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.

Thanksgiving was my first encounter with sugar in weeks. Now I find myself craving something sweet in the middle of the day or after dinner. Or both.

That’s the thing about sugar – it’s a slippery slope. A little bit can open the floodgates and leave you always wanting more.

Instead of reaching for something that comes in a box, I whipped up these subtly sweet cookies instead. They have just enough sweetness to satisfy without going overboard. That’s the cool thing about eating real food – your taste buds are so much more alert to flavor so a little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free rolled oats

2 eggs

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup sucanat

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¾ cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease cookie sheets

Pour 1.5 cups of rolled oats into blender and blend to create flour

Put wet ingredients into mixing bowl and mix well with spoon

Put dry ingredients except raisins into mixing bowl and mix with spoon

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well

Add raisins and combine

Scoop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet

Bake until cookies slightly harden – about 12 to 15 minutes

Whenever I go to the grocery store I always try to make sure it’s somewhat recently after I’ve eaten. For me, grocery shopping on an empty stomach often results in purchases that were never on my shopping list – typically items that can usually be eaten right out of the box. Ok, lets call a spade a spade here – they’re processed!

In moderation, a little processed food here and there isn’t the end of the world. And of course some processed foods are better than others. Reading the ingredient list is the best way to really know what it is what you’re really eating. The marketing ploys on the front like “made with whole grains” can often be a load of BS.

So this week I went to the grocery store right before lunchtime and came home with one of my favorite special treats – Puffins. Whoops. My favorite is the peanut butter variety. They’re my reward when I get through another chapter of reading. I worked hard. I deserve a special treat, right? Well, I went through that box really fast. But they were my pat on the back, my incentive to keep on truckin’. Even though they’re gluten free and most of the ingredients are reasonable, my stomach was a little less than thrilled with my impromptu purchase.

Anyway, the Puffins are gone. And I refuse to replenish my supply. Puffins have been banned from my home! There I said it!

Instead I came up with this sweet treat. Real ingredients. Less processed stuff.

Ingredients: (makes 2 dozen cookies)

3 cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sucanat

1 teasoon salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey

1 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)

3.5 ounces dark chocolate

optional: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and sucanat in large mixing bowl.

Add vanilla, honey and eggs.

Use electric mixer to combine dough thoroughly

Stir in dried cranberries and dark chocolate

Grease baking sheets

Use your hands to roll dough into balls – about 1 inch diameter

Place balls of dough on baking sheet and lightly press to slightly flatten

Bake until cookies are brown on edges – about 25 minutes

Cool for a few minutes. Use spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack.

Growing up, whenever a new neighbor moved onto our street, my mom always stopped by to welcome the new family to the neighborhood. She typically brought a basket of goodies with her – usually her famous apple chocolate chip cake.

However, when I lived in a huge apartment building in NYC with a few hundred other New Yorkers, I didn’t really expect to meet many neighbors, given the reputation of New Yorkers. And I didn’t. And that was ok. That was “normal” for New York.

I was a little surprised though, when I didn’t meet any neighbors in Cincinnati either. May be times have changed since I was a kid? May be it’s just me? I’m not sure. Either way, it’s ok. Hopefully we won’t be moving anytime soon and there’s plenty of time to meet the neighbors. I can say though, that having been the “new kid” a number of times in the last three years, I will always try my best to be the Welcoming Committee for any new neighbors that move into my ‘hood.

Anyway, the other day I noticed a bottle balloon flying in front of our next-door neighbor’s house so I decided to break the silence and introduce myself, say congratulations and drop off a plate of something tasty.

I had planned on making something nourishing, wholesome and nursing-friendly. But when I ran my idea by my fiancé he thought it might be a little too “adventurous” for people we’ve never met. He was probably right on some level, but I was still a little bummed.

So out came these chocolate cinnamon cookies instead. Yes, they are still tasty and made with real ingredients, but not as baby-weight or nursing-friendly as my original idea. Oh well. Still better than the prepackaged stuff at the grocery store. I hope the new parents enjoy them and that I have successfully broken the silence. That was the point after all.

Ingredients:

1 cup teff flour

1 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sucanat

1/4 – 1/2 cup honey

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (I like to chop up a 70% dark chocolate bar into big chunks)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk) in small mixing bowl and use fork to mix well

Add dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, to medium mixing bowl and mix well

Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients – except chocolate chips

Use electric mixer to blend batter well

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips

Use 2 spoons to scoop batter onto greased cookie sheets

Bake until cooked – about 20 to 25 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack

Sleep – something we’ve been doing since the day we were born and yet can be a struggle for so many of us. In theory, we should be pros by now, know exactly what to do to catch those 8 hours of zzzz’s. Clearly this isn’t the case or the “sleep aid” industry wouldn’t exist.

Getting enough sleep is important for our health. Research suggests that sleep is just as important for maintaining good health as diet and exercise.

Obviously sleep contributes to tiredness, mood disturbances and productivity but it can also affect our weight. Research indicates that two hormones play a big role in the connection between sleep and weight – leptin and ghrelin. Leptin sends signals to the brain to indicate when we are full. Ghrelin simulates our appetite. When we don’t get enough sleep, the production of leptin goes down, so we don’t feel satisfied after eating, AND our ghrelin levels increase so our appetite is stimulated. Not exactly ideal for our waistline.

What we eat and drink in addition to how we spend our time when we’re awake can have a big impact on how well we sleep.

I used to have a lot of difficulty falling asleep AND staying asleep. I admit that my sleep today isn’t perfect, but overall it’s significantly better than it used to be a few years ago. If you’re having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep here is what helped me the most and hopefully will help you too.

Turn Out the Lights – This might seem obvious, but light confuses our body’s biochemical clock so even though it might be late into the evening, light causes our body to believe it’s earlier in the day than it actually is. Even the light from your digital alarm clock, DVD player and other bedroom gizmos can have an impact. Personally, I sleep with an eye mask to guarantee total black out and it has made a huge difference in the amount and quality of my sleep.

Wind Down Before Crawling Into Bed – Get off the phone, step away from the computer and turn off the TV. I spend so much time constantly on the move so my body needs to be still and my brain needs to wind down before it is capable of sleep. I like to read a book or do some light stretching before bedtime. When I have a really stressful day, breathing exercises help a lot too.

Ditch the Caffeine and Sugar – We are all different and unique so we react to these stimulants differently. For me, any caffeine or sugar during the day will have an impact, but my fiancé can have an espresso at dinner and fall asleep shortly after. If you’re having sleep challenges, try cutting the caffeine and sugar out completely for at least a week and see if you notice a difference.

Keep a Paper and a Pen Nearby – May be it’s just me but bedtime is the first time all day that I can relax. So what happens? My mind starts running and thinking about everything I have do the following day. Or I start mentally packing for an upcoming trip. Or making my grocery list. You get the idea. Now I keep a to-do list handy at all times. When something pops into my head I write it down and feel assured that I won’t forget. My mind is now quiet when I crawl under the covers.

Crank Up the AC – I know I sleep better when the room is cool. It’s that simple. I’m not talking freezing temperatures in the bedroom 24/7, but if my bedroom is even a few degrees too warm then I won’t sleep well. An hour before bedtime I turn up the AC and let the room cool down so that it’s a comfortable temperature when I’m ready for sleep.

Exercise – We know exercise is great for your health for many reasons. Improving sleep is absolutely one of them.

So there you have it. My not-so-secret strategies to getting a good night sleep!

If you read this blog somewhat regularly you’ve probably read my post about the importance of water and that chronic dehydration can exacerbate many diseases and mimic symptoms of others. Heck, it’s the post right below this one – you can’t miss it – but if you did, just click here to get the full scoop.

So in a well-intended effort to hydrate, my fiancé came home the other day after running errands and began to unload these “naturally flavored sparkling water beverages” (language on the bottle, not mine) into our refrigerator. Curious how this product could be “naturally flavored” I pulled a bottle from the bag and took a look at the ingredient list. This product was hardly natural at all, but that’s a topic for another day. What really surprised me though was seeing “aspartame” halfway down the ingredient list. The bottle’s label claims there is no sugar, no caffeine, no calories and no sodium in their product, so clearly it’s a healthy purchase, right? May be – if the ingredients listed were all real foods and the aspartame was taken away.

What really pisses me off is that these food companies know exactly how to push our buttons and trick us into thinking that we are doing something good for our health by buying their product. There’s a few different things that are wrong with this system, but we’re only going to talk about one for right now.

Aspartame adds sweetness to foods and drinks without adding additional calories – which is why it’s so darn popular. It is made of three ingredients; aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. In free form, aspartic acid is able to pass through the blood brain barrier and accumulate in the brain where it can over stimulate neurons. Phenylalanine interferes with the way the brain absorbs tryptophan. This creates problems because we need tryptophan to produce serotonin – a neurotransmitter involved in mood and normal sleep patterns. So when we don’t have enough serotonin we can become depressed and have difficulty sleeping. Are you with me so far? Good, cause there’s more.

As aspartame is digested and enters the small intestine, methanol is released and absorbed into the body. Methanol forms formaldehyde and formic acid. Formic acid is the substance found in the sting of red ants – something I definitely do not want circulating in my body. Methanol is a cumulative poison because the body excretes it very slowly. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that we limit our intake to 7.8 mg of methanol a day. To give you a frame of reference, one 8 ounce serving of a diet beverage contains 14 mg of methanol – almost double the amount of our maximum intake in an entire day. So you may not be consuming any calories from your beverage, but you’re literally putting poison into your body instead. Oh and don’t forget about the depression and difficulty sleeping. I’ll take the calories, thanks.

The ironic thing about this toxic substance is that it doesn’t even really help its consumers lose weight! Research shows that it actually destroys your body’s internal ability to “count calories” so your body doesn’t really know when its full or when it needs to eat.

So in case you haven’t heard, aspartame goes by a few code names – NutraSweet, Canderel and most recently, AminoSweet – but don’t be fooled. It’s all the same @#$%!

If you have any suggestions or advice on how you like to add flavor to water, please let me know. I like the taste of plain ol’ water and don’t really care for carbonated anything, but I need to find a healthier alternative for the future mister!

Here’s a confession you don’t often see on a health and wellness blog: I love the movie “He’s Just Not that Into You”. Chances are if you’re reading this post, you’re probably a savvy female so you’ve probably seen it too. What’s not to love? It features some of my favorite actors, who, lets face it, are also extremely easy on the eyes, like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Scarlett Johansson, and Kevin Connolly, and the plot is generally relatable for any girl in their 20’s or 30’s.

If you’ve never seen this movie, it’s a story about a group of interconnected twenty and thirty-something’s and their relationships – which are all very similar to your average relationship clichés: the girl that’s been dating the guy for several years, but he doesn’t want to get married, the girl that comes on too strong and waits by the phone for guys to call that never do, the couple that got married too young, the shallow guy that only casually dates beautiful women and the sassy girl that can’t decide between the sexy married guy and her no-sparks standby. The movie is entertaining to watch as the characters learn to stop listening to their friends who encourage their dysfunctional relationships because “things might work out with these dipsticks because they knew someone, who knew someone, who dated a dipstick just like mine. That girl ended up getting married and living happily ever after. That’s the exception and we’re not the exception. We’re the rule.” Sounds like a good lesson to learn to me. Side note: that movie summary took up more space on a screen than I originally anticipated.

Ok, ok, so where am I going with this? The concept of “exceptions” and “rules” got me thinking about food and how what used to be considered “exceptions” in the diet not that long ago have become the “rules” today. I realize this is a pretty crazy train of thought, but hear me out.

Up until a few generations ago, which is not that long ago considering how old the US is, most meals were consumed at home in a sit-down fashion with other members of the family. Food was homemade. For various reasons including cost, sugar and meat were consumed only on holidays or infrequently each week. You could say that the number of times per week a person consumed meat, sugar or something out of a box was less than the number of times they did. And you know what? People weighed less and diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease were a lot less common. Sounds pretty appealing to me.

So when I was craving some Southern comfort food, I knew I had to make it myself. The sugar, additives and preservatives added to the prepackaged food-like-substances at the grocery store don’t make the cut for this savvy chick. These baked beans are made with all read food. The food-like-substances for sale at the grocery store can’t say that.

I’m not saying all food out of a box is bad for you or dessert should be banned. That’s not realistic and not the key to healthy living and feeling your best, in my opinion. But before you indulge – What is the quality of the ingredients? Are you checking the ingredient list? How often are you eating sugar or meat? Is it a daily thing or hardly ever?

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

1.5 cups pinto beans, cooked or canned & strained

1 big carrot, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

16 ounces tomato paste

¼ cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon paprika

a little chili powder if you want some bite

salt and pepper to taste

optional: 2 organic bacon strips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large pan, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and chop into tiny pieces.

Leave grease in pan and add garlic.

If you are not using bacon, pour a splash of grapeseed oil and add the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and add carrots. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and stir so that tomato paste evenly coats the beans and carrots.

Turn heat on high and bring mixture to boil.

Place pan in oven and bake until most of the liquid disappears and carrots are cooked – about 25 minutes. Do not cover the pan.

I’ll admit it – I am still recovering from the holiday season, and by recovering I mean trying to kick the super-sweet tooth that took over during the holidays. Even though all of my desserts and “indulgences” were homemade with only real ingredients like whole grains and natural sweeteners (read: no refined flours or sugars), I am aware that I am craving sweets more than I’d like to be; more than what is “normal” for me.

Making changes is hard, especially when it comes to sugar. Drastic changes are even harder because they don’t last. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do you any good. Gradual changes are long lasting because they are habit-forming.

So instead of dwelling and feeling guilty, I remind myself that I am only human and that I am a work in progress. My sweet treats are made only with whole foods. These cookies, adapted from Clean Food, really do the trick. If I only have one a day then I am ok with that.  One “sweet treat” every other day next week will be even better. Then I will be  almost back to my good ‘ol self again.

Ingredients: (makes 20 cookies)

1.5 cups teff flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup 100% peanut butter (chunky or smooth works)

1 cup maple syrup

¾ of a 3.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate (I like Green & Black 70%) chopped into chunks and shavings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients except chocolate in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and blend thoroughly. Do not overmix.

Fold in chocolate with a spoon.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Drop batter by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.

Leave cookies free-form or press down in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.

Place in oven and bake 13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Do not overbake.

Remove and place on cooling rack.

With Halloween just around the corner, followed by Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas and finally New Years, I think it is fair to say that the “eating season” is about to begin. Sugar is addicting, takes control of our cravings, and has a negative impact on our energy level (just to name a few “side effects”).  The way I see it, Halloween and all of the sugar that has somehow become socially essential to this holiday sets the tone for the remainder of the “eating season”. Why do we allow ourselves, and perhaps more importantly our children, to be gorged with sugar, not just on Halloween but any day? It’s no secret that childhood obesity is a growing health issue in the States, and if we know that sugar is one of the leading contributors to this epidemic, why are we setting the future generation of this country up for failure? As adults we have to take responsibility and that starts with setting the right example. But enough venting. At least for now.

The other day I did something that I haven’t done since I was a child – I carved a pumpkin, and I invited a few friends over to join in the fall festivity. Walking through Target to pick up a few pumpkin-carving kits, I found myself surrounded by Halloween themed paper plates, home décor, and of course, candy. The sugar must have gone straight to my head because I caught myself wondering if I should bring home some treats for my guests. ‘Tis the season, right? After reading through the ingredient list on the back of a few different candy packages I gave up and walked over to the check-out isle and left the store with my pumpkin-carving kits. It occurred to me – if I felt even a drop of pressure to serve candy to my guests then surely moms and women who do not work in the health industry must also feel some sort of guilt and obligation to give in to this disturbing American tradition.

For a healthier Halloween and holiday feasting season, keep the candy (and all things sugar) out of the house. If it isn’t accessible then it can’t be eaten. It’s that simple.

You might be wondering, “How can I satisfy my sweet tooth?” or “How can my family enjoy the upcoming holidays without the candy and baked goods?”. These kinds of questions come up a lot year round with my health-coaching clients. The solution that works best for me is if I make it myself and only use real whole foods than it is ok to eat. This rule of thumb has a direct and deliberate impact on my actions. For example, I have to find the time (which includes buying the ingredients and spending time in the kitchen) to make something sweet and savory instead of dropping an item into my shopping cart, which takes all of two seconds. Guess which one is going to happen less often?

So here are some of my favorite sweet and savory treats that are sure to make your holiday feasting season just as delicious and satisfying. Click on the picture for the recipe.

Chocolate Cake

Crust:
1 cup walnuts
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
15 deglet dates (small) or 8 medjool dates (large)

Mousse Filling:
3 avocados
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water
10 deglet dates (small) or 6 medjool dates (large)

Directions:

I strongly recommend using a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. The ingredients are very tough to blend well and the crust gets very sticky!
Blend ingredients for crust. I think it helps if you do one ingredient at a time starting with the walnuts and adding to it to make it easiest on the blender. Scoop out and fill bottom of pie pan and up the sides evenly. You need to use your hands for this. It’s pretty sticky.
Blend ingredients for the filling and follow the same method (adding one ingredient at a time). Scoop filling onto pie crust and spread evenly. Any extra can be “icecream”. Put cake in freezer until it hardens. It will never freeze like an ice cream cake does – just firms up a lot. I would plan to let it sit in the freezer for at least 4 or 5 hours.

Pumpkin Muffins

Date Coconut Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini Oat Cookies

Apple Pecan Muffins