The Clothing Caper

I've talked a lot about my food allergies/sensitivities here, but not my fabric sensitivities. I am not sure how long I had been living with obscure sensitivities to polyester and polyurethane, but when I took them out it was quite a difference.

If you thought avoiding foods was a dangerous dodgeball, fabrics is a whole new game.

My polyester story begins 18 months ago. I kept noticing muscle fatigue and just a general tiredness that was growing worse. I kept praying about it and I received the consistent urge to check my clothing. Turns out that the majority of my cotton clothing were the clothes I typically felt more relaxed in, while the bulk of my polyester clothing I rarely felt relaxed in. (I mean, could clothing really cause that much of a difference??) I wrestled for a week with the possibility of doing a trial run of only wearing cotton and minimal synthetics with no polyester. When I took the plunge, I noticed no change at first; but by the end of the day I realized I was more relaxed and could ride my bike with minimal fatigue and could make it up steep hills. But the real revelation would be if my symptoms returned when I brought polyester back in. The first few hours I noticed nothing. However, by the end of the day there was a drastic change in that my heart rate would speed up and I would get severe muscle fatigue again, among a few other symptoms. I wore polyester for three days and when I took it out, the same results happened. When I returned polyester a second time, it was clear that removing it was a dramatic improvement. Even though polyester is not life threatening and I only react with pro-longed exposure (45 minutes) against my body core, it was worth getting rid of all polyester clothing and bedding.

Before you say it's all in my head, why do I react to it when I don't even realize I am wearing it? A few months ago I bought a bra, but forgot to check the label... For a month I could not figure out what was giving me asthma attacks, digestive issues, muscle fatigue, and general tiredness. It finally hit me that it felt like a polyester reaction, but I wasn't wearing polyester. Or so I thought. Sure enough, that new bra had a lot of polyester. Yes, one small piece of clothing effected me that dramatically. After switching it out, my symptoms resolved completely within three days. It's a bit more alarming when you don't realize you are wearing the offender and the symptoms manifest themselves more cantankerously!

When I first noticed a reaction to polyester, I did a lot of research on what this stuff really was. It quickly proved frustrating because clothing manufacturers refuse to tell you what chemicals they spray and saturate into the clothing. If you email them -- and actually receive an answer -- the response will be vague. Nevertheless, numerous sources confirm that polyester is derived from petroleum (oil) and contains lung-damaging pollutants, exposes more phthalates and plastic vapors against the skin. All synthetic materials have a higher likelyhood of chemical exposure in the creation process and tend to have more toxic crap than natural fibers. Also, multiple sources made the point of, if you eat organic food because you want to be healthy and are concerned about chemicals, why aren't you paying attention to what you are putting on your skin? The skin, after all, absorbs more than we think and is not an impenetrable barrier to chemicals.

Already shunning polyester and other synthetic clothing and bedding, I was curious as to the chemicals that douse legal furniture. It was no surprise when I realized that polyurethane (generally known as couch cushion or memory foam) was another culprit to my drastic muscle fatigue. Yet, when I took out polyurethane, not only did my muscle fatigue shoot way down, but my Candida disappeared (skin lesions included), I felt cleaner and more energized, and within a week I shaved off ten minutes of my bike commute (2.5 miles each way) and I can now ride 20 miles with no fatigue. There were only two things that I had to change: my mattress and chairs/sofa. 100% cotton-wool mattresses do exist, however they are well over a thousand dollars. The only other option was to place more layers between me and my mattress. I already had a thick wool mattress cover, so I added some wool blankets. With each layer added, I felt more relaxed. For couches, I had to just give up on them. Chemical and polyurethane free couches and padded chairs exist, but they are also well in the thousands (with the exception of meditation chairs). There were already wooden chairs in my house for eating at the table, so that wasn't an issue. However, the only comfortable long-term seating were the couches...so I settled on investing in an unvarnished rocking chair. Turns out the least toxic of wood oils are boiled linseed oil and tung oil (both derived from plants). I decided on using tung oil and so far it works great (that is, after the smell of newly lacquered-ness wore off a few days later).

Did I mention I don't have a normal fabric reaction? Typical fabric reactions are fabric to skin, meaning the skin will get rashy or itchy when it comes in direct contact with the fabric-culprit. However, even if I simply sit on polyester or polyurethane with a blanket in between, I will still feel the reaction for about a day. I've talked to multiple doctors and no one has heard of this kind of reaction. It is most likely related to the fact that my body cannot handle chemicals very well and something in the off-gassing effects me. This makes it hard to avoid, but as these synthetics are everywhere sometimes I have no choice -- such as restaurants and cars. I can limit myself to natural fibers and wood at home and work (ie, my safe zones), but sometimes I have to endure the realities of not being able to completely avoid these things that breaks down my body. It sucks, but it is what it is.

When I first began this journey, there were two pressing issues: how to afford this green-safe lifestyle and what synthetics things could slide. Obviously, polyester and polyurethane were out. It's near impossible to avoid all synthetics even in the home. After all, there is no such thing as non-synthetic shoes, heavy duty rain gear, headphones, helmets, silicone spatulas, ...a non-synthetic computer or cell phone? Get real! And as much as I want the ugly synthetic carpet gone, I rent so I have no say in that.

Needless to say, I focused on what I could change. Clothing, bedding, food, and pretty much anything that I was in constant contact with should be organic (if possible) and definitely not synthetic or manipulated with chemicals. I like to stick with cotton, wool, and silk. (And, I have learned that putting vinegar in the wash helps remove chemicals from clothing.) I do admit to having neoprene rain boots, nylon rain pants, and nylon coat. Why? Because some days in the northwest it's just better to stay really dry and I am not aware of a natural alternative here -- as wool is only water repellent to an extent -- and for some reason I have not noticed a reaction to nylon. I think it comes down to if there is a natural/organic solution, I'll take it; if not -- and I truly need and will utilize it -- I go with the least toxic option.

Sounds expensive, yes? Not necessarily. First you have to learn to prioritize and simplify. Do you really need a 4 foot span of loaded hangers in your closet along with 3 slippers and 20 polyester stuffed pillows? Ummm, no. Let's be realistic, though, you do need to wear something! Here are some shoestring tips:

-It's nice to have a few organic shirts on hand (personally I am way more relaxed in them), but they typically cost $70 and up. The trick is to look for closeout sales. I have bought organic sweatshirts, sweaters, and shirts for under $30. Yes, you do have to look around and jump on the deal when you find it, but it is possible.
-Second hand stores (or Craigslist, community boards, clothing swaps, etc.) can sometimes be a gold mine! Don't forget to check the clothing labels thoroughly...it's easy to forget.
-I have bought organic cotton blankets, thick wool blankets, wool slippers, wool coat, cotton bike seat cover, and a wool mattress topper for $15-50 on e-bay (these items brand new would be at least $100). E-Bay is a great way to look for deals. The trick is to stick to your max bid -- don't give into the bidding war.
-Let people know if you are in need of something. Someone may have a wool blanket sitting around, be willing to knit you some gloves, have a cotton hoodie that is your size unworn in the back of their closet, or gift you organic sheets.
-Learn to prioritize, as you probably don't need to replace everything in one day and maybe in the past you had six polyester sweatshirts, but really you could get by with two wool/cotton ones.
-Shop around, you'll eventually find deals. If shopping online, make sure you contact the company as not all fabric information is given online. For example, when I was looking for organic mattress toppers and organic stuffed animals, most of them contained polyester though the company did not disclose this information on their website. Also, some companies do a great job of categorizing their merchandise by fabric type, but not all fabric used on the product will be openly listed. If customer service is unsure or doesn't disclose all materials used, it's not worth it.
-Let everything you buy be an investment; in other words, get out of the American habit of buying a new one if it can be fixed and throwing it out because you found something new.
-I am a big supporter of independent businesses -- I LOVE The Herbalist and Rainbow Remedies -- but sometimes it's more cost effective to start with vitacost.com and iherb.com if the price difference is substantial.

Meet Little Mouse who hails from applepark.com! This is the only organic stuffed animal company to not put polyester in their critters. ♥♥♥ Most organic stuffed animals that are larger than 6 inches are in the hundred dollar range, but their prices are SO AFFORDABLE! (I can't imagine having a severe polyester sensitivity as a kid and not being able to have a stuffed animal.)

Helpful Resources:

-Pure Cure by Sharyn Wynters (It's like an encyclopedia to every day toxins and how to minimize exposure.)
-Easy Green Living by Renee Loux (Another great resource in minimizing household toxins.)
-FoodBabe.com (Unashamedly exposes dangerous toxins in foods and occasionally household items.)
-Ewg.org (Environmental Working Group is a database that covers multiple products and determines whether they are considered safe or toxic.)
-vinegartips.com (Distilled vinegar goes a long way for non-toxic cleaning.)

Even if I am someday cured of these synthetic reactions, I will still avoid synthetic clothing and furniture if financially possible. It's just nasty stuff and this is not an experience you simply run back into.

Coffee Cake

If I ever make this again, I am going to cut it in half. It makes a lot of coffee cake (12 large pieces)...but, it's good! And, finding a good allergen free coffee cake that isn't incredibly dense is not easy. (This recipe was adapted from Fruit Sweet and Sugar Free by Janice Feuer.

Dry Ingredients:
4 1/2 c brown rice flour
1 tbs cinnamon
3 tsp xanthan gum (or guar)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp grated orange peel (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/3 c orange juice concentrate (make sure there is no added sugar) (for a non-orange twist, white grape is a more neutral flavor.)
1 1/2 c melted butter or coconut oil
2 egg replacers (I like Ener-G)
2 c coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F
Whisk all dry ingredients together. In separate bowl, whisk all wet ingredients. Blend both mixes together until smooth. Spread out in greased 9x13 inch pan. Now, it's time for the topping.

Topping:
1 c brown rice flour
1/2 c amaranth flour (this gives it a more nutty flavor)
1/3 c orange juice concentrate (or desired flavor)
3 tsp cinnamon
4 tbs cold butter or coconut oil

Mix together the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet. If the mixture is wet, slowly add more amaranth flour. Mix until crumbly. Spread over cake mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. The top should be light brown. Insert toothpick or cake tester to make sure cake comes out clean. Set to cool. If you are spreading out the servings throughout the week, make sure it is tightly covered.

Coffee cake goes well with coffee and fruit.

Did Someone Say, Chocolate?

Coming off of a month and a half with no sugar (not even natural, except one piece a fruit a day), I was excited to bring back in honey and maple syrup. One of my first undertakings was making hot chocolate. Right before my cleanse (candida), I discovered that letting hot chocolate simmer in a small crock pot is amazing. I mean, it puts most cafe's hot chocolates to shame -- it is super rich without the processed sugars:

Hot Chocolate
1-3 tbs cocoa powder
2-3 tbs honey and/or maple syrup
1 cup coconut milk
1-3 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, chili powder, cayenne, chipotle (use the latter spices for spicy hot chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Place in mini crock pot for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The honey should be dissolved when ready. Stir well and pour. (You can simmer it on the stove and take it off before it boils, but there's something more enjoyable about the slow cooker route.)

It has also been an ongoing quest for me to devise a recipe for chocolate chips with no common allergens and sugar, as no such thing exists on the market. I am getting closer! There is a book called Raw Chocolate and it has an awesome chocolate bar recipe that can be concocted in a food dehydrator. The drawback to this is that the cacao paste and butter needed are really expensive; however, it does make about 5 cups or so of chocolate chips so I stash them in the freezer and spread out the usage. This raw chocolate, once cut up, does in fact work great for chocolate chips in breads and muffins or ice cream. However, it does not work so well for cookies. The viscosity is so low that when melted it runs everywhere. On the other hand, it does successfully re-solidify. :)

Therefore, chopped raw chocolate is the route to go when in a confined space such as a bread pan. Okay, so there is still the dilemma with cookies...

Thankfully Sunspire recently brought back their grain-sweetened chocolate chips to the market. (Downfall is that they contain a small amount of soy. I can work with that, but it would be better if it had no soy. Alas!) So:

Chocolate Chip Cookies:
2 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (add a little more if you want softer cookies)
2 Ener-G egg replacers (or, if you want your cookies to have a hint of banana, use one banana instead)
1 package (12 oz) of Sunspire Grain-Sweetened Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Whisk together all dry ingredients. Whisk all wet ingredients. Combine both mixtures together. Add in chocolate and coconut. Refrigerate mixture for an 30-60 minutes, or until firm. Use scoop to distribute on cookie sheet. (If you want small cookies, use a small scoop. If you want larger cookies, use a larger scoop.)

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Half way through use heat proof spatula (I prefer the bamboo ones) to flatten cookies. When done, they should be lightly brown. Let cool.

If you want to take it further, dip half of cookie into a chocolate mixture. This recipe here was successful for chocolate dipping and coating. After I mixed it all together, I placed it in my tempering kit -- which keeps the chocolate temperature stable -- as I dipped half the cookie in and then placed in back on the parchment. At first I had my doubts, as the chocolate had the consistency of hot fudge. It tasted great, but not exactly what I was going for. Thankfully, after I set the finished cookies in the fridge overnight, the chocolate hardened perfectly. (I poured the remaining chocolate in to a mold and froze it. It tasted like fudge.)

A Worthy Investment

Lately I have been experimenting with allergen and sugar free ice creams.  It's actually very easy to make and a lot more cost effective. I favor the CuisinArt Ice 21, full retail price $60, which makes one and a half quarts. Allergy friendly ice creams (like Purely Decadent and So Delicious brands) average $6 per pint.  If you were to make ice cream once a month, your ice-cream maker will have been paid for before the end of the year. Plus you get SO much more ice cream and can play with the flavors -- and not feel betrayed by that one ingredient that you can't have.

My base recipe was derived from Living Without Magazine August/September issue.  They suggested using both coconut cream and coconut milk; however, I combined these to just coconut cream -- the more water you have the more likely your ice cream will come out icy.  Speaking of, ice is the most common issue with homemade ice cream -- which is why it does taste better if eaten right away, should ideally be eaten within the week, and may take a little longer before being able to scoop -- and adding guar gum or xanthan gum will help lessen the chance of ice. When experimenting, never overdo the liquids!

Mocha Chip Ice Cream
1/4c lightly grounded (decaf) coffee
1/2c hot (decaf) coffee
1/2c date paste
2c coconut cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 guar gum

Mix all ingredients in blender. Mix well and pour liquid into containers and refrigerate for one hour. Pour mixture into ice cream maker according to manufacture's instruction. (Most likely it will take 20 minutes.) And of course, whatever is left from the first feast, freeze!

Cherry Chip Ice Cream
2c pitted cherries
1c allergy friendly chocolate chips
2c coconut cream
1/2c honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp amaretto extract
1/2 tsp guar gum

Mix all ingredients in blender EXCEPT pitted cherries and chocolate chips. Mix well and pour liquid into containers and refrigerate for one hour. Pour mixture into ice cream maker according to manufacture's instruction. (Most likely it will take 20 minutes.) Add in the cherries and chocolate chips and mix for 5 more minutes. And of course, whatever is left from the first feast, freeze!


Mint Chip Ice Cream
2c coconut cream
1/2c honey
1 tsp peppermint extract
1c allergy friendly chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in blender EXCEPT chocolate chips. Mix well and pour liquid into containers and refrigerate for one hour. Pour mixture into ice cream maker according to manufacture's instruction. (Most likely it will take 20 minutes.) Add in chocolate chips and mix for 5 more minutes. And of course, whatever is left from the first feast, freeze!

Chocolate Ice Cream
2c coconut cream
1/2c date paste
1/3c cocoa powder
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp guar gum

Mix all ingredients in blender. Mix well and pour liquid into containers and refrigerate for one hour. Pour mixture into ice cream maker according to manufacture's instruction. (Most likely it will take 20 minutes.) And of course, whatever is left from the first feast, freeze!

For Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream*, add in about 1/4-1/2c scoops-worth of peanut butter during last 5 minutes of mixture. For Chocolate Caramel Swirl Ice Cream, and in about 1/2c of caramel during last 5 minutes of mixture. See below for caramel recipe.

*Contains nuts -- though I suppose you could try sun butter

Pumpkin ice cream that unfortunately turned out too icy -- need to work on it more.

Caramel (great as topping or dipped with fruit):
1. Melt 1 tbs of butter OR coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add ¾ cup of maple syrup to the saucepan. Stir ¼ cup of coconut cream. Add a pinch of salt.
3. STIR for ten minutes over medium heat -- seriously, don't stop stirring!
4. After 10 minutes the mixture should feel a lot thicker. Pour caramel mixture into a glass jar (never a good idea to put hot food in plastic) and set it aside to cool. Your caramel will continue to thicken as it cools. Once completely cool, refrigerate leftovers.

Therapy Help

I need your help with vision therapy!

I was in a bike accident this past January, as many of you know, and I am still recovering.

I took a corner too fast and basically landed on my left arm, shoulder, and head/helmet. My shoulder has long since healed, yet my head/vision has not. It was an accident that I should not have been able to walk away from -- my eye doctor said I am lucky that I only got away with double vision and my physical therapist looked at me several times in disbelief asking me, "how did you not break anything?" It was also a miracle no one was behind me, as it happened at a busy intersection.

Since the accident, I constantly either see double or suppress one eye -- the danger in this is that my brain ignores one eye which can lead to other vision problems. Both of these mean a lot of headaches, eye fatigue, that I often cannot read for long periods of time, and I can't get back on my bike since my balance is off and sometimes my vision jumps. (All of my food allergies came back as a result of the bodily stress, but I am finally able to tolerate a little bit.)

Vision therapy (VT) is $105/session which is every week and my expected recovery time is anywhere between 6 months to one year (I also have 20 minutes of daily homework). I have already undergone 3 weeks of therapy. In this time my headaches have gone down (I've actually been able to make it 68 hours without headache medicine), and I was able to focus a short distance for five seconds one day and one minute the next day. A full minute of both eyes working together to form one image may not sound like a long time, but this was one minute longer than I have ever done in the past 6 months!

VT is not covered by insurance and the VT office currently does not have any scholarships available. I am setting a goal for $2600, which will cover 6 months of therapy (and the 5% gofundme takes out for their services). As a humble children's bookseller I am already on a tight budget and am still paying off my MRI bill (my eye doctor and neuro-ophthalmologist were concerned about possible brain bleeding for a while). Without this therapy my eyes may not relearn how to focus (and glasses wont help the cause). Can you please help me out by contributing financially? Any amount helps!

 

DONATE HERE: http://www.gofundme.com/3kfgvs

Please let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to pass this along!

Thank you and God bless,
Emily

Healing is not the end

What did I have today? Cheddar! Melted on a panini grill, in-between a brown rice tortilla and kale. It was awesome. 

Yes, dairy is back in my life! After nearly four months of complete restriction my body can tolerate it again. What other food may be just on the horizon? I used to react slightly to cross-contamination amounts of wheat (for you non-allergy readers, this basically means a very small amount). That appears to be no more! I will challenge wheat probably in a week or so, after I see how much dairy I can handle and what my intake level should be. Oh, and my chocolate intake has gone from once a month to twice a month.  I love healing! These are very recent and positive changes. However, change throughout the past few months often brought negative changes to my health. 

The biggest change since my last entry was soy -- turns out that was the culprit behind sudden internal swelling, intense cramps, and near hemorrhaging amounts of menstrual blood loss.  Yeah, soy is not only an allergy/sensitivity for me, but it in fact completely screws up hormones and other bodily stuff.  I didn't like soy before, but now I think it as a greater evil.  It wasn't a huge switch taking it out of my diet, but certainly will be as my diet changes and I can incorporate more food back in. Soy is practically in everything semi-processed or commercial!  But, enough of that peril, let's go back to the healing.

What was the switch? Medically the integration of vitamin B12 (which was quite deficient within me) and the removal of a pharmaceutical that was used to help with my headaches and migraines -- mainly from the post concussion and the continued double vision -- could answer this sudden upswing in healing.  Amazing, eh? However, I do believe there is another important factor while working toward healing: pray to Jesus Christ. 

Don't roll your eyes, I do not mean one prayer and everything is all better. It doesn't always work that way. I've prayed for months and others have prayed over me for months and physical healing was slow in progression. Yet, even when it seemed every other week shot a new arrow -- leading to discouragement, depression, fear, and pain -- it was prayer that brought me toward peace, endurance, thankfulness. Supplements can't do that. Too often we think of healing as working toward a state of being pain free, but there is a lot to be said for the journey to that place. It's what you do with yourself and what you learn that makes a difference. It's what you find yourself worshiping or running toward (or from).

I haven't really come up with new recipes lately, just modifying:

Blueberry cereal from a modified granola recipe in 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes

Snicker doodle cookies in 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes

Cupcakes from Baking with Agave Nectar

Allergy cooking isn't limited, it's just learning how to use a different palate of ingredients.  All of the above are free of that white sugar stuff and the top 8 allergens.

Improvisational Awesomeness

I've been experimenting around the last month with various foods and have comprised a variety of things to keep working with as I create and alter recipes as usual.

The first is date paste. Date paste stands in as a natural sweetener (like agave, maple syrup, and honey) and apparently is rich in a wide array of vitamins and is anti-inflammatory. As a stand in for brown sugar, it worked great in an altered brownie recipe from Easy Gluten-Free Baking.  To make date paste, you pit 1 cup of dates and combine with 1 cup hot water.  Mix in blender until pureed -- this will take at least one minute.  It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.  The brownies held together; and, my experience with brownies on my diet is that they are too crumbly and not moist enough.  This is no longer the case!  Do these properties of date paste hold up for bread and cake?  I don't know.  But I am definitely going to play around with it more. I was originally hoping date paste would hold my granola bars together, but alas, I still have to work on that as they still crumble.  Date paste is also a key ingredient in a dairy free homemade coffee creamer I've come to use a lot.

I have been trying to find a sugar free chocolate chip (or recipe) ever since Sunspire discontinued their grain-sweetened ones.  Alas, I have had no luck yet.  People often suggest cocoa nibs, which aren't the same -- mainly due to their lack of sweetness.  I did try coating the nibs in maple syrup before making chocolate chip cookies and even though it was not a replicated taste of chocolate chips, it was pretty good.  By the way, the dough in Fruit-Sweet and Sugar-Free has the consistency of Chips Ahoy -- it's awesome.

 

 

This pesto was amazing.  Instead of using Parmesan I used goat cheese (many dairy allergic folks can tolerate this in moderation). I also sauted some chicken before adding the sauce, and mixed in cooked gluten free pasta.  Total success.  I'm thinking of using turkey instead of chicken next time, just to mix it up.

 

 

There is a restaurant in Oregon that had these amazing apple pancake topping years ago.  I had been really wanting them, so I replicated the recipe as best as a could -- taking the tastes from memory.  Here it is, Maple-Apple Sauce Topping:

-Core some apples (how many apples you ask?  However many you want!).

-Cut up into bite size chunks.

-Place some coconut oil in frying pan (maybe...a couple tablespoons or so) on medium high heat.

-Once oil has melted, place apple chunks in pan.

-Douse in maple sugar and cinnamon (taste to liking).

-Pour pure maple syrup in (enough to cover bottom of pan) and make sure everything is coated evenly. 

-Place lid on pan, stir occasionally.

-Roughly ten minutes later apples should be soft and about half of the syrup will be absorbed (don't let them get soggy).

-So now, there are two choices: pour in organic unsweetened applesauce or use an immersion blender to blend half of the apples.  Blend/stir to desired chunkiness.

-Top with more maple sugar (it gives it a little more zest)

-Serve over pancakes, waffles, french toast, etc.  And now that I think about it, a GF graham cracker crumble would really highlight the experience.

I've also been experimenting with salads because I need a more steady diet of greens, but need them in meals.  I mean, salad greens by themselves are not filling, nor are kale chips.  At the store I just pick and choose two salad packs, because really I have no idea and have so far all kinds have been good for my liking.  I often end up with spinach in one because I like it and it has proven its worth to me (I'll spare you the graphic details for that one).  The real fun is in various combinations of other stuff: sliced avocado, radishes, pear, apples, strawberry and blueberries, chicken or turkey or salmon covered in a spice, cucumber, carrots, or quinoa.  Endless possibilities here!

Now, we move on to salad dressing.  Honestly, I used to hate salad dressing.  Why sogg-ify what is supposed to be crunchy?  But now, I often put a combination of olive oil, flax oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and crushed garlic because they are all good oils that dramatically effect the health of my gut.  And I've actually have grown to like the taste.  I don't think this combination exists on the market and it's so much cheaper to keep a fresh jar of my own likings in the fridge anyways. 

Cooking is wandering through flavors and combinations. So, in the words of Tolkien, "not all those who wander are lost."  Yeah, some creations don't turn out and there have been epic failures, but there are so many more keepers. Recipes are just guides, but ultimately you are the one in control of what and how you eat.

For all you improv cooks, you've got to check out the Flavor Thesaurus.  It's not exhaustive, but it pairs different foods together and it is a great tool for experimenting.  (This is where I got the idea to marinade a turkey breast in olive oil and dill to highlight the cucumbers in a salad.)

And, for your entertainment, here is an awesome food allergy parody: One Grain More