A Personal Story
What I’m sharing today – I think just about anyone can relate to. I mean, especially this year…..2020 – like what the…. Am I Right?! We are planners but didn’t see this coming… Anyone who knows me knows that I am a bit of a […]
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My 4 must-have food & drinks for traveling
Traveling may look a lot different nowadays, but as we all start to branch out our own socially distanced way, it’s important to not only remember to wash our hands but also to fuel our bodies with foods that we enjoy and that will nourish […]
Chocolate Cinnamon Bites
This recipe tastes as good as a candy bar, and will still make your body feel good after. It can be tailored to fit almost any food sensitivity need – as long as dates are tolerated and are one of my favorite snacks to take on road trips. This little date bite contains carbs, protein, fat, and fiber – all things you need to feel satisfied and satiated after snacking.
What you will need:
1 cup of pitted dates
½ cup of sunflower butter
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 cup of gluten-free oats
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
Health benefits of cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices. It has been shown to help improve insulin resistance and be an inflammation buster. Since my kids love cinnamon and I use it pretty often in cooking and baking, I choose the Ceylon type of cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon contains less of the toxin coumarin than the more common type of cinnamon Cassia. Coumarin has been potentially linked to liver problems and damage, cognitive development issues, and potential cancer in animal and human studies. Find my favorite brand of Ceylon cinnamon here.
Nut-free Butter
Sunflower butter is a great nut-free alternative and safe for schools/daycare etc. However, any nut or seed butter will work for this recipe. Sunflower butter is a great source of Vitamin E (approx 40% of your daily need) and unlike some peanut butter, it contains no trans-fat. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps rid your body of free radicals and oxidative stress. Vitamin E may even be helpful to decrease the aging process of your cells. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, so you want to make sure that if you are supplementing with Vitamin E, you aren’t overdoing it. Find my go-to sunflower butter here.
6 Ingredient Chocolate Cinnamon Bites
July 3, 2020
: 14
: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup sunflower butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup gluten-free oats
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Directions
- Step 1 Add dates to a food processor. Process until smooth texture. Add all other ingredients to food processor and blend well
- Step 2 Mold into 1 -2 inch balls using your hands.
- Step 3 Store up to 1 week in the fridge in an air tight container, lined with parchment paper/wax paper to prevent sticking.
Green Chia Pudding – Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free
What makes this pudding green? What makes this pudding the beautiful green color, you may ask? Well TBH, it’s cyanobacteria. Yeah, that’s right, Spirulina, to be exact. This cyanobacterium is a type of algae that has been used throughout history for its health properties. One […]
Quick Pickled Cabbage – Gut-Friendly Recipe
BBQ season is among us (FINALLY – has this been like the longest winter/spring season?!) One way I like to improve the health factor of my meal is that adding something that has fiber and has nutrients that I know will bless my body. I’m […]
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies – Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free & Egg-Free
Life is too short to eat food that doesn’t taste good, and that doesn’t make your body feel good after eating. For people who have food sensitivities or food allergies, sometimes it’s hard to find the combination that fits both of those requirements – nourishment and deliciousness.
I developed this chocolate chip cookie recipe out of need – out of necessity for a client that needed help maneuvering the problematic space of eating away from home in a social setting and not having much “control” over what was going to be served or provided. This client still wanted to choose the best foods for their body, but enjoy the experience and the food. They wanted a dessert they could bring and enjoy without feeling like they were on a diet and missing out on the experience, but also a dessert that also made their body feel well after eating it.
Easy Recipe Substitutions
Chia seeds are high in fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats and mild in flavor, which is why I chose them for this recipe. Chia or flax seeds can be used for egg substitutes and are my go-to’s for many recipes – and you could definitely use flax seeds (in the same ratio) as well for this recipe. If you don’t have xanthan gum, you can also try using more flax-seed or chia for a substitute – use approximately 1 TBS with 2 TBS water (versus the usual 3).
Dairy-free chocolate chips by Enjoy Life are my favorite – especially the dark chocolate and are an allergy-friendly option. Find them here. As I have stated before, I like to use oat milk for baking and incorporated it into this recipe vs. cow’s milk. Butter was substituted with Olive oil, and cane or coconut sugar can be used as well. However, my kids did prefer the cane sugar version versus the coconut sugar when I did experiment with both variations. All of these available recipe substitutions make it easy to fit any diet need you may have.
Food has many purposes.
Food was designed not just to eat to fuel or to provide physical nourishment for our bodies. Food was also intended to provide enjoyment, comfort, and sometimes a much-needed distraction. So if you want dessert – eat it, satisfy the craving/need and move on. Don’t beat yourself up for could beat yourself for “cheating,” and tell yourself all the standard “diet things.” You shouldn’t have eaten that extra piece of that dessert!” “Those cookies are bad for me.” “That has too much sugar in it.” Blah, Blah, Blah…
The point is, that if you do negative self-talk – especially in social and higher stress situations – all it really does is make you feel bad about yourself and leave you feeling defeated. Which does nothing to help improve your health or your relationship with food, and your body.
You are normal.
Emotional eating, stress eating, social eating, or eating while you are distracted are NORMAL. Yes, it is NORMAL to do these things. Wanting the cookies and wanting the cake is normal too. Those foods contain sugar and fat – our bodies and taste buds were designed to enjoy those things. Eating with friends and families should be fun and enjoyable too – not stressful because of our food choices.
When food becomes off-limits or “restricted,” that makes most of us crave it more. So, when treating food sensitivities with elimination diets – there has to be a balance of foods that we are easily attracted and can “crave” and foods that are not causing our immune system to go into attack mode.
Go In with a plan. You are in charge – not control.
To accomplish this balance, I always recommend my clients to PLAN AHEAD for social events and when eating out. Go in with a plan. Pick foods that you bless your body, plan your plate well- so you have energy after, and leave room for dessert. If you plan ahead and know that you are in “charge” versus feeling like you are having to “control” your appetite and choices – the outcome for your emotional state and body will be much better.
Personally, in my family, my daughter has a Wheat Allergy, and I made a choice early on that I was not going to let her feel restricted with her food choices. Foods are available that I know (and she knows too) will bless her body. Desserts with the right ingredients for her will always be available. Since we always go into a social setting with a plan and a Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free dessert – events can be enjoyed and low-stress for everyone involved.
Get the recipe below.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - Dairy, Gluten & Egg-Free
May 15, 2020
: Makes apron 18 cookies
: 10 min
: 35 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Olive Oil
- 2 TBS Dairy Free Milk
- 1 C Sugar
- 2 TBS Chia Seeds + 6 TBS Water
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 C Rice Flour
- 1/2 C Tapioca Starch
- 1/2 C Oat Flour
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 C Chocolate Chips
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
Directions
- Step 1 Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 Mix chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes until gel is formed.
- Step 3 In a mixing bowl add oil, DF milk, and sugar.
- Step 4 In a separate bowl combine flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda/baking powder.
- Step 5 Add chia seeds to sugar/oil mixture and mix well.
- Step 6 Gradually stir/mix in flour mixture while mixing until dough is formed.
- Step 7 Line baking sheet with parchment paper and drop dough into 1 – 2 inch balls, aprox. 2 inches apart.
- Step 8 Bake in oven for aprox. 18 – 25M.
- Step 9 Let cool on baking rack and enjoy!
