Healthy Muffins made Easy

a quick blog post showing some healthy baked good recipes. they are all sugarfree, dairyfree, egg free. can easily be nut-free by swapping coconut milk for almond milk. if you want to make them gluten free swap in the flour you would usually use.

i often add a little protein powder to carbohydrate rich meals, to help stabalize blood sugar levels.  

my big guy is not the best protein eater so this is another way i can add that into his diet easily.

hope you and yor little ones enjoy these as much as we do!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins:

3 mashed bananas (1 cup)
1/2 cup milk alternative (I used unsweetened almond)
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Mix the above together.
Then mix,
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour (your choice)
2 scoops @genuinehealth protein powder (I used vegan fermented)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt.
Mix wet into dry. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 375F for about 20 min. 

Applesauce Vegan Muffins

Mix together
1 cup applesauce

 1/2 cup milk alternative (I used unsweetened almond milk, use nut-free option such as coconut milk)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/8 cup maple syrup
In a separate bowl mix
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour (i used spelt, or gluten free)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Mix wet into dry. Add vegan chocolate chips if you wish (I think the kids wish )
Bake at 375F for 20 min
Enjoy!

Vegan Banana Bread

3 mashed bananas (=1 cup)
1/4 wedge lemon squeezed
1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed or coconut)
1 cup flour (spelt of glutenfree)
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
1 scoop @genuinehealth protein powder (whey, vegan or fermented)
1/2 tsp baking powder and baking soda.
Few shakes of sea salt
Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Then mix dry into wet. Add handful of vegan chocolate chips. Bake at 350F for 30-35min. Enjoy

Got Milk?

After reading yesterday's NY times article titled  "Got Milk? Might not be doing you much good". I thought I'd write a little something on dairy and calcium sources. While I do think calcium is an important nutrient to consume, especially for our osteopenic/osteoporotic patients, based on the research cited in this article, our average bones don't seem to be better off by guzzling down litres of milk.
I do think it's strange that humans consume so much milk. We really are the only mammals that wean from our mother's breastmilk and then consume the milk of another mammal.
I think we have been sold on this idea that milk is crucial to our diets otherwise our bones will wither and crack. I don't think I've ever drank a glass of plain milk and I've never broken a bone or fractured a hip (maybe I'm just not that daring :-) ).
Calcium has very important functions.  1% of our body's total calcium is needed for healthy heart function, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling and hormonal secretion. The other 99% is stored in our bones and teeth.
Something to consider is how much calcium we absorb from a certain food. Milk is actually not as well absorbed compared to some of our vegetarian options. So while you may see high milligram per serving, you need to consider how much your body will actually absorb.
An example: 
1 cup of skim milk is 300 mg, and 30% absorbed, thus 90mg absorbed by the body
Broccoli has 180 mg per cup, and 60% absorbed, thus 108mg absorbed by the body

Calcium Absorption amounts:
Milk: 30%
Kale: 50%
Broccoli: 60%
BokChoy: 54%
Pinto Beans: 27%

Calcium Rich Foods that are dairy free:
Collard greens (1 cup cooked): 357 mg
Spinach (1 cup cooked): 276 mg
Oatmeal (1 cup cooked): 208 mg
Seaweeds (1/2 cup): 200 mg
Tofu (6 oz): 200mg
Broccoli (1 cup cooked): 180 mg
Chia seeds (2 tbsp): 179 mg. 
Swiss Chard (1 cup cooked): 138 mg
Blackstrap Molasses (1 tbsp): 137 mg
Kale (1 cup): 122 mg 
Almonds (1/4 cup): 95 mg
Orange (1 mdm): 55 mg
Tahini (2 tbsp): 42 mg

Just like anything in life, I believe it's all about balance and moderation.
 

Smoothie Love

I've rekindled my relationship with smoothies and it feels great! It's a great way for me to get the protein and pack a drink full of nutrients. I often make them in the morning and take them with me when I'm on the go, drinking them several hours later. I like letting them sit to room temperature especially on cooler days.
I keep them pretty simple. They go something like this.

I always add:
Fruit-something like mango, strawberries, blueberries, maybe 1/2 banana, or handful of spinach
Unsweetened almond milk, although I may add some boiling water to warm the smoothie, especially on these cooler day.
Genuine Health fermented protein powder or vanilla whey protein powder. 1 scoop. The fermented protein is really easy to digest and helps feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive tract. I love it. The whey vanilla is super smooth and tasty. It's kinda like dessert :-). I also add the whey to pancakes, muffins etc...
Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts- a heaping tsp. This adds healthy fats and fiber to the smoothie.

Depending on my mood I may add Ashwaganda powder, Amla Berry, Cacao, or Probiotics.
Ashwaganda 1 tsp. It is amazing at helping the body balance stress and has a calming effect to the nervous system.
Amla Berry. 1/2 tsp. Super high in vitamin C. Great for those days I need an extra boost.
Cacao is high in magnesium and isn't everything better with chocolate?
A few times per week I add a capsule of Genestra HMF forte, for some good ol' tummy love.

I like to top them with goji berries. These are high in vitamin C and become re-constituted in the smoothie,  cacao nibs (high in magnesium), cinnamon (balance blood sugar levels) or hemp hearts.
This is really for the wow factor!

 mango peach with cinnamon, hemp hearts and cacao nibs

 strawberry, spinach, cacao powder with cinnamon, goji berries and cacao nibs

 strawberry, banana and i used coconut milk instead of almond milk (just because the store was out). 

topped with unsweetened coconut flakes, goji berries and cacao nibs

bluberry, banana, cacao with goji berries on top

This is your brain on stress

I see so many people that are stressed. Heck, I'm stressed! Constantly multi-tasking, running from one place to another. I had written this post last night and saw this post this morning. How fitting. Stress actually shrinks parts of our brain. Awesome. 

Here are a few tips that just might help you, help your brain. 

There is nothing more soothing than a bowl of oatmeal. This is one nutrient rich food! It is calming to the nervous system, high in fiber, lowers cholesterol, protects the heart and balances blood sugar levels. It’s like a superfood! I will encourage you to cook your own the old fashioned way, on the stove and avoid those flavoured quick cook packs that are full of sugar. If you want your oatmeal sweet, add a swirl of maple syrup. Delicious!

Begin focusing on magnesium rich foods. Magnesium has several important functions. It regulates the absorption of calcium, which we need for healthy bones and teeth. It also regulates the contractility of the heart, a deficiency could cause heart palpitations. It also has a relaxing effect, and it’s for this reason that it is a great stress buster. Some excellent food options are; dried figs, almonds, chard, brown rice, avocados, bananas, oatmeal and dark chocolate.

I love herbal teas. There’s something so nourishing to me about a warm cup of tea. A simple cup of chamomile tea is relaxing to the nervous system as well as the digestive system.  If you’re not a fan of chamomile, give lemon balm a try. This is an aromatic herb that reduces anxiety and has relaxing effect.

Eat some chocolate daily! Isn’t this the best news ever? But before you get too excited, it has to be dark chocolate, fair trade or organic, and it can be a max of 2 squares per day.  This is a calorie dense food that can pack on the pounds if you eat a package a day, which just might give you something else to stress about.

If all else fails supplement. One of my all time favorites is ashwagnada. This is an excellent herb for people that have a lot of nervous tension, mixed with insomnia and are fatigued in the day. You can purchase it in a powdered form and add it to a smoothie or some warm almond milk. Alternatively, you can buy it in a tincture from and add some drops to water.

Lastly, don’t forget to breathe! Deep breathing has been shown to reduce anxiety, blood pressure and slow down the heart rate.  A few deep breathes can go a long way!

Dissecting granola bars and a healthier option.

Store bought granola bars are often full of sugar and perservatives.  Let's dissect.

All those underlines, of which there are 10! are all forms of sugar! and sucralose is an artifical sweetener!

Caramel colour; an artifical colouring agent making golden granola bars. Mine are golden without it. 
BHT; a perservative
Artifical flavours; i don't know where these are from, but safe to say they're artifically made :-)

Another Option! Make some.
I promise these homemade granola bars are super quick and easy to make and are such a healthier option than the packaged ones.

Here's what it looks like, fresh outta the oven!

4 cups oats
2 scoops of protein powder (I use GH vanilla whey)
1/4 cup brown sugar (it needs a little sugar for it to stick together)
Variety of nuts/seeds ie. pumpkin, almonds, hazelnuts, flax. I tend to avoid nuts and just uses seeds so i can send them to school.You can also leave this out if you're working with allergies.
Spices such as cinnamon, ginger. allspice
Optional. A handful of chocolate chip (everythings better with chocolate!)

In a separate bowl whisk; 1/2 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla.
Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Bake on parchment paper at 325F for about 30 min (my oven runs hot).

Let cool and break into desired pieces. enjoy!

something about sleep

The pineal gland, also known as the “third eye”, as it is located deep in your brain between your eyes, is responsible for secreting melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep and is secreted at its highest amounts around 3 am. What’s interesting about this gland is that the more light it absorbs during the day, the more melatonin is secreted at night and the darker the room is you sleep in, the more melatonin that is secreted.

As you get older your pineal gland shrinks, this we can’t control. However, if you wake up at 3 am to go to the bathroom and turn the light on, you have now decreased your melatonin production for the night. So try walking to the bathroom, carefully, with your eyes half closed and avoid turning the light on, in order to support your melatonin production.

There is research connecting low melatonin production to insomnia, as well as to increased cancer rates ie. nurses with shift work and increased breast cancer rates and male shift workers with an increase in prostate cancer.

So, to summarize, focus on supporting your melatonin production. You can do this by getting outside daily, and sleeping in a dark room at night (so dark you can’t even see your hand!).

homemade applesauce and muffins

so i went a little crazy with the organic apples we picked from avalon organics.
the kids are eating tons, and if you happen to come for a personal or patient visit, you will likely leave with a tasty snack.

so today, i made some applesauce.
i did not have a recipe. i chopped up a pot full of apples. added some cinnamon, a splash of water and a glug (i love how jamie oliver uses this term) of maple syrup. i cooked it until the apples looked done and then pureed with my stainless steel braun handblender. easy and tasty.
i then used a cup of this applesauce into these muffins.

1 1/2 cup spelt flour (you can use a gluten free blend)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
mix all of the above dry.
in a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 cup applesauce.
i then added in some vegan chocolate chips, which then melted as the applesauce and coconut oil were hot. kids didn't seem to complain.
i baked at 375 for about 12 minutes.
enjoy.