Here is another DELISH Paleo recipe that we tried last week… we got the recipe from www.fastpaleo.com, which is a Paleo recipe sharing site. I must give FULL Credit 'cause these were delish!

These muffins are perfect to make when you’ve got some bananas that are just a wee bit too ripe for eating on their own. My favorite way to eat these muffins is….you guessed it… with a little almond butter on top! I heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then top with nut butter. Delicious for breakfast or a pre-workout snack! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
3 ripe banans, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (we subbed and used pecans since Jen is allergic to walnuts… they came out just as great!)
4 eggs

Preaheat oven to 350. Combine mashed bananas and honey. Heat coconut oil in the microwave and then add to banana/honey mix. Mix well and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Whisk until eggs are combined.  In a separate bowl, sift coconut flour. Add all other dry ingredients and whisk together. Add the dry to the wet and fold in nuts. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper lined muffin tins.  Bake 20-25 minutes

I made a smoothie for breakfast yesterday and it was a GREAT pre-workout meal that tasted good and kept me fueled and full for hours.

*NOTE:  I did not measure any ingredients exactly, so use your own judgement on quantity, depending on how much smoothie you want to make.






Green Smoothie
- 1 banana, sliced
- 1 scoop Amazing Grass Amazing Trio powder [you can use any type of superfood, wheat grass, supergreens, etc]
- approx. 1/3 cup almond milk
- approx. 3 Tbsp almond butter
- handfull of ice cubes
- approx. 1 Tbsp. honey

Put all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.

This is a perfect recipe for the Paleo dieter who misses having warm oatmeal on a cold morning.  The add-on’s are plentiful so you can play around with it and suit it to your liking.

“Oatmeal” Minus the Oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 banana, mashed
1 whole egg & 2 egg whites

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (add more if desired)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together egg whites and almond milk and then stir in walnuts, ground flax, banana, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; blend well.
In a medium saucepan, warm the mixture on the stove, stirring frequently, until the “oatmeal” reaches the desired consistency; this should only take a few minutes.
Top with berries, nut butter, seeds, or whatever you choose!

These delicious treats are a FAVORITE of mine!!!! I eat one almost every day for breakfast, and sometimes bring one with me to work as a snack.  I’ve shared them with clients, friends, and family & they are always a hit.  These muffins are a delicious dairy/gluten free treat that are FULL of flavor!

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins
3 eggs
1 cup of pumpkin puree
2 cups of almond flour
1 tsp of baking power
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 cup of honey
1 tbsp of allspice

Mix all ingredients without the eggs first, then mix in eggs and put in muffin tray. 350 for 20-30 min depending on your oven.   Top with nut butter, or enjoy with a piece of fruit.

*Add fresh cranberries and ginger for a different, delicious flavor!

This is one of my favorite meals….today I had it for lunch, but I’ve often had it as breakfast!  Heck, it could be dinner too!  To the rest of the world, this meal could be classified as an omelette, but I feel as though it makes this yummy dish sound so hum-drum and plain.   I don’t have a name for it (any suggestions?!?!) but here is the version I made today….

I started by chopping and sauteing organic baby spinach, organic red bell pepper, organic basil & cherry tomatoes. Next I added some chopped asparagus (left over from the other day), 4 egg whites, and Italian seasoning.

I cooked it and broke it up into pieces (okay, I tried to flip it, and it broke!) I plated it and topped it with slices of fresh avocado & a little more Italian seasoning.

It was quite a delish lunch…. Best of all, you can play around with which veggies you add!  Try it out and let me know what you think!

I LOVE food.  I go to bed at night excited to wake up and eat breakfast.  I can’t help it- the thought of yummy foods makes me happy.  And perhaps it is my love of food that prevents me from truly understanding people who do not eat breakfast or who think it a chore to feed themselves when they wake up.

There are dozens of reasons why breakfast is not only beneficial but necessary but I will zero in on a few key reasons:

1) Your body needs fuel to run.  Think of your body as a machine- lets say its a car.  If you did not put gas in your car, what would happen? It wouldn’t run.  Plain and simple.  You need energy to move and function during the day; food- namely breakfast- is that fuel your body needs.

2) Eating breakfast helps with weight loss.  Yes, eat more and you may lose more weight.  When you wake up in the morning your body has not had any fuel for approximately 8 hours.  As a result, your metabolism winds down to the lowest speed it can.  During sleeping hours this is acceptable as you do not need to burn many calories to sleep.  However, once you rise and start your day, your goal should be to raise your metabolism so that calories can be burned.  If you do not put food INTO your body, there’s nothing to metabolize.  Your body continues to operate in this “starvation mode” and your metabolism stays as slow as possible and burns a minimal amount of calories.  Still not convinced? Think of it this way- would you go from 9am to 5pm without eating?? The answer is no (I hope!!).  In the same way, you should not go from 10pm to 6 or 7am without eating.

3) Food gives you ENERGY to do the stuff you love.  Breakfast may not be your favorite meal of the day.  But if you want to make it until dinnertime, or later, you need lots of energy to get you there!  Starting the day with breakfast will fill your body with the energy it will need to last all day.  The folks I know who eat breakfast are almost always more energetic the whole day through than those who skip breakfast.

4) Get important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your body needs.  A healthy breakfast including whole grains, fruit, veggies, and lean protein is paaaaaaacked with important nutrients your body needs to fight infection and stay healthy.  Milk or yoghurt will give you a dose of calcium and vitamin D, citrus fruit is jam-packed with vitamin C, and blueberries are antioxidant rich!  Whole grains can be found in cereal, oatmeal, and bread.  Eggs are an excellent source of protein.  Having a few of these items first thing in the morning means you’re already on your way to getting all the proper nutrients for the day!

Whether you LOVE eating breakfast like I do or you see it as one more time-consuming task in the morning, make sure you DO IT!  Add it in to your “healthy habits” list and use it as a tool for being the BEST you can be.

Do you have any favorite breakfast recipes? If so, PLEASE share.

I often get asked whether or not buying organic is “worth it”.  While the many pros/cons of organic food can be quite overwhelming, I prefer to try and keep it simple.  Here are a few lists that help me make the decision on whether or not to go organic:

The “Dirty Dozen” most pesticide-ridden produce: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, kale/collard greens, and imported nectarines and grapes. Buy these organic, when possible.

The “Clean 15” with the least chemical residue: onions, corn, pineapples, avocados, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, domestic cantaloupe, kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and mushrooms.

How about you; do you buy organic produce?  Why or why not?