Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

I am so honored to mention that Dr. William Davis, New York Times best selling author of Wheat Belly has just written a forward for my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. Click HERE to check it out!

Digestive problems? Yeast infections? Chronic Fatigue? Allergies? IBS? Cravings? Eating fermented vegetables daily is a natural cure. If you have a history of using antibiotics, it causes your gut to be more susceptible for parasites and Candida overgrowth. The most common thing I see missing from the majority of diets are fermented foods...no alcohol doesn't count! Nor does grabbing a can of sauerkraut from the shelf at the grocery store. Commercial sauerkraut is preserved in vinegar instead of the traditional lactobacterial probiotics. Instead try making your own or purchasing real fermented products like Bubbies sauerkraut and pickles.



A healthy large intestine is very acidic and has lots of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. These healthy microorganisms feed on the waste left over from our digestion and create lactic acid. We need lactic acid that they produce to keep our colons healthy and in an acidic state. Without them the colon does not have enough acidity to stop the growth of parasites and yeasts and eventually the environment becomes hostile to acidophilus.

Some of the signs of candida yeast overgrowth are fatigue, poor memory, a "spacey" feeling, intense food cravings, gas, loss of sexual desire, bad breath and indigestion. Candida has also been directly linked to allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity disorders and various cancers. Use of antibiotics, birth control pills, alcohol and refined foods all increase the risk of developing candida.

We have millions and millions of good gut bacteria in our stomach. But we compromise the good bacteria with over-the-counter medications, antibiotics, diarrhea, colonoscopies, cleanses... All of these can lower the good gut flora. When we are low in good gut flora, serotonin suffers. When we are low in serotonin, we have intense cravings and low moods. Probiotics also protect us from from colon cancer, prevention of inflammatory bowel disease, relief from lactose intolerance, diarrhea, and reduction in children?s cavities (check out http://www.westonaprice.org/ for proof on this one)!

We need good bacteria for other things too. Most American's are fooled by marketing that we need "whole grains" in order to be healthy. Consuming bacteria helps reduce the phytates and lectins found in grains. Theses desired microorganisms that create lactic acid in the colon are naturally found in all vegetables and helps turn cabbage into highly-digestible sauerkraut. The fermentation process increases the amount of microorganisms.

Lactic acid also helps digestion at an earlier stage in our stomach. As we get older, our stomach?s natural secretions of hydrochloric acid decrease. Hydrochloric acid breaks down food so it can be more easily absorbed by the small intestine. It is also the most important defense we have against harmful bacteria and parasites often present in food. Lactic acid can help compensate for reduced hydrochloric acid.

Unpasteurized sauerkraut and some dairy products such as sour cream (I prefer Horizon's Organic brand) also benefits digestion in the stomach by assisting the pancreas. The pancreas secretes essential digestive enzymes into the stomach. Sauerkraut is especially high in enzymes that work just like the ones from the pancreas.

"HEALTHIFIED" FISH TACOS:
FISH:
1 TBS coconut oil
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
6 (3 ounce) fillets mahi mahi fillets
SAUCE:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 dash cayenne pepper
ADDITIONS:
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1 cup salsa
6 (6 inch) "healthified" tortillas, warmed (see below)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the mahi-mahi with salt and pepper. Cook the fillets in the hot oil until the fish is golden brown on each side, and no longer translucent in the center, about 3 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

To assemble, place a cooked mahi-mahi fillet into the center of a warmed "healthified" tortilla. Place a scoop of the avocado and salsa onto the fish, then drizzle with the sour cream sauce, and finish with a generous pinch of chopped cilantro. Serve with Bubbies Pickles!

"HEALTHIFIED" TORTILLA
1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour (or 3/4 cup coconut flour)
5 TBS psyllium husk powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 eggs (4 if using coconut flour)
1 cup water (or Marinara - for "tomato basil" flavor)


In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond/coconut flour, psyllium powder (no substitutes: flaxseed meal won't work), and salt. Add in the eggs and combine until a thick dough. Add water (or marinara) into the bowl. Mix until well combined. Let sit for a minute or two until the dough gels up.

Separate into 10 balls (about 2 inches in diameter). Place the dough onto a piece of greased parchment paper (I used THIS coconut oil spray). Top with another greased piece of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in a circle shape with even thickness throughout. This dough is very forgiving, so if you don't make a circle with the rolling pin, use your hands to perfect your tortilla. 

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat with coconut oil or coconut oil spray. Once hot, place an unbaked tortilla on the pan (if the tortilla sticks to the parchment the first time, as it did for me, use your hands to close up any holes...the dough is still very forgiving) and saute until light brown, then flip and bake through. Makes 10 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per tortilla)
Traditional Tortilla = 140 calories, 3g fat, 4g protein, 25 carbs, trace fiber
Almond Flour Tortilla = 105 calories, 7.5g fat, 4.1g protein, 5.6g carb, 3.8g fiber (1.8 effective carbs)
Coconut Flour Tortilla = 71 calories, 2.6g fat, 3.4g protein, 7.4g carbs, 5.2g fiber (2.2 effective carbs)