Lactivism Post! Increase/Induce Milk Production Naturally

Pregnant or nursing? You'll want to know about these herbs!

Fenugreek: Famous for culinary wonders, and used commonly in North Africa, the Middle East, and India for herbal remedies. Fenugreek has been used traditionally to lower fever, lower blood sugar (great for diabetics!), and lower blood cholesterol levels. For pregnant and nursing moms, this herb will act as a galactalogue and may induce childbirth with late term little ones.

Goat's Rue: Also known as French Lilac, Goat's Rue is a perennial shrub native to some parts of Asia and all over Europe. In some cases, breastfeeding moms given this herb as a supplement noticed a 50% increase in milk production. The herb also contains an alkaloid compound called "galegin" that has been known to lower blood sugar levels, an effective treatment for diabetics. The best way to use this herb is with herbal infusion, a simple tea.

Milk Thistle: Lastly, Milk Thistle is more effective as an extract than as an infusion. Look for tinctures (distilled extract) or essential oils. This herb was used traditionally for gallbladder and liver disorders, and more recently for increasing milk production.

The main idea here is not only that herbal/natural remedies may provide relief for specific ailments/concerns, but that many herbs have multiple beneficial health effects. More later on pursuing a healthy alternative lifestyle!

The Health Benefits of Camphor

Use Camphor, Save your Liver

Lately I've been coming across a surprising amount of articles warning against the excessive use of acetaminophen. Overdose is the leading cause of drug induced liver disease, and the most common cause of acute liver failure across the world. (Check out the wiki article for more info; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatotoxicity ) Naturally, I'd like those near and dear to me (and everyone else, really) to seriously consider throwing out the pill bottles. Everyone gets headaches, back pains, & all kinds of tension-induced-what-have-yous. More each day, we are being exposed to louder noises, invasive bright lights, & psychosocial stressors that are new in our evolutionary cycle. Stress is a reality of our lives. However, there are environmental toxins that we can choose to cut out of lives. As an overly medicated society, short-term relief takes priority despite knowledge of long-term consequences. Lifestyle changes may seem daunting, but taking one step at a time will make for an easy transition. (Substitute caffeine for coconut water in the morning, water for soft drinks, quinoa for rice, granola for generic cereals, almond milk for milk ect)

In addition to consciously breathing from your diaphragm, relaxing muscle tension, and drinking plenty of water; here's something used to manage pain naturally...

Camphor, found commonly in white crystalline form or as an essential oil, derives from the stems, roots and other parts of the camphor tree native to east Asia. The volatile oil from the camphor tree has been used traditionally for arthritic pains, rheumatic pains, skin problems, colds sores, headaches, and various areas of the body for pain and bruising. These uses can be compared to the modern use of products such as tiger balm - containing the active ingredient camphor. Camphor oil also relieves pain associated with the symptoms of bronchitis, common cough, and chest congestion. For a camphor-infused Save-Me-Salve to use on your aching nooks and crooks, visit my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/holisticparadigm

Vegan Stir Fry

Ingredients:
- teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- dash of hot chili oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup textured vegetable protein
- 1 cup snap peas, cut in half
- 1 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 1 red pepper
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 servings of your favourite noodle - this will go well with anything from soba (buckwheat) noodles, to plain rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian hoison sauce
- 1 lime
- dash soy sauce

Boil two servings of noodles in water with salt and 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Heat oil in a large wok and sweat onions. Add garlic and textured vegetable protein. Add snap peas, red pepper, half of a lime, vegetarian hoison sauce, and soy sauce. Simmer until vegetables become slightly tender, but maintain a crunch. Add bean sprouts and spinach, reduce heat to low, allow spinach to wilt and serve with warm noodles. This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

After the Winter Blues!

Since I haven't posted any recipes over a long winter stretch - I'll just say a belated Eid Mubarak to those who just celebrated persian new year! With each spring equinox the sofreh (table spread) brings in the new year. Each home usually includes the following:

• Sabzeh, wheat or lentil sprouts representing rebirth.

• Samanu, wheat pudding represents reward and new growth.

• Seeb, apples symbolize health and beauty.

• Senjid, the dried fruit of lotus tree representing love.

• Sir, garlic for its medicinal qualities symbolizing good health.

• Somaq, thought to be the colour of the sun, symbolizing warmth

• Serkeh, vinegar represents old age, wisdom and patience

Vegan Tofu Turkey

This recipe was a result of combining aspects of a few different tofu turkey recipes on the web. Let me know what you think! The trick with the tofu turkey (if anyone out there is thinking vegan holidays) seems to be how long it's pressed. The longer its pressed*, overnight is ideal, the firmer your tofu will become.

Ingredients:

Tofu turkey:
5 (10 oz) large blocks of tofu
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lime juice

Stuffing:
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 cups diced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 dried berries

One cloth (cheesecloth or clean
dish cloth)

Line a colander with a cheesecloth. Crumble tofu and blend in a food processor with the first 7 ingredients. Then pack it into the colander, and cover
with overlapping cloth.
Get creative here and place a flat item on top (i.e. dessert plate, tupperware lid) then set a heavy object on top of that. *I used books and pressed the tofu for about 2 hours. Leaving the tofu to press overnight in a fridge or cold room would be ideal.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Sauté onions, garlic, celery, walnuts, berries and mushrooms in 1 Tbsp sesame oil for one minute then add the herbs and half the soy sauce, cover, and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add bread crumbs and mix well.

With your tofu pressed for at least two hours, scoop out middle portion with a
large spoon about 1 inch of space around the sides of the colander. Press the stuffing in the hollow and cover it with the spooned out tofu. Press down firmly.

Grease a baking sheet/dish and quickly flip the tofu turkey over onto it, flat side down. Combine the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil and brush it over the top to baste. Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 425°F. Transfer to a serving plate, baste with any remaining liquid. Serve with your favourite veggies!

Tips: cook sweet potatoes, carrots, whole mushrooms and zucchini along with your tofu turkey surrounding it in the baking sheet. It will save time and turn out delicious.

Vegan Rice Paper Rolls

Appetizer for 2-3

1 Pkg extra-firm tofu
3-4 circular rice paper sheets
1 c. chopped fresh greens of choice i.e. spinach, kale, arugula...
1/4 c. fresh sprouts
shallow baking dish or plate filled with warm water

asian sesame sauce:
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl freshly grated ginger
1 tbl honey
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 tbl hoisin sauce

1. Drain tofu and wrap in paper towel and cheesecloth. Press gently but firmly to remove excess water. (You can skip this step - but pressing tofu makes for a nicer texture when cooked)

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees f. Slice tofu into strips and place in a lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together tahina, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, honey, garlic and soy sauce. Use some of this mixture to coat tofu strips and bake tofu for 10-12 minutes.

3. Fill a shallow baking dish or plate with warm water. Dip one rice paper sheet in warm water for about 10-20 seconds and put sheet on a clean working surface. The sheets will be delicate after being submerged in warm water. Place tofu, fresh greens, and fresh sprouts on sheet. Begin rolling from one side, fold sides in when you reach the middle, and continue rolling. Repeat for other sheets.

4. Cut each roll in half and serve with asian-sesame sauce.

Easy Blueberry Pancakes

Serves 2-3

1 1/4 flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. milk or alternative (vanilla almond breeze is my favourite!)
1 egg or equivalent of egg replacer
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp butter
1/2 pint blueberries

1. Mix flour, baking powder, and cinnamon powder in a bowl.
2. Add milk, egg, vanilla extract and mix in with dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Add in blueberries.
3. Heat a non-stick pan on the stove.
4. Add 1/4 cup of batter into pan and flip, roughly one or two minutes on each side.
5. Serve with maple syrup or simple syrup with the leftover blueberries.