Pumpkin Pancakes

‘Tis the season! Pumpkin Pancakes–great for cozy mornings…or comforting dinners! Perfectly spiced, naturally sweet to celebrate everyday or holidays.  (All gluten free, refined sugar free, and dairy free too!)

1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax seed
4 Tbsp gluten free flour
1⅛ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pinch cloves
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 egg
¼ cup coconut sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
Stevia, if desired

Toppings: Chopped pecans and Maple syrup

  • Process oats, flax seed and flour in food processor or blender to a fine powder.
  • Add remaining ingredients to blender and process until well mixed. Sprinkle and mix in additional stevia for sweeter pancakes. Batter will be thick.
  • Preheat a nonstick pan over low/medium heat. Once hot, add small amount of coconut oil and spread around hot pan.
  • Make pancakes, scooping about ¼ cup batter on the pan for each one, flattening and spreading out batter as needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned. Flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side and until pancakes are not doughy.
  • Top with chopped pecans and maple syrup (or try Maple Syrup made from xylitol if you’re carefully watching blood sugars).

Makes 10-12.

Freeze pancakes and reheat in the toaster for a quick, easy breakfast.

Check out the amazing benefits of pumpkin (beyond lattes and decor) and other pumpkin recipes.

Enjoy the beautiful, crisp season…and share the goodness!

Success. Results. Beauty.

Transformation! It’s what we want…but it usually takes place in tight, cramped, confined places. The process can be ugly, uncomfortable…and just downright hard sometimes. However, the results… FREEING and gloriously BEAUTIFUL! Feeling the containment lately? Hold on! Let the process have its perfect work. Don’t quit.

Butterfly days are just ahead!

How to Eliminate Feeling Frustrated and Deprived with Cleaner Eating

Do you start feeling frustrated and deprived when you’re trying to eat “cleaner”? This approach will help you eliminate those feelings, enjoy the process and keep you on track…easily! Check it out!

 

 

 

…and share the secrets with a friend.

Stawberry Banana Ice Cream

Simple. Pure yum. No guilt. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber to boost immunity, lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, and improve brain function. Its creamy, deliciousness perfectly satisfies all ages and all stages along the journey to better eating and living!

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

2 cups frozen strawberries
2 bananas

Combine all ingredients in high powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth, thick and creamy.

Makes 4-5 servings (1/2 cup)

 

https://vimeo.com/265697422

 

Thanks, Sterling Regard Photography, for the fun and beautiful video!

 

 

 

 

Everyday Green Smoothie

This is SO good! You really could LOVE having it EVERYDAY! In fact, I’ve sampled this in classes and those who would have never even touched a green smoothie ASKED for the recipe! Really!! You’ve got to try it!!!!

4 large handfuls Spinach (up to ½ lb)
¾ cup Pineapple
1 Banana
1 Pear
½ Lime, peeled
½ cup cold Water
Sweetener to taste (stevia, raw honey, agave…) [I use stevia]
Ice*
1‐2 Tbsp Flax oil (optional)
1‐2 Tbsp ground Flaxseed (optional, but golden is my favorite)
Process in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. (that’s the key…be SURE, it’s super smooth and NOT chunky!) Serve immediately. Makes 2‐3, 16 oz servings.

*Use as much or as little as you like!

4 Steps to Instant and Delicious Salads and Dressings

Instant Delicious Salad and Dressing Ideas – in 4 easy steps

Instant Delicious Salad Dressing Ideas

Dressings make a salad! But who always has time to make dressing? Most of them use ingredients you can’t pronounce and don’t want in your body. Salad dressings typically contain lots of preservatives, sugars, and poor quality, less-than-healthy oils. Whether it’s sweet or savory you prefer, here are 4 steps for practically instant salad and dressing ideas, to make your greens delicious and something you look forward to!

Salad Ingredients

1- Gather and prep salad

  • greens – spinach, romaine, green or red leaf, butter crunch, and/or cabbage (pre-washed greens make this instant!)
  • veg toppings: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli/cauliflower,
  • fruit toppings: berries, pomegranate, apples, citrus
  • protein: nuts, beans, lean meat or fish, organic cheese
  • herbs and flavors: garlic, basil, oregano, sea salt, pepper or pepper flakes (honey or fruit juice if you like your dressing a touch sweeter)

Dressing

2- Find your favorite pairings of olive oil and vinegar

3- Splash onto salad (I prefer to serve dressing on the side to prevent soggy salads. Shake or pour on desired amounts of oil and vinegar on each salad. Or, in a small bowl or shaker jar, make a larger quantity.)

4- Toss and enjoy

Pairing — Salad Dressing Ideas

The right combination makes flavors pop. Be creative. You just might be amazed at what works and is delicious! Here are some ideas to get you started from a few of my favorite places:

Queen Creek Olive Mill – Queen Creek, AZ

  • Rosemary olive oil and cranberry white balsamic
  • Meyer lemon olive oil and pomegranate white balsamic
  • Basil olive oil and strawberry white balsamic
  • Garlic olive oil and balsamic
  • Blood orange olive oil and prickly pear balsamic
  • Chili olive oil and peach white balsamic
  • Lime olive oil and white balsamic

Eighteenninety grille and marketplace – Granbury, TX: house favorite – lime olive oil and cranberry pear white balsamic

The Olive Tap’s – Perfect Pairings – extensive list

 

What’s the best ratio? It depends on your taste buds, but start with about 2-3 parts oil : 1 part vinegar

 

Here’s a quick, elegant and festive Pomegranate Salad and dressing idea to get you started:
Mixed greens (spinach and red romaine), pomegranate arils, onions, pecans, feta (sub avocado for dairy free)

pomegranate salad and dressing ideas

 

OR try this Beets and Greens Salad to play with different oil and vinegar combos.

 

Now, share the goodness.
Perfect for everyday, holidays and parties, and gift ideas.

 

 

Beets & Feta with Greens

As delicious as beets are “solo,” they make a great addition to salads. Here’s one of my favorites…and it’s super easy to make!

Beets and Feta with Greens

Romaine, chopped
Sweet onions, chopped
Beets, cooked and chopped
Goat feta*
Fresh garlic, minced
Sea salt and pepper

Layer salad veggies in serving bowl(s). Top with crumbled feta and garlic.
Dress with lime juice and olive oil OR balsamic and olive oil and toss.

 

A bit of ginger also adds a nice touch.

*Goat or sheep feta is usually easier to digest OR make Dairy-Free replacing with avocado or even chopped macadamia nuts.

18 Surprising Ways Journaling Makes You Healthier and Happier

journaling benefits for heathier body and happier mind

Journaling. I really had no idea the role it can play in making us healthier and happier. Writing can be really powerful for healing, growth, and transformation!

I’m not a natural journaler, and I marvel at friends who have notebooks filled with thoughts, insights and even prayers. I’ve been through seasons where I’ve tried. Quite frankly, I’m really too impatient to spend time long-handing out my thoughts and often I really don’t care to see some of them in writing. But lately, I’ve been challenging myself to rethink my view of journaling and adapt it to a style that fits me. Here’s a few things I’m noticing about the benefits of writing:

1- Frees up mind space – Instead of spending more mental energy remembering my grocery or to do list (or even significant dreams I’ve had), once it’s written down, I can be free to creatively think, reflect on, or problem solve…even just let my thoughts be still. That’s a stress reducer!

2- Improves productivity – As I write down specific goals for the day (week or month), I’m realizing how much more I can accomplish. It gives me an outline and solidifies a specific plan, which helps guide and direct my days. Though it’s the same things turning in my mind, there is something to putting it down and seeing it written out on paper that helps with focus, not to mention determination and motivation!

3- Identifies patterns – Yeah! Those thoughts I didn’t care to see in writing? Nailed it. Those are the thoughts that needed to change. The ones I need to catch quickly, so that I can refocus and redirect my thoughts back to what is true and authentic, lovely, peaceful, pure, kind, gracious, and excellent.

4- Processes and records life – This has become very real, as I’m putting the final edits on my first book. While I’ve written in more detail about my own health journey, it’s brought the realization of how far I have come, how much I’ve learned, and how my life has been transformed. Writing about some really difficult seasons of my life has been very therapeutic. I’ve been able to not only record the story of the healing process, but also the lessons learned to help others. Putting all the pieces together has helped bring closer to this chapter of my life. The ending helps reframe and bring a new gratitude to painful situations. At the same time, it shines a new light of satisfaction and reward on perseverance …and the excitement of new beginnings.

Documented benefits for a healthier body and happier mind

Research also shows journaling helps you:

5- Sleep deeper and better
6- Heal faster (even wound healing!)
7- Slow your thoughts and bring clarity
8- Organize ideas, thoughts, and beliefs
9- Build self-awareness

…and this is just a short list! Be looking next week for more journaling benefits and 5 tips for Writing for a Healthier and Happier Life —secrets I’ve discovered to help convert non-journalers!

Chocolate…How I Love Thee

It’s the love affair that’s hooked us for life! This $7 billion per year US chocolate industry shows just how much we love our chocolate. In America, each of us eats about 10 pounds per year, but this is actually low compared to much of the world. The Swiss, renowned for their chocolates, eat nearly 20 pounds per person per year!

So as you’re savoring each mouth-watering, deliciously sweet, rich, creamy, dreamy bite, use these research-based “justifications” to keep on enjoying more of the yumminess!

Dark chocolate has some very important health benefits. Cocoa’s nutrient content might explain why it was used as a “treatment for many ailments” as far back as the 17th-19th centuries, and why it’s been such a focus of research. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology deemed the findings “to be one of the major advancements in cardiovascular research.” Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, or “phytonutrients.” Science continues to unravel these hidden, plant “miracle-workers,” that serve as potent antioxidants, protecting our cells from damage. The reviews of the findings of these studies show polyphenols in chocolate may help to:

—improve blood flow, keeping vessels healthy and “elastic”
—keep blood from becoming “too sticky”
—fight atherosclerosis by preventing plaque build-up on vessel walls
—raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol)
—lower blood pressure
—reduce risk of strokes
—improve insulin sensitivity and lower insulin resistance (fighting diabetes)
—reduce inflammation
—slow the aging process
—lower stress in pregnant moms (interestingly, babies of these chocolate-eating moms smiled more, had better temperaments and were more active than those of non-chocolate-eaters at 6 months)
—increase blood flow to the brain
—improve cognitive function (especially related to memory, alertness, multi-tasking and reaction times)
—supply a great source of iron (67% RDA in just a 100g bar) and other minerals
—release “feel-good” endorphins in the brain, similar to the “falling in love” feeing
—burn belly fat
—trigger relaxation, just from smelling it’s fabulous aroma

and women, for one final “justification”…

—improve appearance and health of the skin

Yes, no break-ups required! The chocolate love affair is here to stay! So, be sure to get your daily dose of love and antioxidants.  For the most benefits, be sure to choose non-alkali (or non-dutched, as this processing destroys the antioxidants) and naturally sweetened varieties of cocoa, cocoa nibs and pure, dark chocolate.

 

Be sure to pass on the chocolate love…

references available on request

How to Actually Succeed with your New Year’s Health Resolutions (and Goals)

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Only about 9% actually achieve their January goals and New Year’s Health Resolutions.

It’s time for you to do something different so you can get the results you’re looking for.

Here’s the start of a series of super quick, practical tips and #sweetsecretsforsuccess to help you beat the odds and finally SUCCEED in your health goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

source: 2018 New Year’s Resolution Statistics