by admin | May 29, 2015 | Patient Experience
Happy 1st Birthday!
I can't believe my first little grandson will be 1 soon!
Where has the year gone? My daughter Katie has done everything she can think of to keep him healthy and growing strong. She was very lucky to be able to nurse him all the way through, and now his favorite treat in his highchair…. frozen bright green organic PEAS!
We are planning his First birthday party and discussing the cute little birthday cake we of course want him to dive into with all cameras flashing. As we think of that little body that has never tasted white flour, white processed sugar, and piles of white frosting we shudder just a little. I know what one piece of that does to me…sugar rush..heart beats a little faster..and then I crash! So…we began testing an alternative.
You won't believe this recipe from my amazing friend and Anna Gates. Do any of you remember that fabulous old cake recipe called Gooey butter cake? Well….this is even better! And it's good for you!! I even just baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and cut it up into squares and popped in the freezer for an anytime treat!
Little William will be so HAPPY….and so will MOM! And guess what…not one single guest will know the difference either! ENJOY!
ALMOND CAKE by Anna Gates
- 3/4 cup butter (I used Kerrygold pure Irish butter…amazing and worth going to get!)
- 1 cup zylitol
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (must get the finely milled blanched almond flour..i order it on-line from Honeyville. Anything else will be too grainy and not cake-like)
- 1/2 cups coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup almond milk (find the best can..makes a difference!)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Cream together butter and zylitol until smooth
- Add in eggs, one at a time and beat until fully blended in
- Add almond milk and vanilla and mix combine
- In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt and baking powder
- Beat the dry ingredients into the wet and beat til creamy
- Spread into a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes (my gas convection oven took only 22 minutes. I will make it in a layer cake for next!)
- Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream
Or: Frost with this
- 3/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted (I love the dutch cocoa powder from Penzies)
- 1 cup agave or honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Combine all in a food processor or electric mixer and blend til smooth and creamy.
xoxoxo
– Susie
by admin | Apr 28, 2015 | Patient Experience
FUDGE ANYONE?
I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I LOVE DESSERTS! I LOVE SUGAR!
I have always loved sweets..and always will. The only problem…I am just too busy for the sugar crash I get within 30 minutes of that delightful treat…It’s simply not worth it.
Needless to say, I have been on a mission to find Fabulous REAL chocolate treats that have everything good for me in every bite.
If you love sweets like me…give this one a try! They are so rich..I can only eat a max of 2! Shocking!
Fabulous Fudge Recipe:
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish
- Chop 8 oz unsweetened chocolate (the best you can find)
- Melt in a double boiler, or microwave stopping and stirring every 15 seconds
- In a mixer, beat 8 oz cream cheese and 3/4 zylitol, erythritol, or I enjoy suzanne somers somersweet
(NO Aspertame products!) Beat til creamy.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix well.
- Add 6 Tablespoons heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/2 cup organic no sugar added peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
- You may also add 1/4 cup nuts if you enjoy nut fudge!
- Mixture will be very creamy and thick. Spoon and spread into your parchment lined baking dish and put in the freezer til very firm. Simply pull out the parchment lined fudge and cut into squares. Put them in a small tin with parchment between layers and pop back in the freezer to enjoy anytime!
Let me know if you like this one..I have more!! Post your comments on Facebook or leave us a message on our contact form.
Warmly,
Susie Ries
by admin | Mar 31, 2015 | Patient Experience
Hello everyone! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I first walked into Innovative Directions In Health.
Time goes so fast when you are feeling good!
It’s been just a wonderful year. I’ve been staying the course with all the bioidentical hormones prescribed for me by Dr. Sinda and everything is working beautifully. I just had another set of blood tests to see if we needed any adjustments. It’s so interesting how fine-tuned our bodies are. Age, stress and life changing events can all affect our hormones. I was curious to see if I needed any tweeking.
I was feeling great, but the tests showed I needed to increase a dosage for one bioidentical precription, and decrease another..just a tad. Thankful for Dr. Sinda’s knowledge, he was able to pin point exactly what I needed to keep my body in tune and running perfectly, and we made a few adjustments. All I could think was…I would never want to try and diagnose and treat myself.
My appointment reminded me so much of tuning my violin. Yes…I played the violin for 30 years! When one string is out of tune, it’s impossible to play. Much like our bodies…everything must be perfectly tuned before we can even start to play too! Thankfully, I have the staff at Innovative Directions in Health to direct the orchestra!
Next blog post! I have some wonderful recipes to share..peanut butter fudge with frosting and all good for you! Stay tuned!!
xoxoxo to all!
– Susie
Follow Susie’s journey on bio-identical hormone therapy, start from the beginning and read her blog postshere.
by admin | Aug 25, 2014 | Patient Experience
Six months can seem like a long time…
But when you are Feeling Great, Sleeping All Night and getting everything done because of Unlimited Energy
…six months is nothing!
That is how long I have been on Dr. Sinda’s personal plan he created just for me with bio-identical hormones and supplements…and it was time for another blood test to see what my body is saying. Yay!! I was so curious!!
Here is how it went!
Dr. Sinda studied the results of my blood tests and compared them to the previous tests taken. It was so interesting to see if the numbers had improved! We went through each test. As Dr. Sinda was carefully analyzing he was also asking about my symptoms and how I was feeling.
Estrogen Level: Much improved and my body would like a little more…we slightly increased the cream I put on my arm each night
Progesterone Level: Much improved…Susie..don’t forget to take that one at night under your tongue.. (note to self!), it must be taken with the estrogen for both to work with each other when you are in menopause!
Testosterone Levels: Put on a little less cream on in the morning. My body absorbed it easily and fast and we can cut back a little.
Vitamin D3 Level: Cut back to taking 5,000iu only 3 times a week…my body caught up and absorbed it beautifully. (did you know that most of us that live in the lovely state of Minnesota are low in D3? Winters are long so we have to stay on top of that one!)
Thyroid Levels: Let’s increase the dosage a tad.
Magnesium Glycinate Supplement for Sleep: Perfect! Lovely and restful at night
DHEA Level: Perfect!
Now…let me tell you how wonderful I felt that Dr. Sinda was in charge!! As you can probably tell, I love this kind of thing. I read every book I see on good organic food, skincare and anti-aging. I can spend hours at whole foods, or a local co-op reading about all the supplements and what they can do..wanting to buy them all…and I have! But let me tell you…our bodies are a perfectly well-oiled machine and I am so thankful Innovative Directions in Health has come into my life!
Would I really know exactly how much estrogen my body needs if I just go and buy some supplement on my own? Those tricky hormones are too important!! Just the slightest tweak can make a difference in feeling calm and balanced, or anxious and moody. Now I know exactly how much my body needs of what..and it’s proven through a simple blood test and a well-informed Doctor.
Thank you Innovative Directions in Health, Dr. Sinda, and the whole team!! What a gift you are to so many of us!!
I’m staying the course!
Stop in and chat with me at Innovative Directions in Health’s upcoming open house on Tuesday, September 16th from 5 – 7pm. Dr. Sinda will be there too! Remember to mark your calendar!
Click Here for Open House Details!
~ Susie
PS – I am beaming with joy holding my new grandbaby!
by admin | Jul 19, 2014 | Patient Experience
WE ALL LOVE CRACKERS AND CHEESE!
Hello everyone! What a wonderful journey with Innovative Directions in Health! Not only do we get balanced with our hormones, sleep great and have tons of energy…we get fabulous recipes that are so good for us we can’t believe we can eat them guilt free! Isn’t that a novelty after age 40..good food and snacks that our bodies need?!
Here is another big WINNER for you!
SEED CRACKER Recipe
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 8 oz shredded cheese of your choice
- Heat oven to 275 degrees
- Combine everything except the cheese in a bowl
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the seed/herb mixture evenly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese EVENLY on top
Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until they are crispy. You can leave in longer to make sure they are very crispy.
Let cool and remove form parchment paper. Break into pieces and put in a cookie tin with parchment paper between layers. These keep for about a month but in our house only a day or so because they are so so good!
Try them with sliced avocado on top…or a little farmers cheese and sardines..or just alone. These are wheat free and loaded with protein and good fats. Your body will be so happy!
Enjoy!! Let us know what you think! Leave a comment on Innovative Directions in Health’s Facebook page.
– Susie
by admin | Jul 11, 2014 | Patient Experience
WHO DOESN’T LOVE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES!
WE hear it over and over again…chocolate is good for you! YES…DARK chocolate is good for you..but after buying many varieties of “good for you dark chocolate bars” I need variety! A truffle perhaps?
Let me open your eyes to heaven in a chocolate ball! I make these by the dozens and keep them in a tin the freezer. They are so delightful, filling and satisfying that you won’t believe they are very good for you. They are loaded with chia seed protein, good fat coconut oil, and wonderful nut butters of your choice.
RAW SEED CHOCOLATE BALLS Recipe (Recipe from Anna Gates)
- 1 cup sunflower seed butter (or almond, or nut butter of your choice)
- 3 cups unsweetened organic coconut flakes
- 2/3 cup good cocoa
- 1/2 cup agave (you can play with this amount or use 1/4 cup honey instead)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 pkg lilly’s chocolate chips (these have no added sugar and are a good dark chocolate but totally optional)
Combine all in a food processor or Kitchen aid until blended. Form into balls and roll in a little of the shredded coconut or the chocolate chips. Keep in a tin in the freezer. Use parchment between the layers.
ENJOY! More recipes to come and an update my bio-identical hormone therapy with Dr. Sinda is going. Make sure to subscribe to the blog so messages come straight to your inbox!
– Susie Ries
