Leaves of Life

Our practitioners identify the underlying cause/s of illness
and guide patients on an individualized journey to wellness.

7720 Rivers Edge Dr.
Suite 121, Columbus, OH 43235
Mon-Thurs 9:30am-6:00pm
Fri 9:30am-4:00pm

Category: Paleo

‘Paleo’ is a style of eating mirroring the diet of Stone Age hunter-gatherers that has a focus on real, whole foods, including meats, nuts/seeds, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats, and limits or omits starch from grains, beans, starchier vegetables and dairy. At Leaves of Life, we often use what we call a “Modified Paleo” plan. In general, we believe most Paleo recipes are a bit heavier on meat and too light on veggies (which promotes an acidic pH) for most, though we may start someone out with a pure Paleo plan initially and observe for changes in body composition and reported symptoms. Some patients require more starch and/or fiber to regulate bowel movements and maintain an ideal weight, so we may include certain types of grains or beans to adjust the plan to fit the patient.

We find patients respond well to Paleo and Modified Paleo, in part because two of the main dietary offenders are eliminated (grains and dairy).

Healthier People, Paleo, Recipes

Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup with Mushrooms and Kale

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Creamy Paleo Chicken Soup with Mushrooms and Kale
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cooked
  • 3 Tbsp ghee grass-fed butter, or refined coconut oil
  • 2 leeks white and light green parts only, chopped – You can sub in chopped onions, if preferred
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups white button mushrooms sliced
  • 2-3 large handfuls kale roughly chopped (it should look like a lot since it cooks down so much)
  • 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp arrowroot starch or tapioca
  • 2 2/3 cups chicken bone broth
  • 2/3 cup organic coconut milk full fat
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (this is for flavor)
  • 1/2 Tbsp brown mustard
  • 2 sage leaves minced
  • 2 tsp fresh minced rosemary
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  1. Melt the ghee, butter, or refined coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until softened, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir to coat, then continue to cook another 2-3 minutes until soft.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk arrowroot into the broth until dissolved. Add the kale to the saucepan over the other veggies and gently stir (it’s a lot, it will cook down quickly though!) then pour in the broth and coconut milk. Whisk in the nutritional yeast and mustard until combined.
Raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat just a bit to avoid overflow, and continue to boil and stir until thickened, then turn heat to low.
Add in the chicken, fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow soup to simmer another few minutes before serving.
Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Hamburger Salad

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Photo courtesy of Leaves of Life

Ingredients:

  • Lettuce, chopped
  • Tomato, chopped
  • Onion, chopped
  • Crumbled hamburger, cooked (turkey, grass-fed beef, or bison)
  • Bubbie’s fermented dill relish
  • Dijon or yellow mustard
  • Salad dressing of choice

Instructions:

  1. Assemble salad
  2. Top with warm burger
  3. Dress the salad and enjoy!

Tips: Try different dressings and toppings to mimic the same flavors you enjoy on a burger. A sun-dried tomato vinaigrette can help approximate ketchup, and a creamy Annie’s Goddess dressing helps to stretch the mustard flavor without over-salting.  If these options won’t work for whatever reason, olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper are remarkably tasty. If you prefer a cheeseburger and you tolerate cheese, top with some shredded, grass- fed cheddar.

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Uncategorized

Baked Chicken “Wings”

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Photo courtesy of Leaves of Life

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 3-4 breasts split in half)
  • 1/8-1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot (aged cayenne pepper sauce)
  • Salt and herbs to taste (rosemary, pepper, garlic, thyme are all great choices)

Instructions:

  1. Spread chicken out flat in baking dish
  2. Evenly coat with Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  3. Sprinkle salt and herbs on top
  4. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until cooked through

Tip:

Take advantage of the hot oven to roast some cauliflower or other veggies at the same time, and maybe a sweet potato, too!

Reserve the extra juices to drip over fresh veggies when you plate it up!

Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Multi-Seed Crackers

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FullSizeRender (4)
Fantastic snack! Photo courtesy of Patty Shipley.

Recipe courtesy of Bistro One Six

Ingredients
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Raw Whole flax seeds
  • ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Whole Seed chia seeds
  • ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Simply Raw sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Simply Raw pumpkin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt
  • Your choice of seasonings such as black pepper, chili, onion or garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, or thyme.

Tip: When choosing your seasonings, pay attention to labels to keep the recipe totally gluten free.

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together plus whatever additional seasonings you might want and stir until combined.
  3. Let sit 10 minutes to allow the flax and chia seeds to become somewhat gelatinous.
  4. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment and spray with cooking spray. Spread mixture out, pressing until the sheet is less than ¼ inch thick.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and slice into crackers (a pizza cutter is super-handy).
  6. Carefully turn the crackers over and put them back in the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes.
  7. Stored in an air-tight container they will stay fresh for a week.
Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Sassy Summer Salad

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salad
Sassy spring salad – plated up and ready to eat!

Salad Ingredients:

  • Mixed greens
  • Your favorite summer berries
  • Pecan pieces
  • Crumbled coconut crisps (suggestion – Dang from Whole Foods, found in or near the bulk aisle)

Salad Instructions:

  1. Combine salad ingredients in whatever ratios you prefer.
  2. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately.

Tip: If you need to put your salad together in advance, put the dressing on the bottom of a salad bowl, next add your berries, then put the greens and crunchies on top. Toss only when you’re ready to serve. This buys you time and avoids soggy greens and coconut crisps!

vinegar and oil
Infused vinegars and oils add flavor depth!

Dressing ingredients:

  • Persian Lime infused olive oil (2 parts)
  • Coconut infused white vinegar (1 part)
  • Honey ginger infused white vinegar (1 part)
  • ½-1 tsp cinnamon (to taste–optional)

Dressing instructions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a sealed jar and shake thoroughly.

Tip: Remember, you can always add more cinnamon, but you can’t take it out!

Tip: I have found the most important part of the dressing recipe is the flavor-infused vinegar.  Just mix equal parts plain olive oil with a fruit- or other flavor-infused vinegar and shake!

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Zucchini Bake

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zucchini bake
Photo and recipe courtesy of Leaves of Life.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium zucchinis, one sliced lengthways and one sliced crossways
  • Peppers sliced into large rings
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2-3 tbsps chopped fresh basil
  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper and dry oregano to taste

Instructions:

  1. Make one layer of round zucchini slices
  2. Top with a layer of pepper rings
  3. Make a layer of lengthwise zucchini slices
  4. Spread basil evenly over top and add another layer of round zucchini slices
  5. Finish with a layer of tomato slices, olive oil and fresh salsa
  6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top

Tips:

Try some flavor infused olive oil for a little extra oomph.  Lime or lemon infused or Tuscan herbs would work well here.

Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Healthy Desserts, Paleo, Recipes

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

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Paleo-Pumpkin-Pie-3670
Photo and recipe courtesy of Elana’s Pantry

Pie Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 egg
  1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly
  2. Add coconut oil and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball
  3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish

Filling Ingredients:

  • 14-16 ounces pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 Paleo pie crust, unbaked
  1. In a food processor combine pumpkin puree and eggs
  2. Pulse in coconut milk, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
  3. Pour filling into Paleo pie crust
  4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes
  5. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours to set up
Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Healthy Desserts, Paleo, Recipes

Paleo Chocolate Pecan Pie

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Chocolate Pecan Pie

Photo courtesy of Leaves of Life. Recipe courtesy of Elana’s Pantry

Pie Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 egg

Instructions:

  1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly
  2. Add coconut oil and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball
  3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 9″ unbaked Paleo pie crust
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chunks
  • 2 cups whole pecans

Instructions:

  1. In a food processor, combine eggs, coconut sugar, and coconut oil
  2. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips by hand
  3. Transfer filling into unbaked crust
  4. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, or until set
  5. Cool completely before slicing, and serve
Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Healthy Desserts, Paleo, Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Bars

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pumpkin bars
Photo courtesy of Leaves of Life. Recipe courtesy of PaleOMG
Ingredients:
For the Crust
  • 6 dates, pits removed
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
For the Filling
  • 1 (14oz) can pumpkin puree or approximately 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup canned coconut milk
  • ¼ cup coconut butter melted to be just a bit soft
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • dash of ground cloves
  • Pinch of salt
For the Topping
  • ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Let’s start with the crust. Add your dates and almond butter to a food processor and pulse until it breaks down together
  3. Then add 2 eggs, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and puree until smooth
  4. Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with some coconut oil, pour in your crust and use a spoon to smooth evenly
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is firm and cooked through when you poke it with a toothpick.
  6. Let cool.
  7. While your crust is baking, make your filling ingredients
  8. Add pumpkin puree and all other ingredients and puree until completely smooth
  9. When your crust is cool, top it off with your pumpkin puree filling and smooth out evenly
  10. Lastly, make your topping
  11. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to a small skillet on medium heat and add chopped pecans. These will burn easily, so be careful.
  12. While constantly mixing the pecans, add your maple syrup, cinnamon, and a bit of salt and continue to stir until pecans have roasted a bit, about 3-4 minutes
  13. Pour pecans on top of pumpkin puree filling
  14. Cool in refrigerator for 30+ minutes
  15. Cut and serve. Keep in fridge to keep from losing shape

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