Need Help Finding Alkalinating Recipe Ideas

[D'vorah]

I'm in trouble - I need help finding foods that will satisfy me in taste and density, and I can't eat nuts and seeds right now.

I have two struggles that I know are auto-immune in nature (rosacea and Raynaud's in my feet). The Raynaud's began probably four years ago and has worsened with each year. This year it's presenting even worse, and now with vibrational sensations in my lower arms and legs. These vibrational sensations hint at something even more scary and dire than either rosace or Raynaud’s.

I've needed this to be my motivator. I'm choosing to receive these things as gifts. As uncomfortable and scary as these things are, I am receiving them as friends who offer me purpose.

I'm a southern gal (although I live in the north). One of my struggles with raw is a need for more dense foods than raw fruits and veggies alone offer, but the nuts and seeds that make up a lot of recipes have two strikes against them for me. One, it's so hard to ensure they're raw. Two, most are, according to PRAL (potential renal acid load) listings, acidifying in the body in nature. For lots of people that's fine and not a problem, but it's my opinion after lots of reading regarding auto-immune issues that acidifying foods are inflammatory in nature and that auto-immune diseases may be the product of inflammation, so I need to cut out nuts and seeds. It may be that I can add nuts and seeds back in later when my body is stronger, but for now I need time to let my body become less acidic and less inflamed.

I don't like going to docs and wouldn't want to take any drugs they offer anyway - any drugs for Raynaud's will produce the opposite effect for the rosacea (Raynaud's is an inappropriate clamping down of vessels in extremities, rosacea is an inappropriate opening of vessels in the face), so I'll forego any tests etc, and trust that I need to ramp up to 100% raw AND be alkaline in my approach to raw.

SO. . . . I'm looking for help coming up with some denser food alternatives to meet my needs. What recipes have y'all found for the dehydrator that are tasty and flavorful, savory, not sweet, and offer that crunchy / not wet experience and are made from things other than nuts and seeds?

I'd really be grateful for some help. Meanwhile I'm doing a 40 day green smoothie fast.

Deborah

[Veganforlife]

Lemons are one of the highest alkaline producing foods. I'm sure others will pitch in but keep lemons in mind...

[snoops]

Have you read Brendon Braziers "The Thrive Diet"? He is a vegan, mostly raw triathlete. His book has a lot of good information on acid/alkalizing foods. He also has quit a few recipes, many of them raw or with raw options, using the more alkalizing things. His charts show sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds as being slightly acidic forming, but almonds and coconuts are alkaline forming and macadamias and walnuts as neutral. Flax, hemp and white chia is also neutral according to his charts. The pseudo grains - amaranth, millet, buckwheat, quinoa and wild rice he says are alkaline forming. So maybe sprouting them and using in some if his power bar recipes.

And like VFL says lemon, even though it is acidic, becomes alkaline in our body and is very alkaline forming. So throw some in water, smoothies etc.

[D'vorah]

Thanks, I appreciate the responses. I already have lots of data, many websites and charts for individual foods and the acid-load.

What I really need are recipe ideas that are veggie based and NOT nut/seed based; dehydrator recipes that will satisfy that need for more crunchy or chewy and savory experiences. I'm addicted to breads and crackers, so, think along those lines, but again, things not made from nuts and seeds. I only have a few recipes that fit the bill.

For me, it's a slippery slope. A cooked food that is alkaline (such as veggies and potatoes) trigger huge cravings for those that are acidifying (beads, etc), so I know I need the raw alternatives. I've tried dehydrating potatoes and they just taste nasty to me.

Deborah

[snoops]

I guess all I can think of is kale chips, because I am having the same problem with the need for dense "bread like" stuff. Anything I have found is using seeds and/or nuts. Sorry I can't be more helpful - but I will keep an eye out.

[DebB]

Can you have buckwheat? *Ü*

[sprouts2go]

No flax? No hemp?

[D'vorah]

Acoording to the PRAL charts I've found, the only alkaline nut is hazlenuts, which I'm strongly allergic to. I haven't found any seeds listed that aren't acidifying.

I've thought about my own question through the day, and I think what I'll try to do is created raw soups with various flavors and make leathers in the dehydrator. With those I can make roll-up sandwiches.

:-)

D

[Clare]

Not a "recipe", but you can do a lot of things with avocados to fill you up. Buckwheat has been mentioned. Great recipe for porridge in Alissa's book that you can tweak. I have had that for dinner before it is so good. And someone already mentioned coconuts. Mature coconuts are a very inexpensive source of fullness! One of my favorite simple avo meals is to sprinkle some Celtic sea salt grains on strips of avocados, tops with tons of sprouts and a generous scoop of nutritional yeast, and wrap tightly in a raw nori wrap or romaine leaves. Mmmm. You could marinate and dehydrate kale and mushrooms for savory snacks, but without oil of course the calories aren't there. Keep up those green smoothies. I am convinced that they, in addition to supplemental iodine, helped my thyroid heal which was probably autoimmune in nature too.

[anniez]

I make a raw corn salad that is quite filling. It's just raw corn, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and cuke. I squeeze some orange juice or lemon juice over it. It is very good.

Good luck to you.

Annie

[Asa]

Check out Gabriel Cousins for extensive info and recipes related to this subject, esp. "Conscious Eating". Also, anythings with lots of greens, lemon, sea veggies is very alkalizing. I HIGHLY recommend reading "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko. Drink your green smoothies!

[D'vorah]

Asa, I'm doing a green smoothie fast right now. I love Green for Life and just poured over the new book. Clent Manich is featured in that book. Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCN-d4SJZTc

I'm looking for "bread" or "cracker" or "leather" things for when I transition back to whole foods, things that do not contain seeds, grains or nuts.

I'm going through my recipe books right now looking for simple things that don't have lots of un-raw or exotic ingredients, which so many recipes do. I'm going to experiment with squashes, roots and veggies making leathers that have different cultural flavors or savory flavors using herbs and maybe a wee, little bit of spice, and then use those as vehicles for roll-up sandwiches. I think that's what I need.

Without the nuts and seeds, I'm not sure how to get the leathers to form in the dehydrator without falling apart, but I'm pretty committed to experimentation at this point.

I have lots of ideas for salads, whole fruits and smoothies. Going back to my original question, no nuts, or seeds (that includes grains): "What recipes have y'all found for the dehydrator that are tasty and flavorful, savory, not sweet, and offer that crunchy / not wet experience and are made from things other than nuts and seeds?"

[andra]

I dont have a dehydrator so I cannot really offer practical suggestions but I have read on this board that a lot of people make "eggplant" bacon in the dehydrator and it looks long and crunchy and it is supposed to be good.


My suggestion would be to use nori to make your 'sandwiches'. Other crunchy non seeds/nuts/grains/sweet would be things like daikon, jimicia (sp?), dehydrated kale chips.

Personally, I love savory soups and the recipes are endless for these. I realize you are looking for a bread/chips substitute so that is not really an option.

Good luck,

andra

[andra]

In my hunt for the kimchi recipe, I noticed lots of recipes in Alissa's book that meet your criteria--recipes for veggies in the dehydrator to be used as chips and crunchies. I dont know if you have the book (heck, I have the book and did not know kimchi was in there :o), but there are lots of recipes in there that dont have nuts/seeds and use the dehydrator.

andra

[Asa]

Ahh. Well, can you use oil? If so, things like eggplant bacon (and other marinated veggies) are certainly an option. (I aware that most oils are extracted from your "forbidden" nuts and seeds, but they don't have the protein/harder to digest/etc parts left in them. Plus you could always use raw coconut or avocado oil.) Also you can think about trying psyllium.

Make nori wraps and dehydrate them. You can make pates and spreads without nuts and seeds to fill them with, along with veggies, sprouts, etc. etc.

You can make crackers without nuts and seeds. Something like sundried tomatoes with corn, spices, celery, and a little coconut oil would turn out nicely.

[Asa]

Oh, and are you sure that you can have all nuts and seeds? I'm not an expert on the issues that you have with them, but they are a diverse groups. Maybe chia would be okay? Or sunflower seeds? Have you tried soaked or sprouted seeds? Can you handle starches like sprouted peas/chickpeas?

[D'vorah]

The eggplant bacon recipe looks good. I was just looking at that recipe last night and wondering if I'd like it.

The tool that I'm using as my yardstick is PRAL, Potential Renal Acid Load. I'm pretty committed to avoiding things that show up as positives on the lists, at least for now until my health issues resolve. Later I may be able to exoperiment with adding small amounts back in. Dunno. Sunflower seeds are high, not all nuts and seeds are listed on the charts I'm finding, but across the board seeds and nuts and legumes, hazel nuts being the exception, are in the positive numbers for acid-producing. And I'm allergic to hazel nuts. Sprouts are fine, but don't satisfy that bread/cracker/sandwich need, so I'm still exploring my books looking for ideas for leathers and such.

So, has anyone made "leathers" out of soups? Will it fall apart if I do it without seed and nuts? I may just have to make a batch and see what happens. Maybe starchier veggies like potatoes and squashes?

Deborah

[Asa]

Leathers our of soups tend to work well. Especially nice are those made from soups like sweet potato. That being said, most of those recipes include nuts and/or seeds.

If it's crackers that you want, make some veggie pulp (left over from juicing), add spices, etc., and dehydrate 'til crispy.

[snoops]

So, has anyone made "leathers" out of soups?

Deborah

Someone a while ago make leathers out of a green smoothie so I'm sure you could make them out of soup. Not a bad idea!!

[D'vorah]

Someone a while ago make leathers out of a green smoothie so I'm sure you could make them out of soup. Not a bad idea!!

Yummy ideas. I've spent hours now pouring over my recipe books looking for things that might do. I'm thinking about my next trip in Novermber and having some beautiful leathers in my backpack for the plane ride!

Thanks all, for your input and ideas, you're stoking my fire! OK, bad turn of phrase, ROFL, but anyway, I'm grateful.

D