No-Bake Chia Treats

No-Bake Chia Treats

I don’t plan to share many food type recipes, as there are a million bloggers who do so. However, I am sharing these treats because my family loves them and I thought you might too …

 

It’s been so nice to get back in the kitchen again and make healthy meals and treats for my family since giving birth to my handsome wee-man, Connor (To read my birth story, see "Holistic Homebirth For Me!"). Few of you may know this about me, and many are about to find out … I’m not much of a baker. I can do it; I can follow recipes and the stuff turns out good, but it’s not my thing. I prefer cooking and making no-bake treats. As I was making some of our favorites today, I decided that I would share with you!

The treats I’m making today include Chia seeds. Before I proceed, let’s make one thing clear: I do NOT consume or suggest consuming Chia seeds for the purpose of minimizing healthful food intake or meal replacement! One of these treats are just as they suggest, a treat or snack, NOT A MEAL! You need to eat a healthy, colorful, variety of foods and nutrients. The reason I like Chia seeds in these treats are because they do make the snacks more filling so you don’t eat a tub of ice cream afterward… or a whole batch of these in one sitting, because, well, they’re delicious. You’ll be tempted. J  

If you have heard of Chia seeds, or if you haven’t, but you don’t quite know the benefits, here are some:

·         Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids

·         High in fiber

·         Contains antioxidants

·         Rich in minerals – calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese

·         Satiety; decreases cravings and hunger between meals

·         Gluten-free, for those who are GF

·         Can be digested whole; doesn’t need to be ground like some seeds (ie. flax)

·         Can help maintain hydration (“chia gel”)

·         Some studies have shown links between Chia and improved blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure

The treats. They don’t contain tons of Chia; it’s not even the main ingredient. But it’s one of the three things they have in common. The others being that they’re quick and they’re our favorites!

Better Than LaraBars

Ingredients:

×          1c pitted medjool dates

×          1c raw almonds or cashews

×          1/4c chia seeds

×          1tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

×          2TBSP virgin coconut oil (lets be honest …I don’t actually measure this; 2 beautiful heaping spoons full is more accurate)

×          ½ - 1c of whatever you want (Any dried fruit, coconut, mini chocolate chips, etc. Some of our faves: 3/4c unsweetened coconut flakes = coconut cream pie; 1/2c mini chocolate chips = chocolate chip cookie dough;1/2c unsweetened coconut flakes + 1/4c mini chocolate chips = almond joy; 1/2c dried cherries + 1-2tsp vanilla (I just pour what looks right) = cherry cheesecake; banana chips = banana bread.) Play with this some; mix it up. Make it fun!



Coconut Cream Pie
I know, horrible pic. I'm a Massage Therapist, not a photographer!

Put your pitted dates in the food processor (be sure to pit them, I didn’t the first time … lesson learned). Pulse until you have formed a paste (only about a min or so, depends on the quality of your food processor. Mine is a dinosaur so it takes a little longer). Remove your paste and dump your almonds or cashews (or a combo of the two) in. Pulse until you have bitty nut pieces. Add date paste back in. 

The hard part is done. Dump in your Chia, salt, and coconut oil. Process until it’s all mixed together evenly … or close to it. Add in your “whatever you want” and mix. Dump your mixture into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper. Press down with wetted hands or a spatula. Be sure to pack them down tight, otherwise they may fall apart when you cut them. Make sure you save a small pile of the mixture to sample. It’s yummy! Plus, you’re the chef, you get to sample. J

Pop them in the fridge for 2+ hours to set. After they’ve set, cut them into whatever size bars you want (we get 18 but you could get 24 if you want them a little smaller). I wish I could tell you how long they last or are good for, but ours never last that long. If yours make it long enough to go bad, please share, but I doubt that will ever happen.

Next up …

Nutritious No-Bake Balls

Ingredients:

×          1c rolled oats

×          1/3c unsweetened coconut flakes

×          1/2c nut butter (we use Organic SunButter)

×          1/4c chia seed

×          1/3c ground flax seed

×          1/3c raw honey (another one of those things I don’t actually measure)

×          1tsp vanilla

×          1/2c mini chocolate chips (we use EnjoyLife brand to avoid allergens) or whatever you want (another one of those fun parts of my recipes. Play with this; nuts, chocolates, dried fruits … make it your own!)

 

Nutritious No-Bake Balls

 

Everyone in the mixing bowl! Stir, stir, stir … I find a fork or your hands to be best for this. Once you have mixed it all together evenly, take a bite. Again, you’re the chef, it’s your right! Place the bowl of goodness in the fridge for at least an hour.

Time to make balls! Pull your mixture from the fridge and roll into balls, about 1” is good … unless you like them bigger. They’re your treats, who am I to tell you what size they should be. Enjoy! Just like with the bars, I have no idea what the shelf life for these are. Sorry.

If you have any specific questions or topics you would like to read about, please share on my Facebook page or email me. Together we can “Relax your body, Refresh your mind, Rejuvenate your life!”

Fight Inflammation with Food!

Fight Inflammation with Food!

Inflammation is something that we all experience. We also have a loved one or ten who experience discomfort, pain, or disease of some sort due to inflammation. Those ones that we love are the reason that this is a topic that I am choosing to share with you about. I preach and preach and preach (did I say that I preach) the importance of a holistic lifestyle, real nutrition, and the such all the time. I am sure some are sick of hearing it, so I am sharing with you! J

First question: who benefits from this and who has inflammation in their body?

EVERYONE! To break it down a little, here is a list:

·         Muscle aches

·         Joint aches

·         Arthritis

·         Headaches

·         Cancer

·         High Blood Pressure

·         Cardiovascular diseases

·         Diabetes

·         Any “-itis” or inflammatory disease

·         And many more chronic diseases

Okay, I know that there are a handful of “Anti-Inflammatory Diets” out there. And they all very a little depending on who you ask or what you are searching. What I am writing about is not another diet. Although the term diet really means what you are consuming or putting into your body, our society has destroyed this simple word to make it something limiting, unhealthy, and nasty.

However, this does not mean that you cannot truly fight the inflammation in your body, it’s systems, and inflammatory disease by simply eating good stuff. You don’t have to start a diet to decrease or eliminate inflammation. It’s as simple as adding a few good things and getting rid of a few bad ones. You’re making good lifestyle changes, you’re not “dieting”.

Everything that you consume becomes a part of who you are and affects your body in some way, good or bad. Didn’t your Mama tell you, “you are what you eat”! It is all chemistry my friends! Mix this with that and you get … well what you get depends on what the this and the that are.

When selecting items to start eating, organic is always best because added chemicals and pesticides may cause other harmful effects and they aren’t food, so why ingest them?  However, you don’t have to always buy organic; I know it can get expensive. (I will soon share about when to buy and when not to buy organic. Until then, feel free to search “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen”).

What to incorporate into your meals: 

·         Virgin Coconut Oil!!!

·         Cruciferous vegetables REGULARLY (cabbage family)

·         Lots and lots of green veggies (broccoli, kale, spinach, kelp, etc)

·         Fresh Fruit (Don’t forget the Blueberries!)

·         Fresh Veggies

·         Whole grains & their flours (whole grain, bulgar, quinoa, etc.)

·         Beans & Legumes

·         Squash & Sweet Taters

·         Nuts & Nut Butters (especially Walnuts)

·         Avacados (Avacado oil is great also)

·         Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Not the adultered, diluted, fake stuff. Visit http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/ for more info)

·         Omega’s (Salmon, sardines, black cod, eggs, hemp seed, flax seeds, etc)

·         Mushrooms (all are good, but shitakes are best)

·         Spices/seasonings (turmeric, ginger, curry, garlic, cayenne, black pepper)

·         Dark Chocolate – 70% or higher (YES, I said CHOCOLATE … but in moderation)

·         Red Wine (Yup, I also said WINE … again, in moderation)  

That isn’t so painful. Look at all those options! And there are so many meals you can make incorporating these items, it’s ridiculous … and delicious!

Now the part that you may be afraid of – What should I NOT eat?:

·         Fast Food (If you didn’t expect to see this, please feel free to smack yourself on the forehead and say “duh”)

·         Processed foods (read the labels; there is a lot of non-food going on in these things)

·         High Fructose Corn Syrup

·         White or Bleached Flour

·         Refined sugar (raw sugar, honey, and maple syrup are much healthier, much tastier sweetener options!)

·         Vegetable oils

·         Vegetable shortening

·         Margarine

·         Any “partially hydrogenated” oils

·         Other common oils – safflower, soy, sunflower, corn, and cottonseed)

·         Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, suclarose, etc … artificial; again, a non-food, don’t eat it)

·         MSG or monosodium glutamate

·         Feed-Raised meats (ALWAYS opt for Organic, Grass-fed, Free-range, Pasture-raised, Wild Caught, etc)

·         Dairy (this one can be very debatable; if you must consume dairy, always chose organic or raw)

·         Alcohol

·         Anything you are allergic too (this should be a given)

This is the hard part – When you do chose to buy anything packaged, you will want to read the ingredients and make sure these nasty items haven’t snuck their way into the food you think you are getting. We all cave to the convenience of packaged foods at some point; that is what they are there for, convenience. But it is still important to be sure of what you are putting into your body. I will say this again, everything you consume becomes a part of you!

As I mentioned in the beginning, eating to fight inflammation is not another diet! You don’t have to clean out your cupboards and go break the bank restocking your kitchen. It can be as gradual as you are comfortable with. I never suggest drastic, sudden change. It is easier on your system and wallet to slowly make these changes for the better. And a slow, progressive change is always better than none at all!

If you have any specific questions or topics you would like to read about, please share on my Facebook page or email me. Together we can “Relax your body, Refresh your mind, Rejuvenate your life!”