Categories
Dessert Recipes

Gut Healthy Treats

This post is sponsored by Biome Bliss there are also Amazon Affiliate links that I received compensation, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

My full Disclosure Policy

Boosting our immunity for back to school

I don’t know about you, but I always associate back to school with back to germs.  My girls always start the school year with some sort of virus.  This year we are boosting our immune system by improving our gut health.  From research, the best way to improve your gut health is to diversify your microbiome.

Through my research, I learned that attaching anti-bacterial sanitizer to my kids’ bags is not helping the situation but actually can be adding to the issue.  What really needs to be addressed is our microbiome, which makes up more of our body that our human cells.  Your microbiome is actually non-human cells known as bacteria. Microbiome exists in about 90% of your body — the more diverse the microbiome, the better your health and the stronger your immune system.  If you want to avoid illnesses this fall, you need to start at the gut.

What is your Microbiome?

The microbiome is an individual’s specific set of bacteria that lives in your intestines. It makes up about 90% of the cells in people’s body. It’s like your own personal eco-system and has a significant effect on your overall health. It helps regulate your gut, health, mood, energy, and mental function. When your microbiome is unbalanced, that’s when you see adverse effects on people’s health.

How can gut health boost immunity?

Over the summer, my children and I indulge in things we don’t often eat. Foods with added sugar, process high-calorie foods like chips at barbeques. It’s part of the summer fun. Those food harm your gut health. Most families eat these things daily. It is an epidemic of digestive, autoimmune, and metabolic disorders starting at young ages.  There are studies on how diet can affect emotional disorders like anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it is our microbiome affecting the way people digest and other health ailments like:

  • Heart health
  • Immunity
  • Bone development 
  • Brain function
  • Metabolism 

Unless we have our microbiome is balanced, makes it more susceptible to health issues. Did you know that scientist consider the gut our “Second brain”? According to Michael Berman, author of the book Second Brain, They’re neurons lining our intestines that is so extensive some scientists have nicknamed it our “second brain.”

 When you feel something in your gut or get butterflies in your stomach that is a real physical reaction from these neurons, nerves found in the gut influences our emotions! We really need to find a way to have a better balance on nutrition and try to reduce the foods that are causing our bodies to dysfunction. 

What do you need to heal your gut?

For all this reason this is why my family decided to take a 3-month Microbiome restoration. Daily we are adding a Prebiotic to our routine and eating more gut-healing foods. It’s easy to add BiomeBliss to our desserts and snacks because it’s a delicious blueberry flavored drink.  In addition to gut-healthy foods. I am hoping to stave off illness with a healthy microbiome. As we heal our all h gut, we are also boosting our immune system.  As we interact with more people this fall we are protected by our healthy gut.

Other Ways I can heal my gut

There are some people who may read this and think, “That’s nice but I am not going to eat 31 out of the 32 items on this list.” Others might not have access to all the things on this list.  I want to introduce you to a plant-based prebiotic.  By drinking this daily you can get what you need to satisfy your microbes.

The power of a blissful biome!

Biomebliss is a prebiotic drink. It has “three key nutrients”; inulin, polyphenols and beta-glucan. These three ingredients feed the microbes; encourages healthy bacteria to grow and support your immune system.  Prebiotics are important because they increase the diversity of your microbiome. When your microbiome is diverse your in better health. Adding prebiotics daily can encourage your body to thrive and helps fuel the probiotics that exist in your body and you add by eating gut-healthy foods. We began our journey yesterday. It was easy serving the girls this blueberry drink. Its taste like blueberry and goes well with dairy or non-dairy alternatives like almond milk. It’s even better in a probiotic yogurt because that’s optimal in a good gut health “diet.”

Probiotics are existing in our gut and prebiotics assist them to work more effectively. The combination is not only tasty but easy to add daily to your routine. BiomeBliss has been clinically tested and is also a great aid in weight loss because it keeps you satiated, keeps you regular, improves your gut health and helps support your mealtime blood sugars.

 

Biome Bliss aids weight loss

Popsicles are a fun way for the kids to try there BiomeBliss. All you do is mix the BiomeBliss pour into popsicle molds, freeze and eat.

That’s Mimi’s request post-dinner and I think a great way to end the day. My family loves gummy bears especially my husband. These easy gummies were a fun way to use you BiomeBliss and it also contains my favorite Great Lakes Gelatin. I added some Lakanto Sweetener. 

I am going to be sharing more about our gut health journey with Biome Bliss and if you’re interested in grabbing your own. Use Code “FAITHFUELED” to get 15 % off your Biome Bliss. 

 

How are you caring for your gut and boosting your immune system?

 

Categories
Dessert Recipes

Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Dessert Pizza

This post is sponsored by Once Again, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. My full Disclosure Policy

Once Again Amore Spread 

I have a severe sweet tooth. It is probably my biggest vice. I can abstain from just about anything but dessert.  So while on this health journey, I had to discover a way to have my cake and eat it too.  Living a gluten-free lifestyle. It’s hard to find spreads and condiments that don’t contain wheat. As I have adopted a gluten-free lifestyle, I have found some tasty products that are gluten-free to satisfy my sweet tooth. I team up with Once Again to try their Amore Spread Almond with Cocoa and Milk.  I was amazed at the decadence of this chocolate spread.

Not your average Chocolate Spread

Once again is a company that you can trust for Certified Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Verified, Certified Organic, and vegan nut and seed butter. Once Again Nut Butter
also follows Fair Trade and Sustainability standards for their farm partners, suppliers, and prices. I love companies that are conscious about where their product is sourced and quality of the ingredients.  When my family tried the Once Again Organic Amore Almond Spread with Milk Chocolate, it was without question delicious.  It makes everything taste better, and it is healthier than other dessert butter in the market. We’ve used it as a dip for our popcorn, fruit, and gluten-free pretzels.  It was also a delicious spread on rice cakes as a snack.  So creamy and rich it is better than other hazelnut nut butter that is popular on the market.

Guiltless Dessert

The ingredients are much better for you.  I decided to make a Dessert Pizza for a Barbeque we were invited to, and it was a hit.  In less than 20 minutes and with minimal ingredients. We had a delicious dessert. Often people omit desserts when working towards their weight loss goals, but I believe in living a healthier lifestyle whether than being on a diet.  Which for me, includes desserts.  Using better ingredients and portion control dessert is a guiltless pleasure that everyone should enjoy in moderation.   Give the recipe a try and be a rockstar at your next potluck or for an easy dessert.

Do you care about the ingredients when it comes to your desserts?


Categories
Gluten Free Recipes

Elevate Your Snack with Sahale Snacks

Elevate Your Snack with Sahale Snacks

This post is sponsored by Sahale Snacks but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. My full Disclosure Policy

I need Better Snack Options.


I am so tired of snacking ordinary. You get tired of the everyday old snacks, and with Sahale Snacks, it’s effortless to elevate your snack experience. For me, when I find snacks that work, I can get in a rut. It’s nice to add new crunch and flavor just with a scoop of Sahale Snacks. I’m sharing how I enhance my five favorite snacks!

5 Snacks to Elevate with Sahale Snacks

It’s amazing what a handful of Sahale Snacks can do for your ordinary snack — giving you a whole new flavor profile with their tangy, zesty, sweet, and crunchy addition. Nuts are a great way to add protein and fat and keep you satiated. Often we aren’t satiating our cravings I love adding Sahale Snacks to the mix it gives me an added crunch and what I need to uplevel my snack. I took my top 5 Snacks and added Sahale, and it was like an instant upgrade. Sahale Snacks have become a convenient part of my daily routine!


1. Turn Up your Yogurt

with Sahale Snacks Valdosta Pecans with a little kick of black pepper for an unexpected delicious zing. One of my favorite post-workout treats!

2. Just Grab the Bag and Go.

The Pineapple Rum Cashew Coconut Snacks are great are a satiating tropical treat with the dried pineapple and rum inspired flavor.

3.Apple & Almond Butter Slices:

I added these delicious treats to my favorite snack and mind blow with the Sahale Snack Pomegranate Vanilla Cashew Mix.


4. Cashew Butter & Sahale Snack Pomegranate Vanilla Cashew Mix on Rice Cake

the buttery cashews are delicious on this plain snack. I usually snack on Rice Cakes and Cashew Butter at work. It’s an easy way to keep full in between clients. Now it’s an extra treat with a handful of Sahale Snacks yummy Pomegranate Vanilla Cashew Mix.


5. Elevated Oatmeal

I have shared my love of Oatmeal time and time again, and it is one of my favorite snacks. When I sprinkled some Coconut Chips and added a Tropical Pineapple Rum Inspired Treat, it was a flavor explosion. The snack was so good and an extra crunch to my oatmeal with the Sahale Snacks as a protein-based addition.

With Sahale Snacks, you get so many unique flavor combinations that can enhance anything you pair it with if you’re looking for a treat to satiate or jazz up your ordinary snack. Grab a bag of Sahale Snacks Mix I promise you won’t be disappointed.


Sahale Snacks Mixes gives you plenty of opportunities to explore your taste buds while tackling your cravings.


Have you ever tried Sahale Snack Mixes If so, which is your favorite one?

Categories
Mealtime Monday Recipes

4 Ways to Make Rainbow Swiss Chard Rolls

Rainbow Swiss Chard

I have been gardening for a few years now. You think I am geeky about fitness I am a bigger garden geek. I try to contain it in public.  My husband once teased me because I watched an over 2 hour documentary on “dirt” (It’s actually soil, but I didn’t want to sound geeky and correct him) So, yeah I prep, plan, prepare and reap all year round.

Rainbow Swiss Chard is so easy to grow and a great starter crop for beginning gardeners! It’s also a really great green, but it’s a little earthy in flavor, and it’s not a favorite in my house until I tried a Tasty recipe one day.  Of course, I had a few of my adaptation, and from there I started making different kinds of Rainbow Swiss Chard rolls, and now my abundant garden green is a weekly rotation and an excellent source of nutrients. A member of my Bibles and Bootcamp shared a Swiss Chard Roll Recipe with our group I had to try it but with my own spin. Now I have four delicious Swiss Chard Roll Recipes I want to share; it’s actually one excellent recipe with four delicious fillings.

Some Rainbow Swiss Chard Facts

Rainbow Swiss chard is known as a “nutritional powerhouse” vegetable; kind of like that superfood category that is recently gaining momentum. In my opinion, everything that comes from the ground that is edible is a superfood they’re all packed with many micronutrients. This power green is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and so many health benefits. Just add this to your grocery list now! It’s a really adaptable green and is rich in Vitamin C, K, E, Manganese, Zinc and Beta Carotene; which I have written about before, but what’s it claims to fame it’s high levels of Betalin.

Betalin is the rainbow in the swiss chard. The pigment that goes up the veins of the Swiss Chard whether it’s a vibrant red, orange, yellow or white.  Betalin pigments occur naturally and are very effective detoxification.  It helps to engage and process unwanted toxins that we have in our bodies.  Be cautious when cooking your Rainbow Chard that you don’t overcook the vegetable will lose the effectiveness of the Betalin.

Swiss chard has an earthy taste, and I personally like the stalks better than the leaves.  I saute the entire thing cut up stems and all and put in my eggs or eating them as a veggie.

Try one, two, or all four, and let me know what you think! All of these recipes feed a family of 5

To Assemble Rainbow Swiss Chard Rolls

  1. Make a pot of salted water. A pinch will due or 1/2 tsp for 6 cups of water.
  2. Once water is brought to a rolling boil remove from heat.
  3. Immerse 4 to 6 leaves in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch them.  Remove from water and blot dry with a paper towel.  I like to lay mine on a paper towel to dry off more while preparing other leaves.
  4. Place the leaves face down. Add about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each rollup and start rolling from large end to narrow like a burrito.
  5. Place Rainbow Swiss Chard rolls in a steamer basket and steam for 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. Plate, Serve and Enjoy!

To Assemble Rainbow Swiss Chard Rolls

  1. Make a pot of salted water. A pinch will due or 1/2 tsp for 6 cups of water.
  2. Once water is brought to a rolling boil remove from heat.
  3. Immerse 4 to 6 leaves in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch them.  Remove from water and blot dry with a paper towel.  I like to lay mine on a paper towel to dry off more while preparing other leaves.
  4. Place the leaves face down. Add about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each rollup and start rolling from large end to narrow like a burrito.
  5. Place Rainbow Swiss Chard rolls in a steamer basket and steam for 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. Plate, Serve, and Enjoy!

To Assemble Rainbow Swiss Chard Rolls

  1. Make a pot of salted water. A pinch will due or 1/2 tsp for 6 cups of water.
  2. Once water is brought to a rolling boil remove from heat.
  3. Immerse 4 to 6 leaves in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch them.  Remove from water and blot dry with a paper towel.  I like to lay mine on a paper towel to dry off more while preparing other leaves.
  4. Place the leaves face down. Add about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each rollup and start rolling from large end to narrow like a burrito.
  5. Place Rainbow Swiss Chard rolls in a steamer basket and steam for 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. Plate, Serve, and Enjoy!

 

Have you ever had Swiss Chard? What’s your favorite way to cook it?

Categories
Gluten Free Recipes

Cassava Flour Tortillas are Grain Free, Nut Free, Gluten Free and Tasty

 

Grain Free and Gluten Free Cassava Flour Tortillas

I have been about 95% gluten-free for two years. (I make exceptions for donuts from time to time). Since going gluten-free, I have had to forego some foods, but I have gained so much. Minimal digestion issues, clearer skin, more energy, and I actually enjoy eating food again. The reason I stopped eating gluten is that I discovered an allergy to wheat using a prick test from my Allergist.  Since then, I have tried to remove it from my diet. When I do eat wheat if I have a runny nose, itchy eyes, throat, tongue, mouth, skin breakouts, and digestive issues usually constipation. Since removing wheat from my diet, I don’t experience any of those symptoms. I don’t believe in living life on a diet, but I do believe in honoring my temple. Eating wheat doesn’t serve me well, so for the last two years, I have been removing it and finding alternatives to wheat. I also enjoy experimenting in the kitchen to invent grain-free options to my old faves.

Tortillas are a staple purchase in my home.  My girls will wrap up anything for breakfast.lunch and dinner.  I was substituting my tortillas for the corn, but sometimes you want a soft flour tortilla.  Over the last few years, I have been able to figure out ways to swap recipes for gluten-free ingredients.  It’s all about the flour different gluten-free flours work well for different things. Like almond flour is great for cornbread but makes cakes a little gritty. Rice flour is great for frying and baking.

Cassava Flour is Easy to use with Gluten-Free Baking

I have been playing with Cassava flour for about a month, and I love it. It’s nut-free, grain free and gluten free. Very fine and easy to work with the Cassava is a root vegetable. Cassava flour is the whole root, simply peeled, dried and ground. So, last night I experimented and created this four-ingredient Cassava Flour Tortilla! It was effortless, and they turned out very tasty!  I am learning that just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean that I have to forego the things I love.  I have had some gluten free fails, but this one was a win! These are sturdy, pliable, and taste delicious when you stuff them with whatever you feel.

One thing that you have to consider when baking differently than you’re accustomed too is that flavor and texture won’t be exactly what you’re missing but if you can find an equal substitute give it a try.  I have made some wraps with these tortillas, and they held up well.  I also made a Dairy-free Enchilada bake that was tasty, and Cassava Tortillas held up fine for leftovers the next day.

 

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So, if you’re looking for a gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free and dairy-free flour tortilla, I would give these a try! I am also sharing two recipes. Give my Enchilada Bake a try and let me know what you think?