Over the last year I have gathered a few more ideas for patients regarding their diet. Many times I am recommending that they avoid dairy and wheat. I then try and give them concrete ideas to make it easier for them to make these changes. Avoiding wheat can seem like a gargantuan task until it is realized that the numerous alternatives are very tasty.

Superstore sells a 100% German style organic rye bread called Dimpflmeier. Many companies are selling different types of rice crackers that are very tasty. My new favorite is Hot Kid brand Hot Wasabi flavour. A beautiful spread for these alternatives for breads is a goat cheese/antipasto. Soft goat cheese is rolled into small balls and covered with chopped olives, sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts then left over night to develop the flavours. The Rice Pancake recipe on my website can make a great substitute for a muffin. Make a full batch and freeze, then pop into the toaster for a quick snack. Rice spaghetti noodles made by Mrs. Leepers or Tinkyada  are a great substitute for pasta. Rice pasta does turn mushy if over cooked so time it for 12 minutes exactly! Brown Rice Tortilla wraps are now available in 100% rice flour at Healthway Vitamins Plus. You can build any type of sandwich with these. My favourite is using smoked salmon, capers and chopped onions. You can also use lettuce as the wrap instead of a carbohydrate.

With the recent evidence that the amino acid, taurine, is important for the detoxification pathways of the body I am recommending animal protein high in taurine: turkey and Bison (buffalo) available at Island Bison. I consider bison to be tastier than organic beef! It is available in all the same cuts as beef including sausages. It is leaner and range fed so very low in chemicals such as antibiotics and pesticides. Certified organic beef is available at Save On Foods. I often will get organic ground beef, make a stir fry and then use it on my Egg Pizza recipe available on my website.

Recently I have noticed huge ad champagnes extolling the virtues of canola oil and canola oil margarines. I have always held the belief that the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) is the world’s largest uncontrolled experiment done on humans and recommend that they be avoided for human consumption. Canola is a huge GMO crop in Canada and I can bet most of the canola products on the market are neither GMO free nor organic. Instead I send people for organic butter to avoid the GMO’s, and antibiotic and pesticide residues found in non-organic dairy products. Superstore often has a good price per pound when they are on special and they freeze really well!

My Ginger Juice recipe is a great alternative for soft drinks. 2 cups of fresh ginger is boiled in one gallon of purified water for one hour then cooled. It is served with ice, lemon and lime juice and stevia drops to taste. Fresh mint readily available this time of year in gardens, added while cooling, adds a wonderful flavour! It is recommended to store this in glass jugs for up to one week in the fridge. For easy transport to the beach or school transfer all ingredients to plastic water bottle and freeze the night before. Then the drink stays cold during the day.

Changing your eating habits need not be an impossible task. Just try something new once per week and you’ll be surprised the difference it makes!