GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, LACTOSE FREE, SOY FREE, LEGUME FREE, NIGHTSHADE FREE, CANOLA FREE, HIGH GRADE OIL, ONION FREE, MSG FREE, NITRATE FREE, & PRESERVATIVE FREE
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Italian food. Visiting Rome and Venice only instilled a greater love for this food and culture. Eating Italian food reminds me of my time in this beautiful country and definitely comforts me even on the worse of days. When I discovered that nightshades were triggering chronic pain and my autoimmune flares I was devastated. I didn't want it to be true. I tried over and over again eating certain nightshades. I hoped that it was just one of the foods in the nightshade family that was causing my terrible flares. Nothing flares my Crohn's and other autoimmune conditions more than nightshades (well except for gluten). I highly recommend giving up nightshades if you have a Chronic Disorder or Autoimmune Disorder especially if you have a GI component with them. I think this will really help reduce your flares and GI pain! I have made this a big part of my diet and I do not cheat on it. I started cheating a while ago to see if it was still a big problem for me, but it immediately flared up all my conditions. I even had a severe breakout on my forehead (forehead breakouts are usually caused by stress or digestion). Within a week of cutting out nightshades, my face had cleared up. I think most people will be able to see a pretty immediate change when eliminating this group of food from their diet unlike other food eliminations which take a long time to see results. Common nightshades include:
Potatoes (NOT sweet potatoes. Yay!)
Tomatoes
Peppers
Paprika (this one is sneaky and I had been accidentally cooking with this seasoning. Whoops!)
Eggplants
You can see a nice printable and extensive list of nightshades here. If you love Italian food, then it is definitely worth taking the time to make this sauce! It's delicious and a great substitute. I had been very skeptical about making the sauce, but it went very smoothly. I had found a nightshade free sauce called "Nomato" to buy online. This sauce is delicious, but it uses onions, which is another one of my trigger foods, and basil, which I'm mildly allergic. I developed a cilantro allergy and a less severe basil allergy when I developed Crohn's. I actually have found it is common to have the cilantro allergy with this Crohn's. While onions are not a nightshade, I highly recommend avoiding onions and at least trying to cut them out of your diet to see if your GI and chronic symptoms improve. However, the Nomato sauce is great if onions are not a trigger for you. You can find the sauce here. They also sell a nightshade free ketchup sauce (it also contains onions).
I recommend trying to make the sauce for yourself because this batch makes about 48 ounces and you can use all organic ingredients. When it comes to your health it's definitely worth paying a little extra for organic and you also don't have to worry about preservatives that may be lurking in the non organic items. Hoping to have a post on preservatives soon! I saved 2 cups in my fridge to go ahead and use, and then I saved two cup increments in bags in the freezer. I think the sauce should be good for at least 2 weeks in the fridge and several months in the freezer. I just made the sauce so I will update you about how long to keep in the fridge. Once you make this sauce it opens up a world of possibilities and a lot of recipes that are easy to make and delicious! Plus, it's super cute in a Mason jar and would be a great gift! This sauce is great for pizza sauce, spaghetti, and sauce for taco meat. Hoping to get my recipes up for those meals soon! I hope this sauce provides you some yummy meals, helps you create wonderful memories, and helps provide you some relief! Please comment if you have questions or if you try the sauce!
May you be well :)
~Brooke
"Listen to yourself, not the noise of the world. Only you know what is right for you." -Leon Brown
Ingredients:
3 tbsp Coconut Oil (find it here)
1 tsp Minced Garlic(find it here)
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar(find it here)
5 Cups Petite Carrots (organic)
2 1/2 Cups Chopped Celery (organic)
2 1/2 Cups Chopped Beets (organic)
1 tbsp Rosemary (find it here)
2 tbsp Oregano (find it here)
1/2 tbsp Sage (find it here)
1/2 tbsp Marjoram (find it here)
2 tsp Salt
4 Cups Water
1/2 Fresh Squeezed Lemon
Instructions:
Sauté 3 tbsp of coconut oil & garlic for few minutes in a large pot on medium heat.
Add the vegetables (carrots, celery, and beets). Add 1 tsp salt. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of water (enough to cover veggies) and boil.
Reduce to simmer and add coconut sugar, rest of salt, herbs, and lemon. Put lid on the pot. Cook for 30 minutes.
I like my sauce thicker so I poured off about 2 cups of water. Pour off 1 to 2 cups depending on your preference. Put in a blender. This makes about 48 ounces so you will probably have to divide into two portions and blend.
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