




In this video I'm sharing about WHY movement is important with chronic illness and HOW to incorporate it, even if you are bed bound!
This is the fifth post in my series 'Healing Beyond Diet' where I am sharing stories of those in the chronic illness community who have dealt with eating disorders or developed disordered eating habits as a result of following restrictive "healing diets". You can read more about the start of this series here.
Today, I am sharing Becca's story. She discusses her journey with Lyme disease while recovering from a severe eating disorder.
I want to first provide a trigger warning (which I will do before each post in this series): This post contains (intimate) discussion about eating disorders. I trust that you will take care of yourself and do what is best for you in regards to putting yourself first for ultimate healing.
Becca's Story
Hey, I’m Becca. I’m 29 and graduated from college in 2011 with a degree in English Literature and Language. Today, that degree hangs on my bedroom wall. It was put there by my husband, Roger, several years ago, when my mind was really at its peak non-functioning level. It reminds me that even though I can’t currently work, am primarily bedridden and can’t walk without significant assistance or a wheelchair, and I constantly feel like I’ve not only temporarily lost my physical abilities, but also my ability to use my brain, there is a smart person inside me. I start with this anecdote because it encapsulates a lot of what goes into how I view life:
I’m married to my soulmate.
He goes out of his way to help me when needed
I try to be the best wife I can be by never giving up
We both try to choose joy every day, despite the circumstances.
I’m currently bedridden with chronic Lyme Disease and multiple co-infections, which have caused a whole host of issues ranging from Trigeminal Neuralgia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Craniocervical Instability, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, CFS/ME, and a list of other conditions and syndromes. We now know these all came about, or were exacerbated, as a result of going over twenty years without a proper, accurate diagnosis or treatment of Lyme disease and co-infections. My body completely crashed in January of 2013. I’ve also had many other mental health conditions and diagnoses, as well, caused or triggered by both Lyme and genetic predisposition.
That was a halfway decent segue into talking about my history and experience with an eating disorder. I honestly often shy away from writing this out–not because I don’t want to share, I love sharing, but because it seems too daunting a task to try to pare down my history with eating disorders into a number of paragraphs or sentences. I’ll try to be as concise as I can. Sorry this may be long.
My history with an eating disorder is very long. At this point in my life- 29 years old- I have officially been fighting my disorder over half of my life (15 years as of writing). That’s not to say I haven’t had moments of recovery and I’m not even close to being as entrenched as I was just over a year ago, but I do believe the thoughts may be something I will struggle with for the rest of my life. That’s not discouraging to me, it’s just something I have to face daily and take on. At times, it’s easier than others and lately, as I’ve made a lot of progress mentally and with my faith, I can even completely drown the voice out sometimes.
Let me provide a more comprehensive timeline. Over the course of Spring and Summer of 2003, I faced four major devastating losses in my 14-year-old life. The first two revolved around school. I always identified as the “perfect” student, an introvert, and I easily internalized that I had done something “wrong” or “not perfect enough”, which led to feeling “not good enough” when I lost a very big award as a young girl. The other two events happened that summer. I lost someone very dear in my life, suddenly, to a move. It was heartbreaking for me. I get strongly attached to others and this was the first time I was too emotionally upset to even think about eating. It wasn’t conscious, it was physical. I had gotten on the scale totally randomly (because it wasn’t something I did regularly then) the day before the heartbreak and then again after three days where all I managed was some of my cousin’s banana ice cream. This was my first experience of getting on the scale, seeing I had lost a few pounds, and thinking, “Wow, I think this could help, I can control this, even though I can’t control anything else that’s happening right now.”
I also started high school at this time. I’ll just mention briefly that I have always been historically bad with major changes. I become very vulnerable, very naïve, and continued down the path of perceived control, because that’s how I attempted to cope with hated change and with feeling a need to be perfect for the guy, the school, my family (only self-imposed).
By the time Christmas and the New Years rolled around in 2003, I had gone downhill so quickly I missed 6 weeks of my freshman year of high school in treatment attempt number 1. I did “well” (i.e. complied) for about a month after I got home. I then started falling fast again, only to end up in another center, this time for two months, 2,500 miles away from home. This treatment center saved my life for the next 7 years. While I continued to struggle throughout high school and college, I never got to the point where I wasn’t able to somehow turn it around. I credit my parents for this in high school and I largely credit my mentor and my now-husband, along with the staff at my small college campus health center, for keeping me alive and helping me graduate on time.
After I graduated college in May of 2011, I had three major changes again: graduation, getting married three weeks later, and starting my first real-world job. Ironically, on my wedding day, I weighed the most I’ve weighed as an adult and I felt absolutely beautiful that day. It didn’t take long for me to slide backwards, though, and by September I had been let go from my job to enter my third, and what I’m determined will be my FINAL, treatment center, leaving my husband of 3 months for 5 weeks of treatment.
As I stated above, I consider myself in recovery. I currently just deal with fighting the thoughts. They are not anywhere near as prevalent as they were even a year or two ago, but they are still there in the background. I’ve just gotten better at prioritizing what I want: health, freedom, and LIFE. That helps silence the disordered voice quite a bit, when you learn what you truly desire is so much more than any disorder could ever give you.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH HEALING DIETS
When I was first finally diagnosed with Lyme and co-infections in June of 2013. I immediately took the doctor’s recommendations and overnight I eliminated a handful of food groups along with eliminating a whole host of other individual intolerances. As you can imagine, this was quite daunting and while I was initially scared it would trigger a disordered response, I was surprised to find myself becoming a quick expert at looking at ingredients and focusing on health, not calories. All of this may sound super restrictive, but being forced to try all these new ingredients actually made me fall in love with cooking for the first time in my life! Falling in love with new ingredients and cooking allowed me to expand my eating under the Lyme diet and not have it trigger me back into a full blown eating disorder.
I tell myself any time I start to feel old thoughts and behaviors creep in, to remember the bigger goal, and then I let my mind wander into what a healthy future with my husband will look like. Being able to enjoy events and going out together. Starting a family. Being able to attend church together every Sunday. Going figure skating. Working on my Christian rap lyrics that I intend to perform publicly one day. Having a “honeymoon do-over” at Disney World since our marriage has mostly been plagued by illness.
THOSE are the things I specifically think about to keep my focus on eating for health. This includes my feeding tube, which I have due to gastroparesis from Lyme. It’d be easy to just not hook it up and let myself fall into the disorder again, but at this point in my life, I find it easier to distract with thoughts of the above. I also distract myself with listening to music, writing poetry, actively trying to encourage others with our daily vlog on YouTube, and any number of things I can do to further my health, even if that’s just lying still every morning when I’m awake and thanking God for the gift of another day, despite how I may feel physically. It’s not always easy, but it has gotten easier the more I work on it.
Fighting chronic illnesses that often require any number of restrictive diet protocols, and having a history or current experience with an eating disorder, is a very hard tightrope to walk. I know, I walk it every day. It’s easier for me now, partially because everything is calculated for me, but I’d be lying to say I don’t stress about the day I once again have to teach myself to eat healthily without restricting and while enjoying it (once my feeding tube is out and I can expand my diet further once healed from Lyme). Sometimes that concept seems so far away, yet I know when the time comes, my will for life is so much stronger now than it ever has been.
As far as tips for managing ED Recovery with chronic illness recovery in terms of diet/food, my number one tip would be to stop following any “recovery” accounts on social media. Specifically, ones that only show pictures of food. I realize many people form strong bonds online, so I’m not telling you to give up on friendships, but when you are going through a chronic physical illness that requires you to make certain dietary changes, you cannot compare yourself to another person recovering from an eating disorder (or to others in general) who doesn’t have the same rules they have to follow. Seeing these posts can be both triggering and upsetting (and yes, sometimes they may be encouraging, but in my experience, when in a disordered mindset, or predisposed to one, they aren’t the best accounts to follow). I do think it’s fine to follow individuals who promote a legitimately healthy lifestyle, especially if they are following the same/a similar protocol for a potentially similar illness/condition as you, because they could be great sources of inspiration (though I caution: only follow accounts who truly have it together, like Lemons ‘N Lyme, here! Not everyone who says they are qualified actually knows what they’re talking about).
I would also suggest starting each day just being thankful to be alive, and voicing that out loud. There’s something in the power of speaking it aloud that makes you see the day as a gift, and makes you less likely to want to waste such a beautiful gift on something as unhelpful and unhealthy and unnecessary as sitting in disordered thoughts or acting on those thoughts. Make a list of things you love/can do/want to do in life that have nothing at all to do with food or eating and recite that list to yourself. Keep it close to your heart. Find your WHY. My mentor calls it your “key to life.” Find the one thing (or more than one!) that will keep you going, no matter how hard it gets, and will keep you determined to stay healthy and out of the eating disordered world. Embrace it. Chase it. Never give up fighting for it, no matter how hard it gets, because you are worth so much more than any lying, deceiving disorder says you are. And so am I.
You Can Find Becca Here:
I posted the recipe for these cookies on my Instagram a couple weeks ago, but I decided to get the recipe up on the blog for those of you who aren't on IG and to properly archive it.
These cookies utilize tiger nut butter which isn't actually a nut, but a tuber, so it's perfect if you follow the AIP diet. The tiger nut butter can be subbed for any nut or seed butter of your choice, though! I've had tons of people remake this recipe using almond and peanut butter and they love it.
I use Roots Tiger Nut butter which is a new company specializing in AIP "nut" butters. They are a great, family run business and make the delicious butter I used in this recipe.
Tiger Nut Butter Cookies
Makes 6-8 cookies
Ingredients:
½ cup tiger nut butter (if using other nut butter, may need to add 2 tbs applesauce or oil if batter is too crumbly)
¼ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. baking soda
3 tbs. coconut flour
pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine butter and maple syrup in a bowl, mix well.
Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. You should have a wet but mailable dough.
Divide dough into 6-8 balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, then press down gently (use a fork if you want the fancy lines on top).
Bake for 8 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. They may seem underdone, they aren’t.
Let cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
These are DELICIOUS for ice cream sandwiches. So go make one and enjoy your life 😉
In todays video I'm sharing every pill, tincture, treatment I take/do in a day to raise awareness around how much we go through as those with chronic illness. Many of us are constantly taking something throughout the day and much if it has to be timed with each other and food. It's a full time job! I'm also sharing a full supplement update.
This is the fourth post in my series 'Healing Beyond Diet' where I am sharing stories of those in the chronic illness community who have dealt with eating disorders or developed disordered eating habits as a result of following restrictive "healing diets". You can read more about the start of this series here.
Today, I am sharing Victoria's story (no, not mine). She discusses her journey with multiple health issues, a history with an eating disorder, and how following a healing diet can be triggering at times.
I want to first provide a trigger warning (which I will do before each post in this series): This post contains discussion about eating disorders/disordered eating. I trust that you will take care of yourself and do what is best for you in regards to putting yourself first for ultimate healing.
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Victoria's Story
Hi! I’m Victoria Grant, I’m 25 years old, live in Canada, and I’m an esthetician! I have dealt with IBS (constipation) since high school. It got worse after I dealt with a severe eating disorder and developed SIBO and thyroid problems.
1. Can you talk a little bit about your history with an eating disorder and if you are still struggling or feel like you are recovered from it? I’ve had a long history with an eating disorder; it probably started in high school, but definitely got progressively worse throughout the years. When I was 23 I moved to England to be an au pair and the family was very busy and health conscious. I wanted to follow suit, but I went overboard, running a lot on top of under eating and walking everywhere. I dropped to a very low weight that year and returned home within months. I had a hard time coming to terms with it, but with help, I regained weight. I still suffered horribly from IBS issues, though, so I researched what was best for IBS and found myself on a Paleo type diet, which seems to “help” my symptoms best. I do still struggle with the ED aspect because, having such a long history, it’s hard to let go of it. I want to be able to control all of my symptoms all the time, too. I still have some bad body days.
2. If you began a restrictive “healing diet” for your illness, can you tell me why you chose to do that? I started a restricted healing diet for my multiple symptoms: IBS, thyroid problems, allergies, anxiety, depression, low energy, skin problems, and many more. I chose it because it does seem to help a lot with control of some of my symptoms. It definitely doesn’t heal it in any way, but I think that I am in less pain with it.
3. How did going on the “healing diet” impact your ED/relationship with food?
4. Were you able to find ways to cope with/keep your ED under control while on the “healing diet”? If so, can you share some of those tips with the readers? If not, how did you move forward? I do definitely find ways of coping with my ED while on this diet. I reach out to others with similar issues, follow like minded individuals on Instagram for support, watch videos, talk to my parents, cook, bake and experiment, dance, laugh, and work on acceptance that you’re NOT perfect and don’t have to be. You’re going to have really bad days, we all do, but you’re also going to have good ones, hold onto those.
5. Do you have any tips on how to manage ED recovery with chronic illness recovery in terms of diet/food? For tips to manage ED recovery with chronic illness, I would say talk to someone you trust, reach out to others, try to switch your mindset from “I can’t have this” to “for me to feel better, I choose these foods to nourish myself and I honor my body with these foods.” Sometimes the mind needs a lot of fixing from past ED voices and “rules” it takes A LOT of work, even writing down your thoughts helps. Practice changing your mind, practice meditation to clear unwanted thoughts, get massages, treat yourself how you would if someone else was going through this and speak to yourself how you would to someone else in this situation. Be kind to yourself 💕
6. Please share anything else you feel is relevant or you want to discuss around this topic. When I first followed Victoria on Instagram and started watching her stories and YouTube videos, I had literally thought I was the only one who went through/ was going through such a unique situation, it’s really hard on the head and heart. Then, I began to find more and more people who are like us, we are all the same and have similar thoughts and struggles, that’s what brings us together and I think that shows some strength! Though we may seem weak sometimes, we are literally so strong for fighting each day. I think we all deserve a little appreciation for that. It’s pretty great that we have access to such a far and wide online world, it can be good and it can be bad, but for what it’s worth it brings me closer to others who struggle the same as me. I’ve made so many connections to this day, and still do. I’m learning a lot, not just about chronic illness, but about people and how alike we all are. We should be kinder to ourselves and others💕
You Can Find Victoria Here:
Instagram: @gutgirlheals
This cross between a curry and stir fry is the ultimate comfort meal. Warming spices, hearty chicken and veggies, and creamy coconut milk make this paleo and AIP dish the perfect dinner option.
A curried stir fry, that's quite the name, isn't it? I'm aware that is a bit confusing, but this recipe is most definitely a cross between a stir-fry and a curry! This chicken and vegetable dish contains coconut milk and curry spices, but everything is stir-fried before adding the creamy sauce. This chicken stir fry situation is completely autoimmune paleo friendly, nightshade free, and low FODMAP. It is the perfect example of how allergy friendly food can still be flavorful and delicious!
To make this delicious paleo dinner, you'll stir fry a host of vibrant vegetables (this dish is very veggie heavy to pack in the nutrients and fiber!). Then you'll add some chopped chicken breast, along with plenty of ginger and turmeric. The sauce comes together with a mix of coconut milk and coconut aminos. And just like that, you have curried stir fry!
I'm excited to bring you a guest post from a fellow autoimmune and chronic illness warrior and personal trainer, Andrea Wool! We've connected over social media after I listened to her episode on the Unbound Healing podcast. Today she shares a bit about her story and discusses how she shifted her exercise routine to HELP her heal.
Andrea Wool is the founder of Autoimmune Strong, an online fitness membership service designed for people living with chronic pain conditions like autoimmune, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. Her mission is to spread the word that not all exercise is created equal for all bodies- and that we need to find exercise that works with our bodies rather than against. To learn more about Autoimmune Strong, or to get access to the 7 day free trial, go to www.getautoimmunestrong.com. You can also find Andrea on Facebook @autoimmunestrong, on Instagram @getautoimmunestrong, and via email [email protected]
Guest Post by Andrea Wool
Exercise is good for you, no matter what, right?
And the more you exercise, the healthier you are, right?
No pain, no gain. In order to get stronger, you must push harder, faster, longer… right?
Hey there, I’m Andrea, founder of Autoimmune Strong. I have been an athlete all my life and this is what I used to believe. But, not anymore. And today I am going to tell you why.
Now, let me be clear, let’s define “athlete” here. I wasn’t an Olympic athlete or anything. I ran cross country in high school and I was pretty good, even coming in 4th at the regional state championship (but let’s be honest here- it was in RI, the smallest state in the country). Regardless, I loved to move my body. I loved to run, and would regularly go for long 2 hour runs, which made me feel great. I even trained for multiple marathons (even though I got injured before the race every time). I loved going to the gym, doing yoga, and going to spin classes. The harder, the sweatier, the longer, the better. I loved that feeling of pushing myself to my limit, to see just how far my body could go. I loved the feeling afterwards where my legs felt like jelly, my mind was empty, and I was exhausted but happy.
And then, I got sick. It wasn’t a sudden sickness- it came on slowly. I lived my life like my runs- I pushed myself in my work and in my social life. I worked hard and played hard. I worked long hours and traveled frequently for my corporate job. Then I got married and had 2 babies, all while trying to maintain this fast pace.
After the birth of my second son, I knew something was wrong. I was exhausted to the bone, so tired it was hard to get out of bed. My body hurt, like I was on fire. My hair was falling out and I was gaining, not losing, weight. I was struggling to maintain even a tiny bit of my previous life, where I was such an avid go getter, an overachiever. Now, I was barely an achiever. And I had two teeny tiny people who needed me. I had to find a way to get better.
It took me 2 years to figure out that I had a number of conditions that were affecting my health- Hashimoto’s, Celiac, and Fibromyalgia. I learned that what I ate played a big part in how sick I felt and as I transitioned to a real food, nutrient dense, chemical free diet, I started to feel better. But, during this healing period, I kept on trying to exercise- in the same way that I used to- pushing my body to the max. And every time I would start a cycle that looked like this: I would feel ok, then go to the gym, work out and leave feeling great. Next day, same thing. Continue for a week… until… the next week when I would wake up feeling so tired and weak and exhausted, like my body was on fire… and I would then proceed to skip the gym until I recovered, which could take weeks. Then, when I felt better, I would go back to the gym and begin again.
And here’s what I learned: that style of exercise did not work for me. In fact, it worked against me. By stressing my body out with intense exercise, I was aggravating my autoimmune disease and causing a symptom flare-up. I was making myself sicker and weaker, rather than healthier and stronger. I knew I had to find another way.
That’s when I had an idea. For someone as type A like myself, what if what I actually needed was to slow down, and move my body more gently? So, I tried that. I started with a few core strengthening exercises at home for 5 minutes every day. It felt like nothing, and was so hard for me to consider it “exercise”. But I kept going and introduced a foam rolling routine into my short, at home workout. Slowly but surely, I kept adding in one exercise at a time, increasing my 5 minutes a day to 10 minutes a day. And guess what? I found that I was stronger and healthier than ever. These short mini workouts gave me more energy for my day and helped me feel strong while doing everyday things like carrying my groceries, doing housework, and lifting my little ones.
The best part is that I no longer had the cycle of flare-ups! By choosing a shorter, more targeted exercise routine I was able to be more consistent in my exercise, which actually helped reduce my pain and inflammation. The exhaustion disappeared and my body no longer felt like it was on fire. Instead, it felt nimble and strong and flexible.
So for those of you living with chronic disease who feel like the only way to exercise properly is to crush it at the gym, I encourage you to consider another way. Daily movement that is short in duration, targets the full body, focuses on both strengthening and stretching, and builds in difficulty and intensity slowly over time- this is the type of program you want to look for. Trust me, it changed my life. Now, I am able to lift heavy at the gym and go for long runs without experiencing flare-ups. And you can too.
If you want to see what a program that takes these tips into consideration looks like, check out the 7 day free trial of Autoimmune Strong. You get access to all the exercise videos and the nutrition information, and you can try for yourself the program that changed my life.
This is the third post in my series 'Healing Beyond Diet' where I am sharing stories of those in the chronic illness community who have dealt with eating disorders or developed disordered eating habits as a result of following restrictive "healing diets". You can read more about the start of this series here.
Today, I am sharing Dani's story. She discusses her journey with Lyme disease and how she developed a rough relationship with food after following a restrictive healing diet for treatment.
I want to first provide a trigger warning (which I will do before each post in this series): This post contains discussion about eating disorders/disordered eating. I trust that you will take care of yourself and do what is best for you in regards to putting yourself first for ultimate healing.
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Dani's Story
My name is Dani, I’m 25, and I have chronic neurological Lyme disease, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, Dysautonomia, Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, and Hypoglycemia. I’m currently at home focusing on healing since graduating physical therapy school this past year. I love to hole up with a book in coffee shops, draw, write, and color!
1. Can you talk a little bit about your history with or WITHOUT an eating disorder and if you are still struggling or feel like you are recovered from it. I do not have a history with ED, but I do have a history of a distorted relationship with food. I was consistently compared to my very thin sister and from a young age felt pressured to lose weight. I struggled with eating healthier and would feel a lot of guilt if I ate something that wasn’t healthy, or ate too much.
2. If you began a restrictive "healing diet" for your illness, can you tell me why you chose to do that? A restrictive diet is a common part of treatment for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is an inflammatory illness and a lot of the symptoms from it are either caused directly from uncontrolled inflammation or can be improved by reducing the amount of inflammation in the body. My doctors informed me that by eating a clean, whole foods diet free from processed foods, sugar, gluten, and dairy, most patients will benefit from some level of symptom relief. So I switched to a more restrictive diet to attempt to decrease my inflammation.
3. how did going on the "healing diet" or getting sick with a chronic illness impact your ED/relationship with food? By the time I started treatment for Lyme and was told I needed to change my diet to heal, I went at it full force because I would’ve done anything to get better. I was strict with the diet and never cheated. No processed gluten-free foods, everything from scratch, no wiggle room for what I could and couldn’t eat. As you can imagine, eventually it became impossible to maintain. There was a period of time where I was too fatigued to cook for myself, but couldn't eat out or order in while maintaining the diet. I often found myself choosing not to eat at all rather than eating something that didn’t align with my diet perfectly. I started to resent the diet, Lyme treatment, and even other people who didn’t have to follow such a diet and took their own freedom for granted. I was under enormous self-imposed stress to be perfect at the diet and do everything I could to heal. After some time, I would have something I shouldn’t on occasion and I’d be drowned in guilt. I was surrounded by all of these negative emotions from a diet that’s supposed to be healing!
4. Were you able to find ways to cope with/keep your ED under control while on the "healing diet"? If so, can you share some of those tips with the readers? If not, how did/have you move forward? It took me a long time to realize that the amount of stress I had over my diet was worse for my health than just eating one or even a couple “non-compliant” things on occasion. I slowly loosened the reigns on my dietary restrictions. For example, I love the peppermint mocha coffee from Starbucks in the winter. Is one peppermint mocha per year going to keep me from reaching remission? Of course not! Once I started getting comfortable with that, everything got a lot easier. So, now I focus on nourishing my body with healthy foods as often as I can and refraining from being too hard on myself when I can’t. Overall, my goal now is to choose healthier options when I can, rather than perfection. Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve been under a lot less pressure! Talking to my friends with chronic illnesses who are also on healing diets is probably what helped me the most. As I opened up about it more, I realized that I wasn’t alone with this pressure to be perfect. We were ALL struggling with the idea of perfection in the name of healing!
5. Do you have any tips on how to manage ED recovery with chronic illness recovery in terms of diet/food. I don’t have an eating disorder and never did, so I can’t speak to that specifically. I’m included in this series to give a voice to others who have struggled with disordered eating patterns that emerged from following a healing diet, WITHOUT a history of ED. From my experience, I think the absolute best way to manage all of this is to speak with a therapist or a trusted friend about your struggles. Like I said above, I found a lot of relief by finding common ground with others regarding my newly distorted relationship with food. If I felt guilty for eating something outside of the diet parameters, speaking with friends who would be like “oh my goodness do NOT feel guilty about that!” really helped me to step back and realize that I shouldn’t feel as guilty as I had been. This of course will not work for everyone, but it’s been immensely helpful for me.
You Can Find Dani Here:
Instagram: @lymewithitrockwithit
Youtube: Lyme With It Rock With It
Yes, you read that right! Pop tarts weren't a household staple in my family, I was a much bigger fan of toaster strudels. To be honest, these may resemble more of a toaster strudel since they aren't quite as crispy as a pop tart... they are somewhere in between. Anyway, not only did my mom never really let me eat pop tarts (I'm pretty sure that's right, she's probably going to yell at me about this post), but I also remember not loving them. All my friends loved them so I thought I was supposed to, but they always tasted too sweet, too much like artificial sugar (ha!), and just tasted off to me. I much prefer this homemade version!
This recipe came about totally by accident. I wasn't even trying to make an AIP version of pop tarts. Then I turned a failed bar recipe into dough and they were pretty good. I posted a picture of the botched original-recipe-turned-sort-of-pop tart on my Instagram and people said they wanted the recipe. So, of course, I had to try and make a legit recipe to post! This recipe is great because it is completely AIP and vegan, so it fits many different diets. These paleo, gluten free, and dairy free pop tarts will be a crowd pleaser.
These pop tarts have a secret ingredient in the crust: sweet potato! Yes, get your veggies in with your dessert (or breakfast, whenever you want to eat pop tarts, I'm not judging!). These are a much healthier version than the original and utilize a real fruit for the filling. They are extremely versatile, though, and you can fill them with whatever you want. I used blackberries in mine but you can use other fruit, nut/seed butters, chocolate, and more!
It's been awhile since I've updated you all about what is going on with my health and treatment and let me tell you, it's a lot! Below are all the details including:
-Working with my immunologist and neurologist to try and get IVIG- all the testing (blood work, spinal tap, eeg) I have to do to try and build a case for insurance
-My diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome
-Traveling to LA to see two new doctors, an endocrinologist and holistic GI. Plus, all the rounds of testing they are putting me through!
Let me know if you have any questions and how you all are doing lately. Be sure to follow me on YouTube for more updates and other video series. And also on Instagram, so you don't miss out on any recipes, food pics, or other fun updates!
Salmon is basically the only seafood I like. I try and get some in every week because those omega's, right? I love my plain baked salmon, I really do, but sometimes you want to spice it up a bit. So, I decided to make some sort of "topping" for salmon and see how it turned out. I have to say, pretty good.
This dish is a mix of flavors from sweet to salty with a little bit of tang, which is what makes it so interesting. At first I wasn't sure how the combo would work out, but I really like all the different flavors you get with this dish!
Fig & Bacon Salmon
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 dried figs
3 slices of bacon
Scant ¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp. lemon zest
Juice of ½ a lemon
Scant ¼ tsp. himalayan salt
½ lbs. of wild salmon
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Soak the figs in hot water for 10 minutes. While the figs soak, cook your bacon.
When bacon is done cooking, lay on paper towels to absorb the extra fat. Drain your figs and thinly slice them.
Combine all ingredients except the bacon and salmon in a bowl and let marinate for 10 minutes.
While marinating, lay your salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Chop or crumble the bacon and add it to the fig mixture. Spoon this mixture over the salmon and gently press the topping into the salmon.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your salmon.
Serve immediately.
Would you have ever thought about adding figs or bacon to a fish dish?
This is the second post in my series 'Healing Beyond Diet' where I am sharing stories of those in the chronic illness community who have dealt with eating disorders or developed disordered eating habits as a result of following restrictive "healing diets". You can read more about the start of this series here.
Today, I am sharing Semia's story. She discusses her journey with Lyme disease while maintaining recovery from an eating disorder.
I want to first provide a trigger warning (which I will do before each post in this series): This post contains (intimate) discussion about eating disorders. I trust that you will take care of yourself and do what is best for you in regards to putting yourself first for ultimate healing.
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Semia's Story
Hi! My name is Semia and I am 29 years old. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but have been currently living in Florida for the past 4 years. I am a nursing student and working on pursuing my bachelor’s degree. My whole life I’ve dreamt of becoming a nurse because it is my passion and I get so much fulfillment through helping and caring for others. While this dream will continue to remain my number one goal, I was forced to put it on hold and go on a medical leave when I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme Disease in 2015.
Despite ongoing treatment, I still continue to struggle with this disease and continue the search for a treatment that will work for me. When I was diagnosed, I was still a bit early on in recovery from my eating disorder that I had battled since I was 19 years old.
It was my freshmen year in college where my eating disorder all began. I have a history of trauma that I do believe had played a role in its development. It was in my sophomore year that I had to take my first medical leave from school because my anorexia had become so severe, I was knocking on deaths door. From that point on, I was being bounced around to treatment centers all over the country, desperately fighting to get my life back yet somehow continuing to fall deeper and deeper into this sick and twisted illness. Eventually, my anorexia turned into a combination of bulimia, laxative abuse, and over exercising. It took me 6 years of treatment centers, physiatrists, doctors, therapists, you name it, to finally get on the road of recovery. This journey was what I thought at the time would be the hardest thing I would ever have to endure and that if I can overcome this - there was nothing else in this world that could bring me down.
Well, finally, in 2014 I did just that. I reached recovery which was the most beautiful feeling in the world and I sure as hell felt unstoppable. I was happy for the first time in over a decade and I finally felt free. I went back to nursing school and was so blessed and grateful that I actually was about to pursue my one and only dream.
Unfortunately, that time was very short lived. I started getting sick with multiple symptoms that doctors couldn't explain and 8 months later was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. Now I had a whole other battle in front of me. I did exactly what I was told to do after getting diagnosed which was to seek out a Lyme literate physician. One of the very first things she told me to do was to start eating completely all organic, as well as gluten, dairy, and sugar free. I remember thinking to myself “oh no, if I eat this way my eating disorder is sure to come back!” Although at the same time I was willing and ready to do whatever it took to get better from this awful disease and all the debilitating symptoms that were stripping my life away (I know anyone suffering from Lyme can relate). My doctor made it very clear to me that if I didn't follow her diet recommendations that my symptoms would get much worse. I needed to get better so from that point forward I became strictly paleo and stopped thinking about my eating disorder (or at least tried to) because my mind was only focused on getting rid of Lyme disease.
One thing I’d like to point out is that while I consider myself fully recovered from my eating disorder, I still continue to have the thoughts. For example, whenever I feel too full, I sometimes get this immediate thought of “well I could always just throw that up.” It’s almost like a reflex, it’s something that just happens. It doesn't bother me because its fleeting, the thought just goes away. I never act on it anymore and it doesn't impact my life in any way like it used to. I don't think these thoughts will ever go away and to be honest, that is totally OK.
This did however become an issue a few months into eating strictly paleo when those thoughts started to become a little louder and more consuming. I had found myself wanting to eat less and portion my plates smaller. At the time, I didn't want to talk to anyone about it, especially my family. They were beyond proud of me when I finally recovered from my eating disorder so, I didn't want to let them down if they knew my thoughts/urges were becoming more intense. It started to become very difficult as a recovered anorexic/bulimic to ONLY consume certain types of foods and not slip back into old behaviors. Eating this strict “healing diet” made me want to lose weight again, made me start to crave foods my doctors told me I could never eat again, and made those thoughts in my mind so much more chaotic and hard to cope with.
I am and always will have a serious sweet tooth. One of the best things about being in my ED recovery is the ability to enjoy eating chocolate cake and cookies again without the guilt! Now that I had to deprive myself of these comfort foods that we ALL are entitled to have once in a while, it was obvious my ED would try to rear its ugly head, especially since I was so early in recovery.
Another factor that played a role was the fluctuating weight that started happening as a result of Lyme. It is very common for Lyme to start messing with your hormones and thyroid and as a result my weight would fluctuate all the time. One week I would lose weight, then the next week gain more. This also made me want to take this “healing diet” to the next level, especially when my weight would go up. All in all, this restrictive dieting made it really difficult to enjoy food again. When it comes to treating my Lyme disease, I am extremely stubborn in the sense that I wanted to do everything perfectly; take all the recommended supplements and medications, detox, and eat well religiously. I found myself no longer enjoying my meals because I just felt deprived and as a result it was fueling my eating disorder even more.
In order for me to listen to my doctor’s orders AS WELL AS my body's orders, I had to find a balance. Staying in recovery from my eating disorder is just as important as treating my Lyme. I started reaching out for support to those I felt most comfortable with. I had a session with my therapist explaining the frustration and the feeling that I was losing control. I had to let go of my perfectionist mentality and start really listening to my body and giving it what it needed. I had to remember that I LOVE myself and with loving myself comes taking care of all of me in the best way I knew how. I continued to eat paleo but also started venturing out into other ways I can satisfy my sweet tooth without completely falling off the diet. I found that dates happen to be a very nutritious fruit that also taste pretty darn good! Dates are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This sweet and tasty fruit even has the added benefits of reducing constipation, anemia, diarrhea, and even boosting energy levels. I got creative and would do things like take the pit out and fill it with almond butter. To me it tastes like cookie dough! yes, it’s not entirely sugar free because all fruits have sugar, but it’s a much healthier version then most desserts. A healing diet doesn't have to be limited or strict by any means.
Our bodies are designed to have the ability to heal themselves and while food is not the only factor in doing so, it is still a component. I want my body to get everything it needs to continue to fight this disease, but I also know not to deprive myself. When my ED thoughts became overpowering, I reached out for support with my therapist who I trust with my life and also some close friends that I shared my ED journey with. One thing we never want to do is sit alone in our thoughts because that will more than likely lead to poor decisions. I also found that meal prepping was helpful to stay consistent. And lastly, I stopped punishing myself for having that piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving that was loaded with sugar and carbs. Or the day I decided to indulge in 20 gluten free cookies. Yes, sometimes I pay for it the next day, but it is completely OK to treat yourself once in a while.
I strongly encourage anyone who had or is currently struggling with an ED and needs to be on a healing diet to reach out for support and let someone know you're struggling. It sure as hell isn't easy sometimes and it can become very exhausting, but remind yourself that you are a warrior! That you have come so far and sure as hell won’t give up now. There are ways to cope and to stay in recovery. There is always a middle ground and we just need to find our balance.
I hope this was helpful to anyone who has battled an eating disorder or is still currently struggling with one while also fighting a chronic illness. Please know that I would be more than happy to offer my support and love. Thank you all for reading <3
-Semia Radwan
You Can Find Semia Here:
FB name - Semia Radwan
IG - @semiaradwan
Email - [email protected]
The other week I made Nourished Wellness's AIP Chicken Flautas (so good, I highly recommend). I wanted some sort of relish to serve over them and that is how this recipe came to be. This relish works well in these winter months while citrus is still in season. There is a sweetness and saltiness plus creaminess from the avocado that makes this relish super fun and hits so many areas of your palate.
This is a great substitute for a corn-based relish (often used in many Mexican dishes). It would be great on top of tacos, fish, or alongside a basic chicken dish. There are so many ways to use this recipe!
Yellow Squash, Citrus, and Avocado Relish
Ingredients:
1-2 tbs. olive oil or avocado oil
2 yellow squash/zucchini, diced
1 orange (most citrus varieties will work, I like mandarin oranges or even half a grapefruit)
1 avocado
¼ tsp. himalayan pink salt
Optional: ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Heat your oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the diced yellow squash and sauté until soft, about 7-10 minutes. If at any point the squash begins to stick, add more oil.
While squash is sautéing, peel and separate the orange slices. Using a sharp knife (this is key so that you don't end up squishing the citrus), gently cut the citrus slices into about 6-8 pieces (they should be small, not quite diced).
Slice your avocado in half, scoop out the flesh with a spoon, and cut the avocado into chunks (again, not quite diced but small chunks).
Once your squash has cooked, let cool completely. Once cooled, combine all ingredients in a bowl and lightly toss.
Serve immediately (tastes best fresh, but it can be kept refrigerated for a couple days).
What do you want to serve this relish with?! Let me know in the comments! I love hearing all your cooking ideas 🙂
I've been making this quick and easy pumpkin mug muffin for a couple years now, but I've never shared it. Mostly because I always make it at 10 pm at night for dessert and there isn't exactly quality lighting at that time. I finally got myself together and made this during the day so I could take some pictures and share the full recipe with all of you.
By now, you probably know that I can't go to sleep without dessert at the end of the day. And if I haven't had time to bake something that week, this is my go-to! It's quick, easy, and healthy. It does the job! There is no added sugar or nasty ingredients and you can top it with whatever you like to really make it your own.
It is made in the microwave (I know, I know, THE MICROWAVE!), but, honestly, sometimes convenience for the sake of a meal is more important.
3-Minute Pumpkin Mug Muffin
Serves 1
Ingredients:
-1 tbs. coconut flour
-1 tbs. tapioca or arrowroot starch or cassava flour
-1 tbs. vanilla protein powder (I use Nuzest, but other varieties should work)*
-⅛ tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
-1 rounded tbs. canned pumpkin puree or half a small mashed banana
-¼ cup non-dairy milk or water
-Optional toppings: coconut cream, coconut butter, berries, shredded coconut, nuts or seeds/butters, chocolate chips
*If you don't have protein you can use tiger nut flour for an AIP version or you could try almond flour, although I can't vouch for this variation
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl or mug.
Add the apple cider vinegar and gently mix so that mixture bubbles slightly
Add the remaining ingredients (pumpkin and liquid of choice) and mix well to combine.
Using the back of the spoon, smooth out the top of the "muffin" then microwave for about 3-3.5 minutes until cooked through.
Top with whatever you like and enjoy this easy, healthy treat!
Meatloaf can make life so much easier. Throw a bunch of meat in a pan, cook it, and you have food for a few days. But plain 'ol meatloaf is so boring, so of course I had to jazz it up, specifically with loads of veggies to make it more filling and nutritious!
Zucchini is always a great way to add bulk to dishes and it works very well in loaves (think: zucchini bread!). I like to have leafy greens at every meal, so I tossed some kale into this loaf to satisfy that need! I use a couple herbs and the perfect amount of sea salt to keep this dish nightshade free, but still flavor packed.
Veggie Packed Meatloaf
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
½ a bunch of kale
1 large zucchini, shredded
1 tbs. each of sage and thyme
1 tsp. sea salt
2 lbs ground meat (I used a combo of beef and lamb but pork or turkey thigh along with beef would also be great)
3-4 slices of bacon
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Wash, de-stem, and finely chop your kale.
Heat some water in a frying pan and add the shredded zucchini and kale. Sauté/steam for about 7 minutes, until kale is darker and cooked down.
Mix the veggies with the seasonings and ground meat in a large bowl.
Press the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan. Lay the strips of bacon over the top, tucking ends in.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until inside is just barely pink. Pour off the excess liquid (I like to save for reheating leftovers or cooking other foods in it). Broil for another 10 minutes to crisp the bacon.
Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
These bars are BOMB.com, if I do say so myself! They are perfect for Valentine's day with the red berry filling, plus they are low sugar so you won't have to worry about a sugar overload from too much chocolate instead.
These bars utilize tiger nuts, which aren't actually a nut, but a tuber. Tiger nuts are rich in anti-oxidants, pre-biotics, and fiber. The bars also contain my favorite protein powder, Nuzest. Although Nuzest is a pea protein, which may be eliminated on the AIP protocol, I provide some substitutions. I love this protein because it's the only one I've found that is easily digestible (no tummy side effects from weird proteins). It's also extremely versatile and great for baking with.
I used a combination of raspberries and blackberries for the filling, but using just one berry would be totally fine. The recipe works with both frozen and fresh berries, so you can make this recipe any time of the year! Hence making berry bars in the middle of winter ;).
Head on over to my friend Ali's blog to get the complete recipe!
This recipe is based off of one posted by Grazed & Enthused. It is quite similar, so I don't want to take credit here, but I adjusted it to be low-FODMAP and nightshade free. That is why the Lebanese is in quotes... there is no garlic! I wasn't sure what else to call this though.
This chicken turned out SO delicious. It is a relatively simple recipe that would be great to serve at a dinner party. I've fallen in love with chicken thighs over the last year, especially skin on so I can get that delicious crispy chicken.
Crispy Lebanese Chicken Thighs
Serves 3-6
Ingredients:
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs. of olive oil plus another 1 tsp- 1tbs for cooking
1 tbs. dried oregano
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. salt
Mix 1 tbs. of olive oil and all of the other ingredients, except the chicken, in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it. Zip the bag closed and rub the chicken around in the marinade, making sure everything gets covered.
Let sit in the fridge for AT LEAST 30 minutes.
Heat ½ tbs. olive oil in a nonstick, large skillet over medium heat. Once oil sizzles when you flick some water onto it, place the chicken thighs skin side down. Cook for about 10 minutes, until skin is nice and crispy.
Flip the chicken over and cover the pan. Cooking for another 5-8 minutes until chicken is almost done. Remove the cover and let cook until chicken is completely done. You may flip the chicken at this point again to get a nice fresh crisp on the skin before serving.
Serve immediately.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more here.
Yes, I'm sharing PRE-PACKAGED food ideas! Shocker? Sometimes we just don't have time to make EVERYTHING from scratch! It's not always feasible and we need easy, healthy on-the-go snacks. Or hey, we are just too tired and want someone else to make our food! I make a lot of my food and snacks from scratch with whole foods, but I've found some great companies that make healthy AIP/paleo approved snacks and treats made from whole foods, as well.
I figured I'd share my favorites with you today in case you need some new snacks in your life or easy alternatives. There are actually a lot of AIP pre-packaged snacks on the market these days, but I'm sharing my top favorites. Almost all are vegan and they are all nightshade free.
Snacks
2. Dang Coconut Chips- I LOVE coconut chips as a snack. They are filling due to the high (healthy) fat and a great healthy alternative for that crunchy chip you may be missing. I also have a great recipe on my site for Salt & Vinegar Coconut Chips that I make all the time (I know, I know this post is about NOT having to cook!)
3. Rhythm Superfoods Beet Chips- I love the Naked flavor because you get the sweetness of the beet and there is NO other ingredients but beets! These are a fun vegetable chip snack.
4. Artisana Coconut Butter- I love coconut butter! It satisfies my sweet tooth without all the processed sugar. I eat this by the spoonful or drizzle over fruit for dessert. This company is wonderful because their products are raw, organic, and pure with no added oils or sugars. They also sell them in single-serving packets for on the go or portion control.
5. Paleo Angel Power Balls- This company makes AIP protein balls, essentially. They have a bunch of different flavors to choose from and since they are high protein they are quite filling and a great snack!
6. The Real Coconut Grain Free Tortilla Chips- Okay, I guess these aren't FULLY AIP since they do contain xanthum gum, but they are completely grain free tortilla chips and I wanted to share them! The infamous Siete tortilla chips (my absolute fav) contain chia seeds as the binder so if you really don't handle nuts/seeds well, I suggest trying The Real Coconut's chips. They have several flavors, but of course the plain old sea salt is my number one choice.
7. Jackson's Honest- Most chips are fried in canola, vegetable, or safflower oil. All of which are extremely inflammatory. I LOVE Jackson's Honest Chips because they are all fried in coconut oil! They have a bunch of different flavors, including your traditional potato chip, but I really love their sweet potato and purple potato. They also make tortilla chips with non-GMO corn and fried in coconut oil.
(Have ya'll figured out I'm a chip fan yet?!)
Treats:
3. Eat Pops- These are fruit and green juice popsicles! Not all of them are AIP, but my favorite flavor is the Restore. I found these at Whole Foods when I had the stomach flu after New Years as I couldn't keep much down. These are a great treat when you really miss popsicles. I've found that they are quite sweet (with just fruit!) so I only need a couple bites, this means one box lasts me awhile.
I think most people are familiar with the idea that change is scary.
Change happens where fear lies. And growth happens where change transpires.
Have you ever thought that maybe you fear getting well because it's change? Because you are familiar with your illness, you know how it operates, you've become used to feeling ill, you've made friends somewhere deep inside your body with sickness?
It dawned on me about a year and a half ago that I actually hold fear around health. It's a concept I've been working through for awhile now. Albeit, an odd one. One you may be afraid to admit. One you may not understand. Why would I (or anyone else) hold fear around getting healthy?
Well, let me explain. I've been sick for a very long time and I've had symptoms for even longer. I know what it feels like to be sick. It sucks, don't get me wrong, it's horrible and I hate it, but I understand how it feels and how it controls my life. Being healthy is something I don't know and since I don't know it, it scares me. Who will I be? What will my personality be like? What will I do with my life? How many things will I have to take on because I have energy for it?... Are you starting to see where I'm coming from now? Becoming healthy should be a POSITIVE change, but even positive changes are scary because all change is UNKOWN. It is fear of the unknown that holds us back. The unknown has always been a huge, terrifying thing for me.
I think of it in the same way as someone who is an abusive relationship. Why don't they just leave? Because they fear what leaving holds- they'll be alone, they'll have to do things by themselves, will someone ever "love" them again? They stay in the relationship because it's familiar. There is a sense of safety and comfort in the relationship, even if it isn't healthy. The same holds true for chronic illness, even though I can't just up and leave it behind.
So, I can't just leave illness behind that easily. But is it holding be down because... or rather, am I holding on to it in some desperate, subconscious way? Perhaps. How do I let go then? To be honest, I'm not sure. That is what I'm working on. I'm working to embrace the fear, embrace the change. And for me, that doesn't just start with embracing the fear and change around health, it starts with learning to embrace (or let go of) the fear around change in general.
I hate change. I've always hated change. For all the reasons I've discussed above. Change is scary. The Unknown is scary. So for me, I have to begin to learn and accept that change happens where fear lies and that it isn't a bad thing. Change is positive because that is how and where we grow. That is how and where we learn.
I believe that, for me, part of my healing journey, or lack thereof, is a result of a fear of health. A fear of change. As I work on that fear and embrace the change, there will be nothing for illness to hold on to within me and it will slowly begin to let go. I will slowly begin to embrace the change of healing and start to feel better.
Have you ever considered this in your chronic illness journey? What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them!
Purple sweet potatoes have recently become one of my favorite foods. It's probably safe to say I'm a little obsessed. They're pretty sweet tasting and they are my favorite color. They get their purple color from the same anti-oxidants that provide blueberries with their color!
Anyway, I was making macaroons last weekend and roasting some purple sweet potatoes for lunch. When I went to check if the sweet potatoes were done, I had a mouthful of macaroon in my mouth. I popped the sweet potato chunk in anyway because I wanted to make sure it was cooked enough. The flavor bomb that took place in my mouth was AWESOME! The coconut from the macaroon mixed with the sweetness of the purple sweet potato was absolutely delicious. It was at this moment that the idea of combining the two into a macaroon took over my brain.
And that is how this unusual, but totally delicious, combo was born! Purple isn't exactly a holiday color, but I still find these beautiful and festive. They would be great to take as a healthy and simple treat to upcoming holiday parties!
These aren't overly sweet, which makes me love them even more, but you can feel free to add a little extra maple syrup if you want a sweeter treat.
Purple Sweet Potato Macaroons
Makes 9 macaroons
Ingredients:
½ cup steamed purple sweet potato*
2 tbs. maple syrup (add another tablespoon if you like your treats extra sweet)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbs. melted coconut oil
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tbs. coconut flour
¼ tsp. pink himalayan sea salt
Extra shredded coconut for rolling, if desired
*Peal and chop a purple sweet potato. Steam it and then use ½ a cup for this recipe
Preheat oven to 350F.
Blend the sweet potato, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil in a food processor.
Mix all the dry ingredients (shredded coconut, flour, sea salt) in a small bowl. Add the dry mixture to the food processor and pulse until JUST combined with the wet ingredients (you don't want to totally emulsify the coconut flakes).
Pour the mixture back into the bowl and make sure everything is mixed well.
Take tablespoon size amounts of the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll in extra shredded coconut, if desired. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 hour (THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP!).
Enjoy!
Dry brushing is part of my full detox protocol. It helps get lymph flowing to remove toxins from your body. It can also get your digestive juices flowing and reduce cellulite. I've gotten several questions lately about HOW to actually dry brush so I put together a video, since visuals are much easier in this situation then trying to verbally explain it. Check out todays video where I explain all the benefits of dry brushing and show you exactly how to do it!
#SorryNotSorry, pumpkin season isn't over yet. I was still craving pumpkin post-Thanksgiving, am functioning off of limited foods with going on to the autoimmune paleo diet (more to come about why and what that is soon), and needed dessert. Enter, pumpkin pie bars.
These are low in sugar, feature the amazing pumpkin (high in vitamin's A and C), and fit most dietary restrictions!
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Makes 9 squares
Ingredients:
Crust:
½ cup coconut flour
½ cup vanilla Nuzest protein powder (or another ½ cup coconut flour)
2 tbs. tapioca starch
2 tbs. molasses (or 1 tbs. molasses and 1 tbs. maple syrup)
½ cup melted coconut oil
Filling:
1 can pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tbs. maple syrup
4 tbs. full fat coconut milk
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 tbs. Great Lakes Gelatin (red bottle) OR agar agar for vegan version
2 tbs. boiling water
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl and mix until you have a crumbly dough. I just use my hands to mix everything.
Press evenly into the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Poke a few holes in the crust with a fork.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown and almost hard (will harden as it cools).
Let cool as you make the filling (you can turn the oven off at this point).
Mix all the filling ingredients EXCEPT the gelatin and water in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Pour 2 tbs of boiling water in a small bowl, add the gelatin and quickly whisk. This will form a gel so you need to move quickly. Once whisked together add it to the filling ingredients and blend everything together.
You should have a runny, smooth batter now.
Pour the pumpkin mixture over the crust then place in the fridge for 4-6 hours until filling is set.
Cut into 9 squares and enjoy this healthy snack or dessert!
This post may contain affiliate links
I've never done this before, but I thought it would be fun to put together a little gift guide for that health nut or spoonie in your family. I know it can be hard to figure out what to get someone to begin with, let alone someone who deals with a chronic illness or is holistically health focused.
I reached out to my health and spoonie community to get even more ideas of great products or gifts they've loved. I also wanted to be able to support some small businesses and spoonie businesses so I've included some amazing products created by others in our community!
Hopefully you find these suggestions helpful and be sure to list in the comments any other great ideas you have!
Green Pan Cookware Set- Non-toxic, non-stick cookware set
Redmond RealSalt Organic Seasoning Gift Set- Perfect MSG and chemical free seasonings for the cook in your house
40 oz. Stainless Steel Water Bottle- You'll be sure to stay hydrated with this big water bottle! Stainless steel and BPA free, vacuum seals to keep drinks hot or cold
Omega Juicer- masticating juicer to make healthy juices without losing the important nutrients and enzymes
Spiralizer- Switch up the way you eat veggies! Great for making veggie pastas
Stainless Steel Mandoline- Another way to make chopping veggies easier and switch up your slices. Stainless steel for BPA free eating!
Aqua gear Water Pitcher- I love this pitcher because it not only filters heavy metals and chlorine, but fluoride too!
Bamboo Utensils- sustainable, re-usable on the go utensils
Hand Made Pottery Mugs & More- Another small business that supports Lyme Disease awareness selling beautiful handmade pottery mugs without handles and plates
Other ideas: Gift cards to the persons favorite allergy-friendly restaurant or health food store. Their favorite diet-approved cookbook. Ingredients in a jar for a recipe they love and CAN eat given food restrictions or allergies.
Portable Far-Infrared Sauna- A portable version of one of the best kinds of sauna's for detoxing your body from treatment, heavy metals, and more!
Dry Brush- great for detoxing, see my post about dry brushing here
Other Ideas: Detox bath kit (a little box or jar filled with epsom salts and herbs or essential oils)
Sprite Bath Filter- Tap water contains heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride and more! Before a relaxing bath or your daily detox bath, filter out the nasty stuff for safer, cleaner you time.
Shower Head Filter- Like above, you don't want to be showering in tap water either
URPower Diffuser- Perfect for diffusing essential oils as a natural way to keep your home smelling good and for various health benefits
Redmond Earthpaste Toothpaste with Charcoal- Awesome toothpaste equipped with activated charcoal for natural whitening power
Aunt Fannie's Cleaning Vinegar (and any of their other cleaning products!)- completely non-toxic household cleaning agents
Jasmine Organics deodorant- all natural and organic deodorant with no aluminum, parabens or other nasty ingredients that can clog your poors and increase your toxic load
Ina Dayle's Beauty Products- I've linked directly to her site, just hit the shop button. She hand makes amazing beauty products from natural and organic ingredients you could probably eat 😉
Khus+Khus Copious Body Serum- this product raves benefits from healthy skin to helping with pain and even anxiety+stress
Sickness Remedy- avoid getting sick (or sick on sick if you have a chronic illness) by using this all natural, handmade anti-sick remedy of essential oils
Non-Toxic Beauty Products- The Organic Bunny carries tons of non-toxic beauty and body products from various brands all in one place! From makeup to moisturizer, they've got you covered. Independently owned.
Teleties- These are hair ties that DON'T damage your hair! A small business that helps support the Global Lyme Alliance
Squatty Potty- need I say more?
Rice Hot Packs- I like to find handmade ones on Etsy to support small business
AwareCause Jewelry- This jewelry line was designed to help raise awareness for various illnesses, including Lyme. 10% of the proceeds are donated to a charity associated with each illness, depending on which necklace you buy
BugBeWear Clothing- Insect repellent clothing, great for repelling ticks if you're going to be outdoors
Comfy Sweatpants- Love these sweats/PJ bottoms from H&M for a loose, warm, comfortable pant to spend my days in.
Other ideas: comfortable cotton clothing like shirts and nightgowns. You want to try and find materials that are loose and soft.
What's a holiday pie without a scoop of ice cream on top? Nada. That's what. So of course I had to make a creamy vegan and paleo friendly ice cream for the occasion! Since we are having apple pie this year for Thanksgiving, I decided that a salted caramel ice cream would be perfect. Also, salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors!
AIP+Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Serving:
Ingredients:
For ice cream:
2 cans full fat coconut milk
⅓ cup coconut butter
2 tbs. maple syrup
1 tbs. vanilla extract OR 1 vanilla bean
pinch of pink himalayan salt
For the Salted Caramel-
15 dates, pitted
1 tbs. full fat coconut milk
1 tbs. of hot water
¼ tsp. salt
Combine all ice cream ingredients in a saucepan and whisk over medium-low heat until everything is dissolved and mixed together, about five minutes.
Let cool completely or place in the fridge to cool faster.
Pour into ice cream maker and churn for about 30-45 minutes until it reaches soft serve consistency.
While ice cream is churning, place your dates in hot water for 1-2 minutes, until they soften.
Blend the dates, coconut milk, salt, and 1 tbs. of the hot water from the soaking dates to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Once the ice cream is done churning, scoop half of it into a freezer safe container. Take half of the caramel and place dollops on top of the ice cream, then use a knife to swirl the caramel into the ice cream. Layer the rest of the ice cream on top and repeat with the remaining caramel, swirling everything together. The ice cream make start to get melty here, work at a reasonable pace but don't worry about it too much as this heads straight into the freezer.
Sprinkle with a little more salt and place in the freezer until firm. After about 2 hours it will be at a harder soft-serve consistency and easy scooping. After about 4 hours it will pretty much be firm and you may have to let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften and scoop.
Serve over a slice of warm pie and try not to drool too much ;).
What's are you having for dessert this Thanksgiving (if you celebrate)?
Thanksgiving is coming up in America, which means holiday recipes! But this time of year can be stressful and many are burnt out by the end of the year, so easy holiday recipes means more time to enjoy family, friends, and the actual holidays themselves. This recipe is only four ingredients (okay five if you count the salt) and very simple to make.
I utilize ginger and cinnamon not only because they go fantastic with the sweetness from the carrots and are two of my favorite spices, but also for their health benefits. Check it out:
Did you know cinnamon is great for balancing blood sugar? The perfect spice to include on a day where you'll be eating a lot. It's also great for fighting infections and lowering inflammation.
I've talked about ginger quite a bit because it's my all time favorite, but it's also a great anti-inflammatory, fantastic for digestion, and has been shown to help balance blood sugar and cholesterol.
Utilizing these two spices during the holiday season is fantastic with all the heavy food this time of year!
In case you didn't know, I have a degree in Exercise Science and I've been a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine for 7 years now. I have speciality certifications in kettle bells and TRX. I don't often talk about the fitness side of things because, well, let's face it, food is amazing. But, we can't forget about the importance of movement and that is exactly what todays post is all about :).
So, let's talk about movement. Not just walking to your bathroom and everyday life movements. But extra movement. Fitness if you will. I've met a lot of spoonies who, like me, used to be fitness freaks- in amazing shape, always on the go, loved working out! They feel lost and hurt (I could make a whole post on just that! For another day...) that they can't incorporate fitness into their life anymore. Or they feel at a loss about how to healthily incorporate movement to positively impact healing rather then slow it. Now, I've also met a lot of people who could care less about exercise but I'm going to be explaining to EVERYONE why movement is important and how to incorporate it when you're dealing with a chronic illness.
When you're sick with a chronic illness- in pain, exhausted, depressed- the last thing you probably want to do or have energy for is exercise. But that's probably when you should be making time for it the most. Why? Because it's healing.
I'm not talking about going and deadlifting 300 lbs, squatting twice your body weight, and running sprints around the track. I mean, if you can do all that, great! I once could (okay maybe not THAT much weight) and hopefully one day I'll get back to it. I'm talking about something as simple as walking for 10 minutes or stretching for 5. Yes, even just stretching counts when you're chronically ill.
When I feel my worst, the last thing in the whole world I want to do is get out of my bed and stretch. But 9 times out of 10 it actually helps me feel better, at least a little bit. I explain why that might be below. Let's first talk about WHY movement is important and then about WHAT KIND of movement you should be doing.
1) Movement gets your blood flowing which increases oxygen to vital organs and tissues that are keeping you alive. Moving increases heart rate which increases the rate of blood moving through your system. Your red blood cells carry oxygen around your body and we all know we need oxygen to survive. So more blood flowing through your system=more oxygen flowing through your system! Increased blood flow also helps reduce pooling of blood and blood clots due to sitting/laying all the time.
2) Movement also gets your lymph system flowing. Your lymphatic system is like the sewer system of your body, collecting junk, toxins, and bugs that need to be cleaned out. BUT your lymph system contains no pumps. Movement is what gets it flowing and out of you. Therefore, movement is important for detoxing!
3) On a similar note, increasing heart rate increases the temperature of your body. If you deal with Lyme, this can actually help kill off the bad bugs, which is great but is also why you need plenty of rest if doing harder physical activity (more on that below). Increased heart rate also means *possibly* getting a sweat going, depending on how hard you workout, which can help with detoxing your system from junk, bugs, or even a herx!
4) Exercise may boost your immune system, overall. This one gets tricky though. The type of exercise matters. Chronic or intense exercise can harm your immune system, but proper, moderate training can increase immunity. Exercise can increase hormones that have a positive impact on our immune systems (Brooks, 2007). Some research has shown that for about the first 12 hours post-exercise, your immune system actually decreases as your body recovers from the stress on it from exercise, then over the next ~24 hours, your immune system increases to slightly stronger then before. But this means that the 12 hours post exercise are crucial for instilling recovery tips. We will discuss this more below.
5) Movement, depending on the type, will help reduce muscle wasting, pain, and reduce (risk of) injury. If you are VERY sick and never leave your bed, I'm sure you are already aware of muscle loss. But muscle atrophy can have negative consequences. It can negatively impact your metabolism, increase the risk of osteoporosis or weakening of your bones, and more. Movement also has the ability to reduce pain and injury. I know this can seem counter-intuitive if you deal with pain but pain can stem from lack of movement due to stiffening of muscles from remaining in a seated or laying position. Injury can also result from this lack of movement/stiffening for various reasons.
6) Exercise releases endorphins, which can be EXTREMELY helpful if you deal with any sort of depression or anxiety (either on it's own or in relation to another chronic illness). Endorphins are those "feel good" hormones people always talk about. They are what result in the "runner's high". Endorphins are essentially natural morphine, releasing positive feelings and reducing pain levels. Studies have shown that exercise can be just as effective or MORE effective then anti-depressants!
I could go on for days about the benefits of exercise. The list goes on, but I wanted to list some of the main few above, especially as they relate to illness.
The TYPE of exercise will depend on your illness/condition/health state. For the sake of this post, I'll be using Lyme disease and similar autoimmune diseases as my reference and speaking highly to those who are still quite ill.
First things first, rest is number one. We are not here to push past all the pain and workout 5 days a week for the sake of the positive science behind movement. If you are ill, your body is using all it's resources and energy to try and heal. We are simply here to add some movement into your routine that may INCREASE healing.
A general rule of thumb is that once you complete a workout, you should have enough energy to complete the whole thing again without feeling completely dead. If you finish a workout and feel totally exhausted, you probably did too much. Take AT LEAST 1 day off between workouts to allow for proper recovery when your health is already comprimised.
We also don't want to do workouts that instill intense soreness (you know, that muscle recovery pain). Why? I know that pain can actually feel good (my workout fiend friends out there will understand) because then you know you got a good workout, but it also means you worked your muscles very hard. The more post-workout soreness you get, the more energy and resources it takes for your body to recover. The more energy and resources your body is using to repair those muscles instead of sending energy to vital organs and systems that already need repair when you are ill.
Again, depending on health level, it's best to stick to workouts that are no longer then 20-30 minutes. This time frame helps prevent over-exertion and increased fatigue from prolonged activity.
Now, in terms of types of exercise, we generally want to avoid intense routines like HIIT (high intensity interval) training, prolonged cardio, or HEAVY lifting. Cardio is great for your cardiovascular system and if you can handle low impact cardio (like walking, slow bike rides, calm swims), fantastic, but try to avoid long or intense cardio sessions (like running, spin classes, etc). Weight lifting or yoga is your best choice, for many reasons. Lifting can be easily tailored to both your fitness and health level. Stick to body weight or light weight exercises. Modify exercises as needed and choose between 4-8 exercises, 10-15 repetitions, 1-3x times. Weight training is great for muscle building, bone support, and even your cardiovascular system. Yoga is excellent for still building strength but also for stretching and for mental health. It is low impact and can be extremely easy, for lack of a better word. Yoga can also be as challenging as you want to make it once your fitness and health improve.
One last thing... stretching. This is important for EVERYONE! If you aren't at a point where you can do much, or any, physical activity, try and implement a stretching routine. We already discussed why some type of movement is important and guess what? Stretching counts! It prevents that extreme tightening of muscles that can lead to injury (yes, you can get injured just from laying in bed all day! Who knew?!). Implementing a stretching routine may also be the thing to help you leave your bed, even if it is just moving 5 feet to the floor, a few times a week (preferably daily). But, if all else fails, you can stretch in your bed!
Let me tell you a little story to nail this point home. The summer of 2016, I was very sick again. I physically couldn't do much. I could hardly sit up in bed long enough to eat something. Obviously I wasn't stretching or exercising by any means at this time. I started to develop pain in my left hip and SI joint. I had previously had an injury in that area about 5 years ago. It seemed to be flaring up despite the fact that I wasn't doing anything. But that is exactly why it flared up! The muscles in my hips had begun tightening up so much and weakening that my hips couldn't handle it. I began to do 2-5 minutes of stretching just a couple of times a week when I felt able and my hip slowly began to heal. And I began to ever so slowly feel better overall because I was getting blood flowing.
Trust me, I KNOW how hard it can be to move when you think you are dying and barely have the energy to lift your hand to your mouth, but if you can manage just 30 seconds of stretching when you have a *good* moment it may actually contribute to overall body healing from chronic illness!
I hope you found this post useful and helpful in your movement and healing journey. If you have any questions or want me to elaborate more on any piece of the movement puzzle (or a specific piece from this post), let me know by commenting below!
These burgers are health bombs! They are filled with ingredients that are nutritionally packed and provide a handful of other health benefits. Lamb is probably one of the best meat sources out there, especially for those with chronic illness. Here is why:
Lamb: Lamb is a rich source of iron and zinc. The high iron is great for me is since I deal with anemia and zinc is fantastic for your immune system. It contains many b-vitamins that are essential to many systems in your body. Lamb is also rich in essential omega-3's to help with inflammation.
These burgers also contain cilantro and mint. I've talked about the health benefits of cilantro many times, but just in case you forgot ;):
Cilantro: Cilantro is great for detoxing, especially heavy metals as it binds them and removes them from the body. Cilantro is also high in anti-oxidants, can balance blood sugar and is overall packed with vitamins that help almost your entire body.
Mint: Mint is fantastic for digestive issues, especially nausea or indigestion as it calms the stomach. It's also packed with antioxidants and vitamins, making it another powerhouse herb like cilantro
Have I convinced you to make these burgers yet?!
In this recipe I bake these babies in the oven but you can pan fry them or grill them if you prefer, as well. They are great any time of year but there is something about lamb in the winter that feels very warming and nourishing.
Cilantro-Mint Lamb Burgers
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lbs. ground lamb
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
1.5 tbs. chopped fresh mint leaves
½ tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Divide meat into 4 balls and form into patties, forming an indentation in the middle of the burger (almost like a donut but without pushing all the way through).
Place patties on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until done to your liking.
Serve over greens with your favorite toppings. I love avocado on my burgers! What is your favorite burger topping?
This easy AIP Beef Stew is perfect for when you need a hearty meal, but don't have the time to deal with any fancy cooking. Completely AIP compliant and nightshade free, this slow cooker beef stew can be made in the crockpot or instant pot.
This AIP beef stew recipe is for my all my IBS and digestive issue babes. I know it's hard to find recipes when your diet is limited and you can't have FODMAPS or nightshades or spices. For many years, I had to eat low FODMAP and nightshade free as I healed my gut. This recipe was one of my go-to's to pack in nutrients. This slow cooker beef stew uses herbs instead of spices, is nightshade free and low FODMAP, and I find it just as delicious and satisfying.
Many stews call for braising the meat beforehand, but I often don't have the time to deal with that if I'm putting this stew on in the morning before work. You can certainly take the time to do that extra step, but if you don't want to deal with that, you don't have to! For this easy beef stew, we are just throwing everything into the slow cooker and letting it do all the work.
The best part about beef stew or dump-it slow cooker recipes is that you can really use whatever veggies you have on hand.
Instant Pot Chicken and White Bean Soup
Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
Salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors. That mix of sweet and salty.... I'm drooling. Bliss balls/power balls/whatever you want to call them are always a popular thing but I had never seen salted caramel ones so I thought to myself "Victoria, you better nail these bites!" And I think I did, if I do say so myself.
These bliss balls only have 6 ingredients, take no time at all, and are a great snack on the go. They also make for a healthy treat with the holidays coming up. People will think they are much more decadent then they are, which is perfect :).
Salted Caramel Bliss Balls
Makes 12
Ingredients:
8 dates, pitted
1 cup of cashews
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tbs. Nuzest Vanilla Protein (or vanilla protein of your choice)*
1 tbs. full fat coconut milk
½ tsp. himalayan pink sea salt
⅓ cup hemp seeds or more shredded coconut, for rolling the balls in
*If you don't have protein powder, you can use almond flour or even ½ tbs. of coconut flour (I have not tried the coconut flour version)
Soak the dates in hot water for 5 minutes.
While dates are soaking, blend cashews, coconut, and protein in a food processor or high speed blender until crumbly.
Add the dates, coconut milk, and sea salt. Blend until a dough forms. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides to make sure everything blends together. The dough should be slightly sticky but not so much that you can't work with it at all. If it is, add a little more protein or shredded coconut.
Take rounded tablespoonfuls and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll the balls in your hemp seeds or shredded coconut.
Store the balls in the fridge until ready to devour.
I know I promised you all a full update a couple months ago and that never happened. Well, here we are, I'm finally making it happen!
First things first, blog updates. You may have noticed I updated the look of the blog. I also added a page called 'Affiliate/Discount Links'. This page contains all my affiliate links and discount codes to different brands. I'm became an Amazon affiliate recently which means that if you go through my link to purchase your Amazon orders, I will make a small percentage. This is at NO extra cost to you but it helps me pay for Lyme treatment. So, it would mean A LOT if you'd take the time to go through that one extra step before ordering. I'll be updating this page periodically as I try and get discount codes for you all to some of my favorite products :). Keep checking that page regularly! And make sure you follow me on Instagram because that is where I can keep you all updated quickly and easily.
Also, be sure you are email subscribed to my blog so you never miss a post or recipe! You can do this by scrolling down on the right hand side of the page to where it says Follow Blog via Email and sign up. You can also catch all posts, recipes, and extra articles or fun things I post by following Lemons 'N Lyme on Facebook.
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Alright, on to ME. If you missed my post on Instagram about what has been going on the last few months... well, you shouldn't have because you should be following me on IG ;). Anyways, in early August I moved to Denver to settle in and begin graduate school. I started seeing a new Lyme doctor in the area and began a herbal protocol. I discussed this whole protocol in a YouTube video if you are interested in learning a little more.
Well, two weeks into school I had to withdraw because my health just couldn't handle it. It was an extreme blow and a huge loss for me. Another loss I had to try and grieve and it hasn't been easy. I decided to try and start working part time and again, on the second week I had to quit. My fatigue, digestive issues, and anxiety have been pretty debilitating. It was another hit to the gut (figuratively and literally!).
I'm now back, almost, to square one trying to figure out what to do and what is going on with my body. I have been continuing on the herbal protocol for now until I see my doctor again in November. I've been testing out laser therapy which is supposed to increase the production of stem cells, increase mitochondrial function, and help heal the brain. I've only had 3 sessions so I haven't noticed much yet.
I also saw an immunologist recently who is doing a whole slew of tests to try and figure out what is going on with my immune system, if he can help, and to see if I qualify for IVIG. Many of you may already know what that is but for those who don't it's essentially like getting a donor immune system! You do IV's of immunoglobulins, which are the cells that comprise your immune system. If I end up doing IVIG I can talk much more about it.
I've been focused on finding answers, doing some mental/emotional healing, and working on lots of fun recipes and projects for you all! Definitely be sure to follow me on Instagram because I have a few giveaways coming up for the holiday season and I wouldn't want you to miss out on any of them.
Let me know what you want to see and if there are certain recipes you are keen on me making (a remake of your favorite pumpkin bread? holiday dishes?). I hope all of you are hanging in there and, as always, I'm sending lots of love your way <3
I've used muscle testing as a part of my treatment over the past few years to help determine what is going on in my body and what treatments I may need to be using. In this video I explain what muscle testing and ART even are plus I share 3 ways to self energy test at home if you don't have access to a practitioner.
Have you used muscle testing? If so, how was your experience?
One of my favorite things as a child was eating raw cookie dough. Whether that was licking the bowl when making cookies from scratch or eating it out of the tube at a sleep over. Raw eggs where never a concern in my family but I recreated my favorite (totally unhealthy) cookie dough into a vegan and paleo healthy version! Get excited.
I've been using Nuzest protein in a lot of recipes lately because 1) I like it 2) it adds a protein boost and 3) It works really well as a flour substitute! I haven't tested this recipe using anything but the Nuzest as the flour but you can try subbing about 3 tbs. of almond flour, gluten free flours, or 1-2 tbs of coconut flour (if using coconut flour, use way less because it absorbs more liquid then your average flour). If you do oats, you could mix in oats to make an oatmeal raisin/chocolate cookie dough.
These recipe is also quite versatile and you can add in whatever you like, it doesn't have to be chocolate chips. You could do nuts, dried fruits, coconut, etc. How fun?!
Vegan & Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ingredients:
1 small white sweet potato or 1 cup chopped and steamed white sweet potato
¼ cup almond butter (use tiger nut butter for AIP option)
1 scoop nuzest vanilla protein powder (or your favorite vanilla protein)
2 tbs. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
3 tbs. chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Peel and chop your sweet potato into chunks. Steam until soft then let cool completely before moving on. You should have 1 cup once done.
Combine everything but the chocolate chips in a food processor or small blender until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
You can eat it straight away but it won't be quite as hard as cookie dough. I suggest storing it in the freezer, which also allows it to harden. To do this, roll the dough into a log in a piece of plastic wrap.
It will take about 2 hours for the dough to reach a more solid cookie dough consistency in the freezer.
You can also bake these cookies. Once your dough has sat in the freezer, you can cut cookies from the log (talk about portion control! another point for this recipe ;)). Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, flipping the cookies over halfway through baking. They won't bake quite like regular cookies, they'll get brown and harder on the outside while maintaining a gooey, slightly undercooked middle. But they still taste fantastic! And the chocolate chips will get melty, which is the best part.
I constantly get emails and messages from people recently diagnosed with Lyme about what to do, what are my tips, do I have any suggestions on treatments, etc. I decided to make a video sharing my top tips and advice for someone recently diagnosed with Lyme or other chronic illness. Many of these tips are actually useful for those who have been sick awhile, as well, so no matter what stage of diagnoses or treatment you're at, I encourage you to watch this video.
What advice would you give someone recently diagnosed with a chronic illness?
Just in time for Halloween (and all the upcoming holidays), I've got you covered on the dessert front. Need a sweet treat that still fits your diet? These are a game changer! As you saw in the title, they fit almost every diet from ketogenic to vegan to plain 'ol paleo.
The middle is a mix of sunflower butter and protein powder to add a protein boost. It's called protein fluff and the recipe is from Lil Sipper.
Fat-Bomb Protein "White Chocolate Reese's"
Makes 12
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut butter, melted (to make your own for way cheaper check out my recipe)
1 scoop Nuzest vanilla protein
¼ cup water
1 heaping tbs. sunbutter or other nut/seed butter of choice
Line muffin tin with silicone liners.
Scoop 1 tsp. of coconut butter into the bottom of each muffin tin, shake to distribute evenly. Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes until the butter has begun to harden.
While coconut butter is in the freezer, mix your protein powder and water in a small bowl then add in your sunbutter and mix well to combine.
Scoop 1 tsp. of protein fluff into each muffin cup and flatten out to create small disc on top of the coconut butter. Don't press it all the way out to the edges. You will have some leftover protein fluff.
Pour about 1 tbs of coconut butter over the top of each muffin cup (enough to cover the disc, fill the sides, and have it look like a reese's).
Put back in the freezer for another 5-7 minutes until coconut butter is completely hardened. Remove and eat or store in the fridge.
Let me start this post off with YOU HAVE TO TRY THESE MUFFINS! They are packed with nutrients and goodies with no added sugar, not your typical sugar and carb laden crap. They are a perfect breakfast or snack on the go and a great alternative to meat-based paleo breakfast ideas. Muffins that are actually filling and healthy? Sign me up! These babies are also vegan and paleo, win-win!
My recipe was inspired by this recipe, I just tweaked a few things to fit my diet and make them even yummier, in my opinion ;).
Plantain Morning Glory Muffins
Makes 12-15 muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup grated parsnip (about 1 large or 2 small)
¾ cup dried figs or apricots
½ cup chopped walnuts (omit for AIP)
2 flax eggs- 2 tbs. ground flax seeds + 5 tbs. water (you can use gelatin eggs to make AIP)
2 large plantains- 1 very ripe and 1 green
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup coconut oil
½ cup pumpkin
¼ cup Nuzest plain protein powder (you can sub almond flour if you don't have protein powder)
3 tbs. casava flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 375F
First, soak your dried figs or apricots in warm water while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Grate your parsnip and chop your walnuts. Set aside.
Make your flax eggs by mixing the ground flax with the water. Mix well and set aside so the eggs can gel.
Peel and chop your parsnips into chunks. Add to a food processor or high speed blender and blend for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining wet ingredients (vanilla through pumpkin) and blend until smooth. Add in your flax eggs and blend until combined.
Combine all dry ingredients (protein powder through baking soda) in a large bowl. Pour dry ingredients into food processor/blender and blend until combined. Pour all the mixture back into the large bowl.
Drain the figs and chop into little pieces. Using a spatula, fold the figs, grated parsnip, and walnuts into the batter.
Spoon batter into lined (or oiled) muffin tins. Fill the muffin cups all the way up. You can either overflow the cups a little and make 12 muffins or use a second tin and make up to 15+ muffins (the batter will shrink down as it cooks).
Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring muffins to a wire wrack to cool completely.
Slather with jam, almond butter, or eat totally plain. Enjoy!
I know I promised you all a full update post, but some life stuff happened and I don't feel ready to share it all, yet. For now, I've moved back to Colorado, I'm seeing a new Lyme doctor, and I've recorded a video detailing my latest Lyme disease treatment plan.
I'm finally working on some new recipes that will get posted in the coming weeks. And when I feel ready I will be providing a full life update. I am going to keep up with Lyme treatment updates, either monthly or when my treatment changes dramatically enough. Health wise, I've been on a plateau for quite some time. One that my family and I sort of just hoped would shift on it's own, I think. We've finally realized I haven't been proactive enough and that some real changes needed to be made. So, we will see how things with this new doctor go.
My main symptoms still include (what can sometimes be completely debilitating) digestive issues and chronic fatigue. I also still deal with ear ringing and brain fog. I'm super sensitive to stress, which is fairly common in the chronic illness world. And lately I've been having more joint/muscle pain/stiffness, which could also be a result of herxing.
I have some upcoming appointments that I'm looking forward to. I'm seeing an immunologist, I have a follow up with my geneticist, and then exploring options for my support system here in Denver (therapists, chiropractors, etc).
How have you all been feeling? The change in seasons always gets me on top of everything else. Have you found a treatment that's been helping you? Let me know, I love staying connected with everyone <3
Last week I posted a this buckwheat bread recipe. Well, I have another variation of that one for you this week. In this recipe, I used Nuzest pea protein instead of almond flour to make it nut-free and higher in protein. I really enjoy both versions but if you can't eat nuts, then this variation is for you!
Be sure to try both and let me know which one is your favorite 🙂
Buckwheat Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
½ cup Nuzest plain pea protein
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. pink himalayan sea salt
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 ¼ cup dairy-free milk of choice (if you want your bread sweeter, use ¾ cup milk and ½ cup coconut water or the liquid underneath the cream in a can of coconut milk)
1 tbs. maple syrup
Preheat your oven to 350 F
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add the apple cider vinegar and mix slightly.
Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix until combined, do not over mix. Let sit while you line a loaf pan with parchment paper. This mixture will be very thick.
Scoop the mixture into your loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into it.
Stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days or sliced and stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I start grad school in just 5 days! I don't know how much time I'll have for recipe development or posting yet, but I promise not to leave you all behind. Make sure you are following me on Instagram for updates as I'm most active there. And I'll be sure to get a full update (life and Lyme) post up by the time school begins.
I don't eat bone broth, fermented foods, collagen, or take glutamine or folate/5-MTHF supplements. WHAT?! Many of you may be surprised given that bone broth, fermented foods, and glutamine are very popular in both the gut healing arena and chronic illness world. Folate (or 5-MTHF, methylfolate supplement) has also been hyped up a lot recently as a helpful supplement to combat mutations on the MTHFR gene and it's sister genes.
I've never liked bone broth or fermented foods and both have always bothered my stomach rather then helped it. I kept trying to eat those foods because everyone said I should to heal my gut. I'd force bone broth down and attempt bites at sauerkraut on occasion. I then started added hydrolyzed collagen to my smoothies, baked goods, or tea. It never felt right and it certainly didn't make me feel good.
Then, the other week, I had my genetics properly and thoroughly analyzed by a nutrigenomics specialist and some serious light was shed! I should always know to go with my gut because it has yet to let me down...
Woah woah woah, let's back up a little, shall we? Let me drop some knowledge. This is about to get a bit scientific, but I'm going to try and keep it as simple and straightforward as I can. There are four similar sounding words I need you to keep straight first. They are:
Glutamine
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Glutathione
Glutamate is essentially the same thing as glutamic acid, for your reference and the purpose of this post, so in this post I'll just be using the word glutamate. Glutamine is a PRE-CURSOR to glutamate. Let's just worry about remembering those two for now, glutamine vs glutamate, okay? And glutathione is an anti-oxidant that helps with detoxification and inflammation. Many of you probably already know what glutathione is.
Glutamate is a neurotransmitter. An excitatory one. It's VERY important for proper brain function and isn't something to hate on... unless in excess. Glutamate is also praised for it's ability to help with healing in the body, including the gut. Glutamate is the pre-cursor to GABA which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA can then be recycled to glutamate. Essentially, glutamate and GABA balance each other out (one excites, one calms). Imbalances in the body (due to many things, which we will get into in a moment) can cause imbalances in glutamate vs. GABA, leading to high glutamate levels.
High glutamate levels can cause a number of issues from neurological disorders, aversions to certain clothing (fabrics and feels), paranoia, chronic fatigue, and more. Although glutamine helps produce glutathione, increased glutamate can put a demand on glutathione, reducing glutathione levels in the body which in turn increases inflammation. Sounds fun, huh?
Ever heard of glutamate? Probably, it's a supplement, it's found in foods, and it's the component of MSG. MSG= monosodium GLUTAMATE. Many processed foods contain free glutamate. Many health foods contain bound glutamate because it is an essential amino acid. We do need it for our health! Bound glutamate tends to be good because your body is able to digest it slowly and use it properly. We need all 20 amino acids (proteins) in our diet and in meals (meat contains all 20, vegans need to eat rice WITH beans to get them all at once), but consuming just one, and in excess, can cause a lot of issues. Gluten and casein also contain high levels of glutamate, another reason to cut gluten and dairy from your diet.
Well, glutamine is a pre-cursor to glutamate, like we mentioned above. We all know how bad MSG and other processed foods are (is it now making sense why MSG has been linked to neurological disorders?). But, you probably didn't know glutamine supplements and natural, even healthy, foods high in glutamine or glutamate can cause issues. So what foods are high in glutamine? Bone broth, fermented foods, collagen supplements... 3 foods that are all the rage in the paleo and gut healing community! Many doctors also prescribe glutamine supplements on top of all that for gut healing, not surprisingly given what I said above about it's ability to convert to glutamate and accelerate healing. I AM NOT SAYING THESE FOODS ARE BAD! But in excess and for those susceptible to glutamate issues, they are. My genetics make me highly susceptible to glutamate uptake and not recycling it into GABA properly.
Like I said, glutamine rich foods and supplements are popular in the gut healing community, but if you have leaky gut then this allows glutamine to leak into the blood stream, cross the blood-brain barrier, and turn into glutamate... uhh?! You're essentially just dumping this excitatory neurotransmitter into your poor little brain and it soon becomes toxic leading to all the negative consequences I mentioned above. That's a real problem isn't it?
So how does folate fit into this mix? Folate, also known as B-9, can increase glutamate and it also helps convert another amino acid into glutamate. So, you're taking a folate or 5-MTHF supplement to help with your MTHFR mutation, you're downing bone broth and fermented foods to help heal your gut, and maybe you added a glutamine supplement to it all, as well. All of this increases the pool of FREE GLUTAMATE in your body. Ay carumba! Are you feeling like crap yet?
One more thing about folate and glutamate, both stimulate mTOR. mTOR is the process in your body that creates new cells while autophagy is the cleaning up of old, dead or bad cells (including viral cells, bad bacteria, etc). These phases can't be on at the same time. Either mTOR is on or autophagy is on. If mTOR is constantly on, then your body isn't cleaning up any of the bad guys and your left with all those viral, bacterial, and dead cells sitting in your system! Talk about NOT healing...
Are you taking all the steps you think you're supposed to be taking to help heal your gut and body yet still feeling bad or even worse? This could be why. Especially the folate supplementation issue. Many doctors see MTHFR, MTRR or another sister mutation and immediately think METHYLFOLATE SUPPLEMENT NOW! Without looking at or knowing about other genetic issues a person may have that don't allow them to use folate properly. That's my issue, but I'm not going to get into all the genetic mutation issues related to folate in this post. I'm just going to leave things where they are for now and hopefully you'll take my word on it (I mean don't, do your research, but for now know that I have ;)). And don't blame your doctor right away, genetics are very complicated and much of this is just coming to light.
I think this is a very important topic to share about given the popularity of the foods and supplements mentioned in this post and the lengths many of us go to find healing. Healing, especially for those chronically ill with something like Lyme disease, can be EXTREMELY complex. I know I just added another layer to the onion, but your genetics play a paramount role in both your illness and health. They aren't something to be ignored. Yes, we can actually alter gene expression but you need to know what genetic issues your dealing with first to either have your genes express in a positive manner or know how to compensate for the bad ones.
Be sure to talk with your doctor or a trained genetic specialist (I suggest a nutrigenomics specialist who understands all the genes related to gut and detox) to find out what genetic issues you may be having and how to address them. Remember, I am not a doctor. I am simply sharing my experience and knowledge that I gain along my healing journey.
Sources
My knowledge from biochemistry classes in college
My nutrigenomics specialist
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2882673.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12481981
Glutamate Excitotoxicity: The Brain, The Nervous System & Nutritional Solutions
Beyond MSG: Could Hidden Sources of Glutamate Be Harming Your Health?
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/276/5319/1699
http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/388/
I get loads of questions asking me about picc lines and port-a-caths so I decided to just make a video talking all about them! I discuss what they're for, the differences, how to prepare and recovery from the placement procedure of each, long term care tips, and just some overall tips & tricks.
I hope this video is helpful for some of you!