Years ago in 2006, I was asked to speak at a cardiology conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. at a mainstream conventional allopathic conference. Knowing it was far far from Boulder, I was excited to be able to talk about PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), a condition for which I had created a nutraceutical system as well as a 52-week diet and exercise plan. I was 6 years into the creation of this company and was seeing women all over the world lower their cardiovascular risk, improve their hormone balance, and reduce the effects of PCOS.
The main point of my talk was about insulin, and I tied that into the cardiovascular effects of insulin, which is the offending hormone imbalance of PCOS. My co-presenters were:
The Head of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Cardiovascular Department and
The Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.
And there was me: a Naturopathic Doctor. Oh, and I was 8 months pregnant. Little did I realize the disparity of where I lived and how natural medicine was embraced in Boulder compared to the south. Big difference. Duh!
When I showed my slides about the inflammatory effects of insulin and how damaging it is to the interior lining of the cardiovascular vessels, I was building a case for how dietary changes could in the long run improve the health of the cardiovascular system. The audience was all cardiologists. When I said that nutrients, such as ECGC found in green tea and fish oil, were beneficial for lowering insulin and mitigating its effects, the snickering began.
I’m not kidding. I was intentional in my presentation of research from “their” journals, such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and others. When I described how the insulin secretion begins in the morning with high sugared cereals, bagels, donuts, and pancakes, I then said, “For my patients struggling with PCOS and Insulin Resistance, I recommend fish or chicken and vegetables, such as broccoli, for breakfast.” Then, there was actual laughter. Many of these cardiologists got up and left the room. I looked down to see if my fly was open.
Fast forward to last week when my patient sits down and I read her diet out loud from her intake paperwork: bison and kale for breakfast. I high-fived her. I was so excited! See? I’m not a zealot or a quack. There has been a lot of awareness in the last 16 years about diet, insulin, carbohydrates, weight gain, and hormonal imbalance. The proof is in the chia pudding.
I still would love for breakfast foods to just go away. Why can’t we eat salad and steamed veggies for breakfast? Why does a donut even qualify as a breakfast item at all? Granola? OK, once in a while, but breakfast bars are just about the worst way to start your day.
Here’s what’s ideal if you are not into eating bison for breakfast:
Eggs on a bed of greens:
Nutola:
Tomato Dill Frittata
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
• coconut oil to grease pan
• 8 eggs, whisked
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a medium saucepan or cast-iron skillet.
2. Whisk together eggs in a large bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour ingredients into greased pan.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through in the middle.
5. Garnish with extra dill and chives.
