Healthy Traveling

I am on a business trip for 13 days. When I travel it is more stressful than being at home and I used to soothe that stress by treating myself to things I usually wouldn't eat: pancakes, cookies, catered food for lunch, pasta at business dinners, desserts, an extra glass of wine... You get the picture. 

Well now I am working to stick to my healthy eating and eliminate all sugar, artificial sweeteners, wheat, gluten, rice, beans, dairy, and caffeine. So much for pancakes and pasta dinners.

As I eat healthier and more pure foods (no processing at all), I am finding joys in the simple things. And I am thrilled to have found a way to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

After leaving the airport, I made a bee line for the organic grocery store that is closest to my hotel. I had created a shopping list before my trip and wanted to have as much food on hand as I could so I wouldn't be tempted to grab something. Being hungry, tired, and stressed is a sure fire way for me to eat pizza and cake (not "or", "and"). Not exactly wheat, gluten, sugar, or dairy-free. 

I have found that one of my most favorite and crave reducing items is a granny smith apple with almond butter. Make sure the almond butter is freshly ground and has no added sugar. 

If I want a little sweetness, I sprinkle Stevia on of the almond butter. It is so darn good! I cut up the apple into slices so it provides that comfort food feel and spread the almond butter on thick. 

The best part about this eating plan is that I don't have to limit the quantity of the food I eat. So I can apply the almond butter liberally to each apple slice. 

Try my latest treat. I am sure you will like it as much as I do. It is filling, has great fiber, protein, and healthy fats. And it tastes so darn good! 

Here's to your health! 
Laureen

Raw Food Cookies Truffles

Eight years ago I had a really scary diagnosis. Doctors told me I was just under the levels for multiple myeloma, a bone marrow and blood cancer. I was sent off to a hematology oncologist with instructions to not worry. HA!

So long story short, this diagnosis started my trek to become more healthy. I cut out man-made chemicals from my life as much as possible, and I started eating organic foods. Since that time I have taken many supplements, worked many detox programs, and I continue to change my eating habits.

I have made it 8 years without progressing to cancer. No chemo or bone marrow transplants for me!

What I have found works best is to change one thing at a time. Just keep making one more thing healthier in your life. We know white sugar is no good, so try honey, evaporated cane juice, sucanat, or coconut sugar. Then work on replacing the flour you use with healthier ones. Buy unbleached flour, then add in half oat flour, or try some almond flour.

Through using this method of making every recipe just one step healthier, I am finding I can have all sorts of yummy things and give my body nutrients at the same time! The possibilities are endless!
 
Recently, my husband also had some health issues. We went to a Naturopath and we got instructions for further refining our diets. With this new list of foods in mind, I created a new Raw Food treat that tastes so good, like a truffle, and is packed with nutrients. Not a bad ingredient in it! 

Raw Food Cookie Truffles

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts 
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoons sea salt 
1 packet Stevia
1-3 Tablespoons hemp, coconut, or almond milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Optional Additions:
3 Tablespoons raw cacao
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 teaspoons nutmeg


Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, and almond flour until the oil starts to come out of the nuts. It will be grainy but should look like it is well on it's way to becoming a nut butter.
   
2. Add the cinnamon salt, Stevia, milk, and vanilla. Process to combine.
3. Taste the "dough." If it is not sweet enough for you add a little more Stevia.
4. Next, add the optional ingredients and pulse just to combine. Taste again. Adjust flavors. My raw cocoa is very bitter and sometimes I need to add a little more sweetener.
5. Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each and place them in a tightly covered container. You can freeze them to make them more firm but they do not need to be refrigerated. 

These truffle cookies are excellent to bring with you when traveling. They have all sorts of healthy proteins and fats in them. They also taste like you are eating something you shouldn't be eating. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

Happy Healthy 2014,
Laureen

My Kingdom for a healthy sweet

I apologize for the formatting. I am havin issues with pictures. I will redo as soon as technology likes me again.

I crave sweets. I love them and grew up eating cakes, candies, and chocolates. Loved them. Still do. YUMMMM.

My definition was very narrow: if a dessert included fruit or nuts it was not dessert. Fruit was healthy; desserts are not supposed to be healthy. What were they thinking? It was a parent's way of trying to sneak something I didn't like into my mouth. I was having none of it.

Raw cookie dough -- not the same as raw cookies 

These days though, I feel icky when I eat a lot of sugar. My body now craves protein. I can no longer exist on Sees chocolates through the Easter season. And I need to lose a few pounds (okay, more than a "few"). So what is a sweet-loving woman to do? 

I have found a saving grace. My goal in life is to eat yummy foods but make them healthy. Really healthy. If my sweets are healthy I can eat as many as I like, right? My search began in earnest. I used organic ingredients; replace "unhealthy" flours with more healthy ones. But I still knew I could eat only a little.

Then I stumbled on raw foods. They are made of things that, frankly, I would not have even tried eating as a kid: nuts and dates. However I was willing to try now because all the recipe reviews had people saying they tasted like cookie dough. 

Being a HUGE fan of dough over the baked product, I knew I had to give them a try. 

I made up my own recipe based on the many that you can find on the web. I played with the ingredients until I came up with one that works well and really does taste just like chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal in the dough. 

If you have ever tried that recipe that was sent all over email as the "Mrs. Fields True Cookie Recipe" that had all that oatmeal in it, then you know what I am talking about. 

Laureen's Raw Cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw cashews 
1/3 cup raw walnuts 
1/3 cup raw oat flakes (or steel cut oats for a crunchier cookie) 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/8 tsp sea salt 
2-3 Medjool dates, quartered and pitted
2-3 T RAu drink (or water if RAu is not available in your area)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
3 tbsp raw cacao 
Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the cashews, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt just until the oil starts to come out of the nuts. It will be grainy.
2. Add the dates, RAu or water, and vanilla. Process to combine.
3. Taste the "dough." If it is not sweet enough for you add another date.
4. Next, add the raw cocoa and pulse just to combine. Taste again. My raw cocoa is very bitter and sometimes I need to add another date.
5. Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each and place them in a tightly covered container. You can freeze them to make them more firm but they do not need to be refrigerated.

I bring them on trips and they last for 4 or 5 days without refrigeration. I'm not sure how much longer they would last because I eat them all within that amount of time. :) 

I like being able to eat something that cures my cravings yet is still healthy.