For those of you who may be sensitive to grains like oats, but miss that morning bowl of warm awesome, this one is for you! Super quick and easy.
Ingredients: 2 TBS Shredded Coconut 2 TBS Ground Flaxseeds 2 TBS Chia Seeds 1-2 TBS Maple Syrup 1/2 Cup Boiling Hot Water 1/2 Cup Plant Based Milk or Regular Milk Additives: You could also add hemp seeds, or nuts and seeds to bulk it up even more!
Directions: 1) Place the shredded coconut, flaxseeds, chia seeds and maple syrup into a bowl. 2) Add the boiling hot water and mix it around until it makes a thicker consistency. 3) Now add in the plant milk and stir around. You can add in as much or as little of the plant milk you wish, it just depends how runny you like the consistency. 4) Put your favourite fruit, nut butter or other toppings to add more flavour and nutrition. 5) As I mentioned, you can add hempseed or other nuts and seeds to the base recipe as you wish to add more flavour and nutrients!
If you give this one a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share your wonderful creations with my community!
Bring your chicken from bland to unreal by just adding spices. It takes just a few minutes to make up the marinade, and the longer you leave the chicken with it before cooking, the better. However, if you are in a rush, throwing this on and cooking right away is easy peasy and just as delicious!
Directions: 1) Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, curry powder and chilli flakes. 2) Add in the olive oil and maple syrup, it should make a thicker to medium liquid mix. 3) Place on the chicken breast or whole chicken and massage it in with your hands. 4) Leave for a few hours or over night to marinade. If you do not have the time, you can put the marinade on top and cook right away as well. 5) Follow your cooking instructions for what part of the meat you are using and bingo! You have an easy dinner.
Cooking for chicken breast: 20 min at 450F.
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share your creations!
A bar that is free of almost everything you may be asking, what’s left? Well, there are key ingredients in these bars that are packed full of nutrients and flavour! The best part? It’s so easy to make!
Ingredients: 2 cups Dates 1 cup Pumpkin Seeds 1/4 cup Chia Seeds 1/4 cup Brazil Nuts 1/4 cup Almonds 1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut 1/2 cup Coconut Oil 1 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp All Spice
Directions: 1) If you have a high speed food processor you can skip this step. If you do not have a powerful food processor, you could try cutting up the ingredients or using a mortar and pestle. However, you may not get the consistency you need. Also, if your blender is not a high speed one, you may want to be sure you soak the dates overnight or in boiling hot water for at least 20-30 min to soften them so to take the pressure off the food processor motor. 2) Put all of the ingredients into the food processor and blend together until there is a clumpy consistency. 3) Then line a pan with parchment paper and put the nut and seed mix into the pan. Then push down on the nuts and seeds evenly until it clumps into one. 4) Put into the fridge for 20-30 min and take it out to cut it into bars in desired size. Or you can roll the ingredients into balls. 5) When you are not enjoying them, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge as once they soften they will not hold their shape.
If you give these a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share the love!
Who doesn’t love banana bread!? This is a simple and delicious recipe that is grain free, egg free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and of course gluten free. A delicious treat you will enjoy eating!
Ingredients: 2 Ripe Banana’s 2 Flax Eggs 1/2 cup Coconut Oil 1 tsp Vanilla 2 TBS Maple Syrup 2 cups Almond Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Cinnamon Pinch of Salt
Directions: 1) Preheat the oven to 350F. 2)Make the two flax eggs first by putting 2 TBS of ground flax into a bowl with 6 TBS of water. Mix together and set aside while you make the rest of the bread. 3)) Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 4) Mix together the wet ingredients in another bowl, mashed banana’s, flax eggs (once they have thickened), coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. 5) Mix the wet with the dry and combine until a batter consistency has been made. You can also put all the ingredients into a food processor as another option. 6) Place the batter into a bread tin lined with parchment paper or oiled with coconut oil or oil of choice. Place in the oven to be baked for 40 min or until golden on top.
Enjoy! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you end up making this banana bread, I love seeing your creations come to life!
Have you ever wondered how to make paleo pancakes without using eggs? Here is the trick, flax egg and make vegan “buttermilk.” These pancakes are a bit more dense than other pancakes but trust me when I say, they are delicious. Follow the recipe below to make your own!
Ingredients: 1 cup almond flour 3/4 cup cassava flour (or tapioca/arrowroot starch will work as well) 1 tbs baking powder 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbs maple syrup 1 tbs coconut oil – melted pinch of salt 1 cup almond milk 1 flax egg
Directions: 1) First make the flax egg and the vegan buttermilk to set as side as they need to sit for a few minutes to work. Mix together 1 tbs ground flax seed and 3 tbs water, mix together and set aside. Mix together 1 cup almond milk with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10 min to become “buttermilk.” 2) Mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl, almond flour, cassava flour, baking powder, and salt. 3) Mix together all the wet ingredients in another bowl, flax egg, buttermilk mixture you made, coconut oil, maple syrup. 4) Now add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix together. You can also put all of the ingredients into a food processor. 5) Melt coconut oil on your pan, and place the mixture (which will be a bit thicker), onto the pan. On medium heat it should be ready to flip in 3-5 min. 6) Serve with your favourite toppings, I have a homemade apricot spread and maple syrup on mine.
Enjoy! Tag me on instagram if you end up make these, I love to see all of your creations!
With the uprise in popularity, smoothie bowls are a great way to pack in a lot of nutrition. This smoothie bowl in particular is full of vitamins and minerals from the fruit and seeds.
Apricots in particular have 1 gram of protein, 8 grams of carbs, 34 calories, 0.27 gram of fat, 1.5 grams of fibre, 8% daily value (DV) of Vitamin A and C, and 4% DV of Vit E and potassium.
If you give this recipe a try be sure to tag me on instagram!
Ingredients: 1 Frozen apricot 1/3 cup Frozen cherries Juice of half a lemon Thumb sized piece of ginger 3 Ice cubes 9 oz of water
Directions: 1) Blend together all of the ingredients listed: apricot, cherries, lemon, ginger, ice cubes and water. Once smooth pour into a bowl. Add more ice if you would like a thicker smoothie. You can also add a protein powder if you would like to add more protein to your bowl. 2) Take your toppings and place them on top of your smoothie bowl in whichever fashion you would like.
I believe everyone has had a form of this in someway, whether it be getting the best grades at school, wanting to be the best at everything you do in life, or being the MVP on your team.
I for one am very hard on myself, and always have been. The last few months I have been extremely hard on myself, and almost feel like I have gone nowhere. If this is you to, know that you are not alone. There are thousands of people around the world working towards the perfect life, the perfect children, the perfect career, the perfect relationship, the perfect instagram ready life. If you really stop to think about this, no one is flawless, and being perfect is a completely subjective concept that we all try to live up to, but this is in fact impossible.
There is increasing research into this topic of perfectionism and it is showing that this can not only be really bad for our wellbeing but also have a huge impact on our mental health. This in particular is exactly what I have been experiencing myself the last few months. I have been knocking myself down for not having my TTG blood levels down, for not healing my gut by now, for still having symptoms appearing 3.5 years after my diagnosis of celiac disease. But not just that, I’ve been kicking myself for not having my life figured out by now, or not really knowing what it is that I’m trying to accomplish in life. When really if I take a step back and clearly think about all of this, none of it can be accomplished over night and it all takes time.
There are five strands of perfectionism: self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, other-oriented perfectionism, overt perfectionism, and covert perfectionism.
Self-Oriented Perfectionism: this is the kind of perfectionism that boils up from within, you set really high goals which then leads to harsh self criticism when you have not met those high standards.
Socially Prescribed Perfectionism: it is not just about what comes from within but also from what is directed towards us. There are expectations in the social environment that people in your life may have set standards in the way that they see you. This can be the people who are close to us but also the general environment that we live in, people can be very judgmental when we have not reached the standards that they perceive us to have.
Other-Oriented Perfectionism: This is the strand of perfectionism that is projected onto others. They expect other people to be perfect and are highly critical of those who fail to meet their impossibly high expectations. Saying things like, “I expect you to be perfect, I expect you to live up to and hold excessively high standards, and when you haven’t I will be critical.”
Overt Perfectionism: Overt perfectionists have a very strong preference for order and show increased anxiety when they don’t have order around them. They tend to be opinionated and like to be right and often avoid activities that they cannot do well or don’t understand. I suspect that this type of perfectionism is linked to having a fixed mindset – the belief that your abilities (e.g., intelligence, athleticism, creativity, etc.) are fixed or pre-determined and cannot be developed. Overt perfectionists fear failure and do everything they can to prevent it by being in control.
Covert Perfectionism: Covert perfectionists are “closeted” perfectionists and can sometimes be hard to identify because their actions don’t always match the perfectionistic thoughts in their head. Covert perfectionists tend to have low expectations of those around them and will outwardly say they prefer being average or laid back, yet internally they secretly want to succeed. They may underachieve to avoid any pressure to succeed or competition with those who may be better at an activity.
What is the link between social media and perfectionism?
Scientists data shows that the “Socially Prescribed Perfectionism” can be the most damaging. It is this idea that others and the environment around us expects us to be perfect. This can come into the idea around social media, most people show the good that is happening in their world rather then the days that they are sick or not as productive. When we do this it can give us a sense that people have excessive amounts of expectations weighing on us, and peoples judgement and approval are dependent on us meeting those standards. When we haven’t met those standards we feel like we have let people down, we feel humiliation, embarrassment, and shame. This can be very damaging because even if we do live up to those expectations we feel are placed upon us, we don’t feel satisfaction and we feel the better we do the better we are expected to do. This can cause a sense of self defeat.
Clinical numbers have been increasing in this exact type of perfectionism and may be linked to the rise of social media popularity. A master clinician by the name of Karen Horney, talked very persuasively about how perfectionism boils up from an inner conflict between an actual and idealized self. This culture teaches us that there is an ideal life but at the same time makes us feel miserable for not quite being able to attain it. It’s this conflict that springs perfectionist tendencies, a need and desire to be perfect and project perfection onto other people. There is a lot to be said in this view point for what is occurring today because in the 1950’s, consumerism was just taking off but now we are in a completely new culture and era. Social media has put those neurotic conflicts on a completely different level. This has elevated social comparison and an idea that perfectionism is projected towards us 24/7 through our social media as something that is normal, attainable, and desirable. We aspire to these ideas of perfectionism but sometimes we cannot quite live up to it. As a consequence we feel a lot of conflict and negative emotions, and to cope with them we adopt perfectionist tendencies because it goes back to the cycle of self defeat. In our eyes, if we are perfect or project perfection, people will value us, people will approve of us, we will get likes and followers within social media and therefore feel better about ourselves. However, this is the problem, if we are using social media to help our self esteem, then this is the wrong reason to use social media and this may be why scientists see more perfectionist tendencies.
How do we change this?
Social media being a big part of the world today it is more important now then ever to tone down the perfectionist tendencies that may arise with the increasing use of social media on a daily basis. So how can we stop this perfectionism and enjoy social media as a platform to connect rather then show off our “perfect” lives?
Understanding that we feel the way we do because of how culture is. This will take a lot of weight off our stresses and anxieties. Because this teaches us that the way other people are living their lives does not reflect on anything we have done wrong but actually that there is a broader context to those feelings and that we operate in a society that actively creates them. For example, the beauty industry selling us products “that can improve our lives” and makes us assume that we “need” to improve our lives and that somehow, we are incomplete in the first place. So understanding that we live in a culture that can make us feel miserable can help to take the weight off our mental state.
Focus on the process of learning and growth within ourselves. If we focus on the growth and development of our lives, the outcomes will naturally come, because the learning process suggests that if we continue to develop that the learning process will follow.
Self compassion. It is really crucial for us to go easy on ourselves when we may have slipped up. We will always make a mistake or not perform as well as we did the other day then beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Instead of saying negative thoughts about it, recognize when those intrusive negative thoughts are starting to come in. Then try swapping the negative thoughts with positive and more constructive thoughts of kindness and self compassion. Think about it, how would you speak to a friend or family member in the same experience? You would rationalize with them and tell them it’s not the end of the world, and say things like keep your head down and keep learning. However, we do not apply these same rules to ourselves. Self compassion is one way we can silence that inner critic.
Finding something that you are passionate about. Finding your “purpose” in life can help to sway perfectionism in a way that you can focus in on your one thing. But do not let this be your identity and your only sense of well being. Have your passions, but stay in check with the other important things in your life like your health, family, exercise, friends, other hobbies and interests.
Perfectionism has a way of taking over our lives sometimes, but there are ways to recognize it and change our mindset on it. Accept yourself for who you are and use this to improve your wellbeing. In a chaotic world, life will often defeat us. But that is okay, failure is not weakness. Let’s celebrate the joys and beauty of imperfection, as a normal and natural part of everyday living.
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To many people being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or chronic illness can seem like all bad news. But what if I told you there are positives to it? Would you believe me? Watch the full video for my top 10 positives of having a chronic illness.
Have you ever wanted to know how to make yourself a quick, easy and delicious chocolate cake for your birthday or just because you want cake? This is the recipe for you! It is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, and refined sugar free all without limiting your taste buds.
Here is a video on my YouTube channel where I make this cake for my birthday! Here is the full recipe on my blog.
Have you ever wanted to know how to make yourself a quick, easy and delicious chocolate cake for your birthday or just because you want cake? This is the recipe for you! It is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, and refined sugar free all without limiting your taste buds.
Ingredients:
For the cake you will need: 2 1/2 cup Almond Flour 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder 1/4 cup Coconut Flour 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 4 eggs or 12 TBS Egg Whites 1 1/4 cup Coconut Sugar, Cane Sugar, or Maple Syrup 1/2 cup Almond Milk or Milk of Choice 1/4 cup Avocado or Olive Oil 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the icing you will need: 1/4 cup Dairy Free Butter or Butter of Choice 1/3 cup Almond Flour 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder 1/4 cup Maple Syrup 3 TBS Coconut Sugar or Cane Sugar 1/4 cup Almond Milk
Directions: Cake Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 350°F, and line your cake tin with parchment paper – this is an important step to ensure the batter does not stick to the sides of the tin. 2) In a bowl, put all of the dry ingredients including the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Hand mix it all together and be sure to get any clumps out of the flour, or use a food processor if you have one. 3) In a separate bowl, put in all of the wet ingredients including the eggs or egg whites, coconut sugar or sugar of choice, almond milk or milk of choice, olive or avocado oil, and vanilla extract. Mix it all together. 4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them together until you have a cake batter. Then add the batter to the cake tin you have prepared, and smooth the batter to the sides of the tin. 5) Put your cake tin into the oven for 25- 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out smooth from the centre of the cake. Let the cake sit in the tin for 10 minutes to cool down then take it out of the tin and let it cool down completely before icing or cutting the cake!
Icing Directions: 1) Using a food processor (you could do it without but you just have to be sure to smooth it out and mix the ingredients well), put in the diary free butter or butter of choice and mix in the food processor until smooth (about a minute). 2) Now add the almond flour, and turn the food processor on again until the ingredients start to clump together. 3) Add in the cocoa powder and maple syrup and mix the ingredients again for another 30-60 sec. 4) Now add the coconut or cane sugar along with the almond milk or milk of choice and do a final mix. The icing should be slightly thick but able to run off your spoon. 5) Add the ingredients to a storable container and put the icing in the fridge to harden a bit more.
Now you have a delicious cake to enjoy and decorate to your liking! I put cocoa nibs and raspberries on top of mine. Below is a video of me making the cake and icing for my birthday :).
LEW's Life 