This week's health goal: Get Spicy!

This week's health goal: Get Spicy!

No, we don't mean the hot kind of spicy (not that you can't), but you SHOULD experiment with different herbs and spices in your kitchen. Many of these plants are not only tasty, but they also have multiple health benefits. For example, cumin has shown to be anti-inflammatory while also aiding in digestion and helping to regulate the immune system! 

Below we have listed a few spices and herbs commonly found in different cultures. If you're in the mood for something Indian, try adding in turmeric, cumin, and red pepper. If you're in the mood for Moroccan, put clove, cinnamon, and paprika in your dish. You can add as few or as many spices as you want! So get spicy this week, all the while knowing that you're doing something amazing for your body!

Chinese: Anise, Szechuan Peppercorn, Fennel, Cassia, and Clove

Indian: Turmeric, Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, and Red pepper

Latin American: Chile, Paprika, Cumin, and Mexican Oregano

Mediterranean: Basil, Bay Leaf, Chervil, Dill, Fennel, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme

Moroccan: Cardamom, Clove, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Paprika, Mace, Peppercorn, and Turmeric

Thai: Basil, Black pepper, Cardamom, Chile peppers, Cilantro, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass, Turmeric, and White Pepper

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

Today, we are making sweet and tangy chicken! Surprisingly, for as many steps as were in this recipe, there weren't too many mistakes. The chicken also turned out to be quite yummy! We would definitely make this recipe again! This recipe comes from Recipes for Repair - A Lyme Disease Cookbook by Gail and Laura Piazza. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 large chicken breasts with skin and bones, cut in half

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

2 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp water or chicken stock

1 Tbsp mustard

1/2-1 cup of water (optional if chicken looks like it is becoming dry)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

5. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and reserve for later use.

6. Season the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper and add the chicken to the hot pan, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes, or until browned. Then, turn the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan. (We didn't have sprigs, so we just used fresh rosemary and thyme.)

8. Combine the honey, vinegar, water or stock (just the 3 Tbsp here) and mustard, and stir the mixture into the chicken.

9. Return the onions and garlic to the pan and stir well.

10. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check to see if the sauce has become too thick and syrupy; if it has, stir in the remaining 1/2-1 cup water. (Our sauce was already very watery, so we did not add any more. We ended up using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts and think that is why everything was so juicy!)

11. Turn the chicken breasts and cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned.

12. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. If the sauce is still too thick, stir in a little more water.

13. Place the chicken on a serving platter and top with the sauce.

This recipe was delicious! Our sauce was very watery and there was definitely no thickness to it, but I don't think that affected the taste at all. However, next time we will use chicken breasts instead of thighs and see if that makes a difference. Good luck and enjoy!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's health goal: Try a new vegetable!

This week's health goal: Try a new vegetable!

Most of us know that we should be eating more veggies. If I have a patient coming in with a health issue, and especially for anyone with an autoimmune disease, chances are I've told them they need to consume 6-9 servings of vegetables a day. While most of them look at me like I've just declared that I'm an alien from Mars, some of them really take this idea to heart and receive fantastic health benefits from it. While quantity is great, quantity and variety are fantastic! This week, however, we will focus on that variety part......by trying just one new vegetable you have never eaten before.

Eating a variety of vegetables gives us a greater amount of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are beneficial compounds found in plants that haven't been classified as a vitamin or mineral. Some examples include flavonoids, resveratrol, and carotenoids. Many phytonutrients are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, or act as an antioxidant. The more colorful and diverse are vegetable intake is, the more of these benefits we receive!

If you're at a loss for a vegetable to try, here are a few great ones that most people haven't heard of.....or at least haven't eaten before.

•   Jicama
•   Salsify
•  Dalkon
•  Kohlrabi
•  Sunflower Sprouts

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

     

This week's health goal: Reconnect With Someone You've Been Missing!

This week's health goal: Reconnect with someone you've been missing!

We all have that one person (at least) who we don't talk to as much as we would like. It might be a friend or family member. Maybe it's been a few months since you've called the parents or grandparents. Perhaps you haven't seen your best friend for a while. Well this is the week to reconnect!

Humans were not meant to live in isolation and many people are shocked to hear that a poor social circle may be just as harmful to your health as obesity or smoking. A study done by Brigham Young University, entitled Social Relationships and Mortality Risks, showed a 50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social circles, even after all other factors were accounted for. 

There is no set number of friends or family members that someone should have or be close to in order to gain health benefits, but the research continuously shows that the more complex a person's social circle is, the better their overall health. In certain cultures, it is customary for grandparents to continue living with their families. They help out with household chores, watch the children, and stay involved with the family activities. Many of these cultures have multiple people living past one hundred years of age, with one of the main reasons being their constant socialization.

This week, try to reconnect with someone you haven't talked to in a while or work at making a new friend! They could be the key to your good health!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto

     Today, I am going to attempt to make butternut squash risotto! As usual when cooking with me, there were multiple learning experiences and I actually forgot to add an ingredient this time. However, the good news is that this dish turned out fantastic! The recipe used was found on grubhub. 


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp ghee
2 large onions, diced
2 tsp salt
2 butternut squashes, peeled, sliced, and cubed
1/4 quarter cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 cups chicken broth


Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil and ghee in a large pot over low-medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. 

2. Peel, slice, and cube the butternut squash. (This was my first time actually cutting up butternut squash. I cut the bulb off of the bottom and just used the top part of the butternut squash, so I may have had less than 2 butternut squashes.)

3. Meanwhile, working in batches, place the squash in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a rice-like consistency. (I only had a small food processor and it broke about 3/4 of the way through. I would strongly recommend a full-sized food processor if you're going to attempt putting butternut squash in it.)

4. Add the squash to the pan once the onions are caramelized and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add the vinegar, parsley, and broth. (The vinegar is the ingredient that I forgot. Oh well, next time! Also, I only put in 1 cup of broth rather than 2 due to the fact that after leaving out the squash bulbs and destroying the food processor about half way through, I now only had about 1 butternut squash all together.)

5. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely tender. Add more broth if necessary and salt to taste. 

All in all, I thought this recipe turned out fantastic. The most difficult part was cutting and processing the butternut squash, but other than that, it was a very easy recipe. It also turned out delicious. Everyone in the family liked it, with only one person thinking that it could use a little more seasoning. Next time, I will remember the white wine vinegar and probably add in 2 Tbsp of parsley. Good luck and enjoy!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's health goal: Practice balancing for 2 minutes every day!

This week's health goal: Practice balancing for 2 minutes every day!

One very important part of determining how well we move and how coordinated we are is our vestibular system. It tells us where our head is in space. Are we laying down or standing? Are we rotating to the right or bending over? 

Another important aspect of balance is proprioception. Proprioception is able to sense movement within a joint and knowing joint position. Is our our foot pointed or flexed? Are our arms straight up or slightly in a "Y" shape. 

If we don't continuously train these systems, we begin to lose the ability to sense how we are moving and where our body parts are in space. Luckily, by leading an active lifestyle, you are continuously training these two systems. Simply by walking, we are inputting some information into these two systems and keeping them from deteriorating. 

However, it doesn't hurt to up the training a bit! Our vestibular and proprioceptive systems are important for preventing injury and avoiding falls. The more we train, the less likely we are to get hurt. All it takes is a few minutes a day! Read below to find some excellent training exercises for both systems!



Exercises

1) One Legged Stand Variations

     Begin standing with feet together and near a wall or something to grab onto if you begin losing balance. With your eyes open, slowly lift your right foot off the ground and bring it to your knee or as high as it can get. Hold this pose for 20 seconds. Do the same with the left. Repeat on each side 5 times. Once you feel comfortable, lift your leg up and then slowly turn your head to the right and left while continuing to hold the position. Finally, try to hold the pose again while keeping your arms perfectly at your sides, then at 90 degrees, and finally with your arms raised above your head. As you begin to balance easier in this position, work your way from 20 seconds to 30 seconds. After mastering the exercise above, try going up on your toes. Keep both feet on the ground at first. For the truly masterful, you can begin doing the exercises on your toes with only one foot at a time!

2) Heel to Toe Walk

     Place your right foot down and then place your left heel right up against the front of your right foot. Continue in this manner, and walk in a line for at least 12 steps and then turn around and come back.

3) Tape Walk

     Using tape, mark spots on the carpet in a circle about a step width apart. Now walk in a circle trying to step only on the spots you marked. Then switch and go the other way. If this seems too easy, go around your house and collect your cushions and pillows, try to get at least 8. Set them up in a circle spaced about a foot or two apart. Now walk in a circle only on the pillows. Switch and go the other way. You can also place the pillows in a line or a zigzag pattern and follow that!

4) Tennis Ball Toss 

     This exercise will require a tennis ball. Face a flat wall holding a tennis ball, standing about 3-6 feet away. Start by throwing the ball at the wall with the left hand and catching with the right hand. Then throw the ball at the wall with the right hand and catch with the left hand. You can also practice throwing with the right and catching with the right, and vice versa. If you get really good, try throwing two balls at once!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt