1. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
2. In a heat-proof mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, honey, and pinch of salt.
*If you decide to do the coconut or the chocolate chip version, also add the seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean while the egg whites are over the heat.
3. Place the bowl over the simmering water, careful not to let it touch the water.
4. Whisk the egg whites constantly for 3-5 minutes, until they are warm to the touch.
5. Remove from the heat, then transfer the mixing bowl to your stand mixer. Immediately begin whipping on high.
6. Pour in the teaspoon of ice water, then keep beating on high until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
7. Now you choose your flavor! Or divide the meringue up and make multiple flavors!
8. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet or pipe with a pastry tip.
*For the vanilla coconut, sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the peaks before drying.
8. Bake at 175ºF for 1.5 hours until the meringues are dry to the touch but not brown, then turn the oven off and let them cool with the oven door closed for another hour.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this recipe with your friends and I always look forward to reading your comments below.
Don't forget the green veggies when planning your holiday menu. I like to use seasonal ingredients so I know I'll be able to get my hands on something good and fresh.
These tiny, pungent, green powerhouses fit the bill and they just might steal the show this holiday.
Roasting with a touch of balsamic kills any bitterness and heightens the flavor of fresh Brussels sprouts.
They add a nice touch of color to your holiday table and are a real crowd pleaser!
Balsamic Roasted
Brussels Sprouts
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. If coconut oil is solid at room temperature, place the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small bowl, and set it on top of the ovento warm while you prepare for the Brussels sprouts.
3. If the top of your oven isn’t warm enough, you can place the bowl inside the oven for 2 minutes to melt.
4. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half, and place them in a large bowl.
5. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the halves, and toss well to coat.
6. Add the melted coconut oil, and toss again to coat.
7. Arrange the Brussels into a single layer on a baking sheet, cut-side facing down, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
8. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 25 minutes, turning the pan after 10 minutes for even browning. The sprouts are ready when they are lightly golden.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I always love reading your comments below.
If the smells of the holiday season are poking your craving buttons you are going to LOVE this smoothie recipe!
Let's face it, November and December are ‘the cookie making months' and those wonderful aromas can be tough to avoid. This smoothie lets you embrace your inner cookie cravings in a healthy, nutritious and satisfying way.
I love this one for an evening snack while I cozy up around the fireplace to reflect on my day.
You can have a deliciously healthy Thanksgiving menu without sacrificing flavor.
You won't have to pass up any of your favorites either!
I've made it easy to put together a flavorful, nutritious and most of all, delicious meal for you to enjoy.
My Holiday Menu gives you 7 of my best, festive, clean eating recipes.
My Thanksgiving this year will include giving thanks for each and every one of you. I want you to know that your continued support and readership is something I never take for granted.
This gorgeous Crunchy Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad makes a great start to your Holiday Meal. It offers fresh Fall flavors and is full of great texture. This is a salad that is fit for festivities!
3. Savory Sourdough Bread Stuffing
What's Thanksgiving without the stuffing?! This Savory Sourdough Bread Stuffing will satisfy and your guests will never suspect it's healthy.
4. Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
I know what you're thinking. You want ‘real' mashed potatoes, right? You have GOT to try these Creamy Cauliflower Mashed ‘Potatoes'. They are every bit as satisfying as mashed potatoes but without all the extra carbs. The best part is you don't get that heavy feeling after eating them so you'll have room for pumpkin pie 🙂
5. Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the tiny green veggies. They'll look gorgeous on your table and the fabulous flavor will pleasantly surprise even the picky eater!
6. Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce
One taste ofClean Eating Cranberry Sauce will make a believer out of anyone who has ever served that canned jellied sauce!
7. Delicious Pumpkin Pie
And no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a Delicious Pumpkin Pie. This recipe is rich and satisfying- the perfect way to top off your Holiday celebration!
Sending lots of love from my Thanksgiving table to yours!
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I welcome your comments below.
If you’re trying to lose weight and improve your overall health, you may be dreading the holidays.
After all, most people think dieting means giving up those favorite foods, including heavenly baked goods that seem to be around practically every corner from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, luring you in with their tempting aromas.
While deprivation is often associated with weight loss and better health, the good news is that concept is wrong. In fact, the term “clean eating,” has actually been challenging the old way of thinking when it comes to losing weight.
All you need to have to enjoy many of your favorite treats, in moderation, of course, is the right ingredients.
You can even take part in that annual holiday cookie exchange – and, enjoy some of them too – in properly portioned sizes with nutritious ingredients that help to keep blood sugar levels stable.
So, just what are those ingredients?
1. Coconut flour
Coconut flour is an amazing grain-free flour that has a light and fluffy texture which produces tender baked goods – and, it’s packed with protein too.
In fact, coconut flour contains 5 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons. It’s also high in dietary fiber and gluten-free.
The problem with most gluten-free based flours is that the majority are devoid of fiber, which causes blood sugar levels to quickly rise. You don’t have to worry about that with coconut flour!
Depending on the recipe, the suggested flour can be swapped out with 30% coconut flour.
For example, in baked goods, the general rule is to substitute ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of coconut flour for one cup of grain- based flour. You’ll also have to increase the number of eggs. One cup of coconut flour typically requires 6 beaten eggs, in addition to about one cup of liquid, like coconut milk.
As coconut flour tends to be clumpy, for a more fine-textured result, be sure that it’s thoroughly beaten in with the other ingredients.
If you’re hesitant to use coconut flour because you don’t care for coconut, keep in mind that the flour doesn’t have a strong flavor. Most still enjoy baked goods made with it, imparting just a mild, slightly toasty taste.
For the highest quality results and nutrition, be sure to look for a certified organic coconut flour that hasn’t been treated with sulfites.
2. Coconut Sugar
Made from the sap of the coconut palm tree, coconut sugar is granulated sugar that has a caramel color that looks (and tastes) similar to brown sugar.
It doesn’t taste anything like coconut as it’s derived from the flower bud of the coconut palm rather than the coconut itself.
Coconut sugar also has a low glycemic index, which helps maintain blood sugar levels. And, it even contains B vitamins along with a number of minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.
Even more great news – coconut sugar is a very simple substitute in most baking recipes.
You don’t have to do any complicated mathematical equations as it can be used on a 1:1 basis, for example, for one cup of white sugar, you’d just use one cup of coconut sugar instead.
Another wonderful thing about coconut sugar is that it helps to amplify other flavors, making it especially good in baking recipes that call for warm spices or chocolate. It’s also fantastic stirred into tea or coffee!
3. Coconut Oil
Who knew the coconut could be such a lifesaver during the holidays?!
And, all year-round, really. When it comes to nutritious oils, it’s hard to beat coconut oil.
Coconut oil should really be a staple in everyone’s pantry. It’s so incredibly versatile!
You can use it to sauté veggies, grease baking pans, blend it into your morning coffee as a substitute for creamer, and, in baked goods.
This oil is considered to be a healthy fat and is an important part of a well-rounded, clean eating diet as a medium chain fatty acid which supports metabolism and the thyroid gland.
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and turns to liquid at 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s a great replacement for butter, margarine, shortening or any oil.
You can replace either oils or butter at a ratio of 1:1, or for shortening, replace 1 part shortening with ¾ part coconut oil. Use it a room temperature for flaky baked products, and when using it to replace other oils or butter, melt it first.
When buying coconut oil, look for the organic, unrefined type.
4. Raw Cacao
No holiday baking session is complete without some chocolatey goodness! Raw cacao is one of those ingredients that gives you your cake and lets you eat it too. Don't confuse it with cocoa though, they aren't the same.
In almost any recipe that calls for chocolate, you can use raw cacao and pull off that same rich chocolate flavor and replace all the added sugar that chocolate has with antioxidants that raw cacao offers.
It's perfect for baking so stock up because you'll want to put it in everything including your morning coffee! I love it so much I actually sourced the purest sun-kissed raw cacao you will find and created my own brand to share this Blissful deliciousness with the world!
Now, isn’t it good to know you don’t have to dread the holidays this year?
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I always love to read your comments below.
It is no big secret that sleep plays an important role in our health. Without sufficient sleep, our bodies begin to break down. Getting less than seven or eight hours of sleep each night, especially over time, has been linked to some serious health issues.
A 2010 study published in the Annals of Epidemiology showed that regularly getting less than six hours of sleep per night can lead to a higher risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. For their study, researchers asked participants to fill out questionnaires about their health and sleep patterns. The researchers analyzed six years’ worth of data from just under 1,500 participants, all between the ages of 35 and 79.
On their results, the study authors wrote, “Short sleep duration was associated with an elevated risk of IFG [incident-impaired fasting glucose].” Not only can this elevated blood sugar lead to heart disease and diabetes, it can also lead to weight gain, which comes with its own risk of debilitating health issues, as well.
There are many things we can do to encourage better sleep. Along with eating right, getting plenty of exercise, and removing electronic devices from your bedroom, you could also try sleeping naked! It’s not a joke — sleeping in the nude may actually help you to get better Z’s!
The following are five reasons to consider ditching the pj’s for your birthday suit!
1. It may encourage greater intimacy
Perhaps the most obvious reason to sleep naked is that it may help to amplify the intimacy and excitement between you and your partner. Not only can sleeping naked next to your loved one be exciting, it can also release oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone.”
A 2009 study published by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, had the following to say about oxytocin:
“Oxytocin can induce anti-stress-like effects such as reduction of blood pressure and cortisol levels. It increases pain thresholds, exerts an anxiolytic-like effect and stimulates various types of positive social interaction. In addition, it promotes growth and healing.”
So, the release of this hormone can be beneficial to not only your relationship, but also your health!
2. It can keep you cool
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to sleep when it gets too hot? That’s because the core temperature of your body needs to be cool in order for you to sleep well. The optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Any warmer than that, and your body may not be able to cool as much as it needs to for truly restful sleep.
One great way to cool down — which saves on air conditioning costs — is to ditch the clothes! Then, all you need is a light blanket — or even a sheet — and you’re good to snooze!
3. It may help relieve insomnia
A body of research is finding that regulating sleep temperature may bring some relief to sufferers of insomnia. According to Dr. Cameron Van den Heuvel, a research fellow involved in a 2009 study of body temperature and sleep performed by the University of South Australia’s Centre for Sleep Research:
“Temperature regulation is a significant factor in each of the two types of insomnia. The difference is when the insomnia occurs. People with sleep onset insomnia have difficulty initiating sleep at the beginning of the night, taking two to four hours each night in the worst cases; while people with sleep maintenance insomnia fall asleep easily but have trouble staying asleep, waking up multiple times during the night… In both types of insomnia, sleep is not restful and sufferers are tired during the day.”
Dr. Van den Heuvel adds:
“Studies of sleep onset insomniacs show that they consistently have a warmer core body temperature immediately before initiating sleep, when compared with normal healthy adults. This results in a state of heightened arousal that prevents them from falling asleep when they go to bed, probably because they have to wait for their bodies to lose the heat that’s keeping them awake. We’re only talking about a half to one degree but that small temperature change can result in significant differences in arousal between insomniacs and people without sleeping problems.”
Based on this research, it may be worth shedding your clothes, as well as that heavy blanket, if you struggle with insomnia, or have any difficulty falling asleep at night.
4. It can help relieve stress
Not only can sleeping naked boost oxytocin levels, it can also help to relieve stress by lowering cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone commonly referred to as the “stress hormone,” and when levels are chronically spiked, health problems can arise, such as a propensity towards high blood pressure, weight gain, and a compromised immune system.
During the night, cortisol levels naturally lower, and then rise again to prepare you for wakefulness. However, if sleep is cut short, they may not have time to lower again before you wake up. For this reason, making sure that you get enough sleep is key, so that your cortisol levels have time to go down before you wake up — one sign of a good night’s sleep.
As mentioned before, one way to promote this is to keep your body cool — hence sleeping naked.
5. It can keep you looking and feeling young
During sleep a variety of growth hormones, as well as anti-aging hormones such as melatonin, are released. These hormones serve to keep us looking and feeling young. To encourage the optimal release of these growth hormones, we need to get those seven to eight hours of sleep.
And again, sleeping naked couldn’t hurt — and may help a lot!
In addition to the above-listed benefits, sleeping naked lets your skin breathe, so you may be less susceptible to heat rashes and skin breakouts, and it may lower the chance of women developing a yeast infection, as the vagina is kept cool and dry. Also, it means less laundry — and who needs to do unnecessary laundry!
Even if it seems odd, try ditching the pajamas for a few nights, and see if you sleep better! You may be surprised!
Thanks to our friends from the Alternative Daily for giving us the OK to republish this from their original article.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I always enjoy reading your comments below.
Who wouldn’t want to drink a delicious beverage that offers powerful health and even weight-loss benefits?
If you aren’t already drinking Kombucha, you probably don’t know just exactly what it is.
While it’s been around for hundreds of years, and has long been popular with the alternative health crowd, it’s hit the mainstream more recently.
And odds are, if you knew what it was, you’d be drinking some right now!
While Kombucha isn’t a magical elixir, it is fabulous for supporting the body in a wealth of different ways.
Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains billions of friendly gut organisms (probiotics) that help to boost the immune system by increasing levels of good organisms in the gut.
This in turn provides a first level of defense against pathogens from things you ingest.
Did you know that 70% of your immune system lies in your gut flora?
Healthy gut flora is essential for overall good health.
Without it, all sorts of conditions can develop or worsen, such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and even allergies.
To keep healthy gut flora intact, and strengthen immunity, a diet rich in probiotics is recommended, – and that includes Kombucha tea, as well as foods like plain yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut.
Kombucha is made by adding a culture of bacteria and yeast to a mixture of tea, sugar/honey and sometimes other flavorings.
It’s often called “mushroom-tea,” because during the brewing process the bacteria and yeast grow into a mass that looks like a mushroom cap.
The drink typically contains some small remnants of the bacteria solution, which probably doesn’t sound too appealing, but it’s really not much different from the sediment typically found in wine.
This beverage with a sweet tart flavor is a nutrient-rich, low-sugar beverage with just 30 calories per eight ounces – considerably less than a soft drink, and much better for you too! I like to look for the honey based brew since I avoid white sugar.
It contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and has been prized by traditional cultures for its health-promoting properties for centuries.
You might be surprised to find how much that 8 oz. drink offers in the way of health and well-being.
Just a few of its benefits include:
Increased energy levels
Better digestion
Improved mood
Liver detoxification and support
Eliminating candida (yeast)
Immune support
Detoxification support
Weight loss
While drinking Kombucha tea on its own, without making any diet or lifestyle changes, won’t help you lose weight, it may help support weight loss efforts by improving metabolism and limiting the storage of fat.
While more research needs to be conducted to confirm that claim, it makes sense as its high in acetic acid, like apple cider vinegar, as well as polyphenols, which have been proven to boost weight loss.
As Kombucha has gained popularity throughout the U.S., it’s easy to find in most stores, but it’s important to look for an organic variety that doesn’t contain a large amount of sugar. Health food stores tend to be the best place to look.
If you still haven’t kicked the soda habit, replacing it with water, herbal tea and eight ounces of Kombucha or so per day may be one of the best things you can do for your health and your waistline!
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I love reading your comments below.
