Free Covid-19 testing is available without a doctor’s order or appointment at two events this week.  In Ridgway at the Ouray County 4-H Center, drive through testing will be available today, Wednesday November 11th from 6:30 am to 7 pm.  In Telluride at the County Intercept Lot located at 130 Society Drive, testing is available tomorrow, Thursday November 12th from 7 am to 5 pm.  Ridgway’s testing is via an oral route so avoiding food for 20 minutes prior to the test is advised.  

For those who are regularly in contact with others such as teachers, those with children in school, employees of retail establishments, restaurants, medical offices and hospitals, I do recommend additional immune support this year.  We are well stocked with all of your favorite immune support products such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Probiotics, A-Biotic, Immune Dx, Quercertin, Melatonin and more.  Let us know if you need help figuring out the right regimen for you! 

If you hadn’t noticed, cauliflower is having a moment!  Low carb, high antioxidant and able to morph into many forms, this humble vegetable is now in the limelight.  Here is an easy yet exotic recipe to give you an idea of it’s potential.

Tandoori Cauliflower   

Ingredients 
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews 
2 Tbsp. coconut oil 
2 Tbsp. lime juice 
1 red chili, seeds removed  
3 tsp. curry powder 
pinch of turmeric 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1 tsp. salt 
1 cauliflower head, cut into bite sized pieces 

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  In a food processor, add all of the ingredients except cauliflower and process to form a smooth paste.  
3.  Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and pour in the marinade; mix well to ensure all the pieces are coated. 
4.  On a lined baking sheet, place coated cauliflower florets and roast until tender, 45-60 minutes.  5.  Garnish with lime juice and serve.

By Shahzadi Devje

Sometimes a cold night just calls for a warm chowder.  Notice that I made some substitutions to make this gluten and dairy free!

Cod Chowder

Ingredients 
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1 cup diced onion 
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I use gluten free all purpose flour) 
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
ground pepper
4 cups reduced sodium fish or seafood stock ( I used 1 small bottle clam juice and the remainder low sodium chicken broth)
1 cup whole milk ( I used unsweetened plain almond milk)
3 cups diced red potatoes
2 cups chopped green beans
1 1lb. wild cod, cut into 1 inch pieces
dill for garnish 

Directions 
1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 3-6 minutes. 
Sprinkle flour, Worcestershire, Old Bay and pepper over the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. 
Add fish stock (or clam juice and chicken broth) and milk; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  2.  Stir in potatoes; bring just to a simmer.  Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Then add the green beans and continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender, 5 minutes or so. 
3.  Add cod and cook, stirring gently until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.  Garnish with a generous sprinkling of fresh or dried dill.

From Eating Well

This is my favorite time of year to cook.  The weather has cooled down and evenings are spent indoors.  Winter squash are in season and baking something in the oven is appealing.  I bought a nice spaghetti squash from Yurtstead Farm’s booth at the Montrose Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago and made this delicious and comforting recipe. 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash 

Ingredients 
1 Tbsp. olive oil 
1 lb. ground meat ( I used ground turkey).  Crumbled firm tofu or beans could be substituted to make this vegetarian. 
1/2 yellow onion, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 carrot, diced 
1 stalk celery, diced 
8 mushrooms, diced 
1/2 tsp. dried oregano 
1/2 tsp. dried basil 
1/2 tsp. dried thyme 
1/2 tsp. sea salt 
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 
1 28 oz. can diced or pureed tomatoes
1 medium sized spaghetti squash or 2 small squashes 
grated parmesan, for garnish 

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  
2.  Poke a fork into the squash in several places. 
3.  Place the whole squash on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, flipping the squash over half way through.  Take out of the oven and allow to cool.  Cut the squash in half and carefully remove the seeds with a spoon and discard.  Then scrape out the squash “noodles” from the skin, taking care not to rip the skin.  Set the “noodles” aside in a bowl.
4.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5.  Add the ground meat to the oil and break into crumbles.
6.  Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook until the meat is well-browned and the onion is tender.
7.  Add the seasonings and tomatoes and stir to combine.
8.  Once the mixture begins to simmer, reduce heat to medium and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9.  Add the spaghetti squash noodles to the pan and toss with the sauce until everything is evenly coated.  
10.  Carefully return the mixture to the squash skins and top with parmesan if desired.  
I like to put these back in the oven on a baking pan under the broiler for a minute to brown the parmesan.  
Serve and enjoy!  

Hello Everyone,
As promised, here is the link to my free webinar video replay, Dial In Your Digestion:  Natural Strategies to Heal Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  I review the top three underlying causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and my unique method for addressing those causes to resolve gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain for good.  The video is packed with useful information and I truly hope you enjoy!  Best of all, I am offering a free 15 minute phone consultation for those who watch the video and want to take the next step to resolving their digestion problems.  Please call my office to schedule the consult or for more information.

I am excited to announce that I will be offering a free webinar this month called Dial In Your Digestion:  Natural Strategies to Heal Irritable Bowel Syndromeon Thursday October 22nd at 11 am.  This webinar is for you if you are struggling with chronic or recurrent gas, bloating, stomach aches, constipation or diarrhea.  We will review the most common underlying causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and my customized approach to resolve the problem.  Click here to register.  You will only be able to access the live webinar if you have signed up before the event.  I look forward to seeing you then!

I will be out of the office on Monday and Tuesday October 19th and 20th.  Kiva will be at the front desk on Monday the 19th from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm to assist you with supplement purchases and appointments.  I will be back in on Wednesday the 21st at 8:30 am.  I look forward to seeing you soon!

Check out this interview with Melissa Currie, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor.  We discuss how we work together to help clients reduce pain and inflammation, increase energy and achieve fitness goals by combining Naturopathic nutrition consultation and hormone balancing with Melissa’s training and body work.

Are you anxious about food, wondering what will set off diarrhea or stomach aches?
Have your digestive problems interfered with your ability to work or enjoy your free time?
Are you tired of being stuck at home because your digestion is so unpredictable?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this webinar is for you! 

I am excited to announce that I will be offering a free webinar this month called Dial In Your Digestion:  Natural Strategies to Heal Irritable Bowel Syndromeon Thursday October 22nd at 11 am.  This webinar is for you if you are struggling with chronic or recurrent gas, bloating, stomach aches, constipation or diarrhea.  We will review the most common underlying causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and my customized approach to resolve the problem.  Click here to register.  You will only be able to access the live webinar if you have signed up before the event.  I look forward to seeing you then!

Sign up for Dr. Abigail Seaver’s free webinar Dial in Your Digestion: Natural Strategies to Heal Irritable Bowel Syndrome on Thursday October 22nd at 11:00 am.

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I am so pleased to share a recent interview with Lynton Moore, Licensed Professional Counselor.  I think you will be interested to hear Lynton’s take on the importance of nutrition, gut health, hormone balance and sleep on mental health and how she and I collaborate so that her clients can get the most out of their counseling and other mental health therapies. For those of you struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction or a history of trauma, I can collaborate with your counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist to correct underlying health imbalances so that your response to mental health treatment is more successful.  Contact my office for more information or to get started!

Interview with Lynton Moore, Licensed Professional Counselor

Flavonoid-rich broccoli is featured in this easy, healthy salad. 

Ingredients 

Salad
1 lb. broccoli florets (from 1 1/2 lbs. broccoli stalks) thinly sliced, then roughly chopped.  If you prefer your broccoli cooked, blanch quickly in boiling water and then immediately cool in ice water and then drain. 
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or slivered almonds 
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional) 
1/3 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries, chopped 

Honey Mustard Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard 
1 Tbsp. honey 
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt 

Instructions 
Toast sunflower seeds.  Pour the seeds into a medium skillet heated over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning for about 5 minutes.  Pour into a large serving bowl.  Add the chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and cranberries to the bowl.  In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well combined.  Pour dressing over the salad and mix well.  Salad will taste best if it marinates in the dressing for at least 20 minutes up to overnight in the refrigerator.  Enjoy! 

Courtesy of Cookie + Kate 

As I discussed in a prior newsletter, this is a very important year to prevent the flu.  An overlapping flu and Coronavirus infection or back to back infections could prove life threatening.  There are now a number of local grocery stores offering flu vaccines.  In some cases, the vaccines are available for free.  Our local Ouray County Health Department will be starting to offer flu vaccines in October. 

If you chose not to get a flu vaccine, I strongly recommend the use of homeopathic Flu Nosode.  This is a very dilute version of the same strains of flu used in the flu vaccine used orally throughout the fall, winter and spring to prevent the flu.  Please contact us if you would like a bottle!

Many of you have heard about free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage and are thought to play a big role in many health conditions including dementia and cancer.  New research demonstrates that flavonoids, protective nutrients found in many plants, can prevent much of this free radical damage.  A recent study was done on the effect of diet on senior’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.  It was found that those with the highest flavonoid intake had a 48% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those with the lowest intake.  The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of those foods reduce damage to the brain.  Fortunately, there are many foods rich in flavonoids that are easy to include in your diet.  Top sources include leafy greens, tomato, broccoli, grapes, beans, pears and olive oil.  See my broccoli salad recipe below to get started incorporating these into your diet!