My New Year Cleanse

After the holidays, I always feel the need to detox! All of the overeating and indulging finally seems to catch up with me in January - my pants no longer fit and I find myself pulling my sweaters a little lower over my newly forming 'muffin top' - that's when I say, enough is enough. 

I always get back to the same detox program. It is one that was introduced to me by my wonderfully brilliant Naturopath. When I tell most people that I am doing a detox, they often assume that I'm going on a juice only or no carbs, no fat type of 'diet'. Oh, they could not be more wrong. I often get criticized because many people simply don't believe in detoxes and quite frankly, I don't blame them. There are some seriously crazy detox programs out there. When I talk about a detox, I'm talking about a clean eating blitz - I'm not robbing myself of food or only letting myself eat liquids or smoothies. This is real food, real eating, no starving or crazy supplements.

                                                              IT'S NOT A DIET...

                                                            IT'S NOT A PHASE...

                                               IT'S A PERMANENT LIFESTYLE CHANGE

Here are the basics that I follow:

Foods that I avoid or limit:
1. red meat or pork: I simply don't digest these foods very well
2. cow's milk dairy products: I am dairy intolerant, but removing this is something that everyone should try!! Don't get me started on why everyone should cut out cow's milk!
3. wheat/gluten: I also gluten intolerant, but here is another item which I think everyone should take a break from - permanently if they can handle it!
4. alcohol: now, I don't drink as it is, so this one is easy for me. 
5. sugar/sweeteners: now this one I find the most challenging because I do often have a sweet tooth. I do allow myself organic honey, organic maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Allowing these seem to get me through
6. coffee: I remove it all together, but you could reduce yourself to one cup a day, but remember - no sugar and no milk added!
7. artificially processed foods: pretty much most things that come from a box or can. If it doesn't have natural ingredients, I stay away from it. Fresh is key!

So, you might be saying... 'what is left to eat?!?!'. Trust me, there is a lot left to enjoy!

Foods that I indulge in:
1. Fruit: strawberries, apples, raspberries, blueberries... these are just some of my favorites. Eat as many as you'd like! 
2. Dark leafy greens and other vegetables: this time of year, enjoy beets, sweet potatoes, squash. I love cucumbers, kale, radicchio, peppers, carrots. The list goes on! Cook them up or eat them raw - I prefer mine cooked as much as possible as they are easier to digest
3.  Lean proteins: chicken, turkey, fish or eggs.
4. Gluten-free whole grains: millet, amaranth, quinoa, brown rice.
5. Beans, lentils and legumes
6. Raw, unsalted nuts and seeds
7. Healthy fats: avocados, coconut oil, olive oil
  


I do this cleanse probably 2-3 times a year. What I love about it is that it has really taught me a lot about food, why I crave certain foods and just how amazing I can feel when I'm eating right. While I am not 'detoxing', to be honest, I usually follow the same rules. I cheat from time to time only because I can, but for the large majority of the time, I eat clean. From the first time I tried this cleanse, it has completely turned my life around - it has changed how I see food, how I eat and how I manage my feelings around food. I don't eat 'emotionally' like I used to. 

If 3 weeks sounds like an eternity to you, then just start with 1 week, or even just a few days if you can do it. Start there and work your way up. Change doesn't take place overnight - do what you can in your own time. It has taken me a few years to finally figure out what my body needs to feel its best. This cleanse allows your body:
- to reduce inflammation
- to heal the digestive tract
- to reduce bloating
- to promote a healthy body weight
- to develop a healthier relationship with your food!

Well, my detox starts tomorrow! I will try to post some updates throughout the cleanse as well as share some of my favorite recipes. My body is so excited for this healthy change!

Apple Beet Carrot Slaw

After the holidays, I was really looking forward to getting back on track and eating healthy! I definitely overindulged this season. Last year, for my wedding shower, a friend gave me a cookbook that I just love. It is called Joyous Health: Eat & Live Well without Dieting and is written by a Toronto based Holistic Nutritionist, Joy McCarthy. I have made several of her recipes and I always return to this book for new ideas!

One of my favorite recipes in her book is the Apple Beet Carrot Slaw with Honey Dressing. I'm a HUGE fan of beets and probably eat them every single day. I'm also in love with apples and never go a day without one of those either. So when I see a recipe that blends two of my favorite foods, I knew I had to try it.

This recipe is very easy to make and is so full of flavor! The best part about this recipe is that it is so healthy so you can enjoy as many bowls of it as you want and you won't feel guilty. Don't forget that it's vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free! 

Apple Beet Carrot Slaw with Honey Dressing

2 apples (unpeeled if organic), chopped in bite-size pieces

4 carrots, grated

3 small beets, trimmed and grated

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1. I started by grating my carrots and beets into a bowl.
Tip: I like to use the honeycrisp apples. I find they go best with this recipe. Just sweet enough for not too bitter. 

2. I then added in my wet ingredients to make the dressing
Tip: I used organic maple syrup instead of honey. I honestly just didn't have any honey in the house and actually prefer the taste of real maple syrup. 

3. I then cut up my apples and added them in to the mixture. I stirred it up and it was ready to go! 

Tip: If you were serving this for a party or event and didn't want your apples to turn purple from the beets, simply add them just before serving.  

That's about it! This recipe is so easy to make! I love taking it for my lunch at work. It's sweet but tarte and is full of healthy ingredients that help to get me through my day. I think the next time I make it, I might add some candied pecans just as an added treat!

Enjoy!

Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Mini Donuts!

I found this recipe a few months back when I was desperately seeking something sweet to eat. Being dairy and gluten-free definitely has its challenges, especially when you have a sweet tooth. I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try one night. 

These delicious little bundles of joy were so easy to make and were so tasty that I had to make them the following week for my monthly girls night. I figured they would be honest and tell me if these were just another yucky gluten-free recipe that I was trying to pass off as being good. (I do that a lot) I was so happy when they all said they liked them! Now, let's be honest - they won't pass for a Tim Hortons timbit or anything but, for what they are, I thought they were pretty tasty! These are definitely worth a try!

Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Mini Donuts

Ingredients:

 1 cup of water

6 tbsp dairy free butter

10 drops of vanilla stevia or tsp sugar

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

cooking oil (preferably vegetable oil)

1 1/2 cup powder sugar

2-3 tbsp of water

Directions:

Combine water, butter, and stevia (or sugar) in a saucepan. 

Bring to a boil, stir to combine.

When butter is dissolved, add the flours and baking soda. Stir it all together to bring it into a ball.

Turn off the heat and allow the dough ball to sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Add eggs one at a time to the dough ball and stir to combine completely before adding the next egg.

Pour cooking oil into a pan. Make sure you add enough oil so that when you drop your mini donuts into the oil, it will cover them. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.

I used a small spoon to make these. You will scoop about 2 tbsp of dough into the oil. Do this in batches, but don't overcrowd the pot. Turn the donuts over when they begin to brown. Keep the moving until they appear crispy on the outside. Remove and place on a paper towel to soak up the oil. Leave them to cool slightly. Continue until you've used up all of your batter.

While the donuts are cooling, combine the powder sugar with the water - but only add one tbsp of water at a time and stir. You want the glaze to be thick so it will stick to the donuts. When ready, dip the donuts into the glaze and let them sit to cool completely. Then... enjoy!

Tip 1: After making these the first time, I decided to add some cinnamon to the mixture. This gave them a little more sweetness which I loved. The next time I make these, I was going to try adding raisins as well. Heck - you could even coat these in chocolate!

Tip 2: If you are at all like me and have no real experience frying donuts, my tip would be to leave them in just a little bit longer than you think they should stay in. I really didn't know how long they would need. At first, I would remove one and open it to see if it was cooked enough. Trial and error - you'll figure it out!

I have to give credit to the original author of this recipe! Check out the Non-Dairy Queen for this and other excellent recipes!

Enjoy folks! 

My Favorite Gluten-Free Chocolate Granola Recipe

This recipe is by far one of my favorites. The reason I love it so much is because first of all, it is SO easy to make and secondly, it is so good! When I eat it, it makes me feel like I'm cheating - like I'm having a candy bar - but I'm not! I got this amazingly tasty recipe from my 'can't live without' Naturopath, Jen Newell. She is always sharing amazing recipes with me (I'm so lucky!). Well.. here it is!

 Gluten-Free Chocolate Granola

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the over to 250°C

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl

Then spread the mixture out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake in the over for 35 - 40 minutes or until the granola is dry and crunchy

Let it cool and then store in a sealed container

Tip 1: I use the Only Oats brand of gluten-free oats. I featured this product in a previous blog post. I buy it at BulkBarn - that is where I have found it to be the cheapest and they always seem to have it in stock. You can most likely find it at any health food store. 

Tip 2: I find the unsweetened, shredded coconut at Whole Foods in the bulk aisle. I really find that buying the unsweetened variety makes a big difference in this recipe. If you were to use a sweetened coconut, the granola would be way too sweet and the coconut would just overpower the chocolate. I would stick with an unsweetened brand.

Tip 3: I don't buy chopped almonds - I just take whole almonds, throw them in my Magic Bullet and give them a good grinding. If you would like to have larger chunks of almonds in your granola, don't grind them then and just break them into smaller pieces. 

Tip 4: The type of honey you use can really make a big difference in how sweet the granola turns out. This is just something that you have to try out for yourself to see which kind you like best. I've settled on using the President's Choice (Canadian brand) regular honey. When it comes to honey, just make sure that you're using an organic, natural honey that has no additional sugar added. **I recently started replacing the honey with organic maple syrup and I love it!

Tip 5: When it comes to baking time, this all depends on whether you want your granola to be soft and gooey or hard and crunchy. If you want it softer, don't leave it in as long. The longer you leave it in, the harder it will get.

I usually find myself making at least one batch of this granola each week. I use it as cereal (just add milk.. well, almond milk for me!), I pack it as a snack when I'm on the road, and it really helps whenever I'm having a chocolate craving or just need something sweet. I guarantee that if you have kids, they will love this! 

You can always feel free to add any other ingredients that you want! Maybe some other kind of nuts, raisins or dried fruit. You really can't mess this up.. it's always good!

Enjoy!

Check out more recipe's from Jen and more information about her services at www.newellnd.ca