It's been a while again. Sorry folks, having 2 kids is harder than I thought!
My eldest is a monkey and I am constantly trying to find ways to get healthy food into him. It's a challenge, but shakes and smoothies are my go-to. My littlest is now 19 months and had been struggling with some skin issues. We rarely have dairy, but gluten was still a regular part of his diet. We love Spelt flour, and Spelt pasta....but my gut was telling me his rashes were turning up because of a food allergy. Now, it could've been a combination of things, but my readings have always told me to eliminate dairy and gluten first and go from there. Once I did that, my little man has normal skin again. It makes sense since his daddy has so many food allergies it's silly!
All the more reason to find healthy alternatives our whole family can enjoy. This is harder than it sounds. In this house we have dairy, gluten, egg, bean, garlic, and almond allergies. Needless to say, some days in the kitchen are a huge failure and it's very tiring!
Slowly I have found some go-to recipes and this one is a new family favourite. I have always liked Quinoa, but never have I used quinoa flour. In fact, I was turned off by the idea of it. But don't worry, it's not what you think! I was gifted a Quinoa recipe book from my father-in-law at Christmas, and I adapted a recipe to suit our needs! Plus, anything chocolate is worth a try, right? I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! No dairy, gluten, almond, eggs, or refined sugars. It's not fruit, but it's a healthier snack even the pickiest of kids will enjoy. Just beware, your floor will be covered in chocolate crumbs. But that's part of the fun, right?
HealthNutty Dark Chocolate Mini-Muffins
(Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut-free)
Preheat Oven to 350, rub coconut oil on each mini muffin tin
2 tbsp flax meal mixed into 6 tbsp water
1.5 cups Quinoa Flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk or cashew/almond milk
1/2 cup liquid honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional....we didn't do this, but if you are looking for something more decadent, then go for it)
1. Mix flax meal and water in a small bowl and let sit for 5 mins.
2. In a large bowl mix quinoa flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
In a medium bowl add the flax mixture, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add the wet to the dry and combine well. Fill up mini muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 10-12 minutes.
4. Let cool, and enjoy! Should make about 30 mini muffins.
Recipe adapted from Camilla V. Saulsbury's 500 Best Quinoa Recipes
Yes, I have a sweet tooth. I love chocolate, and I love bananas. I gave up sugary boxed cereal long ago, and needed a breakfast to look forward to in the morning again.
I've always been a fan of bananas with milk, and so this began.
A banana, maple syrup, cacao nibs, and some unsweetened almond milk...made this into a breakfast I wanted to eat over and over again. It's great for those that are gluten free and dairy free too!
This recipe is easy, filling, quick.. a great energy boost, and fills that void of missing cereal. The cacao nibs add a nice crunch, too.
Made from the raw cacao bean (pronounced CA-COW), "nature's pure chocolate chips" are high in fibre, magnesium, iron, antioxidants, and omega 3 fatty acids (nativasnatuals.com). Different from cocoa, they are the purest form of chocolate you can eat. Cacao nibs have a pure, but delicious chocately flavour, and can actually be mood-boosting! You can use them in baking, and even buy it in a powder for using in smoothies.
Why wouldn't you want this in the morning..or afternoon...or evening?! Grab 'em at your local health food store, Zehrs, or amazon.
What are ya waiting for? Get on it!
HealthNutty Cacao Bananas & Cream 1 sliced up banana 2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs 1/2 cup - 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (or another non-dairy milk of your choice) Drizzle with Maple syrup (or honey if you prefer) Load ingredients up in a bowl, then devour. If you are looking for something that's actually like a whip cream, but vegan...try the Oh She Glows Coconut Whip Cream with this recipe! Watch the tutorial, HERE.
So, I think I like pumpkin more and more every time I eat it. Is that possible?
I'm really enjoying baking and cooking with my almost 3-year-old boy, and we are always on the hunt for new and delicious vegan recipes to try together.
A couple of days ago I shared some dessert pumpkin recipes, so today I thought I would share some snacky/dinnerish-type recipes too!
Here's a few more I can't wait to tackle over the season! Let me know which ones you've whipped up and how they were.
If you're like me, you love Thanksgiving, and you can't wait to stuff pumpkin pie down your throat. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I've been sharing recipes...anything pumpkin.
Pumpkin is great for getting a great dose of vitamins. Heck, even antioxidants. What up Vitamin A?! It's also low in calories...yes, ma'am. And wait..there's more! High in Vitamin C & E, B6...and the list goes on.
If we're in a pickle, we grab the canned pure pumpkin..but we try to snag some real Pie Pumpkins, bake 'em, blend 'em, and have 'em fresh and ready for anything pumpkin.
My favourite pumpkin thing is probably the Oh She Glows Pumpkin Pie Smoothie...by the legendary Angela Liddon. Whoever knew I'd be so in love with everything vegan?
Today, I am finally bringing you some of my fave discoveries of 2013. I am amazed that so many of you have kept up with my blogging, almost 11,000 views since last December! I'm sorry for such a long absence. Between work, a 2 year old, and another lil' bun in the oven, life gets crazy sometimes. I'll do my best to keep posting my research throughout the year. Thanks for hanging out here!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Happy New Year, and stay healthy everyone.
Top 13 'HealthNutty' Discoveries of 2013
13. Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Disease Proof Your Child"
Keep those kidlets healthy! Dr. Joel Fuhrman, writer of "Eat to Live" provides some great scientific evidence on how to protect our children (and ourselves) from damaging immunity, and eating foods that prevent disease and illness. Even though we don't follow his guidelines to a "T", he certainly has some great information, all of which every parent should be informed. His many years as a Medical Doctor shed light on the industry, and how our diets need a drastic change for us to stay healthy. His family practise showed links between diet and allergies, ear infections, behavioural problems, with an overall poor immunity of children. Grab it from amazon, and learn how to protect your little ones from serious chronic diseases, even later in life.
12. Yoso Coconut Yogourt
Eliminating or limiting dairy in your diet? This Canadian company provides a delicious, sugar-free, soy free, gluten free, and dairy free yogurt. It has a great smooth consistency, and Yoso makes it in coconut, vanilla, and even in a chocolate flavour! Get in my b-e-l-l-y!
Check your grocery store's health food fridge.
11. Sovereign Silver
Made from Pure elemental silver and purified water, "Colloidal Silver" is said to be "the ultimate preparedness first aid product; more valuable than antibiotics..." (Naturalnews.com). I discovered Sovereign Silver through a friend of mine who used it to help her kids get over the chicken pox. I have used it myself to kill off pathogens and any bacteria in the system to prevent illness or parasites. I know others who swear by it, and take it overseas in the event of food poisoning! It can also be used topically, or internally to help fight off bacteria and infection.
I'm learning more about how this mineral works, but it's something I'm happy to keep in my medicine cabinet. Even better? Bottles never expire and will apparently last forever. A product worth investigating to improve health. Chat with your ND.
10. 100% Pure Cocoa Butter
The amazing "cacao bean" brings us the goodness of pure cocoa butter. When melted, it spreads wonderfully, and smells phenomenal. Ever melted some delicious fresh chocolate for fondue? When I use 100% cocoa butter on my skin, I feel like the tastiest, freshest, walking chocolate bar. Mmmmm! It just smells so pure...and it is one of the most gentle, sweet, and natural moisturizers you'll find out there. It's also great for rubbing all over a preggo belly to help prevent stretch marks, and has been said to help heal various skin irritations. It's also food grade, so bake with it if you want! It's edible. I know you want to try it. Check it out, at Well.ca!
9. Nature's Gate Natural Toothpaste
Thanks to Raffi, my 2 year old has fun brushing his teeth. Better yet, he especially enjoys this fluoride-free minty toothpaste. It foams up nicely, doesn't overwhelm your mouth, and gives you tasty breath.
Read more about why we chose to go fluoride-free,here.
So if you want to wake up in the morning at a quarter to 8, get your breath together with some tasty Nature's Gate. Ya brush your teeth...ch ch ch ch......Give 'er a go, check it out, HERE.
8. Nova Scotia Fisherman's Lip Balm
I absolutely love this company. Canadian. Chemical free. Smells amazing. Phenomenal customer service. And, overall fantastic product. If you're anything like me, your lips need some major pampering, especially in the ridiculous winter months. I posted a while back about their mind-blowing hand cream. Now I'm going to encourage you to try the lip balm. It's Nova Scotia Fisherman time yo! Do your lips a favour and get some asap. Do your whole body a favour and get some soap, and moisturizing cream too, ya?
7. Meredith Deasley's "The Resourceful Mother's Secret's to Healthy Kids"
I'm down with health books...but I'm especially in awe of this one.
The best word to describe this book? Revolutionary.
This book is my go-to for Oliver. From finding healthier alternatives, eliminating toxins, and even amazing recipes, I am so grateful for Deasley's book, and for the journey she has been on with her own children. I am encouraged to know that I can cure my baby's diaper rash through natural treatments, and diet. I am thankful I understand the difference between food sensitivities and allergies. I am thankful I can help my little guy's brain development and his overall behaviour by providing the nutrients for him to grow the way he was designed to! Does your little one have strange symptoms you just can't figure out? I bet this book can help. It's a book every parent must have. Learn more about Meredith's story, and please, I beg you, grab the book, too! Check out:http://www.theresourcefulmother.com/
6. J. R. Watkins Lemon Cream Hand & Body Lotion
Oh. My.
This stuff is incredible. And I want to eat it. It literally smells like someone took a pie, and removed the lemon cream for you to rub all over your skin. It's Phthalate, Paraben, and yuck free. It's got goodies like shea butter, cocoa butter, and even avacado oil. Trust me, put your birthday money towards this. Or gift it to someone else and pretend it's yours.You must try it! Try not to eat it, that is....
I feel like I'm a little late on the GSE bandwagon. This stuff does amazing things; yet, I have just discovered it's amazingness! With high amounts of "disease-fighting, free radical- eliminating antioxidants and phytonutrients, it is a well-known natural immune-system stimulator and booster" (globalhealingcenter.com). It has so many different benefits, like speeding up the healing of wounds or scar tissue, anti-viral and anti-fungal, powerful antiseptic, helpful treatment for topical skin infections, environmentally friendly way to wash vegetable and fruit from toxins, preventative for yeast (candida), used to fight off parasites (food borne illness), and can even be used as a flea treatment for pets (globalhealingcenter.com)! We bought what our Naturopath recommended, the New Roots brand. Always chat to your health care provider before using it, since it's pretty potent stuff.
4. Kiss My Face Cucumber Melon Deodorant
Finally, I have kissed my stinky pits, goodbye! It has been a battle finding something that continually works. I do like Green Beaver's brand of tea tree deodorant, but Kiss My Face has done a much better job with scent, and longevity! I am in love. With my deodorant.
Put something honest on that baby's buns!
I'm super impressed with Jessica Alba and her vision to bring us safer products for our families. Since sometimes cloth diapers don't work for everyone, there are other options. Options that are more environmentally friendly, and chemical-free..unlike most diaper brands out there.
I adore the diaper designs the Honest Company brings us! Choose designs you like, specifically for girl or boy, they're just so cute! The honest wipes are gentle, yet refreshing...AND biodegradable. Yay! You can tell this company was started by parents because they make the whole process easy by delivering products in bundles right to your door each month to make life easier.
The Honest Company makes sunscreens, soaps, laundry detergent..and so much more.
Watch the video and perhaps head over to the website to try a free trial and see if honest is right for you!
2. Oh She Glows
I can't tell you how many times Angela Liddon has brought joy to my kitchen. If I am stumped, and need a quick healthy snack, meal, dessert, lunch, salad, whatever....she has the best tried and true recipes out there. The internet can be so inconsistent, you never know if your dinner if going to be a hit, or a major crap.
Even if you aren't vegan, I know you'll find something on this site that's delicious. For example, please try these vegan truffles....and thank me later.
This "home away from home" in Toronto will be a tea house featuring specialty teas, a catalog of board games, simple food, and much more! I'm so excited for them to open in 2014! Bampot will be offering locally sourced and organic vegetarian foods, and their tea will be made in-house. They will offer dairy and gluten free options, too (Yipee!)
Andrea and Mark moved from Glasgow to Canada to open Bampot in the city they love. With a Scottish Chef, and an incredible photographer and musician heading up the place, how can they can go wrong? They will support local artists, and some incredible live music events.
I also wanted to mention the decor...which is incredibly bohemian and cozy. Watch the video to see!
Need to take a break from the noisy hustle and bustle of life? Say goodbye to your phone and laptop for a while, this place is interested in hosting a wireless-free environment where quality time, peace, and solitude are encouraged over staring at our electronics. This is the place you go to spend actual time with your friends, date, or family.Win!
Bampot is inviting you over to their "house" for an incredible experience, so stay tuned for their grand opening!! If you'd like to support the Newell's on their Bampot journey, click, HERE!
Watch the video. Meet Andrea and Mark. You'll fall in love with Bampot, just like I did.
When I was about 7 months pregnant, I found out I was positive forGroup B Streptococcus (GBS). I had a urinary tract infection (UTI) in the beginning of my pregnancy, which apparently contributes to GBS. After my test results came back positive, I came home and did what I love to do......research.
GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS: is "carried in your intestines and lower genital tract" (mayoclinic.com).
GBS is an infection (seems very common these days) that is normally harmless in healthy adults, but in rare cases it can be fatal if passed to a baby during delivery. Maybe you're already familiar with it, since up to 40% of women have it. But if you'd like to know more, check out the article from the Mayoclinic,HERE.
As a woman who wanted a completely natural birth, I dreaded having an IV. But antibiotics were said to prevent our son, Oliver from contracting GBS. It seemed like the best thing to do.
It wasn't until later that I thought to myself..... what if GBS could have been prevented in the first place?
BUILD IMMUNITY: Birthwellness.comwrote an incredible article on reducing the colonization of GBS by building up immunity, taking acidophilis, and probiotics to bring back healthy bacteria. Leafy greens, plenty of pure drinking water, fermented foods, eliminating sugars and processed foods are all beneficial. The article also recommends the best natural treatment for GBS if tested positive, and how to avoid antibiotics. If I only I had known this sooner!
I also came across research that linked tampon use to GBS.
USE OF TAMPONS: More research told me that the use of tampons was a breeding ground of bacteria and may be a major contributor to GBS. In the 1960's when tampons became more popular, there was a huge increase in GBS in women. Based on a study posted on the National Institute of Health, those that didn't use tampons reduced their chances by 34% (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
As a result, there ARE ways to restore a healthy intestinal and vaginal flora, and there are also ways we CAN help prevent GBS. Yet, I was freaked out (and grossed out) by the research I was finding on tampon use.
Did you know that the average woman will use about 16,800 tampons in her lifetime? (mercola.com).
Dr. Mercola discusses how the ingredients in tampons are absorbed into the blood stream, and are a "breeding ground for bacteria." Makes sense, right?
He mentions BPA, Phalates, and oil plastics are suspected chemicals in tampons. Yet, companies don't seem to want to tell us what's in them. Why?
It made me think twice about what I was putting in my body. At least I could find an alternative, and reduce the use of bleached, toxic products. It was time for a healthier option.
Ta-ta tampons!
Not only do I want to reduce my chances of GBS coming back, but choosing an environmentally friendly option. I also want to reduce my chance of Toxic Shock Syndrome (women die from this, every year).
THERE'S A HEALTHIER, CHEAPER OPTION
Ever heard of The Diva Cup?
It's a menstrual cup that is free of BPA, latex, and other chemicals. It lasts twice as long as a tampon, and it's reusable.
Model 1 is for women under 30, that have never had a baby.
Model 2 is for women over 30, or those that have had a baby vaginally or by c-section. PURCHASE THE DIVA CUP HERE!
It may just be the best $40 you've spent in a long time.
More questions? Check out: http://divacup.ca/
Thanks for hearing me out on my journey, I hope that it will help someone that comes across the article. It is information I wish I had before our baby came along!
I am constantly trying to find alternatives for processed foods. That means I'm constantly whipping up new things in the kitchen! Not all of them are a success, either. But it's all worth it when you win! You tweak that recipe, substitute for this and that....and BAM, you've created something healthier and delicious! One day I'll release a cookbook...
As a kid, I always loved arrowroot cookies. And it was time I made a healthier version of this favourite.
I decided to go with Spelt flour, since it is more easily digested. And arrowroot powder, you ask? The Forks Over Knives cookbook describes it as a minimally processed flour that comes from the "root" of a plant from the American tropics called an "arrowroot." Go figure.
As far as spelt flour goes, Nutritionist Kim Corrigan-Oliver mentions how it is best to wait until your babes are 12-18 months of age to have gluten, since little ones younger than a year have trouble digesting the enzymes and it can be hard on their little tummies (yourgreenbaby.com).
There are some great benefits to spelt flour though!
DIGESTION: Spelt is an ancient grain, high in fibre, and is easier to digest than other wheat flours. It is more water-soluble, and has been said to sit well with those that have allergies to wheat, or for those who have gluten intolerance (WHfoods.com). Although, to my surprise, spelt does contain gluten, and is basically a "cousin" of wheat. NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Perhaps you'd like to know that spelt contains vitamin B2, manganese, copper, fibre, and a stinkload of iron. Spelt rocks our socks because the nutrients from the germ and bran are left in tact (www.whatscookingamerica.net).
BETTER FLAVOUR: To top it off, it has an amazingly delicious nutty flavour that kicks white and whole wheat flour's arse.
We like to buy the Organic Stone Ground Spelt from Bulk Barn. Deeelish!
HealthNutty Vegan Arrowroot Cookies 3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup brown rice syrup/maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another bowl. Add wet to dry.
3. Lay down a piece of wax paper, or clean counter top floured with spelt. Roll out to whatever thickness you desire. We like about 1/2 inch, but you can go thinner for a crispier cookie. I used a lot of extra flour for rolling etc.
4. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and bake until golden brown, 8-12 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.
1. Mix flax meal and water in a small bowl and let sit for 5 mins. 
