Pecan Sandies and WHY COCONUT FLOUR

Coconut Flour is very high in fiber, low in carbohydrates and a good source of protein. It gives baked goods a rich, springy texture but needs a lot more liquid than other flours. If you haven't tried coconut flour yet, here are some more excellent reasons to start:

1. DIABETICS: Coconut Flour consists of the highest percentage of dietary fiber found in any flour. Fiber helps moderate swings in blood sugar by slowing down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. This helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels under control.
2. CANCER: Coconut flour is fermentable and produces high amounts of butyric acid which helps in stopping tumor formation. Studies have proven that butyric acid slows the growth of tumor cells and prompt all cells to develop properly. Coconut fiber also promotes good bacteria flourish which boosts our immune system. The high fiber content acts like a broom, sweeping the intestinal contents through the digestive tract. Parasites, toxins, and carcinogens are swept along with the fiber. This prevents toxins that irritate intestinal tissues and cause cancer from getting lodged in the intestinal tract (decreases colon cancer). Since it is low carb, it also helps people maintain a low carb/sugar diet to stop feeding the cancer glucose which the cancer "feeds" upon. Read more on Cancer HERE.
3. HEMORRHOIDS: The high fiber content can help move things along. Just remember to consume extra water when you add in fiber or things can get worse!
4. GALLSTONES: Gallstones form within the gallbladder as a result of collection of cholesterol and salts from bile. Bile plays an important role in the absorption of fats from the intestinal tract because it makes fats soluble. Most bile is formed in the liver. A low carb, high fiber diet with LOTS of liquids will help keep this painful condition away!
5. IBS/Crohn's/COLITUS: IBS is a disorder of the nerves in the intestines that make the bowel muscle contract. Coconut flour can help keep the intestines flowing properly.
6. CANDIDA, CRAVINGS and DEPRESSION: The intestines crave good bacteria which improves absorption of vitamins, decreases cravings and increases serotonin. Good bacteria flourish when we eat high-fiber quality food. Yeasts causes an imbalance, letting bad bacteria in; they love sugar and starch. Yeast and bad bacteria damages the intestinal wall and produces toxic by-products which can be absorbed into the blood and sent throughout the body. This is how food allergies and leaky-gut syndrome begins.
7: HEART DISEASE/STROKE/BLOOD PRESSURE: Studies have proven that coconut fiber protects against heart attacks and strokes; it helps reduce cholesterol. Even modest increases in fiber intake can also significantly reduce blood pressure.
8. NO PHYTATES: Most fibrous foods such as seeds, wheats, and oats have phytic acid. This acid causes mineral deficiencies because it binds to minerals in the foods we consume (calcium, zinc and iron). Phytic acid pulls them out of the body resulting in mineral deficiencies. Coconut fiber does not contain phytic acid so it helps improve mineral status when you replace this for wheat flour in your baked goods.
9. WEIGHT LOSS: It has fewer digestible carbohydrates than other flours, and it even has fewer than many vegetables! It also helps keep you fuller longer.
10. HEART BURN/INDIGESTION: he most obvious remedy is to avoid all those foods which can cause heartburn, such as acidic foods and alcohol. High fiber, low carb foods also help with the bacteria in your stomach.
11. GLUTEN-FREE: Coconut Flour is gluten-free and still has a ton of protein without the "gluten" protein found in wheat. This is an awesome substitution for the growing population of people who have a wheat sensitivity or allergy (many people have without knowing it).



My dad's favorite cookie is the Pecan Sandie. This one is for you dad! I love you:)

"HEALTHIFIED" PECAN SANDIE
3/4 cup pecan meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 stick butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup Just Like Brown Sugar
1/4 cup erythritol (or ZSweet)
1 tsp stevia glycerite (omit if using ZSweet)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, Just Like Brown Sugar, erythritol and stevia. Cream for a few minutes until very fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the pecan meal (I grind my own pecans with THIS food processor), coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Roll 2 TBS of dough into a ball in your hands (for uniform shape) onto a cookie sheet, then press down to they are about ¾ of an inch thick. Place cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet before removing and enjoy! I keep mine in the freezer (for portion control!:) Makes 12 cookies.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per cookie)
Traditional Cookie = 180 calories 25 effective carbs
"Healthified" Cookie = 115 calories, 1.5 effective carbs

VARIATION: Smoosh my "healthified" Butter Pecan Ice Cream in between to cookies!

Coconut flour also works great for my "healthified" pancakes!

Reuben Enchiladas and DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Digestive problems? Yeast infections? Chronic Fatigue? Allergies? IBS? Cravings? Eating fermented vegetables daily is a natural cure. If you have a history of using antibiotics, it causes your gut to be more susceptible for parasites and Candida overgrowth.

A healthy large intestine is very acidic and has lots of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. These healthy microorganisms feed on the waste left over from our digestion and create lactic acid. We need lactic acid that they produce to keep our colons healthy and in an acidic state. Without them the colon does not have enough acidity to stop the growth of parasites and yeasts and eventually the environment becomes hostile to acidophilus.

Some of the signs of candida yeast overgrowth are fatigue, poor memory, a "spacey" feeling, intense food cravings, gas, loss of sexual desire, bad breath and indigestion. Candida has also been directly linked to allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity disorders and various cancers. Use of antibiotics, birth control pills, alcohol and refined foods all increase the risk of developing candida.

Theses desired microorganisms that create lactic acid in the colon are naturally found in all vegetables and helps turn cabbage into highly-digestible sauerkraut. The fermentation process increases the amount of microorganisms.

Lactic acid also helps digestion at an earlier stage in our stomach. As we get older, our stomach’s natural secretions of hydrochloric acid decrease. Hydrochloric acid breaks down food so it can be more easily absorbed by the small intestine. It is also the most important defense we have against harmful bacteria and parasites often present in food. Lactic acid can help compensate for reduced hydrochloric acid.

Unpasteurized sauerkraut also benefits digestion in the stomach by assisting the pancreas. The pancreas secretes essential digestive enzymes into the stomach. Sauerkraut is high in enzymes that work just like the ones from the pancreas.

So here is a recipe for our digestion!


8 oz corned beef
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups sauerkraut
2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 large head of cabbage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a pot, boil water and place large leaves of cabbage in the water. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until tender.

Spray a baking pan with nonstick coconut oil spray and set aside.

Place the corned beef in a bowl and shred using two forks; one to hold the beef in place and the other to scrape across the meat. Add cheese, sauerkraut, and cream cheese. Mix well and set aside.

Lay cabbage tortillas out flat, and evenly distribute corned beef mixture between the centers. Wrap the cabbage tortillas up tightly, and place them in the baking pan with the seam sides down. Bake in the oven until hot, about 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
USING CORN TORTILLA = 482 calories, 27 carbs, 3g fiber
USING CABBAGE TORTILLA = 377 calories, 6.2 carbs, 2.1 g fiber (4.1 effective carbs)

"Faux"tato Chips and TIRED TOXIC LIVER

Your liver plays a major role in weight loss. The liver is a chief organ in the body for metabolism functions. Keeping our liver at optimal health should be a main focus of your weight loss plan. I write a chapter in my book, Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism, called Tired Toxic Liver...this is my mom's favorite sub-chapter because it all makes sense!

The liver makes and secretes bile for storage in the gallbladder. During digestion, the bile is moved to the intestine to break down fats. But, if the liver is congested, it doesn’t produce enough bile for fat to be broken down. The liver can become congested from chemicals, toxins, drugs and heavy metals. Evidence of a "fatty liver" is often shown by a roll of fat at the waistline, which happens because the liver has stopped breaking down fat and started storing it. Only once you bring your liver back to full function, will you lose this fat. This is why I list specific ingredients like "aluminum free baking powder." All of these steps help the body in little, yet important ways.

Like every American, you're probably totally puzzled on which is the right weight loss plan. You've been flooded with emails of new miracle diets, and wondering if there are any health risks associated with them. Before choosing a weight loss programs, you need to discover if your liver could be to blame for your issues. When the liver is overloaded and toxic, every organ in a person's body is affected and weight loss efforts are stalled. Some signs of a toxic liver are weight gain, cellulite, abdominal bloating, indigestion, fatigue, mood swings, depression, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and skin rashes. Many people struggle with weight gain and a sluggish metabolism most of their lives, and go through lots of yo-yo dieting unsuccessfully. “So why doesn’t anything really work?” we may ask. We have been tackling the symptom when we should be addressing the cause; weight gain is often due to poor liver function.

The liver performs more than 400 different jobs, and is the body's most important metabolism-enhancing organ; it acts as a filter to clear the body of toxins, metabolize protein, control hormonal balance and enhance our immune system. Your liver is a “worker bee” that can even regenerate its own damaged cells! But our liver is not invincible. When it is abused and lacks essential nutrients, or when it is overwhelmed by toxins, it no longer performs as it should. Fat may build up in the liver and just under the skin, hormone imbalances can develop, and toxins increase and get into the blood stream.

The liver metabolizes not only fats, but proteins and carbohydrates for fuel. It breaks down amino acids from proteins into various pieces to help build muscle; which directly impacts your calorie burn. It also transports amino acids through the blood stream for hormone balance; which is critical to avoid water retention, bloating, cravings, as well other undesired weight issues. Amino acids also help move waste, such as damaged cholesterol, and used estrogen and insulin to the liver, for detoxification and elimination through the kidney.

The liver's most important function, and the one that puts it at greatest risk for damages, is to detoxify the numerous toxins that attack our bodies daily. Working together with the lungs, kidneys, skin and intestines, a healthy liver detoxifies many damaging substances and eliminates them without polluting the bloodstream. When we cleanse the liver and eat the right foods, liver metabolism will improve and we start burning fat. As liver function improves, so does energy. With more energy, fitness improves, because we have the ability to exercise more and improve our muscle tone.

The following are the most common symptoms of a toxic liver; being edgy, easily stressed, elevated cholesterol, skin irritation, depression, sleep difficulties, indigestion, kidney damage, heart damage, brain fog, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue, weight gain, poor memory, PMS, blood sugar imbalances, allergies, or obesity. The liver also plays a role in migraines. If this vital organ is overloaded with toxic substances, it can cause inflammation that triggers migraine pain. If you have tried many ways to improve your health and energy level and nothing seemed to help, it is possible that your tired liver is triggering your difficulties. Restoring liver function is one of the most essential actions you could ever do for your health. When the liver gets congested it will remain that way and get worse until it gets cleaned and revitalized.

THINGS TO AVOID
1. FRUCTOSE: Are you consuming fruit for a snack or breakfast? Grabbing a banana for breakfast is a bad thing to do for your liver, yet so many people do this thinking it is helpful for weight loss. Fructose, the sugar in fruit is really hard on our liver. Think of fruit (and only the low-sugar berries) as an occasional treat. Agave should also be avoided since it is chemically 90% fructose (sugar is 50% fructose).

2. SUGAR: Sugar is also a terrible and very common liver stressor. You may say you don't consume sugar, but you may be ingesting it from a lot of prepared food quite unknowingly. Always read the labels; it is hidden in marinara sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, the list is scary. In the process of being metabolized, sugar robs your body of important nutrients; for example zinc, is essential for liver function. Sugar also restrains your liver's production of enzymes, needed in the detoxification process.

3. HYDROGENATED OILS: A major liver stressor is trans-fat found in solid fats or semi solid fats like margarine. Trans-fat obstructs your liver's ability to burn fat. Our body will never learn how to process those “plastic-like” man-made fats.

4. Some liver stressors are caffeine, sugars, trans-fats, chocolate, soft drinks, many over the counter medications, cholesterol lowering drugs, anticonvulsants, and an inadequate intake of fiber. Women detoxify caffeine slower than men because of hormonal interactions with caffeine. Birth control pills also increase the time to detox caffeine by twice as much.

5. ALCOHOL: Alcohol is terrible for our liver. Overwhelming evidence has proved that alcohol itself is toxic to the liver, even when nutrition is adequate. Alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to metabolize hormones, which are important for maintaining blood pressure. Having one drink can cause acute liver inflammation. As the liver breaks down alcohol, by-products are formed, such as acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is approximately 30 times more toxic than alcohol, and is a major cause of hangovers. Drinking alcohol depletes a store of a liver peptide called GHS, which helps us detoxify chemicals. Much of the cell damage that occurs in liver degeneration is believed to be caused by free radicals, highly reactive molecular fragments, liberated during alcohol metabolism. The damage caused by free radicals can include the destruction of essential components of cell membranes. Acetaldehyde appears to be the key generator of free radicals. Alcohol also stimulates the liver to make more triglycerides, and even a 2 oz. glass of wine a week can raise triglyceride levels. Stay Away!

If you want more ideas on food to eat for your liver, see the chapter TIRED TOXIC LIVER in my Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism Book.

One "Liver-Healing" Food that I write about in my book is the artichoke. If you wanted other ideas to use artichokes, click HERE for my "Easy Pasta."

Faux-"Potato" Chips
Here is a new vegetable for your family to try...a Jerusalem Artichoke. They are similar to water chestnuts in taste. Jerusalem artichokes resemble potatoes except the carbohydrates composing 75 to 80% of the tubers are in the form of inulin rather than starch, which will keep our insulin from rising. In this recipe, the important step to making them into crispy chips is to slice them very thin.

1 lemon, sliced in half
4 Jerusalem artichokes
Celtic sea salt (to taste)
Coconut Oil or other unrefined oil

In a deep pan, heat about 2 inches oil to medium-high. Wash and peel fresh Jerusalem Artichokes. Using a mandolin, slice into very thin strips (like you would a potato). Once the oil is hot, add a few slices to the pan, fry until they are golden brown. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Once they are golden brown, remove and pat dry. Dust with sea salt and serve with lemon. Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1/2 cup serving)
Traditional Chips = 170 calories, 24 carbs, 2g fiber
"Healthified" Chips = 109 calories, 13 carbs, 1.9g fiber