Cut Out Dairy To Lose Those Last Few Pounds

Celebrity gossip, love it or hate it, but sometimes you can’t help clicking when a celeb shares their secret to losing those last few pounds. I hated myself for clicking, but yes, what was “The 1 Thing Khloé Kardashian Did to Lose 11 Pounds?” You have to admit she is looking fit as of late. 

I was expecting to see some exercise routine from her celebrity trainer, but was surprised to discover she cut dairy from her diet. I’ve heard of people cutting out dairy due to lactose intolerance, but for weight loss? The Kardashian’s do have access to best trainers and nutritionist, so what is this secret all about.

The theory of why cutting out dairy leads to weight loss is it’s insullogenic properties, meaning it causes your insulin levels to spike. When your insulin levels unexpectedly shoot up, they cause your body to stop burning fat. Which is the exact opposite of what we want our bodies to do if we’re working out so hard. 

Ideally you want to maintain your blood sugar level between 70 mg and 110 mg which is considered “healthy” or little below average in sugar levels. Now here’s where we get a little Bill Nye the Science Guy. Insulin is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas when your blood sugar levels are high. So if you’re eating a meal that contains mostly high glycemic, fast digesting carbohydrates, your blood sugar level is going to go past the 110 mg. 

When this happens, you facilitate the storage of glucose (blood sugar) in the muscle tissues, and especially fat cells. This how you end up not losing the weight, even though you’re making those workouts regularly. You’re keeping the fat stored in your body by spiking those sugar levels by consuming dairy. 

Ready for a little more science behind this insullogenic theory? When you’re blood sugar is low glucagon is secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas. This predominantly occurs between eating and exercising. Glucagon causes the liver to release stored energy into circulation. Meaning when your blood sugar levels are low, you’re not storing fat, but actually burning it up through out your body.

Essentially, insulin and glucagon work in balance. As your insulin increases, glucagon decreases, and vice versa. Insulin promotes storing energy and manufacturing proteins while glucagon promotes the release of stored energy, both glucose and fatty acids. Meaning high insulin levels, high storage levels of fat. Low insulin levels, burning of fat in your body.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m hitting the studio regularly, I’m sure going to cut out the dairy. We sometimes think it’s a workout plateau. The reason we can’t lose those last few pounds, but maybe it’s a matter of mixing up our diet as well. Simply put, keeping your blood glucose level below 110 mg will cause your body to consistently burn more stored fat. 

Take the dairy out of your life and fill up on more good for you proteins and carbohydrates. Yes, I just said carbohydrates. I’m talking about those sprouted, nutrient dense carbohydrates, not those fluffy, refined products. Going this route will minimize insulin spikes, increase glucagon, and ultimately promote less fat storage, woohoo!

Not fully sold on this dairy free concept? Here’s a couple of other benefits going without lactose in your life.

• Your digestion will improve
• Your bowels will benefit
• You’ll slash your risk for chronic disease
• Your body will be okay with other sources of calcium
• Your skin will clear up

Yes, these are the amazing benefits of taking dairy out of your life. Say good bye to milk, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, fromage, and ice cream and your body is gonna go cray with happiness. Don’t be sad, there are so many tasty alternatives to dairy products.

When you’re ordering your latte, ask for it with soy or almond milk. Have you checked out the frozen dessert sections, there are so many alternatives to ice cream which are coconut milk or tofu based. And c’mon how many more John Stamos commercials for greek yogurt do you need to see to know that dairy yogurt isn’t the only number out there.

This are a small number of examples of dairy alternatives, it’s all about making the conscientious effort in our choices. But hey if we’re spending so time leading a healthy life, why not make easier with delicious alternatives that will only make our bodies healthier. The best way to start 2016.

If You Don't Tell, Your Family Will Eat Healthy

It’s the holiday season, and it’s fun to get into the spirit. What isn’t so fun is looking at those leftovers upon leftovers sitting in the fridge. Especially, when they take on a gelatinous form. It’s what you call butter and fat, baby. Get a little sneaky this holiday season. Make your family eat healthy without them even knowing it. 

What is it about people as soon as they heard the word “healthy,” they shut down. Especially family members with their comments of, “I’ve been eating this way for years. My father ate red meat everyday of his life, smoked cigarettes, and lived to be in his late 80’s” Hey, I’m not knocking people’s lifestyle choices, but I do ask the question of “What was grandpa’s quality of life?”

Show your family eating healthy isn’t all sprouts and mung beans. It can also be a blend of their favorite foods with add on’s which would give them healthy benefits. A favorite one I always bust out is the avocado, just be sure not to pair it with chips. Mash up it up, and viola you have spread for some quick sandwiches. You just gave your family 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium. Better than mayo in my opinion. 

The idea isn’t necessarily new. Parents have been doing this with the youngins for a while now. Ants on log, those celery sticks filled with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins. Heart shaped fruit kabobs, or cute little tofu bento boxes with smiling pandas. It may seem silly, but it gets kids excited to eat. 

Maybe our grown up loved ones need the same. Perhaps it’s not panda bear buckwheat pancakes, but surprise the family with breakfast. Don’t preface it with, “I made a healthy breakfast for us.” Just surprise them with some omelettes. Skip the egg whites, because they’ll definitely know something is up. 

My favorite trick is using less eggs, but creating more “food” by sautéing some tofu first. Add your eggs. Then get your fancy on by adding sliced veggies, whatever you want to make your omelette. C’mon how often do you have omelettes? The fam will be stoked, and they’ll be eating veggies and tofu, gasp! Skip the cheese, top your omelettes with salsa. Low cal, low fat with lots of kick and you’ll be getting those liposomes from tomatoes. 

The ideas are infinite when you mix the worlds of health of classic comfort foods. Those light fluffy pancakes everyone loves dripping in syrup? Hi agave nectar, with your relatively low glycemic index value. At night, warm up the familia with some vegetarian chili. For your tangy topper? Low fat kefir cheese. Remember the mantra, “Don’t tell them it’s healthy, just surprise them.” They don’t need to know kefir is full of good for you probiotics.    

Here’s the vegetarian chili recipe to wow your family 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
• 3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

How ever you spend this holiday season. Have an amazing time. Get outside. Go for a walk. Enjoy spending quality time with your loved ones, and when you can squeeze in those healthy foods, because nobody needs to know it’s “healthy,” but you. You might have some converts afterwards. 

Healthier Living With Positive Thinking In 2016

Oh holidays, how joyous you are. Driving to and fro. Coordinating schedules with friends, family, and somehow squeezing in your own personal life somewhere in there. It can get a little overwhelming to keep your sanity or as I call it sometimes, your positive thinking in flow. 

Make your happiness your New Year’s resolution this 2016. I’m dead serious. Make the conscious effort to make your joy an everyday reality. It’s an exercise, mediation, whatever you want to call it. Make it your 2016 practice. With so much focus on what we put inside our bodies, let’s talk about our mind, and how it plays such an important part in our health.

Have you ever caught yourself in the car replaying a conversation? How someone treated you? Talked to you? Did you keep yourself focused on those negative feelings instead of realizing how lucky you are to be driving, while looking at a beautiful purple sky.

“Change your thinking,” I heard myself say. I let myself realize I was playing negative stories on loop. It’s the worst. It keeps you in a bad mood. You get nothing productive done, and then you end up snapping at everyone else around you. When all you have to do is practice letting go of those negative thoughts only you can hear.

Ending the negative loop also gives your body other benefits. When the Mayo Clinic extolls the virtues of positive thinking you gotta take notice.

• Increase your life span
• Lower your rates of depression
• Lower your levels of distress
• Have greater resistance to the common cold
• Have better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Have better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

The way you’re mindful at the grocery store for your health, is the same way you gotta increase your positive thinking. You put veggies in your cart, do the same with your mind. Think of it as positive mental veggies. Your body will love you.

So how do you start? How do you practice positive thinking when you’re fighting traffic on the 405? Barbara Markway Ph.D,. of Psychology Today, has some great ideas for better headspace thoughts in 2016.

Ask yourself necessary questions about your thoughts such as:

• Is this thought true?
• Is this thought important?
• Is this thought helpful?

Instead of saying “I'm a loser,” say, “I'm having the thought that I'm a loser.” Instead of saying, “I'm going to blow this test,” say “I'm having the thought that I'm going to blow this test.” The difference may seem subtle, but it can help you gain the perspective that you are not your thoughts.

Thank your mind. 

If you're having anxious thoughts such as, “I hope this plane doesn't crash…I hope the pilot knows what he’s doing…” say, “Thank you, mind. Thank you for trying to keep me safe. But there's nothing that you really need to do right now. I’ve got it covered.” I’m big on notes to myself, so sometimes I write my mind a letter of appreciation for its efforts, but also let it know it can take a break.

Let them float away.

This one involves imagery. You put each negative thought on a leaf and imagine it floating down a stream. When you have another thought, as you will, you put it on another leaf and watch it float by.

Sing your thoughts. 

Try singing your thoughts to the alphabet song or to Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Your thoughts will certainty sound absurd this way, which is the whole point. Say them in a funny voice. Try saying your thoughts in a funny voice. Maybe do an imitation of a cartoon character. 

Name your stories. 

Many times our thoughts are repetitive and involve the same stories. My story frequently is, “I don't really know what I'm doing.” When thoughts come up along that storyline, I can say, “Oh, here’s my I’m Incompetent story, and just let it go.

Do it anyway.

Perhaps the most important tip is to remember that you can have a thought and perform any kind of behavior at the same time. If it’s something you care about, it’s worth it to let the thoughts simply be. You don’t have to do anything about them.

I know this post broke a little bit of the norm. We take such good care of our physical bodies with exercise and diet, but those aren’t the only things that matter. Positive thinking for 2016 will make our lives better, and the lives of everyone else around you. Let good things happen to you. 

Kaniwa Giving Quinoa A Run For It's Money

The struggle is real when it comes to the holiday season, exercising, and finding ways to eat healthy when you just finished the last of the pumpkin pie leftovers. During the summer, eating a salad or smoothie is the perfect thing on a hot day. It’s not so easy when the sky is dark at 4:30 pm, and you want something warm inside of you. Maybe kaniwa can become your new friend.

This little South American seed is pronounced kah-nyee-wah, and you can liken it to quinoa. They are both amazing superfoods for you. Quite versatile, and are great staples if you’re living a plant based diet. When you start getting into the health benefits of kaniwa in comparison to quinoa, you might wan to add more kaniwa vs quinoa into your diet. 

Yes, seriously, kaniwa adds a lot more to your diet than quinoa. When the health food store carries an item in large quantities, you know something’s up with it. It’s how I discovered this gem giving quinoa a run for it’s money.

If you’re it health, eating foods high in antioxidants is a must. Kaniwa is a great source of flavonoids, which are the most intensively-studied antioxidants. In fact, kaniwa has been shown to contain even more flavonoids than quinoa. Besides providing anti-aging benefits for the skin, flavonoids may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and viruses, and reduce the risk of certain inflammatory diseases. All this with a little reddish brown seed.

Kaniwa, like its cousin quinoa, is naturally gluten-free; yet, it is supercharged with B vitamins and a wide range of minerals, including calcium, iron and phosphorus, as shown in the Nutrition Facts for Kaniwa below.

Macronutrients

• Protein: 15.4 g 
• Crude fat:6.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 61 g 
• Crude fiber: 7.7 g 

Vitamins

• Thiamin (B1): 0.7 mg 
• Riboflavin (B2): 0.4 mg 
• Niacin (B3): 1.4 mg 

Minerals

• Calcium: 134 mg 
• Iron: 15 mg 
• Phosphorus: 424 mg 

As kaniwa is closely related to quinoa, it is not surprising that also kaniwa is loaded with high-quality protein that contains notable amounts of all essential amino acids, including lysine which is usually found only in small amounts in grains. In fact, kaniwa has been shown to contain even more protein than quinoa (around 16% compared with 13% reported for quinoa). Now I can see why kaniwa is sold by the barrel full.

So you get this amazing seed into your house, but what to do with it? My down and dirty secret I like to do is a tri blend of seeds. I do equal parts kaniwa, quinoa, and couscous, usually 2 cups, put it in a saucepan and boil with 4 cups water and chicken broth. Not too sexy, but it’s great to have on hand. Warm it up in the microwave after a long day, put a dollop of kiefir cheese on it, and settle down on the couch. Absolutely no time, taste yummy, and feels like you’re spoiling yourself. In reality, you’re filling yourself up with proteins, antioxidants, probiotics, and the list goes on.

If you’re looking for more than a couch sitting dish, how about one of these fancy recipes. A little extra effort makes for a family meal or why not take it along to a holiday gathering. Sneak a little health to a table overladen with lots of butter, sugar, and not so good stuff for you.

Kañiwa with Lemon, Basil and Tomatoes

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup kañiwa, rinsed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

• Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rinsed kañiwa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 2 minutes; fluff with a fork.
• Transfer kañiwa to a large serving bowl. Add lemon juice, tomatoes, basil, green onions and feta, if desired. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Kaniwa Farewell to Summer Salad

• 1/2 cup kaniwa 
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 bunch green beans
• quick pickled onions (optional)
• ghee or coconut oil
• olive oil to garnish
• salt and pepper
• goat’s feta, if desired

• Place kaniwa in a dry saucepan over medium heat and toast it until slightly fragrant. Add water and salt, cover, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until the water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
• While the kaniwa is cooking, prepare and grill the vegetables. Slice the zucchini into thin ribbons with a sharp knife or mandoline. Stem the green beans. Shuck the corn. Lightly coat the vegetables in melted coconut oil or ghee and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Preheat the grill and cook until tender (times will vary greatly depending on the veggies!).
• In a large bowl place the grilled vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Add cooled kaniwa, pickled onions, crumbled feta and salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Banana Flour Makes Paleo, Gluten Free Baking Fluffy Again

I’m not a strict “anything” when it comes to my diet. I do lean towards a vegan, paleo diet, but man, nothing beats those mexican stand chicken tacos sometimes. Balance is what I say. Sometimes I miss pancakes on a lazy day. Yes, there are buckwheat and other “healthy” variations of pancakes. The holidays makes me reminisce about being young, and long for those fluffy pancakes you can’t get with buckwheat.

I was looking for some moringa, when banana flour caught my eye in the raw foods section. The label said paleo and gluten free substitute for cooking and baking. In my mind’s eye, all I saw were those fluffy pancakes on a Sunday morning. Could it be possible?

My tastebud’s tell you yes. Fluffy, gluten free, paleo pancakes can be yours with banana flour. The magic of banana flour comes thanks to green bananas. At this stage they haven’t fully developed their sugar content, and have a limited taste. Meaning you won’t taste banana when after you’re done cooking or baking.

Being the health nerd I am, was texture the only good thing about this flour? Yes, it’s gluten free and paleo friendly for those days you’re craving carbs, but what other benefits does banana flour have? One serving contains 9% potassium, 8% total carbohydrates, and 8% dietary fiber of your daily nutrition. The very cool thing about banana flour is it’s resistant starch properties. 

The what you say? My exact thoughts. 

Resistant Starch is any starch or starch product that cannot be digested or absorbed within the upper digestive tract. It passes through the stomach unchanged by digestive enzymes. Without absorption or digestion taking place in the stomach and small intestines, RS2 moves into the large intestines and colon. 

RS2 is a good substrate for fermentation to increase fatty acid concentration and lower the pH levels in the bowel, guarding against DNA and cell damage. Fermentation can only take place in the absence of oxygen. Without that oxygen present, fermentation becomes a primary means of energy production. 

RS2 is also a prebiotic which promotes the growth of “good” bacteria in the gut. 70% of our immune cells reside in the gut and RS2 maintains healthy gut flora and feeds the cells.

What does this mean in layman’s terms? It keeps everything moving inside of your body, and helps you lose weight. I’ve talked about the importance of probiotics before, honestly, I cannot stress them enough. We don’t like talking about things we do in first thing in the morning, but having a healthy gut is what regulates our body. It keeps us healthy, our skin glows, and helps us maintain a healthy weight.

Kefir is a probiotic.  Raw coconut vinegar and banana flour are prebiotic foods. Meaning you’re ingesting good for you bacteria or you’re consuming foods which will have a chemical reaction inside your gut. They’ll end up growing good bacteria in your stomach. 

It sounds like a science experiment. When you start thinking about how consumed foods work inside of you, you start thinking more about what you put inside of your machine. How will they breakdown? How do they work in conjunction with our internal organs? If we can make it tasty while we’re being healthy, even be better.

Banana flour isn’t for pancakes only. Use it anywhere you would use wheat or unbleached flour. Please note though, because of the high starch content in banana flour use less flour than required in your everyday recipes. Rule of thumb is to use 30% less Banana Flour than suggested flour.

Don’t feel like cooking, baking, and all that jazz, use it in your everyday smoothie. Your gut will thank you. Let me know what kind of ideas you come up for the holidays. If you’re craving those fluffy paleo, gluten free, Sunday pancakes try this recipe. It’s fun converting your family to a healthier lifestyle during the holidays. 

Perfectly Paleo Pancakes

• ½ cup banana flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ teapoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or honey
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• Place all ingredients in a hi-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Let batter settle for a couple of minutes.  Pour batter onto a medium-hot skillet and fry in a bit of melted butter or coconut oil until golden brown and fluffy. Flip and cook the second side until golden brown, about 40-60 seconds. Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Blackberry Honey-Butter Syrup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups blackberries

• In a small skillet, heat butter, honey and vanilla together until bubbling. Remove from heat, toss in blackberries. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes before drizzling over pancakes.

Breakfast Salads: Try Eating Your Veggies Again

Some of the hardest things during the cold weather? Exercising, drinking water, and finding ways to eat greens when all you want is something warm in your stomach. Here’s a crazy idea for you, how about eating a salad for breakfast?

To out there? Come on. You gotta mix up your breakfast groove. Your breakfast smoothie was the jam during those months when the weather was in the 90s before 8 a.m. Now though, it’s a lil tough to get excited for a cold morning drink when you don’t even want to lift the covers off. Instead of drinking your morning energy, stick a fork in it.

I thought the idea was a lil out there, but once I tried it, I was winter hooked. Juicing is seriously a pain in the you know what. So many veggies needed. The constant grocery shopping, and don’t get me started on the juicer cleaning. I started taking my greens in powder form because I just couldn’t deal anymore.

The breakfast salad is the answer my friends. We’re just rushing around so much. Work, errands, and finding ways to squeeze in a healthy lifestyle. Multi task your snacks and meals. The worst is filling your kitchen with fresh, healthy foods, and opening up the fridge to discover those half used bell peppers you meant to finish. 

Why waste food when you can make yesterday’s quinoa part of your breakfast salad along with your kale, bell peppers, and the am ingredient, an egg. These are all my random suggestions. It is the beauty of a breakfast salad. Take your carrots you love dipping into your hummus. Have them for breakfast. You can see where I’m going with this. 

The breakfast salad will make your life easier, help you avoid eating the exact same leftovers the next day, and my favorite, shake up your winter morning. Enough of the gab, looking for some inspiration to motivate while you’re grocery? Look at some of these breakfast salads. Tell me you can’t wait to eat your veggies instead of juicing them.

Eggs Benedict

Add 1 tsp olive oil to a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sauté 8 asparagus stalks cut into 1-inch pieces and 3 oz diced Canadian bacon until asparagus is bright green, about 3 minutes. Whisk together 4 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp each white balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard, and season with pepper and kosher salt to taste. In a bowl, combine asparagus, Canadian bacon, 1 thinly sliced small shallot, and 5 cups curly endive, torn into bite-size pieces. Toss with dressing. Top each serving with 1 poached egg and cracked pepper. Serve with an English muffin, if desired.

Lox on a Bagel

In a blender or food processor, combine 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp feta cheese, 1/4 cup low-fat milk, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Process until smooth. In a bowl, toss together 5 cups spring mix; 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced; 3 oz smoked salmon cut into 1/2-inch ribbons; and 1/2 cup broccoli sprouts. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with a few red onion slices, 1 tsp each sesame and poppy seeds, 2 tsp capers, and 1/2 oz bagel chips.

Quinoa Fruit Salad

Using a strainer, rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, 2 cups water, and pinch of salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, whisk the juice of 1 large lime, 3 tablespoons honey, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint together until combined. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. 

Breakfast veggies are served folks. Eat up before the madness of the holidays starts. 

Healthy Holiday Dessert Food Swaps and Recipes

The air is cool, the sales bins of CVS are full of Halloween candy, and the holiday season is gearing up. Thanksgiving will be here in a blink of an eye. Every year the same overheard conversations about holiday weight gain. The holidays are meant to been fun, and spent enjoying the days with our loved ones. The key is finding balance when family time is spent eating.

One area where you can really make some conscious choices are the desert table. Pie crusts full of shortening. Chocolate cakes loaded with refined sugars. Taste delicious, but when you become a dessert eating zombie, not what your heart needs after eating those yummy, buttery potatoes. What if I said you can swap in some health, and keep those holiday traditions alive?

It’s totally possible. Have you ever tried black beans instead flour? This is an excellent substitute when making holiday brownies. Use black bean puree instead of flour, and fill your loved ones with healthy protein instead. You can also pull a fast one ,and use tofu in your pecan pie. Yes, tofu to make a healthy vegan maple pecan pie. This means no butter, no eggs, no corn syrup, no processed white sugar.

There’s no reason to eat unhealthy during holiday feasting. It really comes down to how we make our foods. The dessert table gets loaded down with refined sugars, syrups, and shortenings when it doesn’t have to be so. It’s a matter of reenvisioning what our holiday traditions are about.

I can’t take credit for all these food swaps and recipes, but I wanted to show you there’s a world of possibilities with some experimentation. There’s nothing wrong with grandma’s infamous peach cobbler. Maybe if she knew all the health benefits of chia seeds, she also would have used them instead of eggs. Don’t even get me started on the pumpkin pie made with garbanzo beans. If I have to be honest, as a kid, I used to be able to scarf down a whole one by myself. Please don’t judge me.

Save this healthy baking substitutions jpg to your photo library or google drive, and see what creativity this inspires. Cheers to a healthy and happy holiday. Hope your family enjoys these recipes as much as mine did. They didn’t even know they were eating vegan sometimes, but we’ll keep that our little secret.

Flourless Black Bean Avocado Brownies {Vegan and Gluten Free}

• 1 large flax egg
• 1 - 15oz can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 medium to large ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8 inch baking pan.
• Place flax egg, black bean, avocado, vanilla, and brown sugar and process in a food processor until smooth. Add in cocoa powder, coconut oil, baking soda, and baking powder and process again until smooth. Batter will be thick. If batter is way too thick and won't process, you can add in a tablespoon or two of almond milk. Fold in chocolate chip or sprinkle onto batter then transfer to prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly to sides. Sprinkle top of batter with 2 tablespoons of remaining chocolate chips.
• Bake for 22-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out somewhat clean.

You may be able to sub the brown sugar for honey, agave or maple syrup. Reduce to 1/3 cup.

Healthy Vegan Maple Pecan Pie

• 6oz extra firm tofu, drained
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla soymilk, cold
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 tbs brown rice flour (other flours may work)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup granulated sweetener (1/4c sucanat, the rest erythritol)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp molasses
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• one whole grain pie crust, cold
• pecans, for topping (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu, soymilk, vanilla paste, brown rice flour and salt. Pour all of it into a bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, add the coconut oil and set aside.
• In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the granulated sweetener, maple syrup and molasses. Whisk occasionally for about 10-15 minutes (sugars should completely dissolve). Let the mixture bubble/boil lightly for ~30 seconds, remove from heat and whisk in the coconut oil. Whisk in the tofu mixture, then stir in the chopped pecans.
• Put the cold pie crust onto a cookie sheet and pour the filling inside. Decorate with pecans if you like, then bake for about an hour, until edges and pecans are a rich dark brown color (but not burnt!) and filling bubbles lightly. Let cool on a wire cooling rack.

Peach Cobbler Recipe

• 3 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ cups coconut flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¾ cup honey
• ½ cup grass fed butter, softened or ghee
• 2-3 drops almond extract
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 9 tbsp warm water
• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil
• Pour peaches into the pan
• Mix the almond flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl
• In a separate bowl, mix the butter, honey and extract
• Combine both mixtures.
• In a separate small bowl, combine the chia and hot water and allow to sit and thicken for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add to other mixture.
• Once well combined, add vinegar and stir.
• Pour batter onto peaches and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

• 1 cup garbanzo beans aka chickpeas
• 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup of almond milk, unsweetened vanilla (or milk of choice)
• 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder optional
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 egg white (or flaxseed egg)
• 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (may substitute with cinnamon)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• graham crackers crust

topping optional for sweetness:

• 1 egg white
• 2 wedges the laughing cow light swiss
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips

• Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
• In food processor combine all ‘filling’ ingredients. Blend until smooth. Note: The garbanzo beans will need some liquid to blend well.
• Pour into crust
• Combine topping ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Blend well until smooth. Drizzle on top for a marble appearance. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on oven. 
• Let cool. For best results, cool for several hours until room temperature.