Dr. Tracy's Blog

Are you excited for fall? What’s not to love about the vibrant colors of New England in the fall? It’s a time to get out our cozy sweaters, enjoy the crisp fall air, cheer on the Patriots and Red Sox (if they get the AL Wildcard spot…) and for some people, sneeze a lot. Yes, unfortunately, many people experience watery eyes, sinus pain and other allergy symptoms when fall arrives. This annoying phenomenon can occur even if you made it through spring without sneezing. That’s because even though the symptoms of fall and spring allergies are the same, the triggers are different. So it’s definitely possible to enjoy one season allergy-free but suffer through another. And because there are more culprits to blame for fall allergies, many people experience the adverse effects. THE SYMPTOMS OF FALL ALLERGIES We tend to hear more about spring allergies, but fall allergies can be just as unpleasant. Symptoms often include: ●      Sneezing ●  ...

Do you need a gluten-free, dairy-free and egg -free breakfast or lunch idea? Look no further. Try these low carb, high protein frittatas made with chickpea flour. They are easy to make ahead of time and can last in the refrigerator up to a week. Chickpea Frittata Cups 2 cups chickpea flour 1 teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional) ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 ½ cups water 2 cups chopped vegetables such as zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, onion, bell peppers ½ - 1 cup chopped greens such as spinach or kale Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the chickpea flour, turmeric, garlic powder, sea salt, nutritional yeast and black pepper in a large bowl. Add water and whisk to eliminate any lumps. Fold in the chopped vegetables and greens. Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners. Ladle about ½ cup of the mixture into each muffin cup. Makes between 12 and 16 muffin cup sized frittatas. Bake...

Enjoy the summer's bounty with this easy dairy-free pesto. Use as a spread on sandwiches or as a sauce for pasta. Dairy Free Pesto ¼ cup pistachios or pine nuts two cloves of garlic one large bunch of basil, about 3 cups of leaves and small stems - if you do not have enough basil you can combine the basil you have with baby spinach leaves or parsley 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, flax oil or melted coconut oil In a food processor pulse the garlic and nuts until chopped. Add the basil one cup at a time and pulse until well combined. Then add the nutritional yeast, sea salt and black pepper, pulsing the food processor to combine. With the food processor running slowly add the oil. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically, process until well combined. One of my favorite ways to enjoy pesto in the summer is to mix sauteed kale, red onion, summer squash ...

Forgive the snowman mug, it's been a cold Spring and still having a pile of snow in front of my house, I thought the mug was appropriate! But now that the snow has finally melted and the flowers have bloomed, allergy season is in full swing. This year is predicted to be one of the worst and latest (hitting MA the worst in June) so I've already started preparing by: Increasing my vitamin C intake Adding Nettles to my tea or making Allergy Relief tea Taking 1-2 capsules of Natural D-Hist daily* How to make a pot of Allergy Relief Tea: Place 2 Tablespoons dried Nettle Leaf into a tea pot, strainer or french press Add 1 Tablespoon green tea, I used citrus green tea Add 1 Tablespoon dried Chamomile flowers Heat 4 cups of water (but not to a full boil) and pour over herbs Infuse for 15 minutes Before drinking you can add local honey if you want to sweeten it and I like a citrus garnish, I used a grapefruit slice *Natural D-Hist is available at Adv...

Even though these waffles aren't as nutritionally packed as I prefer most of my meals, they are a great way to spend a snowy weekend morning with a hot mug of chai tea... Waffles (makes 6 vegan, dairy-free, egg-free treats) 3 cups almond milk 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup coconut flour 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp sea salt 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract In a large bowl combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a separate bowl whisk almond milk with flax seeds for one minute (I actually combine these in a large mason jar and shake it up for one minute). Then add apple cider vinegar to almond milk/flax mixture and let stand for 5 minutes. Add almond milk to flour mixture, then add oil and vanilla extract, mix enough to combine but do not over-mix. These waffles turn out be...

The vibrant blossoming trees and flowers of spring can be a welcome sign of great weather on its way but also spell trouble for the nearly 40 million Americans with seasonal allergy symptoms like itching eyes, sneezing, headaches, postnasal drip and sinus congestion. If you are among the allergy sufferers, grab a mug of green tea with local honey (which has an anti-histamine and immune building effect) and try one of my top three allergy remedies* Natural D-Hist capsules for a non-drowsy way to reduce allergy symptoms. This all natural formula contains quercetin, stinging nettle leaf, bromelain and N-acetyl cysteine to reduce sneezing, congestion, headache and post nasal drip caused by allergies. Quercetin promotes sinus health and has been proven in animal studies to have anti-allergic and anti-asthma properties. Stinging nettle leaf reduces inflammation and has been clinically proven better than placebo to relieve allergy symptoms. Bromelain reduces inflammation and ...