It’s that time of year! Baking time! No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this holiday season, I think we can all agree that we’re spending more time this month compared to other months baking sweets or eating someone else’s baked sweets. What a fun time of year!

Indulging during the holiday season is all fine and dandy, but if I’m going to be eating more sweets than usual, they at least have to be made with real ingredients like whole grains and natural sweeteners. Oh who am I kidding – that’s my rule of thumb year round.

Baking with ingredients that aren’t white flour and sugar took a little while for me to figure out. Let’s just say there were some issues with texture and consistency. It wasn’t pretty. But that was a few years ago. I’ve grown since then.

So why the change? Why was it important for me to upgrade the quality of my ingredients?

White flour is pretty much a big loser when it comes to nutrition and flavor. Sure, it’s great at holding stuff together and getting that texture just right, but that’s about it. The same goes for white sugar – it’s a shock of sweetness to your taste buds that doesn’t last long and only leaves you wanting more, and more, and more. The taste of honey or maple syrup – now that’s real flavor.

Here are some gluten free baking ingredients that I’m crushing on right now in a big way.

Quinoa Flour

Why I love it – it’s loaded with protein (all 9 of the essential amino acids), zinc, iron, calcium and other wonderful essential nutrients, is easy to digest, and gives a subtle and delicious sweet and nutty flavor to foods.

Tapioca Flour

Why I love it – It’s a starchy white flour with a sweet flavor. It helps baked goods have a good texture and consistency because it can be used to thicken batters and soups.

Sucanat

Why I love it – It is whole cane sugar. It’s minimally processed – the natural molasses is still intact, giving sucanat a deep brown color and natural molasses flavor. Why the weird name? Sucanat stands for Sugar Cane Natural.

Raw Honey

Why I love it – Great flavor and it’s sticky which is great for holding the batter together. The real stuff, not the highly processed runny honey that comes in the bear-shaped jar, is full of enzymes that aid in digestion, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Coconut Oil

Why I love it – It can withstand the heat of cooking, unlike most oils. An oil’s smoke point is the temperature that decomposition and oxidative damage begin. Refined oils have higher smoke points than their unrefined counterparts, but they’re also refined and highly processed, making them a poor choice anyway. Yes, coconut oil is made up of mostly saturated fat, but not all saturated fats are created equal. The fatty acids in coconut oil are mostly medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), not long-chain triglycerides found in other fats and oils. Research suggests that MCTs improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol so it’s actually health promoting. Coconut oil is also known for its hair and skin benefits. I love it for its sweet and delicious flavor.

Happy baking and happy holidays!

This chocolate chip cookie has great texture and a very subtle sweetness. I love the addition of quinoa flakes for a soft crunch!

Ingredients: (makes 2 dozen)

¾ cup quinoa flakes (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes)

½ cup quinoa flour

½ cup tapioca flour

½ to ¾ cup sucanat

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

2/3 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 ounces high quality dark chocolate (I am currently loving Scharffen Berger 82% Cacao), chopped – size of chocolate chunks is up to you

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease cookie sheets

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in medium-sized mixing bowl

Use electric hand mixer to blend ingredients thoroughly

Add chocolate and use spoon to evenly distribute chocolate throughout batter

Use spoons to place dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Cookies will expand a little bit in the oven so allocate space on the baking sheet accordingly.

Bake until cookies are firm – about 20 to 25 minutes.

Honey is a great alternative to sugar. I love it and have been using it for years. Whenever possible I buy local honey. Local food always tastes fresher to me plus it’s a simple way to give the environment a little extra TLC. Other than local or not-local, I admit that I never really gave honey much thought.

Until now.

Recently my youngest sister introduced to me to raw honey. I had no idea it could be so different from the honey I was buying at the grocery store.

For starters – raw honey is creamy, smooth and spreadable. It’s not runny at all. The highest quality is unheated and unfiltered. A fresh unopened jar usually has a layer of beeswax, pollen and propolis (made by bees to glue the materials of their hives together and for centuries has been used to treat ailments ranging from acne to osteoporosis and cancer) on the top. The honey is underneath and since it has never been heated or filtered, it’s full of enzymes that can aid in digestion, plus amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Yes, it’s definitely pricier than runny honey, but in my opinion, worth every penny.

Check out how thick raw honey is in this picture. Amazing. Rich sweetness. Yum!

Many consider raw honey to be a superfood. And for good reason. Here is just a brief list of some of the benefits that raw honey can bring.

* increase calcium absorption

* help arthritic joints

* natural and gentle laxative

* constipation and allergy relief

* when applied topically, can speed healing of tissues damaged by infection and trauma

* facial deep cleanser for acne and unwanted blemishes– mix with an equal amount of oatmeal, apply to the face and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing off

Delicious, health promoting and a facial cleanser? Sorry, runny honey, but you just can’t compete with your raw sister.

Not to brag, but I have a very exciting weekend ahead of me. My cousin is getting married! I can’t wait to get through this long day of work and studying, get on the plane, hang out with my family, and of course celebrate with the happy couple! I am so lucky that I get this excited to see family. I really am. They’re a fun bunch who really make family a priority. And we sure do know how to party…

I am the oldest of 8 first cousins, but only by 16 months. The youngest of the 8 is my brother who is 8 years younger than I am, so overall we are all pretty close in age – or at least it feels that way as we continue to get older and age gaps feel smaller and smaller. Being the oldest, I’ve always been the first to do everything – Bat Mitzvah, the big college process, move away from home, etc. It’s really not as exciting as it sounds – if you are the oldest in your family then you know that is just a code word for “guinea pig”. It’s nice not to be the first for once!

Since I know I am in for a busy weekend involving lots of travel and likely very little sleep, I made time to prepare these muffins that I can bring with me – on the plane, to my hair appointment, the bridal suite, you get the idea. They’re made with real ingredients that will help keep me energized. There’s no sweetener in them, but they have a very subtle sweetness from the zucchini and cinnamon. It’s important that I have options with me so that when I do get hungry I am not tempted by something that could upset my stomach. Bloated in a bridesmaid dress is not exactly my idea of a good time.

I adapted this muffin recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet. Since they have a very subtle flavor they are great by themselves or with a scoop of peanut butter or hummus on top. Either way, they’re a great snack to take with you when you’re on the move.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

1 cup teff flour

3/4 cup of warm water

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

2 eggs

1 cup grated zucchini – leave skin on

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Combine flours with apple cider vinegar and water in medium mixing bowl. Cover and leave in warm room for 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 410 degrees

Line muffin pan

Combine remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly

Fill muffin pan all the way

Cook until tops are firm and brown – about 30 minutes

Eat fresh out of the oven. Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

What are your favorite on-the-go snacks? How do you keep living well when you’re away from home and not following your regular routine? I’m traveling every 3 to 4 weeks for the rest of the year so your suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

I never heard of okra before moving to the south. It’s popular there, where it grows easily because there is little frost. The first time I brought it home I thought that my okra was spoiled because it was very slimy and sticky when I cut it open. Turns out, that’s just how okra is. Not exactly appetizing, to say the least, but you get used to it.

Putting up with a little slime is worth it, if you ask me. Okra packs in the health benefits – it’s a great tool to stabilize blood sugar, maintain a healthy gastro-intestinal tract and prevent constipation, gas and bloating.

It’s common to pair okra with acidic vegetables, like tomatoes, to reduce some of the slime. Or you can use the slime to thicken soups. So clearly a little slime goes a long way – drama-free digestion, lots of nutrients and thick soups – not too shabby.

At the Farmer’s Market this weekend, I picked up some okra at the request of my fiancé. I figured I would roast it with some tomatoes and call it a day. Easy. Simple. Real Food. Why over-think it, right?

I spent most of the day studying so I was grateful when Ryan took a break from football to help me get our meals ready for the week. He came up with an okra red lentil combination that was both creative and tasty. Yes, I know I’m a very lucky girl.

He modified the recipe found on this website.

Ingredients:

Okra with onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, sliced

4 dried red hot chilis, sliced with seeds

1 cup okra, sliced into 1/4′’ slices

dash of salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Red Lentils

1 pound dried red lentils

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 dried red chili, chopped with seeds

pinch of salt

water to just cover lentils

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pan. Add onion, garlic and chili. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add okra and spices. Cook until is soft and dries out. Set aside.

Pour olive oil into large pan on medium heat. Add onions and spices for lentils. Cook for 5 minutes.

Pour water and lentils into pan with onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are cooked – about 30 minutes.

Add okra mixture to lentils and mix with spoon.

Serve warm. It pairs well with brown rice or pita.

Juicing and I have had an on-again-off-again relationship for about 5 years.

I bought my first juicer before juicing went mainstream – well may be it’s still not as mainstream as say, the gluten-free industry is today, but I think it’s safe to say that the juicing industry is definitely gaining traction. Now, I’m not saying this to brag at all. My health coach that I worked with after my diagnosis had mentioned the benefits to me one day (which I will get to shortly) during a session so I bought a relatively cheap juicer and gave it a try. I found the clean up exhausting and annoying so juicing didn’t exactly become a daily activity.

A few years later I moved to Asheville. Two local grocery stores had juice bars. Prices were reasonable and the options were endless. Stop in to pick up juice after the gym, on the way to work, or sip it while grocery shopping? Yes. Please. No clean up involved. Now that I could do. And I did. Happily. About three times a week. I felt good.

Since moving to Cincinnati, I admit that juicing and I called it quits again. The juice bar at Whole Foods is hardly impressive. I didn’t want to juice at home so I started drinking green smoothies every day to compensate. It felt good, but it’s been 7 months and there is something about fresh vegetable juice that I can’t find in a green smoothie.

It was time to make a change. I need to juice. I know I do.

Now I have a juicer that I enjoy. It doesn’t take up a lot of counter space, is super easy to clean and the price is reasonable. If you’re interested – I’m talking about the Breville Compact Juicer for about $100. In the interest of transparency – I’m not getting any rewards for mentioning this juicer to you all – I just like it. It works for me. That’s all.

So juicing and I are back on again. I hope for the long haul because it sure does make me feel pretty great.

Freshly made vegetable juice, not the prepackaged stuff, is the easiest way for your body to absorb the highest quality nutrients. It’s a straight shot of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and oxygen. I drink it on an empty stomach and then follow it up with a meal about 30 minutes later. It gives my digestive system a little break, which it needs sometimes. Now it can focus on other things like cell repair and recovery.

I like to use cucumbers or celery as a base and go from there. I always add dark leafy greens and the rest depends on what I have and what is in season. I usually throw in a small apple or pear as well, but the majority of the juice comes from vegetables.

I find that clean-up is easiest if I do it immediately, before the leftover pulp dries. All I have to do is run each part under warm water to rinse everything off and put it aside to dry. The whole process from start to finish takes less than 10 minutes. Not too bad at all, I think. And my body feels so grateful!

Do you juice? What are your favorite juicing recipes?

If we were friends a few years ago you probably knew that I was a big fan of ice cream any time of year. I loved it and it didn’t matter if it was below freezing outside. In particular, I was a big fan of Tasti D-Lite – one of the first popular frozen yogurt chains in NYC before the fro-yo market really exploded. Now that I know better, I have no idea how I rationalized putting that crap into my body, but what’s done is done. I can’t change it now.

Fast-forward 5 years to present day me. My current favorite treat year-round that hits the spot all the time is a big cup of tea. I realize very few people, if any, have ever compared tea to ice cream, but for me, they are quite similar.

Our emotions play a big role in our food choices. Craving our favorite childhood snack (or some variation of it) can bring us emotional comfort when we are stressed or depressed. Essentially, it’s eating to feed a feeling.

When I cut out dairy and cleaned up my diet I had to give ice cream the boot. Not that I don’t indulge from time to time – there was a mom-and-pop ice cream shop in Asheville that I loved that carried a few vegan options, but it was still processed and relatively pricey.

Over time tea has become my new comfort food – it’s soothing like ice cream was but also nourishing. I usually drink it hot, even in the summer, because the warmth brings an instant calm to my body. There are so many flavors out there – the options are endless! I love trying new teas.

This Tummy Tea made by Love & Tea is awesome and my go-to right now.

It’s flavorful and good for my tummy. The ingredients support digestive health and provide a very pleasing taste. The packaging is incredible – it’s obvious that Love & Tea really has a passion for their products.

* Chamomile to tone and balance the stomach.

* Fennel seed to ease and settle digestion.

* Ginger’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties promote a healing effect on the stomach.

* Peppermint and spearmint tone and balance the stomach and alleviate gas.

Jen, owner of Love & Tea has generously offered a 15% discount to you guys! How cool is that? Just enter the code “feedyourroots” at checkout. You can shop online here. Jump on it though – discount ends Wednesday, August 30, 2011. Thanks, Jen!

Ulcerative Colitis comes with a lot baggage. Some things matter more when I’m flaring and others are just an everyday reality. One of my greatest concerns that I always have to take into consideration when deciding what to eat is how easily my body can breakdown, digest and absorb said food. My other big concern – nutrient-density of said food.

Nutrient-dense foods are just as important for the average person, whether or not you have a diagnosed digestive disease. Our bodies need the right tools to replenish and repair the cells and keep all systems running smoothly. Those tools are the nutrients that we feed it. My body will make sure I know it’s not getting what it needs pretty darn fast. Yours will too, if you listen.

Homemade bone broth is an excellent way for my body (and yours) to get a lot of nutrients without having to work too hard to absorb them.

Broths made from bones have been made and used by most of the traditional societies around the globe for centuries. And for good reason – it’s inexpensive, super easy to make and loaded with nutrients.

A little raw apple cider draws out nutrients and minerals including calcium, magnesium phosphorus, silicon and sulphur from the bones into the water. These nutrients are in a form that is very easy for the body to assimilate. It’s no wonder that broth is known for healing colds, sore throats and other health ailments! Broth also contains broken down material from cartilage and tendons – chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine – essential ingredients found in the expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Homemade bone broth is a great source of gelatin. Research suggests that gelatin is not only great for our joints, but it also supports the growth of our hair and nails.

I like to use it as a base for soups, sauces and a flavorful cooking medium for vegetables.

So why is the homemade version preferred to the store bought stuff? Well for one thing, if you’re using bones and meat from a healthy animal that was fed well and wasn’t given antibiotics then you’re quality of broth is going to be off-the-charts awesome. Also, store bought broths can be watered down, minimizing your nutrient intake. They may also be highly processed and your wallet will definitely notice the difference in cost. I definitely use low-sodium organic store-bought broths from time to time, but I prefer homemade when possible.

For more information about homemade bone broth I highly recommend Sally Fallon’s Broth is Beautiful.

Ingredients:

1 pound high-quality beef soup bones

1 large potato, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 tablespoons raw apple cider

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 cups water

Directions:

Add all ingredients to slow cooker

Cook on low heat until meat falls off of bones and simmers – about 9 hours

Remove meat and bones

Strain well

Cool

Freeze or place in refrigerator (Make sure broth is completely cooled before placing in ice trays. I put mine in a big glass Pyrex overnight before freezing.)

Freezing some of your batch in ice cube trays makes it easy to use small amounts without defrosting everything at once

* No need to discard all of the veggies – you can either leave them in the broth or eat them separately. I like to put them on a bed of cooked greens with some hummus. Delicious!

In case you hadn’t heard, an advertising campaign claiming that “milk can help reduce symptoms of PMS” ended early after a flood of criticism regarding the tone of the ads.

While I’m not here to discuss the particulars of this advertising campaign, the NY Times article did get me thinking more about PMS and how it might relate to dairy.

For me, personally, dairy does not work. Ever. No way. No how. But we are all unique and what works for me might not work for you.

However –I think my female readers will agree with me that at one time or another we have all suffered from PMS. Whether it’s cramps, mood swings, bloating, what-have-you, every month there is some kind of suffering. And most of us have accepted this discomfort as unavoidable and just part of being a woman.

I used to suffer every month. And not to say that I still don’t sometimes on some level – but since I cleaned up my diet and lifestyle, my symptoms are much less intense. My life can function normally and I can’t remember the last time I took Advil, Aleve, etc. to help ease my symptoms.

So what causes PMS? According to my research, PMS occurs when our hormones become unbalanced.

Here are 5 ways to promote hormone balance – especially during “that time of the month”.

1. Skip the processed foods especially those that are high in sugar and refined carbs – Cleaning up your diet will help keep your hormone levels balanced.

2. Cut back on the dairy and meat products – Hormones in these products can create hormonal imbalances in your body.

3. Consume less alcohol – Alcohol can damage your liver, making it more difficult for your liver to excrete any excess estrogen that may be roaming in your body.

4. Eat your fiber – Constipation and other digestive difficulties can result in the reabsorption of estrogen from your gut into your bloodstream.

5. Break a sweat – Exercise promotes a healthy hormone balance. Thirty minutes of cardio at least 4 times a week should do the trick.

These changes will help your body repair and regain balance.

So if you struggle with PMS, but feel pretty certain that your body and dairy agree with each other then I suggest you try this – cut out dairy for an entire cycle and see if you notice anything different.

I’m not saying the advertising campaign is based on lies. What I am saying is that I know when I cut out the dairy I noticed a lot of good things happen to my body – improved PMS was just one of them.

I have grown quite fond of Sundays over the years. May be it started when I was living in the south because there wasn’t much open in the neighborhood before 1pm so I was forced to relax and have some down-time. May be it was before my move south of the Mason-Dixon line. I’m not sure.

For me, Sunday is the time to prepare for the week ahead – specifically in the kitchen.

The weeks are busy and sometimes at the end of the day the last thing I feel like doing is whipping up a meal from scratch. Ordering take-out is rarely an option – for several reasons, but a big one is that it’s just not in our “food budget”. So it’s up to us to have homemade goodies at home that can last a few days – to save time and energy on the nights that I need to study or just want to put my feet up. Hey, I’m human.

Preparation is key.

In my continuing effort to try new foods, I loaded up on mung beans in the bulk section of my grocery store a few days ago. They are a great source of protein, fiber, thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and folate. Since they are smaller in size, they are easier to digest and cook more quickly then some larger beans.

This recipe came from my mung beans experiment. It makes a huge quantity. And it was super inexpensive to make. Now I will have plenty of good, healthy and homemade food to get me through the next couple of days.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry mung beans

1 cup quinoa or brown rice

1 large zucchini, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 head Swiss Chard, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger

grapeseed oil

Directions:

Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Cook well.

In medium pot, add quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Continue to cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.

In large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of grapesed oil. Add onions and sautee for 5 minutes. Continue to add oil or small quantities of water to prevent ingredients from burning in skillet.

Add zucchini and carrots.

Once zucchini and carrots are tender, add cooked quinoa and beans. Mix well. Add soy sauce and ginger and mix.

Add Swiss Chard and mix until greens have wilted.

Serve warm.

I hear from so many clients that they don’t have enough time to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their family. I know that if I don’t get a head start in the kitchen Sunday evenings that my week is going to be more difficult than it needs to be.

How do you make the time to make more meals at home? For me, it’s creating a routine – this is what I do every Sunday.

Despite the fact that beans are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, I think we can all agree that these guys don’t exactly have the best reputation. We all know the songs…”Beans, beans, they’re good for the heart…” or “Beans, beans, the musical fruit…” – but indigestion and gas don’t have to be the unavoidable side effects of eating beans. Since beans seem to be a little misunderstood I thought I’d drop a little knowledge this morning and hopefully clear up some of the myths and confusion.

Lets start with a few health benefits. Beans are high in fiber and protein. They don’t have any cholesterol. Beans don’t have a big effect on our blood sugar levels and they don’t contain a lot of fat. They are a great source for preventing heart disease and cancer. The varieties are plentiful so there are endless options to choose from so you should never feel bored.

So why the musical encore after you eat beans? There are three factors that affect the digestibility of beans – their chemistry, preparation and freshness. Beans contain complex sugars, which our digestive system can not digest. So when we eat them, these undigested sugars pass through our digestive tract and when they reach the lower intestinal area they are fermented and broken down, which produces large amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane – the components of flatulence or what some may refer to as “farts”. Yes, I just said farts in my blog. Lets move on.

Soaking whole beans before cooking them can significantly reduce or eliminate the musical side effects. Not only does soaking beans significantly reduce their cooking time, but it also significantly enhances their digestibility. Adding kombu (seaweed) to the beans while they cook also helps break down the complex sugars. Seaweed helps with digestion and provides lots of nutrients and antioxidants. Win – win.

To get your beans from the grocery store to your plate, lets start at the beginning.

1. Your beans will expand when you soak them so if you need 2 cups of beans, start with soaking 1 cup of dried beans. Pour your beans into a container and cover with 4 inches of water. Soak beans for a minimum of 8 hours. For my super sensitive digestive system, I like to soak beans for 24 hours. Change the soaking water at least twice. You’ll see some foam start to collect – that’s a good thing. The sugars are breaking down. This is what it looks like.

2. Rinse beans with fresh water and remove any stones or loose skins. Discard the soaking water.

3. Place the beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 3 or 4 inches.

4. Bring to a full boil and skim off any foam that has collected.

5. Add kombu, bay leaves or garlic cloves for flavor and digestibility.

6. Cover pot and lower the temperature to simmer. Cook beans 20-90 minutes until beans are soft in the middle and easy to squeeze. Beans should be soft, but not falling apart.

Here are a few other tips to increase digestibility.

1. Chew thoroughly before swallowing.

2. Smaller beans are easier to digest than larger beans (and also require less soaking and cooking time). Adzuki, lentils and mung beans are good small beans to start with.

3. Adding fennel or cumin near the end of cooking can also help prevent gas.

4. Adding apple cider or white wine vinegar towards the end of cooking helps soften the beans and increase digestibility.

Store your dry beans in a cool, dark place. Beans that are more than a year old will be less nutrient-dense and harder to digest.

So now you have all the tools you need to whip up some beans any time without the uncomfortable musical side effects. Beans are inexpensive, nutrient dense and a far better option than antibiotic-filled meat so I hope that you give ‘em a shot.

Here are a few of my favorite bean recipes.

Dahl

Black Bean Burgers

Moroccan Lentil Salad