New Beginnings: Nutrition Coach & Spritz of Lime

New Beginnings. Upgrading. Game Changing.

Helping people create a juicy and healthy life that they can love is my passion. It took awhile for me to figure out that what I do all the time for my friends and family is something that I would love to share with the world of people out there who are looking to feel better, smile bigger, and do what they love doing. For this reason, I am launching a new website called Spritz of Lime. It is for those of you who want to get ideas, recipes, tips and encouragement to live a juicer life. I will be inviting friends and experts to contribute free wisdom to you. Adding a little Spritz of Lime will brighten your day. The website is being built as we speak but don’t wait to get on the list for free updates, tips, and recipes. Be the first to know when everything launches by going to Spritz of Lime to get on the list.

With this being a new beginning and wanting to better serve you, I have enrolled into a program to be a Certified Nutrition Coach! I already have raw food nutrition certification in my pocket but I want to be able to serve different needs. I love learning and I love sharing with you.

I am so excited to keep connecting with you and creating awesome tools that you can use to create a healthier and juicer life! The Back to Basics Challenge was fun and exciting. Keep a look on the new website for a free ‘Back to Basics” ebook that I am creating for you.

xo

LR

My Dirty Secret: Trouble shooting with Green Juice (Recipes)

Juice. Refresh. Reset.

I have a dirty secret to share with you. For all of the learning and practice that I have done to heal myself, I made a detour awhile back. There was a huge chunk of time where I felt so vibrant, so healthy, and “normal.” Normal to me is feeling disease free and abundantly alive. I got comfortable in thinking that I was totally healed and that I could live like any other fabulous human being around that could eat pizza, chips, and all that tempting stuff (wheat, gluten, and dairy) without suffering from the consequences. Huge mistake. My mysathenia gravis symptoms came back.

I share this detour with you because I don’t want you make the same mistake. When you decide to make a lifestyle change stick to it. Know that the steps that you are taking to heal yourself are also the steps that you need to maintain that health. This time around, I am not worried that MG will stay with me forever because I know exactly what needs to be done for vibrant health.

This way of living is my medicine not just a lifestyle choice

For a lot of you, it can be a lifestyle choice to feel, look, and live your best. For others, this way of eating and living may be one of the few ways for you to live a life of quality. Be honest with yourself why you are making changes. Your why will be the main fuel of success. Either way, I am here to support you and your journey.

Step 1 to resetting my system is through a juicing cleanse. The first time I did one, I went for 49 days on just fresh green juice, water, and coconut water. From that experience, I healed up dramatically but I also learned since then more appropriate lengths of time and recipes to make it better.

Phase 1: Juice Cleanse – 7 to 14 days using a variety of recipes

• 7 days of juice cleansing is manageable, effective and safe. Depending on where you are at with your health you can go longer but keep it under 14 days. Going to long on just liquids can mess with your metabolism and thyroid function.
• Vary the juice recipe daily. This is a key strategic move because when you consume the exact same thing for 4 days or more, your body can become sensitive to those ingredients. Also, it simply gets boring to drink the same thing day in and day out. This has got to be fun for you to keep going.
• Respect your body and your process. If you can only do 3 days that is better than zero days. To start, you can try it for one day only or just add 1 green juice in a day. Love yourself along the way.
• Know that when you are drinking green juice, you are nutrient loading your body, detoxing, hydrating, and giving your digestive system a break that allows for healing to occur where you need it in your body. WIN!

On to the green juice recipes that will keep you smiling. Lets cover the basics of the green juice formula:

• Your base are things like carrots, cucumber, and celery.
• Your green comes from things like spinach, kale, and other green leafy beauties.
• Your sweetener are things like beets, carrots, pineapple, apples.
• Your extra zing and exra flavour come from things like lemon, ginger, and herbs.

With this formula, you can totally experiment with what you have in your home. If you are diabetic, use less sweeteners. If you are brand new, don’t be shy with your apples because it will make your first green juice experience more inviting. If I want to, I can leave out the sweeteners and still be happy with my juice. Don’t be afraid to make it your own.

Dark Green Beauty

Juice: 2 Cucumbers, 5 Celery stalks, 3 cups of mix organic greens, 1 apple, and 1/2 a lemon

Tropical Fun

Juice: 1/2 a pineapple, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a lemon, and 2 cups of spinach

Extra Vitamin C

Juice: 1 cucumber, 5 celery stalks, 4 carrots, 2 apples, 3 cups of spinach and a nub of ginger

For my cleanse days, I will drink 3-4 mason jars of juice a day. On top of it, I will be certain to drink a lot of water, too. If I am cold, I indulge in some herbal teas. Listen to your body and love it.

I am often ask what juicer I use in particular. Right now, I have the Hurom Slow Juicer because it is reasonable priced in relations to the other “higher end juicer models,” it juices quickly, and it presses the juices. Most importantly, my juice keeps all of its enzymes and life force because it does not get heated up by any mechanisms or blades. To boot, the clean up is quick because there are not very many parts. If you want to know where to find one and to learn more, you can check one out in the juicers section at the Food Matters Shop

Get in the kitchen and play. Let me know about your creations because I love learning new recipes, too. I will be juice cleansing for a minimum of 7 days. The more recipes I can get my hands the better.

xo

LR

PS: To stay updated on recipes, challenges, and tips, you can subscribe in the right side bar. And join the conversation below in the comment section.

 

 

Back to Basics Challenge Week 6: Get What You Really Want by Slowing Down

Slow. Intention. Ember

Last week, I talked about how I lost weight but what I really should have mentioned was that the weight loss was a by product of freeing myself from a neuromuscular autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis. There are so many roots to disease but I truly believe that if you give the body the tools it needs to heal, it will do so. The body wants to feel good and be a healthy being. A part of my tool kit is eating more raw than not. This week, I want to share with you the other weapon that is at all of our disposal to take back our health and vibrancy: Slow down and focus your energy.

Lately, I have been walking around dropping little cheesy bombs into conversations like “Health is the spring board to our dreams.” It is true if you stop to think about it. When we feel good and when we are vibrant, we have the energy in spirit and body to go after our dreams. Plus, when you are glowing, people love to connect with you. Connecting with others in the world is the driving force of business, friendships, relationships, and more. What ever your dream is being healthy will be a part of living out that dream.

It may be seem counter intuitive to slow down to gun after what you want but I believe it is essential to your success. Slowing down and focusing your energy can create better success because you expend your energy where you need to rather than going full boar on everything.

For example, when you are eating, eat consciously and mindfully. Really stop and breath in the scents of what you are about to consume. Stop and take in the sight of all the gorgeous nutrients that will feed your body. When you chew, do it slowly and do it thoroughly. This is not hokum talk either. When you chew your food thoroughly, your body has an easier time digesting the food and, therefore, you get more nutrients out of your food. A total win!

You can apply slowing down and being mindful to most situations. When you are exercising, be present. When you are spending time with your loved ones, put down your phone and really focus your energy on them. When you are being creative, give yourself the space and time to do it with your whole heart.

Back to Basics Challenge Week 6: Slow down and be mindful

• Chew your food at least 10 times. Some people suggest 30-100 time but a good way to know if you have done it well is that your food is totally mashed up before swallowing.
• Take time to look at what you spend your time on. Keep what serves you and let go of what does not. This way you can focus on the things that work for you in health, love, business, and your dreams.

It is the simple switches done consistently that impact our lives. When you are mindful about your actions, you will feel more at peace. Inner peace signals your body that it is safe to heal and it is time to feel vibrant. When I am not mindful, my body tells me through fatigue, burn out, weight gain, and symptoms of my disease start popping back up. The beautiful thing is that we have the ability to take back our health.

Let me know what you do to slow down. What area is hard for you to do mindfully? Leave a comment below.

xo

LR

 

 

Back to Basics Challenge Week 5: The Secret to How I Lost 90 lbs

 

Fresh. Alive. Life.

Weight loss has been an on going journey for me that has its high and its lows. I only bring this up right now because I know that it can be a point of suffering for others, as well. During my stint with western medicine treatment for myasthenia gravis, my body ballooned and morphed to intense proportions. I looked like I was pushing 300 lbs. The scale said I was 230 lbs but with all the water retention and puffiness, how I looked and felt was a whole other story. With that said, after implementing a lifestyle change to reset my immune system that included a shift in nutrition, my body naturally shed the weight. I can also say that when I deviate from the secret that I am about to share with you, I pack on the pounds so fast. It is not just an issue of looks because carrying too much extra weight is an alarm bell for underlying health issues. Personally, I was always worrying about my blood pressure, blood sugar levels, my liver being too fatty, and the list goes on and on. There is already so much in the world to think about that there is no need to add to the list. Life is too short to stress about scary things. Life is about feeling good!

We can all start feeling good today by doing one simple thing. This is the secret weapon in my tool belt that I pull out when my body is firing off signs in the sky that it is tired, bogged down, sick, and just overall running low: Go 51% raw. Bam! This is the foundation to my healing plan. Don’t fret, I will share my plan with you. You can make it your own and run with it, too.

Back to Basics Challenge Week 5: Go 51% Raw

This magical number comes from David Wolfe in an interview from Food Matters (Film). If you have not seen this documentary, watch it soon because it is a game changer. You will get introduced to some amazing leaders in health and wellness. In the documentary, David “Avocado” Wolfe describes how our bodies react to cooked foods. When we eat more than 51% cooked foods, we have a white blood cell reaction. Our bodies act like it is fighting off invaders when all we’ve done is eat some food. This is a fight that we don’t need. On the flip side, our bodies do not have that reaction when 51% or more of our daily intake is raw.

This secret helped me to reduce the inflammation in my body and was integral to my weight loss. If you think about it for one moment, it makes a lot of sense. When you make the switch, you are increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. You can’t go wrong if you are loading up on your fruits and veggies. I have to repeat that anytime I fall off the wagon, I get fat fast and the symptoms of my autoimmune disease comes out. For someone who is generally healthy but is feeling the stress of life and tired, this trick can jump start you towards an optimally healthy life. So, lets do this!

What does it look like to go 51% raw?

• How do you know if you are doing it right: When you look at your plate/meal, it will be half raw veggies and fruit. Simple.
• You don’t have to survive off carrot and celery sticks. You can create a beautiful salad that is topped with nuts and berries.
• Instead of a bowl of cereal in the morning, blend up a rockin’ smoothie of berries and greens. Yup! Your morning smoothie falls into the raw category.
• For your snacks, rather than crackers and cheese, try fresh apple slices and cheese. A killer combo is apple slices and nut butter. Delicious.
• Feeling fancy? Spiralize your carrots, zucchini, or daikon to make a raw noodle pasta. I have a tool in my kitchen called a spiralizer that makes it super easy to turn veggies into a pile of gorgeous noodles. It so easy to use and worth the investment. If you haven not seen one in action, you have to get your hands on one. I swear it is a life changer.

Lately, a typical dinner for me and my love is a big salad with our choice of protein on top. When I say big salad, I really mean it. The salad takes up the plate because it is the base of our meal. We don’t hold back on the fixings. My man very much loves his man food. For him to love a salad, we add apple, cucumber, avocado, red pepper, carrot, and nuts to our organic greens. I am not going to lie…I like the salad all dolled up, too. For added fun, I sautee onions, garlic, and cauliflower to throw on top. I am sharing this little peek into our evening meals because I want you to know the combinations are endless.

Most importantly, do it in a way that is fun for you. It has to be fun or else you won’t do it as a lifestyle. Get in the kitchen and put love in that food.

I love hearing from you. Comment on how this has helped you. Let me know your tips on adding the veggie love into your life.

xoxo

LR

PS: Next week, I will share with you my other secrets to weight loss.

BeMore: Free Magazine Subscription

Be More. Monthly. Free.

Hi Lovelies! I stumbled across a beautifully and thoughtfully created online magazine called “Be More.” The information in it is invaluable and is delivered right to your email box. If you subscribe now, you will have lifetime access for free. Do it now because they will be switching it to a premium format soon. Get in on the goods while you can here: http://bemoremagazine.com/

xo LR

Back to Basics Challenge Week 4: Self-Care

Self. Space. Serenity

Back to Basics Challenge has been in eye opening experience. It blows my mind how simple and little changes really do make an incredible impact over time. I think the key is to create a strong foundation over time and to maintain it lovingly as a lifestyle. This week’s challenge is focusing on self-care. Back to basics is already about caring for your health but I really want to hone in on conscious self-care throughout the day. You might ask: What does that even mean? It means to make conscious decisions that put you in the driver seat of your own juicy and happy life. It means to put “your oxygen mask” on first. It means to put your health, your thoughts, and feelings first.

Women and sensitive folk have a really hard time with putting themselves first. At times, the nurturers need to nurture themselves to keep contributing to their world. I encourage you to stop and think about what you do everyday to keep your engines running on full. What are the thoughts that you consciously hold that add value to your life? The best advise that I heard at an international health conference last summer was this phrase:

“Be the gate keeper to your mind”

Guard what you expose yourself to everyday because the thoughts you have really do impact your body. Think back to moments of stress and anger, I imagine that it didn’t feel good in you body. Personally, I know that if I get upset, I physically shake and my breathing goes wonky. I am using an extreme example but the little things over a course of a day adds up and takes a toll that a lot of us can’t afford to pay. We need to be in prime shape with engines on full to enjoy a life that we can love.

A check list for your Gate Keeper:

• Clean up your social media feeds to people, pages, businesses, images and quotes that add value to your life. It may seem like nothing but when you are cruising your news feeds, you are taking in everything that everyone is willing to dump on you. You can choose what you see. Choose to smile, to laugh, and to feel good.
• Choose to take a break when you need it to refuel. I love taking a bath to wind down the day. My skin care routine that I neglect too often to save time is actually a time of relaxation and self-care. Don’t skip the little things. Indulge in them.
• Choose what events to go to that add value to your life. And, feel good about saying “No” when some thing doesn’t feel right or you are pressed for time. I am giving you permission to wave your “No” flag.
• For one week, turn off the news channel. It is unnecessary mental stress to feed yourself daily meals of things you can not control right now. On a biological level, you are jacking up your cortisol levels every time you get stressed out…signalling your body that there is a fight when there is not one.
• Create mental and physical space for you to feel good. Let go of problems and people that you can not help right now. Make a space at home that is just right for you. A place that you can read, snuggle, laugh, and unwind.

Back to Basics Challenge Week 4: Feed your inner Gate Keeper of Self-Care

I share this with all of you because it is a vital step towards lasting health. When your Gate Keeper goes off duty, you are susceptible to intruders that harm your health. Let me know what you do you take care of yourself! I love learning and hearing from you.

xoxo

LR

 

Back to Basics Challenge Week 3: Movement

Move. Flow. Create.

Back to Basics Challenge is already in week 3! It has been an awesome few weeks getting back to the basics of feeling healthy and good. This challenge is about building a foundation that you can use to try more advance health tips. This week, we are honing in on a free trick to get your health mojo going: movement. Adding simple movement in your life through walking, stretching, biking, swimming, and whatever appeals to you, can add so much to your life in a variety of ways.

It is simple to sneak movement into your life but lets get to the heart of the matter first. When you move, you feel good because your body starts releasing the awesome pleasure buddies: endorphins. Not only do you get the benefit of a smile on your face but getting your blood flowing benefits your heart. Your heart is a muscle that loves to stay strong and healthy. Bringing your heart rate up and down through movement is the kind of love your heart is seeking. Another bonus to getting your heart pumping and your muscles contracting is that you will stimulate flow in your lymphatic system, too. Unlike your circulatory system, your lymphatic system does not have a heart to pump its flow. It only flows through the contraction of surrounding muscles and movement in the body. Why is this important? Your lymphatic system is the place where you collect toxins. If there is no flow, you have a stagnant river of toxins in your body. Yuck! The ideal is to have happy and healthy lymph nodes. Movement helps both of these systems stay happy and healthy.

There are avid fitness lovers but there are people who are not quite in the groove of consistent fitness. I get it! I have a really hard time maintaining a consistent routine. Sometimes, I love BodyRocking. Other times, I dive into the Insanity program. A lot of the time, I get overwhelmed by it all. What I am trying to create for myself is a habit of simple and consistent movement. I can add in the extra routines down the road if I want to but, for now, my focus will be on rejuvenating through a sustainable habit. My choice is walking because it is simple, it uses my whole body, it is meditative, and get to take in fresh air and beautiful sights. It is an activity that is good for my mind and body. It gives me time to think and just be. Creativity and problem solving can just flow during walks, too!

Back to Basics Challenge Week 3: Move for 3o mins a day

• Choose your movement of choice. I will use walking as an example. An easy way to sneak in the walking is to take the stairs instead of the elevator and park your car farther from the door. On your lunch break, take a brisk walk around the block. You will feel refreshed for the rest of your work day.
• You can do all 30 mins in one go or break it up in 1o min intervals through out the day

This is so simple but so worthwhile. Often times, it is the simple things in life that are easier to maintain and it is these acts that have the greatest impact over time.

 

Back to Basics Challenge Week 2: Hydrate for Lasting Change

Vavavoom. Rejuvenate. Heal.

Last week was all about sleeping at the right time for the biggest bang of your snooze time. The results of sleeping by 10 pm have proven to me that the effort in building this habit is worth it. This week, I have been waking up more refreshed, my productivity has increased, and I feel good. I know that is just the beginning and that over time, my health will improve even more from deeper and more rejuvenating sleep. This week, it is time to add in the second habit that is free and fast for health and longevity: Hydration.

Drinking water is such a simple addition but, sometimes, it can feel like all you do is drink water, go to the bathroom, drink more water, go to the bathroom, and on and on the cycle goes. You might ask: Why bother? Here is a short list of many more examples of what hydration can do for you:

• Relieve headaches
• Relieve aches and pains in the body
• Soften your skin
• Reduce overall body puffiness (face, eyes, etc)
• Prevent kidney stones
• Flush out toxins
• Support your detoxifying organs like your liver, kidneys, bladder, and skin
• Rejuvenate your body
• Bring out the youthfulness in your body
• Support your brain function (have you ever noticed that when you are studying or doing intense mental activity, you need more water?)

Even from that short list, you can see how drinking water can up your game. Just like it is with sleep, how much water you drink and when you drink it can really impact the benefits. Lets look at the numbers when it comes to staying hydrated. Because we are made up more of water than anything else, it is essential to drink an optimum amount of water. Just to keep your body running properly, you need a minmum of 2 Litres a day. However, if you are already deeply hydrated, active, or feeling thirsty, 3-4 litres of water a day will get you off to a really good start. Check out this amazing transformation that this one writer went through by drinking 3 litres of water a day for four weeks: How Drinking 3 Liters of Water a day took 10 Years off my face by Sarah Smith

Back to Basics Challenge Week 2: Drink 3 litres of water a day

In the beginning, it may feel like all you do is go to the bathroom because your body is so excited to have the resources to do its job of flushing out gunk. Don’t fret too much. After awhile, your body will adjust to the water consumption and level out on the cleansing.

Best times to drink water:

• First thing when you wake up, drink 2 glasses of water (optional: with lemon) to get all of your organs fired up and running for the day
• 30 mins before meals because if you drink water too close to meal times, you can muck up your digestion. The water can dilute your digestive juices that breakdown food. So timing is important.
• Stop drinking ample amounts of water a few hours before bed to prevent frequent night time trips to the washroom.
• Drink water instead of snacking. Sometimes when your mind is craving a munchie, you are actually needing water. Use your discretion with this tip. Drink water first. If you are still hungry, grab a healthy snack.

Type of Water:

This is a hot topic because some people are adamant about only drinking tap water or only drinking bottled water or only drinking fresh spring water that you have sourced from a local spring. Regardless of what camp you are in, drinking water is essential. Pick your source and go for it. Some things to consider when choosing your source of water:

• Make sure it is clean
• The more alkaline that your water is the better because, for the most part, we are too acidic. This is a topic that we will dive into later on.
• Make sure that the extra chemicals, bacteria, parasites and the like have been filtered out.

There are different ways to ensure these elements are being met. You can have an awesome gravity fed filtration system in your home that in the long run would be more cost effective then buying bottled water. Personally, I have a Santevia counter top water system. I fill up mason jars in the morning and carry them with me. Sometimes, people think I am drinking Moon Shine. It makes for a fun conversation.  If you are in a city with an excellent water system, you may be safe to go with tap water. Don’t stress to much about it because that defeats the purpose of the back to basics program.

Give your water some vavavoom:

• Add sliced lemons! This will add flavour but, also, energize and alkanize your body.
• You can spruce your water up with different fruits and herbs to create  your own “vitamin” waters. My favourite combo: Fresh mint leaves and lime wedges.

There is no replacement for water. Your teas and coffees do not count for your 3 liters a day because they do not have the same effect on your body.

Time to get hydrated!

Cheers, LR

PS: Follow the blog to get updates on the Back to Basics Challenge and leave a comment below to let me know how you are getting on with the challenge. Your tips and feedback are welcome!

Back to Basics Challenge Week 1: Pillow Talk

Sleep. Sexy. Rejuvenate.

O my gosh! I am so excited to launch the Back to Basics: Health on a Budget Challenge today! ❤ ❤ ❤

Today, we are going to get down and dirty with some pillow talk about the easiest and quickest way towards optimal health: Sleep. It is a luxury and a necessity for longevity, healing, and productivity. You might be thinking, “What? I signed up for a health challenge and…we are talking about sleep!!?” Read through to the end, my friend, and you will see why this activity is the first habit that we are nuzzling up to for life.

For some of you this will be review, but let’s all get on the same program. When we were wee ones, our mamas and papas would get us in bed no later than 9 pm every night. If you were like me, you would fight this bed time curfew. I still fight going to bed now that I am an adult. Here is the thing though, our parents had it right. A consistent theme in health books on detoxing and healing across cultures is the thought that our immune systems does is self-cleaning and self-repair between the hours of 10 pm – 12 am. The trick behind accessing this awesome self-care activity is to be asleep during those hours. The flip side is that if you are not asleep during these hours night after night, your immune system won’t get to take care of business. This can lead to avoidable health problems. In the article, Sleep and Longevity, Dr. Kulrheet Chaudhary makes a fantastic observation with the statement: “Timing your sleep is like timing an investment in the stock market – it doesn’t matter how much you invest, it matters when you invest.” Dr. Chaudhary says that the deepest and most regenerative time to sleep is between 10 pm to 2 am. Any sleep after that time will be light and superficial. Holla! I can attest to these ideas. I know that when I go to bed after 2 or 3 in the morning, it doesn’t matter how much I sleep, it doesn’t cut it for me.

Beyond the immune system, another key component to sleeping at the right time is you get to maximize your melatonin activity. Melatonin is lovingly knows as the hormone that makes you sleepy. Another side to melatonin is that is a mega antioxidant that helps your body rid of free radicals during your sleep. Your body naturally produces melatonin when your body and eyes register that the sun has set and darkness is taking over the night. You can also help the process by taking high quality melatonin supplements in the evening. Be sure to take good ones and follow the instructions properly. They are a good aid to help you get back into a natural rhythm of sleeping at the right time.

Review:

– 10 pm – 2 am give you the deepest and most regenerative sleep. Also, your immune system gets to clean house! It is called Beauty Rest for a reason. Plus, you will get more out of your learning and work outs when you get proper sleep.

– Melatonin helps you get to sleep and is a powerful antioxidant.

This week’s Back to Basics Challenge: Asleep by 10 pm

It is so simple but it can be a challenge because you think that you can get everything done before bed, but, truly ask yourself: “How productive am I after 9 pm?” More often than not, social media, tv, and the like are fighting for our attention at that time of night. Your beauty rest and your health takes priority. It really does in the grand trajectory of your life.

To help you get to sleep more easily, find ways to wind down:

• Through meditation, deep breathing, and some stretching. This activities help you to relax and feel more connected to your body.
• Have a policy for yourself that technology is off by 9 pm. The light from those screens are stimulating and will stop your melatonin production.
• One of the readers, Arlene, suggested that it awesome to remove as much gadgets from your room as possible to reduce the light. And, when traveling, a sleeping mask can go a long way in helping to get that black out your body needs to produce melatonin. What an awesome tip!
• You can start slow, too. Move your bed time up at a regular interval over the next few weeks till you reach your goal.

I am not saying that you have to do this everyday of your life, but, I am saying that being asleep by 10 pm is a necessary habit that we should exercise consistently. The late night outs and the all nighters need to be an exception in your life rather than a common occurrence. This has been a challenge my whole life but I am really excited about waking up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. The idea that my work outs and my eating habits will pay off even more just by giving into sleep is titillating.

Are you with me? Let’s make sleeping at the right time a life long love affair for our health and beauty! Sleep is the foundation that we will build a temple of health upon.

You can do it!! Share with me in the comments how you get to sleep on time? What are your tips and routines?

You can also share on our Facebook community: Health on a Budget

Cheers,

LR

Vegan and Gluten Free: Banana Blueberry (Quinoa & Coconut) Muffin Squares

Moist. Delicious. Healthy

Since, the discovery that baking with quinoa is possible and tastes good, I am doubly excited when there is left over cooked quinoa in the fridge. Another killer combo in my mind is the marriage of banana and blueberry. LOVE in my mouth. Hence, when it looked like I had the ingredients in the kitchen to make Banana Blueberry muffins today, I jumped on the moment to create a healthy yet tasty snack that is good for lunches, afternoon pick me ups, or just a fun indulgence. Also, the main sugar that I used is low-glycemic!

It is so easy to make!

Ingredients

1 cup of coconut flour (or almond meal)

1 cup of cooked quinoa

4 ripe bananas

1 cup of blueberries (mine were frozen)

1 cup of coconut milk or other non-dairy milk

1/2 cup of coconut sugar

6 tbsp of ground flax seed (important ingredient! Flax is the egg replacement)

2 tbsp of coconut oil

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground vanilla bean powder (you could use vanilla extract)

pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a food processor, I blended all of the ingredients except blueberries till smooth. After wards, I mixed in the blueberries into the batter with a spoon.

Lightly oil your muffin tins or use liners. I used a large baking sheet because I don’t have muffin tins and cut the “cake” up into squares. Pour your batter in to your chosen vessel.

Optional: Top with sliced bananas and sprinkling of coconut sugar.

Bake in the oven for 30 mins or till golden brown.

Enjoy the delicious scent that will fill up your kitchen and tastiness in you mouth! Share with your loved ones. They will be surprised by the healthy yumminess!

Cheers,

LR

PS: I am starting a Back to Basics: Health on a Budget Challenge next week. Look at my last post for details 🙂