch out here comes outrageous health!

Dr. Matt

The post A Mindset For a Lifetime of Health appeared first on Angove Family Medicine.

Two things I am not fond of: wasting time and wasting money.

Below are some excellent books I have personally read and found extremely beneficial personally and/or professionally.

Remember when you read, read for understanding not just knowledge accumulation.

Enjoy! – Dr. Matt

The post What to Read in 2017 appeared first on Angove Family Medicine.

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Do I need to juice to be healthy?

I hope not because I can’t say I juice every day or every week or even every month.  Juicing tends to come in waves at our house. Chewing food (mastication) has many digestive and hormonal advantages.  However, I do like a good juice!

Juicing is a fantastic way to supplement our whole foods diet with the richest phytochemicals nature has to offer.  Juicing allows us to insert pounds of life giving nutrients into our bodies through a small 8 ounce glass of juice.  It can be tough to eat 4-6 whole carrots because of the volume but we can easily drink 4-6 carrots.

Below are a couple formulas I have used over the years that are tasty and get my body ready to rock, especially with changes in season.

Kidney Juice

Juiced lemon or lime is a great way to start the morning, followed by 8-12 ounces of filtered water.

Immune System Juice

The mix of ginger, carrots, green apples and beets make this baby an immune rock star.  It has some bite to it but the ginger bite makes all the difference in taking your immunity to the next level.
• 1 beet, rinsed, lightly peeled and quartered – peeling decreases the earthiness
• 1 green apple, cored and quartered, or not
• 1 Tbsp size piece of fresh ginger (skin removed)
• 3 whole carrots, rinsed
o All ingredients should be organic

Heart Juice

Beets are loaded with nitrates that promote optimal circulation through the heart.  Oranges and carrots are great for reducing inflammation and promoting eye health.
• 1 orange
• 1 Beet
• 3 Whole carrots

Juice for Circulation

This is a great juice cocktail for when you are feeling heavy and having trouble with water retention.
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green apple
• 1 carrot

Cilantro and/or parsley are heftier detoxifiers that can be added to any of the juices.

For hormone metabolism/detoxification, add in loads of watercress. An August 2009 study showed that phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which is very high in watercress interfered with the growth of cancer cells by literally blocking the signal to surrounding normal tissues to grow new blood vessels into tumors.  It tumor cells can not grow new blood vessels they will suffocate from lack of oxygen and nutrients.

Let’s get juiced!  If you have any awesome recipes please pass them along in the comments below.

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