Keesha Ewers

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars

I love these sugar, dairy, and gluten-free bars that taste like pumpkin pie. Dairy-free, paleo-friendly and tastes just like pumpkin pie! You can eat them plain or dress them up with a non-inflammation producing icing.

The Filling Ingredients:

2 ½ cups organic pumpkin pureed (canned or whole, baked and pureed)
2/3 cup canned full-fat organic coconut milk (or almond, hazelnut, sesame seed, flax milk)
4 pastured eggs, whisked
10 drops liquid monk fruit
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mixture
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. sea salt

The Topping Ingredients (optional):

½ cup coconut butter, melted
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice mixture
½ tsp. fresh grated ginger root
½ cup raw organic pecans, finely chopped

The Crust Ingredients:

3 cups fine almond flour
1 cup raw organic pecans, finely chopped
1 TBSP. pumpkin pie spice mixture
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
6 Tbsp. organic ghee, melted
10 drops liquid monk fruit
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Combine all of the dry ingredients for the crust in a bowl and mix until a dough forms.
Line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper. Press the crust dough into the pan with fingers. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven.
Next, stir all of the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Pour the filling into the pan with the cooled crust.
Bake for 30 minutes until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes, or overnight, before serving.
For the topping: Melt the coconut butter on the stovetop. Remove from the heat and add the spices, vanilla, and nuts. Stir and drizzle over the bars before serving.

The Power of Vastu – Reverse Autoimmunity, Elevate your mood, and Ignite Your Energy

By Keesha Ewers

Vastu Home Self-Assessment

Welcome to Living Abundance Vastu Shastra consultations.

The science of Vastu Shastra allows for greater abundance in all areas of your life.

The ancient science of building, or Vastu Shastra in Sanskrit, is 7,000 to 10,000 years old and comes from the Vedas, the sacred texts of India which also gave us Yoga , Ayurveda (the science of life), and Jyotish (Indian astrology).

The Greek Parthenon, the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, the Taj Mahal and the Roman Coliseum are all said to be influenced and built according the Vastu principles.

The Chinese art of feng shui actually came from Vastu 3,000 years ago. and was changed for geographical and cultural reasons.

Vastu is about balancing the 5 elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth) and 9 planets so that energy, or prana (known in Chinese as chi/qi), moves correctly through any given space.

Optimal energy movement and placement of the elements brings greater harmony, prosperity, health, and less stress. This applies to any space, living, working, or playing. Ideally, the land and house you live in should line up with the poles of the Earth.

Magnetic energy comes from the North and since our bodies also mirror the poles of the Earth, with our heads being the North, it is not healthy to sleep with your head facing North (it repels all that beneficial energy which will affect your finances). It is not necessary to tear down walls or dig up areas of your lot. There are minor corrections and devices that can be used to help energy flow in the direction that brings optimal life abundance.

According to Ayurveda (the science of life) and Vastu (the science of building), we reach our potential health and harmony only when we are in balance. We are microcosms of the macrocosms of the Universe. In other words, the elements that make up the great outdoors, also make us and our environments up.

First there was sound, from sound came air. From the friction of air came fire. From the heat of fire came water and as the water evaporated, we got earth. Ayurveda reduces the stress in the body by balancing the five elements. Vastu Shastra also reduces stress by balancing the same five elements in the environment.

Vastu seeks to protect us from the harshness of the wind, rain, sun, geopathic imbalances and electromagnetic distortion.

The Cardinal Directions and Planetary Influences

A building can be sick with pollution…but also sick by not being in harmony with the elements, Earth, and directions.

Energy flows in from the Northeast part of a building, splits, and moves around and settles in the Southwest. If there are missing corners or extensions in a structure some of that energy gets stuck and throws the five elements out of balance, creating stress.

Blocks in the directional areas of your space will have negative impact on your life, whether it’s relationships, the mind, finances, health, spirituality, energy levels, career or general success in any area of life.

The Planets and Directions and Some of What They Influence

Northwest (Moon): Influences the mind and relationships

North (Mercury): Influences the throat and finances

Northeast (Jupiter): Influences the head and spiritual growth

East (Sun): Influences the heart and general overall health

Southeast (Venus): Influences the liver and energy levels

South (Mars): Influences the adrenals and career

Southwest (Rahu): Influences bones and support from family and friends

West (Saturn): Influences kidneys and education/creativity

Center (Sun): Influences the heart and communication/general overall success and prosperity.

It’s all about balance…

Home Assessment

Let’s see how your home and/or office does when assessed. Each of the sections below include a chart with the optimal directions on the left and the points you give your home/section on the right. Tally each section and when the quiz is done, tally all of the scores obtained from each area.

If your final score is 91-100% you have done well, and your energy ought to be flowing freely! If your final score is 80-90% you might notice some challenges in your energetic flow. If your final score is <80%, it’s time for a professional vastu consultation to optimize your health, wealth, and happiness. You can order our Professional Vastu Consultation package special here: www.DrKeesha.com/vastu .

Office Assessment

Your workspace can be a sacred space if it’s arranged in harmony with the elements and directions. It’s not necessary to have your work exhaust you. Here are some tips for starting the process of balancing the flow of energy for optimal health, performance, prosperity, and happiness:

Have ample light, good ventilation, organized flow, no clutter, plenty of plants, and a water feature in the right place.
The location of desk, computer, safe, electrical equipment all need to be carefully planned.

Ok…time to tally up the points for your office space…

Offsite/Online Analyses: www.DrKeesha.com/vastu

Vastu Shastra can enhance your health, support your prosperity, and bring you the harmony and fulfillment we all want in our lives.

Making simple adjustments to your environment can bring about positive changes in your life: Enhance your relationships, create more abundance, feel an incredible sense of peace and well-being at home or at work. These are just a few of the results that some of our clients have expressed after implementing the suggestions we have advised. Your in-depth, personalized analyses – for a variety of home or workplace settings – can show you exactly what you need to do.

These analyses are very detailed and comprehensive. Once we compile all the information, we will send you a customized analysis explaining what simple changes you can make to achieve your desired results. Our in-person analysis service can cost up to a thousand dollars. Click now and receive the same personalized service at an incredible savings!

About Dr. Keesha Ewers

Keesha is both a western trained Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and is board certified in Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient eastern science of how to live your life according to your unique constitution. Keesha holds a doctorate degree in sexology and is the Mother of a new branch of medicine she calls functional sexology. She is also board certified in functional medicine and a certified vastu shastra consultant, conscious dying doula, MDMA assisted and trauma informed therapist, certified energy worker, yoga and meditation teachers, and the founder and medical director of the Academy for Integrative Medicine health coach certification program.

The Perfect Paleo Pasta Salad

By Keesha Ewers

Paleo Pasta Salad

I made this beautiful salad for my family last night and it was so grounding, filling, satisfying, and delicious I thought I would share it with you. You can swap out anything not on your list of what you eat. You can also reduce the amounts in the ingredients list. I have four children (who are now grown and gone) and I still cook for an army so I can put away left-overs and not have to cook another day. It’s very versatile that way. Please note…it is NOT quick and easy and has way more than 7 ingredients 😊.

Ingredients for main salad:

1 organic yellow onion chopped
1 TBSP minced garlic
Two heads organic broccoli chopped
6 organic carrots chopped
1 head organic fennel thinly sliced
1 head organic cauliflower chopped
¼ cup organic chicken broth
2 organic zucchinis chopped
2 organic yellow squash chopped
16 cherry tomatoes halved
3 organic avocados peeled, pitted, and diced
I bunch organic cilantro chopped
2 organic limes juiced
2 chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce (these are in cans from Embasa that I get in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
1 TBSP ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 boxes lentil or chickpea pasta cooked per package directions and drained (has protein!)
1-pound free range chicken breasts cooked in slow cooker for 4-6 hours on high with garlic and onions and covered with chicken bone
broth. Pull it apart with 2 forks when it’s cooked through and set aside.

Ingredients for salad dressing:

2 organic red bell peppers sliced and seeded
1 head of garlic peeled, and cloves separated
1 yellow onion quartered
½ cup Avocado oil for drizzling and for blending
2 organic limes juiced
2 chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce (these are in cans from Embasa that I get in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TBSP organic raw honey
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Roast the red bell pepper slices, garlic cloves, and quartered onion drizzled with avocado oil on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges of the peppers are browning and the onions and garlic are turning yellow. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool until time to make the rest of the dressing.

Cook the chopped onions for the main salad in avocado oil until translucent. Add the minced garlic and chopped carrots and cook with the chicken broth in covered pan until the carrots are tender. Add the chopped broccoli, sliced fennel, chopped cauliflower, juice from the limes, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, pepper, and diced chipotle peppers and cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower is al dente. May add more chicken broth or water to steam the vegetables if needed. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cover and cook until tender but not soggy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Next put the roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic in a high-speed blender and add ½ cup avocado oil, the juice from 2 limes, 2 chipotle peppers (only 1 if you don’t like spice), the honey, cumin and salt and pepper. Cover and blend on high speed. Set aside.

Now toss the cooked and cooled pasta with the pulled chicken, cherry tomato halves, and diced avocados in a large salad bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and toss with the dressing in your blender. Garnish with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Treating Gallstones Naturally

By Keesha Ewers

Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)

Gallstones are diagnosed in more than 25 million Americans and 75% of those are women. Many people don’t ever know they have gallstones, but those who do know will feel pain, usually in the right upper abdomen or sometimes radiating to the back and right shoulder. There may be accompanying nausea and vomiting. The pain occurs as the gall bladder contracts and the pain subsides as it relaxes. If a stone is lodged in a duct, it can cause inflammation of the gallbladder and a thickening of the wall called acute cholecystitis. It can also cause pancreatitis or cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts in the liver). This can sometimes be accompanied by a high fever, jaundice, and chills. This often requires intravenous antibiotics and surgical removal of the stone.

The severity of your gallstones is related to the severity of the inflammation and will determine if you can try some natural therapies before going to surgery to have your stone removed and your gallbladder out. I have found that if you ask a gastrointestinal surgeon if the gallbladder is necessary, they will often say no. This mystifies me. I have recently been helping my mother with her gallstones and would like to report my findings from the field.

Is your gallbladder necessary?

Well, yes it is in fact. Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder holds a digestive fluid called bile that’s released into your small intestine. Not having a gallbladder puts more pressure on the rest of the digestive system to break your food, drinks, medications, and supplements down into usable and absorbable particles. The surgeon who saw my mother told her the liver would just “take over” the job of the gallbladder. She already struggles to keep her liver enzymes within range for a host of other reasons.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are made from the bile or cholesterol that is made in the liver and carried to the gallbladder. The fat in the food you eat triggers the contraction of the gallbladder that releases bile into the intestine. The stored bile crystallizes into stones or there can be more cholesterol than the bile salts can dissolve and stones that can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball are formed. Pigment stones that are made from bilirubin and calcium salts and are a product of the breakdown of red blood cells can also form in the presence of some types of anemia, liver disease, and infection of the bile ducts.

Why do women form gallstones more frequently than men do?

As usual, it’s all about hormones. Estrogen elevates cholesterol in the bile and progesterone slows the emptying of the gallbladder. Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen increases the risk in pill form, including the oral contraceptive pill.

The more fat that a body carries, the more estrogen it produces, so obesity increases the risk of gallstones. However, so does rapid weight loss from very low calorie diets because not eating interferes with bile production and can cause crystallization of cholesterol. Having diabetes will also increase the risk for gallstones and the almost certain way to suffer from gallstones is to have weight loss surgery.

How are gallstones treated?

In the conventional western model of medicine, a gallbladder is considered an unnecessary inconvenience. After the birth of my fourth child, still deeply enmeshed with the standard American model of medicine, I agreed and had my gallbladder removed. Over 30 years later I can say that I have to pay very close attention to my stomach acid levels, my liver detoxification, my small intestinal microbiome and my large intestine ecosystem and peristalsis. My tongue frequently has scallops around the edges, which indicates poor intestinal absorption. I work tirelessly to have half-moons at my fingernail cuticles, indicating I have enough stomach acid. I test yearly with a comprehensive stool test to make sure I am producing enough bile, stomach acid, the right microbial balance, and digestive enzymes. I do a stomach acid challenge test every six months.

If you do not have a fever, unbearable pain, are not throwing up, and have had an ultrasound confirming your gallstones are not lodged in an area that can cause pancreatitis, you can try the same natural approaches to dissolving gallstones that I have been doing successfully with my mother. She no longer has pain. She’s scheduled for an MRI this week and we shall see if she’s able to avoid surgery. Here’s what I have been doing with her. (Please only do this if you are under medical supervision).

1. A liver and gallbladder flush every week (see below) for three days. Those three days can cause weakness in the system because of the flush so I have her eat normally and take the same supplements for four days of the week between flushes to build her back up.
2. Plenty of freshly juiced organic beets with their greens and freshly juiced organic apples every day.
3. The following supplements:
  1. Chanca Piedra per label (a Peruvian herb known also as “stone breaker” and a host of similar names.
  2. Gold Coin Grass 1 scoop in water three times a day. This is a Chinese herb with properties that have been known to dissolve gallstones.
  3. AF Beta Food from Standard Process per label.
  4. Choline from Standard Process per label.
  5. Cholacol from Standard Process per label.

Plus, she’s keeping a castor oil pack with heat in place, having weekly massage and weekly chiropractic care, and taking 2 Epsom salts baths a day.

Liver, Gallbladder Flush Instructions

(only with medical supervision)

1. 1. From Monday morning until noon on Saturday drink as much apple juice and beet root juice as you can. Eat a clean, anti-inflammatory diet as usual.
  2. At noon on Saturday eat a normal lunch and include a salad.
  3. Three hours after lunch take 8 capsules of Disodium Phosphate by Standard Process.
  4. Two hours later, take 8 more capsules of DP.
  5. Dinner should be only citrus juice.
  6. At bedtime drink 4 oz olive oil with the juice of half a lemon and follow up with grapefruit juice.
  7. Go to bed and lie on right side with right knee up for 30 minutes.
  8. Go to sleep.
  9. The next day, at least one hour before breakfast, take 8 caps of DP again.
  10. Sunday will be your cleanse day. Continue regular diet and expect a loose bowel movement within the hour of taking the DP.
  11. Always check the toilet for signs of passed gallstones.
  12. If you have a lot of stones, you can repeat this in 2 months, in 6 months, and then yearly.

How to reduce the risk of gallstones

Energetically, it’s said that gallstones are a result of resentment, disappointment, and bitterness. In other words, bile that has gone awry. My father died six months ago, and my mother is experiencing all of these things as her natural part of grieving. In addition, she has not been eating a lot I have now found out. Remember a drop in calories can also increase your risk for gallstones.

A nurses study showed that women who ate at least 30 grams of fiber a day and had a handful of nuts as a snack daily were at lower risk for gallstones that those who did not do these things. I have found that in addition to doing the things I listed above, doing a 21 Day Liver Detox every time the season changes is also a good way to keep your digestive system working well and keeps the load off of the gallbladder.

Here’s to your health!

P.S. The above protocol worked (per an MRI that showed the offending stone was gone), and she never had to have surgery!

Autoimmune Reversing Shirataki Noodle Stir Fry

By Keesha Ewers

One of the most powerful things we can do to reduce inflammation is to feed the body only what it asks for. If we feed it things it gets angry about, we wind up with inflammation and pain…and over time this can lead to autoimmune disease. So how do you know what your body is rejecting and what it wants from you? Do an IgG and IgA food sensitivity test every 9 months to keep track of your body’s requests for specific fuel (or food).

For those of us who have already reversed our autoimmunity, we know gluten is the enemy. There were many years that I didn’t eat noodles. However, these days there are non-inflammatory noodle options. One of those options is called shirataki noodles (also called miracle noodles). Following is a healthy main dish that is easy to throw together after a busy day. Shirataki noodles fill you up and are low calorie and low in carbohydrates.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 spring onions, diced
1 cup broccoli flowerets chopped
2 carrots cut in strips
1/4 purple cabbage, shredded
¼ cup green peas
½ cup chopped green beans
½ red bell pepper cut in strips (if peppers ok for you)
1 package Shirataki noodles
2 TBSP almond butter
1 or 2 tsp sriracha sauce, depending on how spicy you want it
2 TBSP coconut aminos (or Braggs liquid aminos if occasional soy ok for you)
Sesame seeds for garnish
Organic cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan on a medium heat and add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent and then add the rest of the vegetables.
Next rinse the noodles and add them to the vegetable mixture when the vegetables are al dente.
When everything to desired tenderness add the almond butter, sriracha and liquid aminos. Stir into the vegetables and noodles to create a sauce and warm through. Serve topped with chopped organic cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

How to Break the Bad Habits That Make and Keep You Sick

By Keesha Ewers

I think we all know that breaking a bad habit is very difficult. We know because of the numerous attempts we have made to stay focused and leave online shopping or social media or news outlets alone when something else needs to be done. We know because of trying over and over again to stay with healthy food programs or exercise regimens…only to find them trashed with the first vacation or birthday party or holiday. Research tells us that humans of today have a lot more pulls on our will power than any other generation in history. This whole internet thing…while it’s got its good points, it’s also a source of constant stimulation designed to make us crave and consume in order to be happy. This feeling of happiness of course is as fleeting as the reward trigger that’s tripped as soon as we hit the dopamine button in the brain. This is also where addiction comes from.

Science tells us there are three steps to this process: the trigger, the behavior (or response to the trigger), and the reward (the feeling we get after engaging in the behavior). Every time you feel satisfied, calm, happy, or sated when you engage in a behavior, your brain remembers and craves that same response again and again…thus a habit is formed…and sometimes an addiction.

Unfortunately, sometimes these habits and addictions can negatively impact your quality of life. The obvious example can be seen on brain images when someone gives into the craving for an opioid drug or sugar (yes they create a very similar response in the brain’s reward network…except sugar is a little worse). The natural consequence to eating too much sugar can be eventual insulin resistance, body weight issues, inflammation, and hormone imbalances. The natural consequences to a heroin addiction can be homelessness and death. So why can’t you just decide to break the habits like financial overspending, overeating, binge watching Netflix, gambling, porn, or impulsive sexual addictions that ultimately lead to negative outcomes? Believe it or not, it’s not about will power or self-control and morality has nothing to do with it…just look at how many religious leaders have been embroiled in addiction scandals.

It’s really more about the way you wired your own nervous system in childhood in response to stressful and traumatic events. First there is an event that happens to an innocent child who doesn’t have a contextual way to understand what just happened. Maybe you were happily building a tower with blocks and some other toddler stumbled into your work of art and it came tumbling down. You are disappointed. The reward system in your brain is not lighting up. In fact, the stress response has just engaged because your expectations are not being met. Right in that moment you will make up a meaning about this event, which will form a belief and then inform an adaptive behavioral response. It might be that in that moment your caregiver saw what happened and swooped you up off of the floor and gave you a cookie. And Presto! The brain’s reward system lights up with the influx of sugar and the brain remembers that sugar calms the stress response and decides that’s a great coping strategy for life…until you are diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in adulthood and have to take a hard look at what you can now see is a maladaptive behavior response to stress.

This was all part of my doctoral research in 2013, which eventually became the HURT (Healing Un-Resolved Trauma) Model that informs my integrative medical practice and helps me to guide my patients into autoimmune disease reversal.

Here are some steps you can take to begin to change the habits that might be making you sick…

1. Map Your Trauma and Health Timeline

It’s important to see what past events might have created the triggers that led to unhealthy habits of today. You can use the template I use to teach my integrative medicine health coaching students* and give to my patients: Your Health Map

2. Track the Secondary Gain You Get from These Habits

Secondary gain is just what is sounds like. You probably already know that a sugar, weed, caffeine, or alcohol addiction is not good for you. But you also get something from it. What does it do for you that causes you to keep it?

3. Develop Compassionate Curiosity

Find the little kid part of you who really really likes the way the brain feels when the reward center lights up in response to your bad habit. Be curious and be compassionate with this little one. What does she, he, or them REALLY need from you? I guarantee it’s not a food, drink, drug, experience, or material item. It’s always going to be love and acceptance. Take the time to give that love and approval and acceptance to that part of you who is craving it. Then work together to find a different way to feel good…a way that is health and life supporting rather than destroying.

*You can learn more about Dr. Keesha’s Academy for Integrative Medicine Certification Program here.