Beet & Blueberry Smoothie is the perfect smoothie recipe for the fall and winter.
According to Ayurveda beets are recommended during Vata season, which runs from October through March, as the bright and vibrant colors can help balance out the dryness and coldness of the season.
In addition, beets have many uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda including cleansing the liver, improving blood circulation and calming the mind and spirit.
They are also used as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments and have been traditionally used to treat conditions such as:
Anemia
Heart weakness
Liver toxicity
Constipation
Irritability & restlessness
Irregular periods
Herpes
Decreased libido
Smoothies are an easy way to add more beets to your diet–and to make things even easier, look for frozen or vacuum packed beets in your grocery store (find organic vacuum packed beets in the refrigerated section at Costco). They’ll save you lots of time since they’re already cleaned and cooked… just throw them into the blender.
Beet & Blueberry Smoothie is the perfect smoothie recipe for the fall and winter. Look for frozen or vacuum packed beets in your grocery store. They'll save you lots of time since they're already cleaned and cooked... just throw them into the blender. This recipe is paleo, low-carb and AIP friendly.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon are the perfect healthy appetizer! This sweet, savory & creamy combination will tickle your taste buds and leave you craving more. Only 3 ingredients needed for this delectable appetizer!
There’s no question that dairy doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are allergic to or intolerant of the proteins in dairy, while others are highly sensitive to lactose, the sugar in dairy.
That said, goat’s milk has less lactose than cow’s milk which may make goat’s milk easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance.
In addition, goat’s milk is naturally homogenized, meaning the fat globules are small and remain suspended in the milk rather than separating out. This makes the milk easier for humans to digest.
So, if you tolerate goat dairy well and are looking for a crowd pleasing healthy appetizer to serve at your next dinner party, you’ve got to make these! The combination of sweet, savory and creamy makes this a food experience you’ll want to recreate again and again.
These stuffed dates also taste great reheated, so you can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat for later.
What you need for Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon:
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon are the perfect healthy appetizer! This sweet, savory & creamy combination will tickle your taste buds and leave you craving more. Only 3 ingredients needed for this delectable appetizer!
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice bacon strips lengthwise then slice them in half. You’ll end up with a total of 32 smaller strips.
Using a small spoon (espresso size), stuff goat cheese into dates.
Wrap each date with a bacon strip and place on baking sheet. If bacon strips are thin enough the wrap should hold when placed on the baking sheet. If not, insert a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before popping these babies!
Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cookies are soft, chewy and full of fall flavour! These gluten and grain free cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup making them the perfect healthy treat for Thanksgiving and all fall long.
DID YOU KNOW? Artificial sweeteners may be holding you back from losing excess weight – and could be causing you to gain weight!
Artificial sweeteners affect your food cravings and your ability to manage your body’s signals for hunger and fullness. These sweeteners are very addictive unlike natural sweeteners that leave you feeling more satisfied.
So, if you tend to use artificial sweeteners or refined sugar products like Splenda, agave, aspartame or sugar, I highly recommend replacing these with unrefined natural sweeteners like maple syrup and raw honey.
Unrefined natural sweeteners contain higher levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes.
Try my chewy Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cookies with maple syrup. When used in moderation, maple syrup can help to better manage blood sugar, all while creating great tasting recipes.
Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cookies are soft, chewy and full of fall flavour! These gluten and grain free cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup making them the perfect healthy treat for Thanksgiving and all fall long.
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until a thick batter is formed. If adding in chocolate chips, do so after mixing other ingredients.
Give the batter a taste-test and adjust the flavours to your preference (optional).
Scoop batter with a tablespoon and place on baking sheet. Press down the mound with a wet fork to flatten and place one pecan on top.
Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden.
Allow to cool completely on tray before using a spatula to remove. If you move the cookies too soon them may fall apart (I know this from personal experience).
Serve immediately or store in fridge or freezer for a firmer cookie.
This Chicken Soup recipe is soul warming and a great natural remedy during cold and flu season. It’s easy to make with simple and wholesome ingredients like chicken & vegetables. The perfect AIP, paleo & keto chicken soup recipe!
It’s time that I share my family’s chicken soup recipe, which I learned from my mom (aka. Mama J) – and she learned from my Nonna (a.k.a. Ma).
Back in my Little Jen days, Mama J would whip up a batch of her magic soup when I had Little Jen sniffles. She took good care of me – and still does even though I’m all grown up.
AND now Big Jen makes this magic soup for Mama J when she’s not feeling well. Ahhhhh, the circle of life.
So, if you’re craving a warm bowl of chicken soup or you’re looking for a great natural remedy during cold and flu season, I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try. It’s gluten, grain and dairy free.
P.S. I made a couple of modifications to the original recipe, which brings out extra flavour in the soup. Technically, you don’t have to sear the chicken and slightly cook the veggies before adding water, but the extra steps are well worth it 😉
This Chicken Soup recipe is soul warming and a great natural remedy during cold and flu season. It's easy to make with simple ingredients like chicken & vegetables. The perfect AIP, paleo & keto chicken soup recipe!
Heat oil in a large pot and sear chicken breasts, 2-minutes per side. Set breasts aside.
Add onions and garlic into pot, stir and sauté until fragrant.
Add carrots and celery and mix together with onions.
Add chicken breasts back into pot and fill pot with ~4L of filtered water.
Add salt and bring to a boil. Let boil for a couple of minutes then reduce to a simmer and cover.
Let cook for at least 1-hour. The longer you cook the more flavour you'll get.
Remove chicken from pot, place on a plate and shred.
If you want pureed chicken soup, add soup (minus the chicken) to a blender and blend until smooth. Add shredded chicken in after blending.
If you want a chunky chicken soup, leave as is and just add shredded chicken to the soup.
Notes
Feel free to skip the steps where you sear the chicken and slightly cook vegetables. These steps do help to create a more flavourful soup, but are not necessary.
These Hot & Saucy Thai Wings are finger licking good! They’re the perfect balance of hot, sweet and nutty, making them super addictive (in a healthy way)–and a wing recipe you’ll want to make time and time again.
If you’ve been following me for a while then you’ll know that my BF won me over in our early dating days with his famous “NOatmeal” recipe (I highly recommend giving this recipe a try if you haven’t already).
Well, just when I thought that dating this man couldn’t get any better, BAM–he puts on his butt accentuating track pants (again!) and makes me these mouth-watering wings.
These wings will warm your soul (and mouth!), so don’t wait too long before giving this recipe a try!
These Hot & Saucy Thai Wings are finger licking good! They are the perfect balance of hot, sweet and nutty, making them super addictive (in a healthy way)--and a wing recipe you'll want to make time and time again.
Preheat oven to 375F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place wings on tray and cook for 20-minutes.
While wings are cooking add almond butter, Frank's Red Hot, avocado oil and coconut aminos to a small sauce pan and heat over medium. Mix until everything is smooth and combined (roughly 5-minutes). Add a touch of water if sauce is too thick.
Take wings out of the oven, flip and coat with sauce. Then place back in the oven for 10-minutes.
Repeat step 4 one more time.
Remove wings from the oven for the last time, flip and coat one more time.
You can now enjoy the taste of delicious pumpkin pie without all the work. It takes less than five minutes to prepare this plant-based & paleo Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding! It makes for a great breakfast, snack or dessert during the autumn.
DID YOU KNOW? Chia seeds are high in several nutrients that are important for bone health, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein.
One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds contains 18% of the RDI for calcium. Gram for gram, this is higher than most dairy products, making chia seeds a good source of calcium for people who don’t eat dairy.
However, it’s important to know that chia seeds also contain phytic acid, which reduces calcium absorption to some extent.
“What is phytic acid?” – you might be wondering. According to Stephan Guyenet:
“Phytic acid is a small molecule found in seeds like grains, beans, and nuts that binds (chelates) certain essential minerals—particularly calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc—and reduces their absorption from food. What this means is that the nutritional value of these foods isn’t as high as you might expect if you looked them up in a nutritional database. Many traditionally-living cultures with grain-heavy diets used techniques such as soaking, grinding, and fermentation that reduce phytic acid levels and increase mineral availability.” (Learn more about phytic acid here).
Now get those chia seeds soaking so you can try this delicious autumn-inspired chia seed pudding.
What you need for Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding:
Coconut milk
Chia seeds
Pumpkin puree
Maple syrup
Pumpkin pie spice
Vanilla extract
Craving more wholesome pumpkin recipes? You’re going to love these:
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding makes for a great breakfast, snack or dessert during the fall months. You can now enjoy the taste of delicious pumpkin pie without all the work. It takes less than five minutes to prepare this plant-based & paleo pumpkin pie chia pudding!
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Store in a glass container or jar in the fridge. Let sit for a minimum of 1-hr before consuming. The longer you let the chia seeds soak the more delicious this pudding becomes (I like to soak them overnight).
Garnish with chopped pecans and pumpkins seeds before serving.
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
