PCOS Bites discusses the pillars of good nutrition offering tools and strategies to improve your daily eating. We do not prescribe diets for individuals who have PCOS. Always do your own research before consuming any food, supplement, or product.
When perusing a menu, it can be difficult to always know how things are being prepped back in the kitchen. The following are a few terminologies to be aware of as it affects how your food is being prepared (with salt and fats).
In short…
Avoid any anything that says “fried”, “au gratin”, “crispy”, “scalloped”, “pan-fried”, “sautéed”, and/or “buttered”.
Instead look for or ask for… “Steamed”, “broiled”, “baked”, “grilled”, “poached”, and/or “roasted”.
Bonus tip: And always ask for no-salt/no butter in your prep. You can always control the salt seasoning at the table. Many foods come pre-prepped in salty brines or salt seasoning to give them a longer shelf life from where they originate until they come out of the cooler at the restaurant. Your daily allotment for salt should be around 1500 mg according to the National Heart Association. Do your due diligence before you head into a restaurant and know which items are higher in sodium content.
And don’t forget! Most people don’t get enough fruits or vegetables in their diet! We all know there is a gap between what we should eat and what we actually do eat. Juice Plus+ provides nutrition from fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, plants and algal oils, to help you bridge the gap to a healthy lifestyle all backed by over 30+ scientific clinical research.
JuicePlus+ capsules offer all the nutritional benefits of REAL fruits and vegetables in an easy to consume capsule. If you’re looking for convenient but healthy nutrition, you need to be looking at JuicePlus+.
Summer is here and it’s time to fire up your grill! Here are five PCOS-friendly burgers to enjoy! Remember, gluten-free is the best option. Put your burger on a full bed of lettuce and enjoy with a fork or spoon. If you need to have something for a bun experience, check out the sprouted grain version of the Ezekiel Bread Hamburger Buns!
There are so many things I love about this No-bake Chocolaty Protein Goji Berry Granola Bite recipe! You know all those seeds you can use in the Life Changing Cracker recipe and the Overnight Oats recipe we shared? Here’s another snack option you can make with them with a totally different taste! These power-punched bites are loaded with protein, natural fats, and anti-oxidants. Here are some highlights that make it so good for you:
Cacao: Touted as being even better for you than dark chocolate, cacao nibs and cacao powder found in this recipe are full of flavonoids and antioxidants that fight off free-radical damage which can cause DNA damage, premature aging and even cancers. Think of antioxidants as firefighters putting out a blaze — a blaze of inflammation in your body. And cacao is one of the highest sources of antioxidants. The best part is it will make this snack taste “chocolaty” to you and will fire up all those pleasure sensors in the brain and lower your cortisol levels (aka: destress). In addition, one ounce of cacao nibs has 9 grams of fiber! Fiber helps to control your blood pressure and blood glucose levels. This fiber can also help lower blood cholesterol. Last, but not least, cacao has magnesium and potassium. A one ounce serving of cacao nibs has 64 milligrams of magnesium making it one of the best dietary sources of it. Magnesium aids in protein synthesis within the body, helps muscle and nerves function properly (great if you are experiencing fibromaylgia symptoms), plus helps manage blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
Flax: Flax is full of healthy fats and fiber, but low in carbs, so it will help you feel satisfied longer so you will eat fewer calories overall which may lead to weight loss. ALA (another type of omega-3) fats found in flax may also help reduce inflammation. Studies have shown flax can help with weight loss and it will help to make healthy hair and clear skin. You’ll also get all the benefits of lowering blood cholesterol and managing blood glucose levels. Flax is also high in antioxidants, so just like cacao, flax will help to fight off free-radical damage which can cause DNA damage, premature agin, and even cancers. In fact, one study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the lignans in flaxseeds may also reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. And finally, the lignans in the flax have been shown to have benefits for menopausal women. Evidently, it can be used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy because lignans have estrogenic properties.
Goji Berries: Goji berries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, and are also low in calories. They are also a good source of iron and vitamin A. One serving of about four ounces of goji berries even provides nearly 10 percent of the suggested amount of dietary protein. Goji berries have a high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score of 3,290, showing that they contain much larger concentrations of antioxidants than most other fruits. They also raise blood sugars slowly — important for women with PCOS trying to manage insulin responses. Some studies also point to goji berries helping to lower arthritis symptoms. And these berries aren’t for everyone either — anyone who uses blood thinners or takes diabetic medication may have a negative reaction eating goji berries, according to WebMD. When in doubt, ask your doctor first. According to Paul Gross in his report, The Top 20 Superfruits, a quarter cup of goji berries contains 11 essential vitamins and 22 trace minerals, including 24 percent of our RDI of potassium, 18 percent of our RDI of zinc and a whopping 100 percent of our RDI of iron, copper and riboflavin. They also contain 8 polysaccharides, a primary source of dietary fiber. (Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/044316_goji_berries_superfoods_antioxidants.html#ixzz48q0wxCQ7)
Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds are a great source of manganese (74%), phosphorus (57%), magnesium (48%), copper (48%), zinc (23%), protein (20%), and iron (16%). They also contain plant compounds known as phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants, which can give your health an added boost. Also promising, recent animal studies have shown pumpkin seeds to improve insulin regulation. (Learn more: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=82 )
Walnuts: Cannot say enough good things about Walnuts! The anti-inflammatory nutrients in walnuts are amazing! They are full of omega-3 fats (113%), copper (53%), manganese (51%), molybdenum (20%), and biotin (19%). They also have anti-cancer treating benefits as well as the ability to help lower the bad cholesterol. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods, “The form of vitamin E found in walnuts is somewhat unusual, and particularly beneficial. Instead of having most of its vitamin E present in the alpha-tocopherol form, walnuts provide an unusually high level of vitamin E in the form of gamma-tocopherol. Particularly in studies on the cardiovascular health of men, this gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E has been found to provide significant protection from heart problems.” (Learn more: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99 )
If you want to add even more protein punch, you can include any protein powder you’ve been using. Although, a short word on protein powders and PCOS… the thing that’s problematic for us cysters with these powders is that most contain dairy and sugar or terrible sugar substitutes (sorbitol, mannitol, aspartame etc.) that mess with our insulin sensitivity. Read your label carefully! There is a lot of natural protein in this recipe already — you could probably skip the protein powder if you don’t have any on hand, or if you are concerned about it affecting your hormones.
No-Bake Protein Goji Berry Granola Bites - Option 1
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. (Quick oats, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, cacao nibs, cacao powder, protein powder, salt, and goji berries. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients.
Drizzle honey evenly over the top of your dry ingredients.
Add almond butter and incorporate into ingredients until all ingredients are fully combined.
Take a 9″ x 13″ pan and spray with a non-stick spray. Spread your mixed ingredients into the base of the pan, pressing down firmly.
Cover your 9″x 13″ pan with saran wrap or a plastic fitted lid and place into your refrigerator and chill overnight.
In the morning, cut unto 2″ x 2″ squares and snack on as needed. Keep your bars in fridge for up to a week.
Tip: If you don’t need a larger batch, take half of what was made and place in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for later use.
This recipe is Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Corn-free, and Refined Sugar-Free
If you are consuming less than 5 cups of salad a day, your body may be under-nourished. Did you know that we need about 4,700 mg per day of Potassium to run the body for someone who is 200 lbs. Take for instance a banana; one banana is 300 mg. You’d have to eat a lot of bananas to even begin to reach that 4,700 mg per day nutritional need within your body and the sugar (converted from the carbs in banana) would be a problem as well. The power house to help you feel your best? Salad!
You need approximately 7-10 cups of salad per day to fuel the cells in your body. And the heavier you are, the more greens you need per day to nourish your body. The good news is that salad is easy for your body to digest. One for lunch and one for dinner and you’ve nourished your body for the day.
Keep in mind as well that not only the quantity of how much salad you eat matters, but it also depends on the quality of the vegetable. Ice berg lettuce, for example, will not have as much nutritional value compared to something high-density like:
• Kale – Kale is packed full of vitamins A, C, and K. While slightly higher in calories than other greens, kale also provides a dose of vitamins B6-B1-B2-B3, manganese, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, and potassium, making for a nutrient-packed salad. It also contains 3x times more lutein and zeaxanthin than spinach.
• Spinach – Spinach is packed with vitamin A and a great source of vitamins C and K, iron, and fiber. It also contains more folic acid than most salad greens, which helps convert the food you eat into energy and produces healthy red blood cells. Recent research also suggest compounds in the leaf membranes called thylakoids may serve as a powerful appetite suppressant. A recently published long-term study at Lund University in Sweden found that having a drink containing thylakoids before breakfast could significantly reduce cravings and promote weight loss. On average, the women who took the spinach extract lost 5.5 pounds more than the placebo group over the course of three months.
• Swiss Chard – Swiss Chard, a relative of the beet family, tastes similar to spinach. It is higher in sodium count than other salad greens (with 77 grams per cup), but it’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and also provides some iron and calcium. Consider combining chard with a few other greens to make your own mix. Recent research has shown that these powerhouse leaves contain at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, including anthocyanins–anti-inflammatory compounds that could offer protection from type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University of East Anglia analyzed questionnaires and blood samples of about 2,000 people and found that those with the highest dietary intakes of anthocyanins had lower insulin resistance and better blood glucose regulation.
• Watercress – It’s more nutrient-rich than romaine and leaf lettuce, containing almost all of the daily recommended intake for vitamins A and K, and half the daily recommendation for Vitamin C, in a 2.5 cup serving. Gram for gram this mild-tasting and flowery-looking green contains four times more beta carotene than an apple, and a whopping 238 percent of your daily recommended dose of vitamin K per 100 grams—two compounds that keep skin dewy and youthful. The beauty food is also the richest dietary source of PEITC (phenylethyl isothiocyanate), which research suggests can fight cancer. Results from an eight-week trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionsuggest daily supplementation of 85 grams of raw watercress (that’s about two cups) could reduce DMA damage linked to cancer by 17 percent. Exposure to heat may inactivate PEITC, so it’s best to enjoy watercress raw in salads, cold-pressed juices, and sandwiches.
• Parsley – Parsley is a quiet superfood, so packed with nutrients that even that one sprig can go a long way toward meeting your daily requirement for vitamin K. Moreover, research suggests the summer-y aroma and flavor of chopped parsley may help control your appetite.
• Romaine Lettuce – Romaine is rich in vitamins A and K, but it isn’t quite a mineral powerhouse. Be sure to mix it with some spinach or kale to pack in more antioxidants, or opt for a pre-mixed blend. packs high levels of folic acid, a water-soluble form of Vitamin B that’s proven to boost male fertility. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found supplemental folic acid to significantly increase sperm counts. Folate also plays a role in battling depression — something women suffering with PCOS may be familiar.
• Red and Green Leaf Lettuce – It has a mild taste, making it a good choice for getting vitamins A and K into the diet of children and picky eaters.
• Butter/Bib/Boston Lettuce – Butter lettuce is low in sodium, a good source of vitamin A, and has small amounts of iron and calcium.
• Arugula – It’s a tasty choice with some vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Mix arugula with more nutrient-dense options to pump up the flavor and the antioxidant power of your salad.
• Chicory/Radicchio – A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who consume 650 mg a day of polyphenols have a 30 percent chance at living longer than those who consume less than that. A cup of chicory leaves clocks in at about 235 mg (double that of spinach!), so consider adding a little leafy red into your leafy greens.
• Beet Greens – Only 1 cup of the bitter green serves up nearly 5 grams of fiber—that’s more than you’ll find in a bowl of Quaker oats! Researchers at the University of Leeds found that risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly lower for every 7 grams of fiber consumed.
• Chinese Cabbage – Rich sources of highly-available calcium and iron, cruciferous vegetables like the cabbage have the powerful ability to “turn off” inflammation markers thought to promote heart disease. In a study of more than 1,000 Chinese women, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables (about 1.5 cups per day) had 13 percent less inflammation than those who ate the least.
Your goal is to get in the habit of eating salad, because of it’s nutrients for your body just to function. When at the grocery store, look for something like a Spring Salad Mix which is composed of several different plants; Arugula Romain, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Red Mustard, Beet Greens Let your goal be to consume 7-10 cups of salad a day at first and use whatever dressing helps you to begin that habit. Once you are more accustomed to eating your daily salads, work on lowering the sugar in your dressings. It is recommended to have 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon or less. Making your own would be even better.
Tip: If you purchase salad in a plastic container at the grocery store, after you’ve taken out a serving, fluff the leaves and add a couple sheets of dry unused paper towels to absorb extra moisture before putting the lid on and returning to the refrigerator and your salad will last longer.
Avoid Ice-berg lettuce (not very nutrient dense), and toppings like croutons, dairy high in lactose, dried cranberries or raisins, as well as anything with sugar or any nut topping coated in sugar.
Instead, focus on putting these types of things on your salad:
• Did you know that 1 tsp of Sprouts is equal to 50 tsp of broccoli with phytonutrients?! Add sprouts!
• If you add fat to your salad, you will pull more nutrition out of the salad. Use Bacon Bits, Feta, Olives, Olive Oil, nuts and seeds.
• Add protein like a hard-boiled egg or try 1/4 cup of cold cooked quinoa that is rich in protein as a topping as well. Hummus on the side is also a nice mix in to add moisture to the salad without adding extra dressing.
• A light topping of a beneficial fruit to fight inflammation in the body like: pomegranate, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
Dinner: Wild Caught Pacific Salmon! We seasoned ours with a little bit of garlic rub, chopped up fresh basil and German basil from the garden, then lemon slices and lemon juice squeezed on top. Takes only 15-20 min to bake depending on size. Yum!
Sides: Cooked green beans and Quinoa seasoned with garlic salt, onion salt, parsley bits, and soy sauce.
Season your salmon (we buy ours frozen so we defrost in hot water for about ten minutes before we apply a basic garlic rub.) Dice up fresh basil (we also had German basil in the garden) to release the oils and flavors of the herbs while the salmon cooks. Slice lemons and place on top. Take the ends of your lemon and squeeze lemon juice onto seasoned meat. Put your salmon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven at 425* for 20 min.
Above: Basil / Below: German Basil – the smells of cooking with your own fresh herbs is heavenly and heightens the flavors in your dish.
Tip: About once a week I trim the heads on my basil leaves down to just above the last two leaves on each stem and the plant grows even fuller. I put my cut leaves from my weekly pruning in an ice bath to clean and then pat dry with a paper towel.
Once your salmon is in the oven, grab a saucepan and put 2 cups of quinoa in it and add four cups of water. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium heat. set timer for 15-minutes. Do not lift the lid off of it for the next 15 min!
While the quinoa is cooking, chop up your fresh green beans (you can save time by buying frozen green beans, too). Heat up a sauce pan with water and toss green beans in for about 10-15 min. Our green beans and salmon finished at about the same time.
When timer goes off for the quinoa, take a fork and make a hole in the center of your quinoa and see if there is any water at the bottom. If there’s no more water, kill the heat and season as desired. I added some chopped bits of parsley to mine from the garden as well as onion powder, garlic powder and some finely ground pink Himalayan salt.
Check the widest part of your salmon for doneness. The smaller more narrow end may cook faster so feel free to cut off that portion and return the rest to the oven for an additional five minutes if needed.
Serve all food nice and hot and pile on the greens. Your salmon portion size should be between 4-6 oz. – visually about the size of your cell phone. Your quinoa should be about 1/2 cup – visually about the size of a computer mouse.
Enjoy this healthy dinner and knowing that you are feeding your body healthy omega-3 fatty acids and gluten-free healthy eats. If you can eat salmon once a week, that is ideal to help your body fight inflammation.
It’s time for our next “Eat THIS instead of THIS”!
Check out the following infographic on why you should be swapping out that white rice for quinoa! And that includes reading those supposedly “gluten-free” ingredients on boxes… Remember, every day you can change your life one bite at a time!
Today’s dish is a result of me getting in the test kitchen sort of mood, as I decided to make lemon-aide from lemons you might say — or in this case, Fried Green Tomatoes from a “whoops” in the garden.
Five days ago, my husband and I were in the garden tending it and noticed that the Early Grow Tomato plant was very happy and becoming heavy-laden by four tomatoes it had produced on one vine. Our original support was just not doing the job and it needed something stronger to support the growing fruit. So, we tried adding a sturdier cage while gently lifting the vines. We were able to manipulate it in such a way that we felt confident the new structure was secure. He walked away satisfied, but no, I had to go give it one more little push into the ground. That’s when my ears heard a ***snnnnnap!!!*** and my heart dropped to my stomach. Sure enough, the stem that was heavy laden with four beautiful Early Grow Tomatoes had snapped at the base and was separated from the main plant. Ugh! I stared at my mishap. Double UGH! I thought.
So, I pulled the tomatoes off the broken vine and put the broken stem and leaf in my compost pile and hauled my four (very green) tomatoes up to the house sad that I had just spoiled my first crop in an aim to put that support in the ground perfectly. They sat on the counter all week as I didn’t have the heart to throw them out. No ripening, they just sat there, staring back at me and reminding me of my mishap. But then I got an idea… Remember that recipe that I used to coat chicken breast that my kids loved? What if we did a Southern thang’ and tried it on my green tomatoes?!
I sliced into those Early Grow (very green) tomatoes and they were beautiful. I gave them a bath in one whipped egg and coated them with my Gluten Free Breaded-but-without-bread Chicken Strips recipe. I backed off on the cayenne pepper by half and left out the turmeric (although it would be great in there as well.) And threw it in a hot pain sizzling with some bacon grease (my ghee wasn’t ready yet – ghee would be healthier, but the flavor was fantastic using the bacon grease.)
The first batch got a little burnt (see below pic), because I kept it on too high of heat (it was just above medium heat) for too long. The next batch turned out perf’ after I turned the heat to just below medium heat and then flipped the green tomato after about 40-seconds of grill time in my little sauce pan.
I only did a few at a time as they cook quickly.
Flip when the edges start turning light brown. I added a little bit of ranch on the side to balance out the spices in the Gluten Free Breaded-but-without-bread Chicken Strips recipe. My guys LOVED it! My picky 6-year-old and my sometimes picky 11 year-old both gave me two thumbs up! And their father came back for seconds! Whoop whoop!
Tomatoes have long been linked to heart health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Tomatoes help in the regulation of fats in the blood — numerous phytonutrients in tomatoes have been shown to help prevent excessive clumping of our platelet cells. (This ability is usually referred to as an “antiaggregatory effect.”)
Tomatoes also have outstanding antioxidant content, including, of course, their oftentimes-rich concentration of lycopene. Research has shown that there is an important connection between lycopene, its antioxidant properties, and bone health. In a 4-week study of post-menopausal women, it was shown that those who did not consume lycopene-containing foods (like tomatoes) experienced increased signs of oxidative stress in their bones and unwanted changes in their bone tissue.
They are also very low on the glycemic index which means you can enjoy without worrying about a spike in your insulin levels.
And lastly, there have been some studies that show that tomatoes have anti-cancer benefits. As you know, in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), there is a greater risk for Ovarian Cancer, so tomatoes may be beneficial.
One word to my PCOS Cysters — if you are experiencing severe joint pain and suffering from an arthritic condition, you may want to skip this snack/side dish idea. Joint pain can be caused by high uric acid in your body or because of arthritis. Night shades (which tomatoes are considered) are pro-inflammatory in some body types so you may want to check with your physician treating your arthritis before consuming this type of dish.
If you try making this recipe, I hope you share your pic and feedback in the comments below! Enjoy! (PS: Maybe even watch the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” while eating this! Ha!)
TOOLS:
• Cutting Board and Knife
• Frying Pan
• Spatula for flipping fried green tomatoes
• small open bowl large enough to place tomato into for egg bath
• small open bowl large enough to place tomato into for coating mix
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat your frying pan at just below medium heat.
2. Slice green tomatoes to about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick.
3. Whip one egg in a small open bowl that is large enough to place a tomato into the egg bath coating both sides of the tomato with raw egg.
4. Move green tomato immediately into the gluten-free coating mix and coat both sides of the green tomato with gluten-free coating mix.
5. Add a ½ tsp of bacon grease to the hot pan (make sure the pan isn’t too hot or it will splatter). It should melt quickly. You want to move the pan so that the bacon grease coats the entire bottom of the pan.
6. Add your green tomato coated with the egg batter and gluten-free coating mix into the pan.
7. Allow your green tomato to cook in the pan for about a minute. The edges will turn a light-brown. Flip and cook for about the same time on the other side.
8. Remove from heat and serve with a little bit of ranch dressing (optional).
This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.
When you have seven people eating out of one fridge, getting creative about cost-savings becomes essential when it comes to snacks. At $10+ for a 12 oz. jar, feeding a family of seven a healthy treat can get expensive — fast!
Nut butter is a great to use for a quick spoon full when you feel your sugar-levels dropping. (I sometimes eat two scoops before I make dinner to hold me over until it’s time to eat.) You can use on Life Changing Crackers or even on a slice of Ezekiel Bread toast. I don’t recommend eating this (found in the freezer section in the health food area of your grocery store) sprouted grain bread more than one time a day, 3 times a week at the most. Ezekiel bread is a great transition if you are just starting to go gluten-free, but your goal should be to be off all bread if at all possible if you suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
This recipe makes about 3 small 12 oz. mason jars full.
• 1/3 cookie sheet Pre-shelled Walnuts or Pecans (whichever you have on hand)
• 2 tsp Finely Ground Pink Himalayan Salt
• 1/4 cup of Date “Sugar” (optional – leave out if going for sugar-free, but this will have a low-glycemic response compared to other sugars)
• 2 TBSP Honey (optional – leave out if going for sugar-free)
• 15 shakes of Cinnamon (a great inflammation fighter)
• 1/2 pkg of Dried Blueberries or 1/3 cup of Craisens or 1/3 cup of dried Cherries (helpful antioxidants)
OTHER TOOLS YOU MIGHT NEED:
• High-power mixer/blender
• Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Mason Jar
• Small spoon for compacting nut-butter mix into your jar as you add it.
• Knife and cutting board if you’re chopping up dried cherries into smaller bits. No knife needed if you are using dried blueberries or Craisens.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take a large cookie sheet (the kind with a lip all the way around them) and place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of it. Pour your almonds on top of the parchment sheet, spreading as a layer so that the almonds cover the entire cookie sheet. Place in the hot oven for about 10 min. (This will heat up the almonds/walnuts/pecans and allow the oils to break down faster when you go to break them up.)
When timer goes off, remove almonds from heat transfer your almond/walnut/pecans into your high-power mixer/blender adding 3-4 shakes of cinnamon in-between scoops of nuts as you add until you get to 15-shakes of cinnamon total.
Add you date sugar at this point as well so it can incorporate into the nut blend as it breaks down in your high-power mixer/blender.
It will take about 15-minutes on high for the almonds to begin to turn to a nut butter state; just keep stopping periodically to scrape down the sides and keep things blending.
Begin to blend your nut mix on high. Be sure to pause periodically and “scrape down sides” times and add about 15 shakes of Ground Cinnamon.
It will take several minutes for your nut mix to begin to break down the oils in the nuts to the “butter” stage. You’ll begin to see it change slowly. Keep blending until the entire batch has been converted to a smooth consistency.
Pour in about 2-3 TBSP Honey to preference and add your salt. Mix to incorporate everything.
Pour nut butter into a bowl and fold in 1/2 pkg of dried blueberries (or any other type of add-in you prefer) until they are completely incorporated.
Transfer nut butter to a canning jar or recycle your old almond butter jar. Cap with a plastic lid and place in fridge.
You’re done! Put a lid on your mason jar and keep your nut butter in your fridge. It should be good for about 4-5 days (if it doesn’t get eaten before then!) Our family loves this as a little snack each day!
Above:Beginning to turn to butter.
Above: Almost all converted into nut butter
(Above: Incorporate any mix-ins you desire.)
If you want to try another version, make just as directed above, but instead of blueberries, put in dried chopped cherries or Craisens and 1 tsp of Vanilla.
This recipe is refined-sugar free, gluten-free, corn-free, and lactose-free.
See why you should make the switch to almond milk if you are drinking dairy milk. You’ll get the most benefit from making your own almond milk as you can control what goes into it. See our post on how easy it is to make your own (plus, you can save the left over almond bits, dry out and use your Cuisinart to make almond flour that can be used in other recipes. If you’re going to spend the money, you might as well not only stretch your dollar, but also get other beneficial by-products to use!)
Make this one change today and change your life one bite (or drink in this case) at a time!
Get in the habit of buying a big ol’ bag of lemons from the grocery store. I get mine from Sams or Costco. Lemon offers a lot of nutritional bang for the buck.
Here’s a short list of what lemon will do for you…
IT FIGHTS CANCER. Lemons are an excellent source of the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C and fights the formation of free radials known to cause cancer.
HAPPY SKIN. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen. Collagen is the support system for your skin. Adding lemon to what you eat/drink each day will help fight wrinkles, reduce acne flares, and improve overall skin texture.
INCREASES IRON ABSORPTION. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in developed countries and the leading cause of anemia. Choosing foods that are high in Vitamin C with foods that are iron-rich will help your body’s ability to absorb iron. So if you’re drinking lemon water, whatever else you eat with iron (like spinach or chickpeas) will nourish your body.
BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. Vitamin C will help your immune system fight germs that cause a cold or flu. Making this a daily habit — especially during the winter months — will give you the healthy edge against infections.
HELPS YOUR DIGESTION.
FLUSHES YOUR LIVER OF TOXINS. A happy liver means a happy lymph system. The liver is very active while you sleep as it is the body’s time to restore and regenerate. So, drinking enough water, especially first thing in the morning, will help stimulate proper stomach acid and bile production.
INCREASES YOUR METOBOLISM. If you have PCOS, I don’t need to tell you how difficult it can be to move weight off your body. Researchers in Germany found that drinking enough water increased metabolism. “After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes. (source)” It provides your body with plenty of hydrating electrolytes in the form of potassium, calcium and magnesium.
HELP REDUCE BOTH JOINT AND MUSCLE PAIN. If you’ve got high uric acid, you may have gout symptoms. One way to lower uric acid is to add lemons to your cup or plates.
REDUCE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. It is not uncommon for women with PCOS to fight depression as you battle the symptoms of PCOS. Depression and anxiety are often linked to not having enough potassium in your blood. Lemon water has a high potassium content so you may find your mood is happier as you fuel your body with lemon water.
According to the USDA National nutrient database, one raw lemon, without peel (about 58 grams) provides 17 calories, 0.6 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 5.4 grams of carbohydrate(including 1.6 grams of fiber and 1.5 grams of sugar, 51% of daily vitamin C needs as well as small amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.
One fluid ounce of lemon juice provides 7 calories, 0.1 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 2.1 grams of carbohydrate (including 0.1 grams of fiber and 0.1 grams of sugar) and 23% of daily vitamin C needs.
Be advised, that when I first started adding lemon to my water, I started out slow… it takes awhile to get used to the tart taste. Now, if I drink water without it, I taste all of the metals in the water. (Not kidding!)
Drink lemon water for a week and then do this one thing… add a 1/2 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar. When I first started this, my nose argued with my taste buds. I didn’t really taste it, but I could smell it. Enter the magnificent 30 oz. Yeti. Filled my Yeti up with ice and put a lid on it with a straw. The straw helped me get it down fast and the lid kept my smeller happy. What I noticed is that after a couple of days, I became more accustomed to the taste. You can gradually work up to add 1 tsp over a period of time.
If you have done “Trim Healthy Mama” then you’ve heard of Good Girl Moonshine. Same concept, but they don’t explain the medical reason why this is so important for your body. Here’s why Apple Cider Vinegar is so great to add to your water:
Here’s a short list of what organic apple cider vinegar will do for you…
LOWERS CHOLESTEROL. One Japanese study found that a half an ounce of apple cider vinegar a day, lowered cholesterol in those who participated in the panel. A 2006 study also found that the acetic acid in the vinegar lowered bad cholesterol in rats.If you are not familiar with what cholesterol is — it’s a fatty substance that is made in the liver from certain fats in your diet. It acts as a crucial building block and is used to make healthy cell membranes, hormones such as cortisol, oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone, Vitamin D, bile acids and Coenzyme Q10 – a vitamin-like substance essential for processing oxygen and generating energy within cells. If you have too much cholesterol in your body that is unused, it will begin to coat the inside of your arteries — often referred to as plaque. Over time, this is what leads to the hardening of arteries.If your liver has been working overtime on a high fat/highly processed foods/sugary food diets, you will want to have your cholesterol levels checked. In the meantime, add some organic apple cider vinegar to your water and you’ll be fighting that bad cholesterol with every sip. Your liver will thank you. Your arteries will thank you. Your heart will thank you. Need I go on?
HELPS DIGESTION. Another great reason is it aids the body in digestion and stimulates the cardiovascular circulation while also helping to detoxify the liver. Look for the cloudy kind of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, where you can see a blob in the bottle — the blob is known as “the mother” and it’s full of probiotics and other beneficial bacteria that can help support immune function — and even aid in constipation.
REGULATES THE PH-LEVEL OF YOUR SKIN & BODY. Research has shown that higher acid levels (lower pH level) lead to a lack of energy and higher occurrences of infection. Sipping apple cider vinegar throughout the day will bring a natural boost of energy and help your body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level.
AIDS IN WEIGHT LOSS. 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar sipped throughout the day can improve weight-loss according to a 2009 study by Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. It was found that those who had acetic acid over a period of 12-weeks experienced declines in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, and triglycerides (the bad cholesterol that you want to avoid.)
KICKS CANDIDA TO THE CURB. Because apple cider vinegar is rich in natural enzymes, it has the ability to assist your body in getting rid of candida — yeasts that are attributed to thrush in humans. Candida is also blamed for creating symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, sugar cravings, and yeast infections.
HELPS STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. According to Arizona State University, apple cider vinegar blocks some of the digestion starch and prevents at least some of that starch from being digested and raising your blood sugar. This is great news for those suffering with PCOS, because insulin is often over produced by the pancreas.
Be advised though… according to Tufts University’s director, if you have gastroparesis, a common problem with diabetes that slows stomach emptying, be careful. Early research has shown that apple cider vinegar may make this problem worse. If you have diabetes and want to try apple cider vinegar, let your doctor know and keep an eye on your blood sugar levels.
And never drink apple cider vinegar straight — it’s so acidic that it could harm your tooth enamel and your esophagus. Just dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons in water with a meal a couple of times over the course of the day. Start out slow. Take baby steps and ease into it and your body will thank you. Remember, one change a day, making better choices one bite — or drink — at a time.
— Erin
Sources: Medical News Today, WebMD, Wellness Mama, Dr Eric Berg, dailymail.co.uk, webMD,
You need approximately 7-10 cups of salad per day to fuel the cells in your body. And the heavier you are, the more greens you need per day to nourish your body. The good news is that salad is easy for your body to digest. One for lunch and one for dinner and you’ve nourished your body for the day.
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