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Making Coconut Yogurt in the Instant Pot

December 1, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I figured out how to make coconut yogurt in the Instant Pot. It’s easy though it does take some time.

I’ve been trying to eat more fermented foods and when we talked with Christine Bailey on a recent podcast, she said yogurt was a great option. She also recommended coconut yogurt if you are not eating dairy.

I’ve been avoiding dairy for a few months because a doctor suggested that some of my skin problems might be related to dairy. Like most of us, I love certain dairy products. Cheese, sour cream, cream in my coffee. I love all of that. But eliminating all of that has helped me feel better.

I do like yogurt. For a long time my go-to breakfast was plain Greek yogurt with berries and some granola on top. It was a tasty breakfast.

Buying coconut yogurt in the grocery store is extremely expensive. And it all has some kind of sugar added to it period at least that seems to be what’s true at my local grocery store. No one seems to make plain coconut yogurt.

I suddenly remembered that my instant pot has a yogurt making option on it so I decided to try making my own coconut yogurt.

Making Coconut Yogurt in the Instant Pot

My first batch turned out pretty well but was rather runny. Coconut milk apparently is lacking some protein or something that causes milk yogurt to thicken. I ended up mixing it in my Vitamix with a little bit of vanilla extract and raspberries. It was a lot like the drinkable yogurts that you can buy in the grocery store. It tasted really good.

Second Batch

My second batch is a bit thicker because I added a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin to it.

As the starter for the yogurt I used plain Greek yogurt. I know it’s dairy but I figured the small amount that I added to the coconut milk is not going to hurt me. I’m not allergic to dairy. I’m just trying to avoid it to help my skin heal.

You can buy yogurt starter but buying a small container of yogurt at the store is a lot cheaper and easier. Now that I’ve made some yogurt, I can save a bit of it to use as a starter for the next batch. It’s like having a sour dough starter. Once you have some, just save it and keep using it as a starter.

Coconut Milk

I used a can of organic full fat coconut milk. I don’t know how light coconut milk would work. Definitely avoid the coconut milk that comes in a cardboard container. You want to use the canned milk.

I added the yogurt starter and a teaspoon of the unflavored gelatin and whisked it well. I then poured it into a mason jar, which I put in the Instant Pot. Then, I added some water to the bottom of the pot, put the lid on, and then set the yogurt time to 24 hours. I figured that would let it really ferment.

After the fermentation ended and I removed the jar from the Instant Pot, I put the yogurt in the refrigerator to let it set for several hours.

When the yogurt was set, I stirred the yogurt thoroughly.

The coconut yogurt does not have a strong taste of coconut. As a treat or for my breakfast, I add some berries and a little vanilla extract but I am not big on adding sweetener. You certainly could if you wanted. You could also sprinkle some granola or chopped nuts on top for crunch.

Recipe for Coconut Yogurt in the Instant Pot

This is so easy, you’ll love it.

Ingredients

1 can of full fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon of Greek Yogurt with active cultures

2 teaspoons of unflavored gelatin (just use 1 teaspoon if you don’t want it too thick.)

Directions

Empty the coconut milk into a small mixing bow.

Add the Greek yogurt and the unflavored gelatin. Whisk well.

Pour the mixture into a mason jar or small bowl.

Place the jar in the Instant Pot.

Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot.

Select yogurt on the Instant Pot and then select time. I went with 24 hours to get a tangy flavor.

When it finishes, shake or whisk the yogurt well, cover, and put in the refrigerator. Wait several hours or even a day and then mix well again. Enjoy!

Notes

Make sure your mason jar or glass bowl are clean. I washed the jar in the dishwasher immediately before using.

Many yogurt instructions say to boil the milk first but because I was using canned coconut milk, I determined that was an unnecessary step. If you decide to do this, be sure to boil the coconut milk first and then let it cool before adding the Greek yogurt and gelatin.

If you make coconut yogurt or any kind of yogurt in your Instant Pot, let me know how it turns out.

Pursue Your SPARK with Heike Yates

November 24, 2020 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 71

In episode 71, Jill and Chris talk with Heike Yates, a fitness and nutrition expert who has helped women worldwide to stay fit for over 30 years.

Her passion is empowering women over 50 to say YES. I CAN. She helps them to take back their health and strength by showing them how fitness, nutrition, and mindset strategies combined create a winning team.

Heike has developed a reputation for creating real-life solutions and lasting results. She is the creator of Pursue Your Spark, the 4 Week Lean Out Program, and host of the Pursue Your Spark podcast. Heike is also a body builder, an Ultra Marathon runner and completed an Ironman Triathlon.

We talk about the five parts of her Pursue Your SPARK program. Each letter in SPARK stands for S=scan, P=plan, A=action, R=roadblocks, K=Kickass. We discuss the mental aspects of fitness along with nutrition and exercise. Heike talks about how to incorporate little changes into your week. She suggests that you start today. Seize the day by repeating a repeatable process and you’ll consistently get results.

She has many fitness and nutrition certificates including:
* American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer certification
* Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) Pilates
* Precision Nutrition (PN) Nutrition Certification Level 1
* Road Runners Club Of America (RRCA) Certification
* Pink Ribbon Program
* Pilates Breast Cancer Coach

Website: https://heikeyates.com
Podcast: https://heikeyates.com/podcast

Heike offers a Free 5 For 50 Kickstarter Guide For Women 50+ on her website (look on the media kit page near the bottom!)

Vaccines and Shots to Avoid Illness

November 22, 2020 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Vaccines have been in the news this past week. Different companies announced early results from tests on their vaccines to fight COVID-19 (Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, and the other by biotechnology firm Modern.)

It was about this time last year when I got a flu shot. And this past week I got my flu shot, so now two years in a row I got the flu shot. With almost every news story about COVID-19, illness is top of mind.

Just a few minutes ago, my daughter texted me and my husband about getting a pneumonia vaccine. Neither of us have had that vaccine, but perhaps we should. The way I understand it, there are three causes of pneumonia (viral, bacterial and heart-related) and the shot protects from viral.

In August I got the Tdap vaccine. It’s an every 10 year shot to protect from Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough.)

Flu shots and vaccines are definitely on my mind.

A few years ago I had two friends, both in their 40’s who had terrible bouts with shingles. At the time, I wanted the shingle shot. I asked at two different places (a clinic and my doctor) but both said that I was too young (under 60) and refused to give me the vaccine.

Now that I’m over 60, I still don’t have the vaccine, but have it on “my list” of things to do for my ongoing health. The CDC now recommends the shingle vaccine when you turn 50 years old.

With the pandemic on my mind so much this year, it seems like I have said “When COVID is over, I’m going to…” so many times. As of today, there are 182 vaccines in development to stop COVID.

Have you had the flu shot? Shingles? Pneumonia? Are they part of your healthy plan? What are your thoughts about vaccines to stay healthy with vaccines?

Miso Ginger Noodle Soup

November 12, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

It’s fall here in Ohio and my heart has turned to soup. My Miso Ginger Noodle Soup is a great soup and very easy because I used convenience foods to make it. I know we’re always talking about not using prepared foods but I think this worked out well.

The miso-ginger stock that I used was something I bought at Trader Joe’s. It’s fantastic. I used to buy regular miso there but they no longer carry it. (At least right now. You never know what they’ll carry or discontinue.) I had intended to make my own miso stock but this was convenient and tasted great.

I had a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables so I decided to use that. Rummaging around in the refrigerator uncovered some cooked chicken that was ideal to add to the soup. Finally, I had some rice noodles in the pantry that I decided to include.

Miso Ginger Noodle Soup

This soup is fast and easy to make.

Ingredients

1 cartoon of miso Ginger broth ( I bought this at trader Joe’s but you could of course make your own broth.)
1 square Vietnamese brown rice noodles
3 cups Frozen stir fry veggies (whatever you have on hand works)
1 cooked boneless chicken breast, chopped or shredded
Dash Sesame oil (optional)

Directions

Pour the whole carton of miso ginger broth into a large saucepan and place on medium heat.

Add the frozen stir fry vegetables and kale and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for several minutes, until the vegetables are heated and the kale is wilted.

Add the cooked chicken and cook until heated through.

Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Stir the dash of sesame oil over them for a bit more flavor.

Put some noodles in the bottom of a bowl and ladle soup over them.

Enjoy!

Notes for Making Miso Ginger Noodle Soup:

You could use whatever vegetables you have on hand. The stir-fry vegetables worked great.

Adding some sauteed onions would be fantastic.

If you use spinach instead of the kale, add the spinach at the very end since it takes much less time to wilt.

I recommend cooking the noodles separately so that if you have leftovers, the noodles won’t turn into mush.

Let me know if you make this. Share a photo if you have one.

Gut Health with Christine Bailey

November 10, 2020 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Gut Health – Podcast episode #70

In episode #70, Jill and Chris talk about taking care of the gut and brain during menopause with Christine Bailey.

Christine is an award winning degree qualified Functional Nutritional Therapist, Chef and Author with over 20 years of experience in the health, corporate and food industry. With a first class degree in Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BSc) and additional training by the Institute of Functional Medicine Christine is an experienced nutrition practitioner and speaker working in the public and corporate sector. Christine works as a consultant for a wide range of health, fitness, supplement and food companies.

Discussed in today’s podcast with Christine Bailey:

What you eat and when you eat makes a difference in your health
The problem with restrictive eating.
How gut health affects during stress
How the gut influences coping skills and depression
Why changes in estrogen affect both the brain and the gut
How to get diversity in your food and improve your health
Why it’s important to get rid of the endocrine disruptors (and what they are)

Christine is a writer for many national magazines and newspapers and has published over 16 recipe and health books including her latest books My Kids Can’t Eat That, The Brain Boost Diet and The Gut Health Diet, endorsed by Dr Mark Hyman from the Institute Of Functional Medicine USA.

Christine also lectures nationally and internationally and is widely sought after for her expertise.

More information at her website www.christinebailey.co.uk
Instagram: @christinembailey
Facebook: christinebaileykitchen

Some of her books:

Nourish: Cancer Care Cookbook
Eat to Get Younger
Supercharged Juices and Smoothies
Supercharged Green Juice & Smoothie Diet Dec 2015
Paleo Diet
Raw Food Diet
The Gut Health Diet
The Brain Boost Diet
My Kids Can’t Eat That: How to Deal with Allergies & Intolerances in Children

Race Recap of the 2020 Buckeye Half Marathon and 10K

November 5, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

I ran the 2020 Buckeye Half Marathon and 10K this past weekend. It made me remember why I like to run races.

Running the Buckeye Half Marathon and 10K is turning into a tradition of sorts. I ran the same race last year in 2019. Reading last year’s recap is bittersweet because I said I wanted to train over the winter for the 2020 race season and as we know, that didn’t happen.

I ran the 10K again. Two years ago I trained for the half marathon and somehow injured myself and missed the race. I’ve stuck with the shorter distance for now.

2020 Buckeye Half Marathon and 10K

This course for this race is a run through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It’s a large loop almost completely on roads. One of the roads was closed. The others had at least one lane open but fortunately there wasn’t much traffic.

The weather was pretty miserable. You can see in the photos what the sky looked like. It rained at the beginning of the race. The rain was hard enough that everything got soaked. I discovered that my right shoe leaks. Eventually my left shoe also leaked. Running on wet feet isn’t the best. Fortunately, the rain stopped and we ran under threatening skies but no more rain. Also, the temperature dropped later in the day but it stayed steady at close to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Wet and warm was bearable. Wet and cold would have been dreadful so I felt like this could have been a lot worse.

There were 120 participants in the 10K and two in my age group of women. Due to Covid 19 precautions, each race was limited this year to 150 participants, whereas in 2019 there were almost a total of 600 participants.

My results were 1:15:08 with a pace of 12:05. In 2019, my results were 1:17:29 with a pace of 24:57. So I was about a minute and a half faster this year. Interesting. There’s something wrong with last year’s results because my pace couldn’t have been that slow but I think the total time is correct.

This year I came in first in my age group (out of two) and last year I came in second (out of two.) We really need to get more women over 50 running!

Covid 19 Precautions

Last year there was lots of activity post-race with plenty of snacks and drinks. This year was limited to water and we were encouraged to move out of the area quickly. I know there were people I knew running but I didn’t see them because there was no socializing going on.

Results were provided later in the day so we wouldn’t hang about waiting for them.

We were told to run 6 feet apart from other runners and to ensure a 6 foot distance when passing someone. That worked about as well as you might expect. Some paid attention to that and others did not. We did not have to wear masks, even at the starting line.

Post Race

I felt great after running the race: I felt energized, though also very wet. Next time, I will make sure to bring dry shoes and socks to wear on my drive home. Peeling off the wet clothes and taking a warm shower felt great. No ice baths for this race recovery.

We got a nice medal and a performance sweat shirt for running the race. I can go pick up a mask as my prize for winning my age group. Given how many masks I go through, I’ll be happy to get a new one.

The race organizers did a great job with putting on this race. Given the circumstances, it was amazing we got to run it at all.

I sure hope there are races next year. It was fun to run this one!

The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse by Maria Emmerich

October 29, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Maria Emmerich has written a lot of books about following a ketogenic diet so I checked out The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse. I wanted to call this a cookbook but the publisher calls it a guidebook. I suppose that is more accurate because it covers a lot of information.

We’ve often talked about the keto diet often on the Fit, Strong Women over 50 podcast. Most recently, we talked to Keto Woman.

Overview of The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse

The book is divided into five parts. Part 1 tells you how to heal your body. This section discusses why a ketogenic diet is good for you. She touches on cholesterol and Alzheimer’s and describes the problems with consuming carbohydrates. She also covers information about consuming fat and sugar and the effects on your body’s production of insulin.

Sections of The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse

Emmerich defines the ketogenic diet in Part 1. She explains how it affects your body and then provides the steps to “establishing a well-formulated ketogenic diet.” The point of this cleanse is to help you get into ketosis. This section also includes information about intermittent fasting and exercise.

Part 2 is the Ketogenic Kitchen which cover subjects such as ingredients and tools.

The meal plan and shopping list broken down by weeks is in Part 3.

Part 4 is the bulk of the book. Here are the recipes that make up the cleanse.

Finally, Part 5 is a list of resources, a listing of personal care products, testimonials and the indexes. Personally, I love indexes (that’s a discussion for another day). This one is split into a recipe index and a general index. I find that usually works well as long as you remember where you’ll find the recipes.

The book is well organized and is visually appealing. It has beautiful photographs. The book is laid out nicely with easy-to-read tables and graphs. Emmerich also does a good job of defining terms.

Recipes

This guidebook has 160 recipes and a meal plan for the first 30 days of a ketogenic diet. The recipes in this book are also dairy free. The first couple of chapters are devoted to explaining what a ketogenic diet is. It’s a high-fat moderate protein and low carb way of eating. The theory of that is that it causes the body to burn fat rather than sugar for energy.

The first 30 days described in this book are set up as a cleanse. The premise is that you follow her meal plan for 30 days and then you should feel great because you’re in ketosis. Once you complete the cleanse, she says that you will want to continue to eat this way.

The book includes a wide range of recipes. There are sections on sauces, breakfast, snacks, salads, soups, and main dishes including chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. The recipes end with what she calls Keto treats. These appear basically to be desserts.

Good Variety

What I like about this cookbook is that the recipes are a nice blend of foods. Many Keto cookbooks are a lot of bacon and cheese recipes. There is some bacon in this cookbook but not much. Certainly not on every page. Since it is a dairy-free cookbook, there’s no cheese at all which I find a welcome change. Don’t get me wrong. I like bacon and cheese but I’m not convinced that I should eat it every day.

Some of the recipes are a bit complicated. Because you’re supposed to eat this according to the 30-day cleanse schedule, she assumes that you have certain ingredients already prepared. For example, a recipe calls for cooked chicken so you need to have it on hand. This certainly isn’t a deal breaker but if you’re going to use the recipes without following the meal plan, make sure to plan ahead.

I don’t always do well with following a set meal plan but there’s lots of good recipes and ideas here that it’s worth checking out anyway.

A Good Place to Start

If you are curious about eating a Ketogenic diet, The 30-Day Ketogenic Cleanse is probably a good place to start. Emmerich provides lots of information about the diet and why you should eat this way. She includes a wide range of resources and information. Throughout this book, Emmerich mentions that she is a visual learner. It shows in her book design because it has lots of graphics and photos. I think overall this is a book I would recommend to others.

Seasonal and Life Changes

October 27, 2020 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

In episode 69, Jill and Chris discuss seasonal and life changes and their effect on health, fitness and motivation.

Without many of the routines and goals from years past, it has been more challenging to maintain a strong mindset. Along with the challenges of pandemic, dealing with the change of season and life changes can add to the challenge. Jill and Chris discuss their struggles and strategies for coping.

We discuss:

• Races in real life
• Grief
• Emotional eating and feeling your feelings
• Strength training
• Intermittent fasting
• Camping
• Honey healing effects
• Food allergens
• Walking in nature
• Injury
• Yoga

People react differently to seasonal and life changes and knowing yourself can help keep a steady hold on fitness habits and a healthy lifestyle.

If you’re new to our website and community, welcome! We encourage healthy eating, exercise and try to inspire each other to stay motivated to get the most out of life. Our Becoming Elli community is named for Elli, the Norse Goddess of Old age, who was challenged to a wrestling match with Thor… and won

We love to hear from our listeners! Please leave a voice mail at 330-970-6662 or send an email to chris@ or jill@ becomingelli.com.

Are We Ever Happy with Ourselves?

October 22, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Are we every happy with ourselves? This is the question I asked myself recently.

Dreaming

The other night I dreamt that I was going to attend someone’s wedding. I’m not sure who was getting married but I realized that this person was a former co-worker. In my dream, I realized that a different former co-worker who I did not get along with was also going to be at the wedding. In my sleep, I immediately thought, “What am I going to wear? I have to look my best if he’s going to be there.”

What? Even in my sleep, I’m worrying about how others perceive me and my appearance? Wow. That was amazing to me. Actually, it’s rather depressing.

Doctor Visit

Right around the same time as that dream, I had an appointment with my doctor. We were discussing different preventative tests I should have and in response to a question, she said, “well, you’re a woman of healthy weight so I don’t think that’s an issue.” I actually had a moment of shock when she said I was a healthy weight. I always expect to be told that I’m over weight.

I was pleased but surprised by her comment.

Are We Ever Happy with Ourselves?

That’s the question, isn’t it? What does it take to be satisfied with how we look? I don’t know why but I would think this should be something we outgrow but I guess it isn’t.

Chris and I talked about this quite a while ago in podcast episode 14, Getting Past Negative Voices Women Over 50 Podcast. I think that I should go listen to what I had to say then. Maybe it’s time for Chris and I to talk about this again in an upcoming episode.

What about you? Do thing pops up that surprise you? What makes those self-critical ideas come into your head? Let me know because I think it’s something many of us struggle with on a regular basis.

Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

October 15, 2020 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I came up with this Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad to help celebrate the fall season. Fall is a great time of year for the hardier vegetables like Brussels sprouts and kale. I went to make lunch the other day while my daughter-in-law was visiting and said, “I know. Let’s make this salad I’ve been thinking about.” We both enjoyed it and we both had some ideas on how to improve it.

It’s been quite a while since I posted about my cruciferous crunch salad. This is in the same vein but has a simpler dressing and fewer veggies. I bet you could use a bag of cruciferous crunch salad with this recipe.

This recipe uses sliced Brussels sprouts and chopped kale. You can buy both of these things at the grocery store but it’s easy enough to do at home. I had fresh Brussels sprouts in my refrigerator so I sliced off the ends and then used my food processor with the slicing blade. I quickly had sliced Brussels sprouts at less than the cost of already sliced ones from the store.

You can also chop your own kale or buy pre-chopped at the store. I happened to have a bag of pre-chopped kale so it was convenient.

I used a honey crisp apple because that’s what was in my refrigerator. The honey crisp apple tasted great but you could switch the apple to something a bit more tart, if you prefer.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

2 cups of Brussels Sprouts, sliced

2 cups chopped kale

1 diced apple (remove skin if you prefer)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

Dressing

8 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tsp of Dijon or Brown Mustard

Directions

Mix the sliced Brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl.

Pour the dressing ingredients into a small jar and shake well and then pour the dressing over the Brussels sprouts and kale.

Stir well, coating the vegetables with the dressing.

Cover the vegetables and let sit for at least an hour. Longer would be better. The dressing helps soften the crunchy vegetables so you could actually let this sit for a day in the refrigerator.

When it’s close to time to serve, add the chopped apple, pecans, and blue cheese. Mix well and serve.

Notes for Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

The quantities of kale and Brussels sprouts can be adjusted based on what you have on hand. You could probably omit the kale completely if you want.

The first time I made this salad, we ate it right away. It hadn’t soften from the dressing so we decided this would be better if it sat for a while.

You could omit the blue cheese or replace it with feta cheese.

I used pecans but you could also use walnuts or maybe pumpkin seeds. Experiment with what’s in your pantry.

My daughter-in-law doesn’t like cranberries so I didn’t use them but I think dried cranberries would be an excellent addition to this salad. If you’re going to serve it over the holidays, definitely consider using them just for that splash of color.