Gluten free, sugar free chocolate chip cookies

My husband is out of town tonight. So what else would I do but play with my munchkin and experiment in my kitchen? I've created a delicious cookie that's both gluten and sugar free. 

Yes. The title says these cookies are sugar free. However, you'll notice the ingredient list called for coconut sugar. Is this still considered sugar you may ask?! Yes and no. I tend to lean more on the no side. And here is why. 

Calorie wise, (which by now, my readers know i don't track calories) they're about the same. However, honey and maple are high calorie as well and they aren't considered sugar. 

Coconut sugar is full of nutrients. Including: potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin c, iron and copper. As well as antioxidants. It's also is low on the glycemic index so it won't spike your blood sugar. 

Now, despite these benefits, coconut sugar isn't a super food. I want to make that clear. HOWEVER, when it comes to choosing a sweetener, this one is as good as it gets. Because it's not an empty calorie, I, personally, do not consider it a sugar. 

For this recipe, you will need:

1 stick grass fed butter

3/4 cup organic coconut sugar 

1/2 C organic maple syrup  

2 cage free eggs 

1 t sea salt

1 t baking powder 

3 cups gluten free oat flour 

1 C extra dark chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 375 F. 

Grease cookie sheet and set aside. 

Cream together butter, maple, coconut sugar and eggs in a stand mixer. 

Add salt and baking soda and mix until combined. 

Once thoroughly combined, start adding flour one half cup at a time until completely mixed in. Finally, mix in chocolate chips. Take note, it will not be the same consistency of regular cookies. It will be thick, but not moldable with your hands. Take two spoons, scoop up mix and drop it on greased cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart.

Bake 6-7 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove. 

Enjoy with raw milk, almond milk, coconut milk or simply by themselves. They taste good either way. ❤️

Happy healthy healing!

❤️kbs

Skinny Horchata

 So, I have this sister....

And she has this cute little family

And more motivation to work out in a single day than I think I have ever had in my whole life!

Needless to say, my sister has always known a thing or two when it comes to being fit and creating low fat delicacies! 

She'd make these little chocolate cookie things when we lived in cedar city that were low in calories and we would just down the whole pan while watching something refreshing such as 13 going on 30. 

That’s beside the point. I just wanted to let everyone know she has a low calorie baking/cooking/mixing history. 

I absolutely love her.

I wanted to make sure you all knew I DO NOT claim this recipe as my own. This is all SHAWNI! :) Hence the introduction. :)

Gluten free/sugar free/grain free/Paleo friendly horchata! 

 If you aren't familiar with horchata, it’s a Mexican drink that has milk, loads of sugar, rice (which kind of makes me gag) and spices. Shawni has taken this popular drink and turned it into a low calorie/sugar free (allergy friendly) delight! 

Get ready!

Skinny Horchata

1 C. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp. Stevia (truvia)
Cinnamon to taste (Shawni recommends a lot...cinnamon also is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps lower bad cholesterol so top it off, friends!)

Mix well and drink up!

 

three simple ingredients

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE WORRIED: this only has 30 calories in an 8 ounce glass and ZERO grams of sugar. Take that traditional horchata!! And it’s so simple! 

Drink up!

Happy, Healthy, Healing!! 

<3 KBS

Nutella: Store Bought Junk Food to Beneficial Snack

A few weeks ago I got experimental and made PALEO NUTELLA. That’s big, guys. Nutella is man’s way of saying "there is good in the world" and I was missing out on that revelation. Without Nutella, I thought the world was pure BAD! ;)

The blog I based my recipe from (remember I made a few changes) mentioned in bold all cap letters: THIS IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD. Something in our brains automatically tells us: "this is an orgasm to the mouth, it must not be good for me!" because in all reality, there isn't anything harmful in this recipe. As a matter of fact, there are several things in it that are amazingly GOOD for us. 

until that husband of mine gets the camera he's been promising, you'll just have to understand that this was the best thing ever in real life! the blurryness of this photo does it no justice!

If you're still having doubts, that is why I am here...to erase those doubts and explain why this whole food treat is actually beneficial to the body. I would like to note that I am NOT saying you should go out and eat a whole tub of store bought Nutella. I am not vouching for that AT ALL. There are ingredients in that stuff that I don't know what they are and can't advocate. I am saying that the homemade version made with organic whole foods is going to be a healthy treat that tastes good and is good for you! 

Here we go!

Hazelnuts: I was actually really impressed by the health benefits of hazelnuts. Not only do they have so many good aspects and nutrients to them, but they also are high in the benefits they render...it is not a weak nut. 

• Heart Healthy: because they are high in unsaturated fats, they have been known to help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. 1 cup of hazelnuts (what our delicious recipe calls for) contains almost half of the daily recommendations of magnesium. Magnesium is essential to our bodies because it filters through the heart, helping it beat regularly. 
• Skin Care: vitamin E has been proven to protect our skin from ultraviolet radiation caused by the sun. One cup of hazelnuts has 86% of the vitamin E our bodies need. This will also help with skin cancer risk and premature aging. 
• Digestive Health: there are so many things that are good about hazelnuts for the digestive tract, it’s unreal. However, the most important is their high fiber content. It is essential that we keep the digestive tract moving. When you are constipated or just haven't gone in a while, there is a chance things aren't regular enough and you are reabsorbing toxins and hormones that your body has already eliminated and doesn't need. Not only is it bad for the bowels, but it can wreak havoc on many other of your body’s crucial organs. Unless you are me and my best friend, Elise, (or our husbands who have no filters) people are often embarrassed by pooping. But it’s naturally and healthy and you should really pay attention to how regular you are. If you aren't regular, it may cause more problems down the road. A happy digestive tract is essential for happy overall health! Enough fiber, like the fiber in hazelnuts, can help aid to that.
• and much more: I try and keep my blog posts short so I don't bore my readers, so I won't post every healthy aspect of hazelnuts, I just posted the biggest ones. Do your own research, be informed. 

Unsweetened Cocoa: first of all, I find it ESSENTIAL to mention that cocoa and CHOCOLATE are two different things. Chocolate constitutes oils and sugars and preservatives, etc. pure, unsweetened cocoa powder is a derivative of the coco bean and has May beneficial health benefits:

• Minerals: 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder contains almost 10 percent of our essential daily intake of iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Each of which have their own individual health benefits. 
• Flavonoids: although there are many different types of flavonoids, the flavonoids specific to cocoa release antioxidants and lower blood pressure. 

Evaporated Cane Sugar: many may argue that sugar is sugar. Where that may be true, those few many also not know that simple table sugar that has become the staple in American households is what is dangerous. Cane juice or cane sugar straight from sugar cane still holds all its vitamins and minerals and digests better in the body because it hasn't been refined or chemically altered. I found an excellent source stating all the health benefits of the cane plant and its sugar derivative at processedfreeamerica.org. Their benefits included: 

• It cures a sore throat, cold and flu.

• Unlike table sugar, it has no simple sugars. Diabetics can therefore enjoy it without worrying about soaring blood sugar levels (those with type 2 diabetes should still have limited sugarcane juice).

• It provides glucose to the body, burned by the muscles to provide the body natural energy. It re-hydrates the human body fatigued from heat and physical activity. It's known to boost performance in athletes and manual laborers.

• It's recommended for fevers which cause great protein loss from the body. Liberal consumption of sugarcane juice provides the body with protein during febrile disorders. It also brings down high body temperatures during fevers.

• The easily digestible sugar in sugarcane juice helps in speedy recovery from jaundice. The steep fall in glucose levels during jaundice; may be replenished by having 3 to 4 glasses of sugarcane juice daily.

• It's good for the digestive system and also helps with constipation because of its high potassium content.

• It has a wide range of compounds in addition to sucrose which bestows it with wound healing properties and strengthens the immune system.

• Regular intake of sugarcane juice strengthens the stomach, kidneys, heart, eyes, brain and sex organs.

• It lowers body cholesterol- both LDL and triglycerides.

White refined sugar not only CAN’T do any of that, but it is also a hazard to the body. Remember label readers...not all sugar is created equal. 

COCONUT OIL: if you haven't read The Coconut Oil Miracle, I suggest you snag a copy! I was an avid olive oil user but it just wasn't what I liked to bake with (I have a sensitive pallet and could taste the EVOO way too strongly in everything). I am a HUGE health literature whore and like to buy books whenever I feel like I want to spend some extra bucks. I have so many books I love to look through but The Coconut Oil Miracle has been my favorite. Organic, unrefined coconut oil is:

• heart healthy
• good for skin
• good for hair
• good for the digestive tract 
• beneficial in patients with arthritis
• And good for weight loss. 

 It is catching on as well. There is definitely a coconut frenzy going on in the beauty world. But the actual health benefits are far reaching as well. 

as you can see, there are SO many good benefits to this homemade version of the popular store bought Nutella is actually very beneficial to your body. "not a health food" lady can just do a little more research next time because if I am eating something that is going to provide as many benefits as this creamy dessert, I will classify it as a health food! 

Happy, healthy healing!!! 

<3 KBS 

Under Active Thyroid

I have heard the word "thyroid" being tossed around lately. I work at a health and wellness company so naturally everyone seems to have two things on their mind: health and wellness. That and money...

When I was first married I went to the doctor with complaints of weight gain, exhaustion, and all around hormonal discomfort. I cannot tell you how many times I have told my husband: "I didn't used to have mood swings like this." or "I just feel off, I don’t know what is wrong with me." 

The first thing my doctor checked for was pregnancy. Naturally. I was a 20 year old in Utah County who pretty much OD'ed on birth control not wanting to get pregnant. But what the heck? Draw more blood than necessary AND make me pee in cup. That’s cool. 

Luckily I wasn’t pregnant! But after several tubes of blood and a long week later, the nurse called and said I had hypothyroidism. Cool? I asked what I should do about it and she said the doctor would call me in a few days. Great.

I ended up having to follow through with the doctor but she seemed less than concerned about this new long word that was clearly messing up my body. After all, she felt fine...why would she care if I was exhausted and a moody brooding mess? She said she wouldn't be too worried about it and that it is a common thing in women. Yeah...cancer is common too but I don't want that, either. 

So it was whatever. I went along with life getting fat and feeling tired. Crying a lot. Testing high for cholesterol despite my mainly plant based diet, all of the sudden being effected by gluten, being stressed, and just feeling gross. 

now, fast forward two years, eating 1200 calories a day, eating real foods, eating healthier than ever and still staying the exact same weight I was two years ago. It all started while I was sitting behind a desk talking to a lady who was talking about how she gained a lot of weight when her thyroid slowed down. I had a "that's so raven" moment but I wasn't seeing the future, I was remembering the past... "Your blood results showed positive for hypothyroidism..."

DUH!!!!! 

No wonder I haven't been losing weight despite eating like a rabbit. No wonder I’ve been at a plateau since April. My stupid hormones are making it impossible for me to do so. 

Dumb doctor...why didn’t you drug me up while you had the chance...now you couldn't pay me enough to swallow a synthesized pill.

So, what do I do? I heal with food. :) 

Common reasons for a sluggish thyroid

There are so many reasons we could have issues with our thyroids. Some are common knowledge and some were really surprising. 

1. Auto immune diseases. Our thyroids don't know how to respond to chronic inflammation in our systems. Because our bodies are so complex and ready to solve its problems as quickly as possible, it takes everything in us to calm the inflammation, not leaving much power for the thyroid to function.
2. Gluten. Gluten intolerance has become more and more prominent among Americans. My personal belief is it is from the lack of quality control in non-organic fields, but whatever the reason, it causes the body to inflame...making #1 a big a problem.
3. Heavy metals and other toxins. Things like mercury and pesticides tend to get into the body and make it impossible for the thyroid to do its job. With the body fighting off foreign objects in the body it can't properly function in the thyroid. That is why detoxes are so important...it eliminates harmful things in the body and allows all other parts of the body to function the way they are supposed to. 
4. Stress. It is no mystery that stress really can mess with our bodies. And it has also been rumored that stress can make you gain weight. For some it’s because they are stressful eaters, which is entirely another scenario. But when it comes to people who aren't stressful eaters, it affects their thyroid. When you become stressed, your body’s immunity breaks down and is more vulnerable to illness. When if you're susceptible to illness and your body is consumed with fighting off illness, your thyroid isn't going to get the power it needs to do its job.
5. Franken foods. You should probably see a similar pattern in thyroid problems by now. Basically if there are things in your body that are unusual and require extra energy to fight off, it’s going to disrupt your thyroid. Genetically modified foods are no exception to this. Your body has NO idea what to do with them and it ends up trying to fight it off. 
6. Lacking in vitamins and minerals. lack of: 
1. iodine
2. vitamin D
3. omega 3's
4. selenium
5. zinc
6. vitamin A
7. B vitamins may cause your thyroid to not function properly. If you feel like you are experiencing any hypothyroid symptoms, try to boost your thyroid with foods high in these vitamins and minerals.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

Pain in the patootie weight gain and impossible weight loss aren't the only problems someone with an under active thyroid may experience. That is only the beginning. Other symptoms may include:

1. exhaustion
2. mild depression or anxiety
3. forgetfulness or bad memory
4. weight gain
5. difficult weight loss despite healthy eating and exercise
6. cold hands and feet
7. low body temperature
8. dry skin
9. thinning hair
10. constipation
11. fluid retention
12. long term issues like diabetes and heart problems

 If you are experiencing any or all of those symptoms, try healing with food. 

Foods to help Hypothyroidism

1. iodine: foods high in iodine include things like: baked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, lobster, iodized salt, navy beans, seaweed (sushi, anyone?), cod, shrimp, turkey breast etc. 
2. Vitamin D: fish oil, cod, catfish, mollusks, salmon, trout, halibut, etc.
3. Omega 3's: fish oil, omega 3 supplements, flax seed, olive oil, etc. 
4. Selenium (mineral that helps eliminate free radicals): meat, poultry, Brazil nuts, mushrooms, eggs, fish etc. 
5. Zinc: roast beef, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, dark chocolate, peanuts, crab, mutton, oysters, veal liver, etc. 
6. Liver, cat elopes, apricots, cayenne pepper, lettuce, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. 
7. B vitamins: crabs, mutton, oysters, shrimp, beef, liver, octopus, caviar, etc. 

Conclusion

If you're lacking in any of the aforementioned vitamins and minerals, your thyroid could be at stake. There are other reasons you may be suffering from hypothyroidism and that may be up to a doctor to decide. However, if it is a simple fix such as changing your diet, it will be cheaper and better for your body. If you can find a doctor that practices functional medicine in your area, go to them. They will more than likely help you in the most holistic way possible. 

Best of luck!

Happy, healthy, healing! 

<3 KBS