• Home
  • About
    • Media
    • Press
  • Work With Me
    • Mentoring
    • Becoming a Client
    • Book a Session
    • Speaking
  • Online Programs
  • Blog/Recipes
    • Blog
    • Recipes
  • Love
  • Contact

Pure mashed comfort

6 years ago
Kirstin Nussgruber

If there is one side dish that almost always seem to hit #1 on the holiday celebratory dinner wish list, it’s mashed potatoes.

Young and old alike seem to revel in this ultimate of comfort foods, that seemingly is easy to prepare and soothing to eat, not exactly requiring a lot of chewing effort on the part of the delighted consumer.

Of course perfect when you happen to be suffering from debilitating mouth sores as a result of treatments.

From a cancer-kitchen point of view, I very much endorse the feel-good quality of certain prepared dishes, raising our happy hormones and generally contributing to a positive feeling of well-being.

Yet, part and parcel of this approach is always to be mindful of the sugar impact a certain food or dish has on our body.

Potatoes prepared as “mashed” fit into the category of having one of the highest sugar impacts, despite it being a whole food. Certainly the last thing we cancer warriors want to do is disrupt our delicate glucose-insulin balance, even if it just feels so good to have this mashed delicacy melt on our tongue.

What if I assured you that you can have your mash and eat it too?

Very simple! Replace the potatoes with a more low-carb option! Celeriac root, turnips, pumpkins, eggplant and even cauliflower fit the bill, and mash up beautifully, so to speak.

I wish to highlight the potent anti-inflammatory effects of celeriac root. Don’t be intimidated by the gnarly, entangled, messy look of this less than attractive root vegetable, it trims up really well! Just make sure to use it right away or submerge it in a bowl of water with a spritz of lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

An excellent source of Vitamin K (helps transport that calcium into your bones), potent anti-oxidant Vitamin C and the mineral potassium. Potassium has many vitally important biochemical functions which include helping to regulate blood sugar spikes as well as normal muscular activity.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, a common cause of persistent muscle weakness and cramps can be a deficiency in this vital mineral.

It also contributes to the mineral density in bones thus ensuring healthy and strong bones. Potassium also helps synthesize proteins from the foods we eat which are vital to cell repair and tissue regeneration, critical to help a body recover from the often ravaging effects of cancer treatments.

Here are some recipe ideas to really rock your holiday dinner table this year.

Mashed Celeriac Root

Serves 4

2 large celery roots (about 2 pounds or 4 cups), peeled & cubed

pinch of sea salt

Water or home-made broth (to cover cubed celery root in pot by about 1”)

2 tablespoons organic butter (or ghee or if prefer dairy-free use coconut or olive oil)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ – ½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ – 1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (alternatively, try fresh cilantro)

  1. Boil the cubed celery root in the water or broth plus pinch of salt until tender, about 20 minutes. It needs to be very tender.
  2. Drain and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
  3. Add cooked celery root and remaining ingredients to bowl of a food processor or a high-powered blender and process until smooth. Add more liquid to achieve the consistency you like. Add coconut milk to achieve a more creamy taste. Alternatively you can use an electric hand mixer to mash the root, this may not be as smooth a finish though.
  4. Season to taste, you may need to add more salt or lemon juice.
  5. Add minced parsley right at the end and stir to combine.
Inspired by and adapted from “The Healthy Mind Cookbook” by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

 

Mashed Nutty Ginger Pumpkin

Serves 4

4 cups (about 2 pounds) pumpkin (delicata, hubbard, or butternut), peeled & cubed

pinch of sea salt

Water or home-made broth (to cover cubed roots in pot by about 1”)

2 tablespoons organic butter (or ghee or if prefer dairy-free use coconut or olive oil)

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg *

  • Use nutmeg bulbs and a microplane zester to freshly grate nutmeg, or use already ground nutmeg
  1. Boil the cubed pumpkin and pinch of sea salt in water until tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
  2. Drain, reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
  3. Return the pumpkin to the pot, add remaining ingredients and some of the reserved cooking water. Mash using a potato masher or electric hand-mixer.
  4. Season to taste with more salt or nutmeg.
Inspired by and adapted from “One Bite at a Time” by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

References

Fokidis HB1, Yieng Chin M2, Ho VW3, Adomat HH2, Soma KK4, Fazli L2, Nip KM2, Cox M2, Krystal G3, Zoubeidi A2, Tomlinson Guns ES5 “A low carbohydrate, high protein diet suppresses intratumoral androgen synthesis and slows castration-resistant prostate tumor growth in mice”, J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2015 Jun;150:35-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.03.006. Epub 2015 Mar 19. 
LaGory EL1, Giaccia AJ, “A low-carb diet kills tumor cells with a mutant p53 tumor suppressor gene: the Atkins diet suppresses tumor growth” Cell Cycle. 2013 Mar 1;12(5):718-9. doi: 10.4161/cc.23948. Epub 2013 Feb 19.
Rodriguez OC1, Choudhury S, Kolukula V, Vietsch EE, Catania J, Preet A, Reynoso K, Bargonetti J, Wellstein A, Albanese C, Avantaggiati ML.  “Dietary downregulation of mutant p53 levels via glucose restriction: mechanisms and implications for tumor therapy” Cell Cycle. 2012 Dec 1;11(23):4436-46. doi: 10.4161/cc.22778. Epub 2012 Nov 14.

Related Posts

No results found.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.

Find out how we can work together.

Schedule a FREE Consultation
Schedule a FREE Consultation with Kirstin

<script>

Find out how we can work together

  • Book a complimentary Assessment Session with me
  • On the call (phone or Skype) we’ll talk about where you are in your cancer journey, learn a little bit more about each other and decide whether we are a good fit to work together
  • If we decide to go ahead we will talk about which program best fits your needs and discuss the
    next steps involved

Click Me

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RSS

FREE Chapter & Video

from my book, Confessions of a Cancer Conqueror

DOWNLOAD NOW
FREE DOWNLOAD

Please fill out the form below to receive your FREE Chapter + Video from my book, Confessions of a Cancer Conqueror.

Recent Posts

  • Skillet Strawberry Cake
  • Herby Turkey Meatballs
  • Dinner Combo – BBQ Chicken w Broccoli Rice Stir Fry & a Mushroom Skillet
  • Roasted Cauli Salad w grated Daikon Radish, Carrots & Cucumber
  • One Skillet Meal – Soba Noodles w veggies and prosciutto

Categories

  • Appetizer
  • Beverage
  • Blog
  • Breakfast
  • Cancer
  • Conquering Cancer Kitchen
  • Consciously Living
  • Conventional food
  • Core Value
  • Dessert
  • Emotionally Healing
  • Fight Cancer
  • Functional Nutrition
  • Just Diagnosed
  • Keep Moving
  • Loved One Has Cancer
  • Macrobiotic Diet
  • Main Dish
  • ORGANIC SPICES
  • Other
  • Recipes
  • Reducing Toxicity
  • Salad
  • Salt
  • Smart Food
  • Smart Shopping
  • Smart Shopping List
  • Smart Shopping Tips
  • Soup
  • Spices
  • Surgery
  • Sweet Treats
  • Tips
  • Toxic
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • July 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
null
FREE Chapter + Bonus Video from my book “Confessions of a Cancer Conqueror”

DISCLAIMER

The information and opinions on this website are not meant to be a diagnosis, medical or otherwise, of your health situation or a prescription for treatment. In using this website, you agree that you will not rely on its content as medical advice or as a substitute for advice given by your medical team or other healthcare professional. The program and recommendations offered are not meant to be a substitute for regular check-ups and examinations by your physician.

CONTACT ME

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer

  • Home
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Online Programs
  • Blog/Recipes
  • Love
  • Contact

© – Eat Holistic LLC – All Right Reserved

Cleantalk Pixel