Oh how I love snacks, zesty, salty and savoury treats that just help get you through the day are the best. Even better when they aren’t loaded with weird additives, MSG and its pseudonyms. Piri piri is the swahili word for pepper pepper, the hot sauce is made from piri piri peppers also known as african birds eye chilis and a combination of spices, garlic and lemon peel. If you never tried it you’re in for a treat, there’s something about the spiciness paired with lemon that just hits the spot.
This paleo snack mix can easily be made milder by omitting the hot sauce and using smoked paprika instead. You’ll still get the richness and flavour without the spice. Perfect for the wee ones to munch, even though I have a theory that if you start them young on the hot peppers they’ll build up a good taste for them.
They do this in Thailand and places where they traditionally eat a lot of spicy foods. They’ll start with one thai chili and increase for every year, or so I hear. I’ve got my baby on mild spices, he loves curry, he absolutely devoured this kale and chicken curry I made one night. I’m sure it has a lot to do with how I ate when I was pregnant, and I certainly didn’t shy away from hot curries and the like. After all, at the time I was cooking in a restaurant for Thai night every week. I created some gorgeously spicy Thai creations that I taste tested until I was full. Get the babes started on immune strengthening foods early and they’re set for life, I’m still trying to coax him into gobbling up sauerkraut. He’s not quite there yet, to be honest it took me awhile to get there too, sauerkraut is intense!
I really didn’t know what to name this snack mix, so munchie mix it is because lets face it, everybody gets the munchies whether you live in Colorado or not.
PMS is fun! Said no woman ever. I’ve had gnarly PMS my whole life, my transition into womanhood arrived at a very young age and I experienced severe pain, mood swings and lethargy for so many years. Sometimes the PMS would last for 2 weeks out of every month. The ups and downs were draining and a pain for those around me, I was a little monster.
It’s easy to fluff off and say its like that for every woman and PMS is just a fact of life. This is true to a certain extent, as women it’s completely normal to experience highs and lows in energy and fertility. The monthly cycle should be honoured as a method of renewal. But for so many of us women its become a time of dread and frustration. I learned through trial,error and lots of reading about how to deal with PMS and that I could bring my hormones into balance naturally and drastically alleviate most of my symptoms.
Modern gals have to factor in a lot more than our forebears ever did when it comes to environmental substances which affect our hormones. With so many environmental toxins and strange food additives that mimic estrogen our poor bodies are getting pretty confused. Let me be clear that these substances affect men too, just in different ways. For us women its really important to have balanced levels of estrogen and progesterone. This just keeps us in check, its like ensuring you get enough good vitamins and minerals.
The top 4 substances that mess with our hormones
1.Plastic
The use of plastic in almost everything has become ubiquitous, rarely does food come in glass, even our homes are made mostly of petroleum products. While certain groups are committed to protecting the environment, we seldom think about the effect environmental plastics have on us humans. There are so many chemicals in plastic, too many to list, and even in small amounts they are all harmful to our endocrine systems. Protect yourself, and help the environment by not drinking bottled water or storing your food in plastic. Make the switch to glass or stainless steal- for your health and the environments.
I know it can seem ridiculous as were so accustumed to these things. The little changes add up to healthier hormones, my peak of crazy hormones was during a trip to India in which I consumed only bottled water. Combine that with pollution and an abundance of GMO cooking oils and you have a recipe for PMS, and other problems associated with imbalanced hormones.
2.Conventional Meat
It’s really a shame that we went and took animals that were meant to eat grass and forced them to eat grain, not just for the animal but for the humans consuming them as well. Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, turkeys- none of them are meant to be healthy on a grain diet especially when that grain is commonly soy and nearly always GMO.
Soy contains high levels of xenoestrogen, a substance which isn’t quite estrogen but tricks the body into believing it is. There are traditional ways of preparing soy, like fermentation which break down the xenoestrogen, but you can be sure this isn’t the soy they use in our food supply.
Even if you think you don’t eat soy or GMO’s, unfortunately it’s what all the conventional animals are fed.
There’s also the issue of growth hormone being injected into animals to get them to grow faster. Just remember, you are what you eat.
Making the switch to organic, pastured or free-range meat,eggs and dairy is a huge step forward towards healthier hormones and not to mention, far more humane. Yes it’s more expensive, but our health is worth it!
For so many of us city water is our only option, maybe passed through a brita filter or other pseudo water filter. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but those filters really don’t do much of anything, aside from perhaps removing a bit of chlorine. The truth is there are far more harmful invisible elements in city water.
A lot of us know about fluoride already and how it calcifies the pineal gland and is very difficult to filter out. There are also residual pharmaceutical compounds which we take in. Think of how many women take birth control pills for instance, what happens to those hormones or any other pharmaceutical drugs when we urinate? A portion of them re-enter the water supply and are far from being filtered out. An excess of synthetic hormones will mess anyone up, is it a coincidence that rates of reproductive cancers are skyrocketing?
The solution here is to drink the best, most pure water you can find. This might require an adventure to find natural spring water, if your up for it here’s a list of springs all over the world. Otherwise, look into getting a really good water filter that removes fluoride, like the Berkey Water Filtration System which is very affordable compared to most other systems.
4.Pollution
To an extent, environmental pollution is out of our control, of course there are ways we can contribute to it less, but I digress. The health affects from growing environmental pollutants greatly affect our hormone health. The best way to combat the ill health affects of pollution is to consume an abundance of antioxidants to negate the excess of cell destroying free radicals.
Antioxidants are rich in fruits, vegetables, chocolate, red wine, botanical herbs, teas and coffee. Enjoying plenty of them in our diet is the best way we can fight against the physical effects brought on by pollution. Balancing estrogen and progesterone levels is helped along even more by consuming broccoli, kale and cabbage, as these foods are high in indole-3-carbinols which break down excess estrogen in the body. Eating a plant based diet has many other advantages too, such as increased energy and improved digestion just to name a few.
Bringing Back Balance
When I made these few simple changes in my life my hormonal problems and severe PMS disappeared. I lost weight and found more energy to achieve my dreams. Getting healthy has all sorts of positive side effects. Freeing yourself from pain and dread for the what should be a special time of month is liberating. Now I can use my moon time as a space to reflect, cleanse and release old baggage, and I wish you the same!
Maybe you’ve tried black bean brownies, or even sweet potato brownies, well today I bring to you the latest in odd but delicious renditions of the classic fudge brownie. These double chocolate hazelnut lentil brownies are chewy, rich, dark and luxurious they’re swoon worthy with a dollop of whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream. It’s pretty hard to eat too many since they are so packed with protein and they’re also flourless.
I’ve invented these for a special lentil recipe contest, I wanted to create something decadent, a recipe that could trick people into believing they aren’t eating something healthy. Success! Mission accomplished as J, a hater of all sneakily healthy things, had no problem devouring these brownies. Red lentils are really adaptable, I didn’t want the brownies to be dry so I cooked the lentils first and then blended them into a smooth puree, this way they add moisture instead of take it away.
½ C red lentils, cooked in about 1½ C water until very soft, about 15 min.
2 eggs
½ C butter, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 C brown sugar or raw coconut sugar
½ C cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
½ C mini chocolate chips
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
1 C roasted hazelnut pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 28x18x4 rectangular baking dish lined with parchment
Strain any excess water from the lentils and add to a blender or food processor, pulse until smooth, next add the eggs, butter,vanilla and sugar and again blend until smooth and frothy.
In a large bowl mix together the cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, add the liquid lentil mix to this and stir well.
Add in the nuts and chocolate chips and fully incorporate, pour the batter into your prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, insert a toothpick to check for doneness, if it comes out clean the brownies are ready.
It's best to allow the brownies to set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving. Cut into squares and enjoy!
3.2.2885
I’m such a sucker for a good brownie, I hope you love these as much as I do.
Daaaaaaaaaaal. Flashes of India flood my brain, I miss that place. It was so easy to just roam the streets in wonder, soaking up culinary delights around every corner. Daal is a staple, with a million variations, and of course I have my own, it’s a simple rendition that takes little time, great for a meal in a pinch.
Honestly, this months been really tight and our budget is stretched to say the least. As nice as it is to eat paleo and have bacon and free range beef and a fridge brimming with vegetables all the time, it’s not always realistic. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think its right to sacrifice our need to feed ourselves good food. That’s why I have such a hard time buying commercially raised meats, once you witness just how unethically these animals are treated its hard to turn back. Ignorance is bliss, and my bliss is running out. Once in awhile compromises have to be made, and lentils are one thing that I always keep on hand for rainy days.
Other cheap eats that still nourish and sustain are free-range eggs, which really offer a lot for the price. Kale is another nutrient dense veg that doesn’t hurt the wallet. And of course having plenty of spices always makes life more exciting. Sometimes I surprise myself by what I can create from what seems like sparsity. Often some genius creations come out of being strapped for cash.
As far as legumes go, lentils are pretty easy to digest and if you soak them first it greatly increases the bioavailability of their nutrients. Lentils are actually quite high in a lot of minerals, and they have a surprising amount of iron, 1 cup is 40% of the RDI.
But enough of that nerd speak. They’re delicious, cheap, and you can store them for a long time. This masala daal warms my heart every time I eat it and should be enjoyed with a nice dollop of plain yogurt, India style.
1 jalapeño or other hot chile, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
½ tsp sea salt
½ C plain yogurt for serving
cilantro and green onion, chopped for garnish (optional)
Instructions
In a sauce pan or pot add lentils and chicken stock. Cook lentils until soft, about 15 minutes.
In a large skillet add oil until melted, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook until the start to literally pop.
Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic and slightly browned.
Add garam masala, tomato paste and a bit of stock from the lentils just to get everything moving. Cook for a few minutes and add lentils and the rest of the chicken stock, let this simmer for another 10 minutes, add salt to taste and serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and green onions
Excuse me for being obsessed with chocolate this week, you see I was without my beloved cacao for some time and I’ve finally replenished my stocks. Raw cacao is the ultimate in magnesium density, in other words, it relieves stress and helps release happy hormones, yay!
The chocolate week isn’t over yet, in the next few days you are going to witness a marvel of brownies- the lentil brownie.
But not today. Today is reserved for this luscious, creamy, caffeinated pudding loaded with chia goodness. Coconut mocha chia pudding may just be your new favourite breakfast or mid-day pick me up. I’m pretty much in love with the coffee, chocolate combination– nothing beats it.
Chia seeds are nutrient dense, high in omega-3’s and they can turn any liquid into a pudding, so what’s not to love. Well they aren’t easy to clean up when you leave a spoonful on the table and your little baby reaches up and pulls it down.
If you are in search of foods that will give you more energy and focus, this pudding is for you. There’s definitely a certain time of the month for me where my energy starts to go down the drain and I just want to eat chocolate…ladies, ya feel me?
Yesterday I wallowed while watching the hollywood version of Anna Karenina, which by the way, is pretty terrible. You know when you have tons of work to do, but you just don’t want to do it…yeah netflix is an instigator.
But the cure for all wallowing lies in chocolate, so I will continue to share with you loves my fave choco-freak recipes to inspire your inner energy to shine~ !!!
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
which is very affordable compared to most other systems.
