First, I want to thank all of my wonderful members (I call them my tribe sisters) who submitted their yummy creations for my Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge!
There were hundreds of deliciously healthy recipes to try, and I had so much fun trying them. This recipe was a real stand out and with one bite you'll see why it was named the winning recipe.
Congrats and many thanks to member Cherie Lambaise of Fort Lee, New Jersey for sharing this winning recipe. Wait until you TASTE this!!
Note: Vegetarian option would add 1 cup chickpeas instead of meat and omit the tomato paste
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. I hope you'll share this delicious recipe with your friends and don't forget to leave me a comment below!
Wait until you see what member Holly Kerl of Spokane, Washington has in store for your taste buds today!
Holly's mouthwatering brownie recipe was chosen as a finalist in my Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge last month and it's as healthy as it is delicious. All of my tribe sisters raved about it too and I'm so excited to share it with you!
Holly writes:“These would be excellent with about one tbsp. of fine espresso powder added to the 10 ounces of melted chocolate.”
This deliciously satisfying recipe was one of the Top 5 recipes submitted by my members!
There were hundreds of recipes submitted, but one bite of this and you'll know why it was selected as a finalist in the Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge we ran last year. This one is a classic holiday recipe that will make every holiday healthy and memorable.
Thanks again to member, Michelle Brown Connors of Macomb, Michigan for submitting this tasty and oh-so-healthy recipe!
I AM HEALTHY BANANA BREAD
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup coconut oil – measured as a solid, but melt before mixing
2/3 cup organic 100% maple syrup
2 organic eggs
1 1/2 cups ripened bananas – I use 4 medium bananas (this may come out to about 1 3/4 cup, but I find that it makes the bread moister)
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp Himalayan ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup organic shredded coconut
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, combine melted coconut oil and 100% maple syrup.
3. Add the eggs separately and then add the bananas, mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, sea salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and shredded coconut) and stir to evenly mix.
5. Once the dry ingredients are mixed well, add the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir the batter to ensure there are no dry ingredients left and the mixture resembles a dough-like texture.
6. Generously grease and flour a loaf pan using coconut oil and brown rice flour.
7. If you're using a small loaf pan, bake for 30 minutes. If you're using a large loaf pan, bake for 50-60 minutes.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this yummy recipe with your friends and I always love hearing from you in the comments below.
I'm excited to share another amazing recipe from one of my members!
Recently, I challenged my members to submit their original healthy creations as part of my Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge and I'm excited to share the Top 5 recipes with YOU!
This hearty recipe hits the spot and was a finalist among hundreds of others. This soup recipe is so filling and flavorful and not to mention artichokes are SO good for you!
Thanks to member, Augusta ‘Olafsson of Denmark for submitting this soul soothing soup recipe!
Augusta writes: “I made a yummy soup for my holiday challenge entry. My family really enjoys it and I hope you “tribies” will like it too. I use Jerusalem artichoke for this soup because I really like the flavour, and here in Denmark it's in season so I'm looking for different ways to enjoy it.”
Jerusalem Artichoke & White Beans Soup with Oyster
INGREDIENTS
200 grams Jerusalem artichoke
1/2 cup white beans
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 cans coconut milk
1 tsp coconut oil
Lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
8 fresh oysters
Chive oil (recipe below)
Chive oil
1/2 cup chopped Chive
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Put in a blender and blend for 5 to 7 mins.
DIRECTIONS
Peel and chop artichoke and onion.
In a pot over medium heat with coconut oil, saute onion until soft but not brown. Add garlic and ginger then season.
Add artichoke, beans and the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender.
Puree soup and thin it with water to the consistency you like then season with lemon salt and black pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook oysters on both sides.
To serve: Ladle soup into a bowl and top with 2 oysters, drizzle Chive oil then garnish with herbs.
Augusta mentions: “I added some dehydrated Jerusalem artichoke that I had on hand to top mine. Enjoy!”
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this recipe with your friends and I welcome your comments below.
Recently I asked my members to submit their own healthy creations as part of my Healthy Holiday Recipe Challenge.
I was blown away by all the yummy and healthy recipes that were shared.
This recipe was in the top five out of hundreds of entries! Thanks to Fit Rise member, Laurie Bigelow Smith of Richfield, Minnesota who submitted this crunchy goodness.
Laurie writes: “I love crunchy crackers especially with soup and chili season here. I usually have a couple in the A.M. with almond butter before I workout. The original recipe that inspired me was from Ohsheglows.com“
Crunchy Energy Bites
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried parsley
1 large garlic clove grated
1-inch ginger grated (2 teaspoons ground)
1/2 inch turmeric grated (1 teaspoon ground)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 300ºF.
2. Place all ingredients in a bowl (use stainless steel or glass if using turmeric, it stains).
3. Combine until all liquid is absorbed (there should be no pool of liquid at the bottom, add a couple more tablespoons of chia seeds if it is not absorbing it all).
4. On a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, scoop seed mixture onto paper and using the back of a spoon and your fingertips push the mixture over the pan.
5. It should cover most of the cookie sheet.
6. You want to push it out from the middle. You want it to be thinner so it will be crispy.
7. Bake at 300ºF for 25 minutes.
8. Remove and using a pizza cutter cut into strips.
9. Turn each strip over and place back in the oven.
10. Bake and check at 5 minute intervals until crispy and light brown.
11. It will take about 20 more minutes and they should break easily when done.
12. Remove and cut crosswise with the pizza cutter, they should snap easily.
13. Store in an airtight container and if the get soft toss them in the oven for 5 minutes.
** The ‘leftover’ crumbs in your container are great for ‘breadcrumbs’ for chicken, fish, and cauliflower steaks or to add to your salad. The toppings are endless!
I love almond butter, apple slices and slices of avocado.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this healthy recipe with your friends and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
This apple pie recipe is amazing! I didn't even have to peel any apples and it turned out to taste better than most apple pie recipes. Easy as pie!
Pie Filling
4 Organic Apples- sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon clove
1 Lemon (juice only)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup almond flour
Pie Crust Recipe
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/2 cup cold butter (very cold)
1 egg
1 egg white plus 1 teaspoon water to make egg wash
Directions
Weigh and sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour and salt until combined.
Using a food processor or pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it's the size of small peas.
Add the egg and pulse just until a dough begins to form.
Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a work surface covered with parchment paper that has been lightly floured with tapioca flour.
Pat the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk.
Lightly dust the top of the disk with tapioca flour and use another sheet of parchment paper to cover the dough as you roll it out into a round ball at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Continue sprinkling tapioca flour to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the paper.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this recipe with your friends and I welcome your comments below.
Do you ever get overwhelmed by all of the things you want to remember about food?
For many people, knowing which foods are healthiest is a challenge.
It can be hard to keep track of all the different vitamins and minerals, let alone complex information like which have flavanols and which have fiber.
Want an easy-to-remember trick to help you know which foods are doing your body the most good?
The truth is that the more color your fresh produce has, the better it is for you. That’s because of one thing: phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals are only found in plants. They act to protect us from inflammation. They're also a good way to tell that a fruit or vegetable has lots of nutrients.
A Rundown of the Food Rainbow and What It Means
Yellow/Orange
Carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. These are just a few of the orange foods that are known for their high levels of beta-carotene.
These foods are high in antioxidants and are good for our vision because they contain Vitamin A.
Red
Tomatoes, cranberries, pink grapefruit and watermelon. Most fruits and vegetables that are red contain lycopene.
Lycopene lowers the risk of cancer and improves the health of our tissues. Red foods also contain vitamin C and flavonoids can help reduce inflammation and prevent bacteria from attaching to our cells.
Yellow/Green
Avocado, pistachios, kiwi, leafy greens like spinach, and kale. These foods are high inlutein, which is good for eye health. Kiwi fruit is also high in vitamin C.
Green
Broccoli, Brussels’ sprouts, bok choy and cabbage. Green may be the color we tend to think of most often when it comes to vegetables. There’s good reason for us to think that green is one of the healthiest colors a food can be.
Green vegetables get their color from chlorophyll, and foods that have a lot of chlorophyll are rich in isiothiocyanates. These help the liver move toxins out of our system. They also have vitamin K, folic acid and potassium.
Blue/Purple
Eggplant, blueberries, blackberries, plums and pomegranates. The dark blue and purple colors of these foods comes from anthocyanin. That’s a powerful antioxidant that is heart healthy and lowers high blood pressure. They also fight blood clots.
Black
Black beans, chia seeds, lentils and mushrooms. Black foods are loaded with pigment, and that means that they are high in antioxidants.
There are certainly some healthy foods that are not brightly colored. Adding healthy whole foods like quinoa means that you’re eating a fair amount of beige food, so make sure that they're included on your plate as well!
When you make sure that you’re including all the colors of the rainbow, you’ll be serving up a plate full of good health. Not only that, you will be giving yourself something beautiful to look at while you’re eating.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this and I always love reading your comments below. Do you pay attention to food color?
We’ve spent plenty of time breathing into our palms and sniffing, or chewing breath mints.
But bad breath is more than just a social problem. It can be a very real symptom of a very real health problem.
If your breath has turned sour or people are pulling away when you’re a little too close, you may have a problem. It may be a good idea for you to visit your dentist or your doctor.
Bad breath is a real medical condition called halitosis.
It can be a sign of a hidden medical condition. Here are some of the illnesses that it can be a sign of.
1. Stomach Cancer – In the past, endoscopy was the best way to test for stomach cancer. This is a test where a tube is pushed down your throat so your doctor can see what’s there. They may remove tissue for testing. Now a study says a new breath test may be one of the best ways to detect stomach cancer early, before any other symptoms appear.
2. Lung Cancer – Instead of having a biopsy of tissue taken from the lungs, doctors can now use a breath test. An “electronic nose” analyzes breath for compounds that reveal cancer. The test is very accurate: It correctly identified lung cancer in 128 nonsmokers and only got five diagnoses wrong.
3. Heart Failure – By testing breath samples, doctors can identify patients who are in heart failure and other heart conditions. The test checks for molecular and chemical compounds.
4. Diabetes – One of the first signs of trouble for a person with diabetes is when their breath smells like nail polish remover. This is a red flag that their body doesn’t have enough insulin and is using fatty acids for ketones for energy. If this is left untreated, it can lead to coma or death.
5. Kidney Failure – If your breath has a fish smell, or smells like ammonia, it can be a sign of kidney failure. It's a sign that the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste from the blood.
6. Sleep Apnea – Remember the ad about “Morning breath, the worst breath of the day”? Everybody wakes up with bad breath. that’s because when we sleep, bacteria grow in our mouths at night. If you wake up with very bad breath every morning, it may be a sign of sleep apnea.
7. Reflux – Bad breath is often about what we eat, but it can also be about the health of our stomach. People who have acid reflux have problems digesting their food. The first sign of this is the smell of decayed food on their breath.
8. Respiratory Infection – Whether you have a cold, the flu, a sinus infection or bronchitis, the bacteria in your respiratory system can have a very bad smell.
Does Bad Breath Always Mean I'm Sick?
No, of course not. Many of us just have a simple case of bad breath from time to time. Before you get upset or worried about your health, there are some bad breath remedies you can try.
Some of the best and easiest halitosis remedies include:
Drink lots of water and swish it around your mouth to take away bacteria
Brush your teeth after every meal and remember to floss
Brush your tongue too
Replace your toothbrush regularly
Chew fennel seeds or cloves
Chew lemon rind or orange rind
Chew parsley or mint
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word by sharing this and I love hearing from you in the comments below!
