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recipes

Good Mood Foods on CTV Morning Live. Beat the Blahs with these tips!

November 10, 2016 by Rachel

Good Mood Food!

With the days getting shorter and the evenings getting darker it is important that we do what we can to avoid SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a depression associated with the lack of sun light that occurs in the autumn and winter. There are different degrees of this but it often presents itself in that feeling of sluggishness, difficulty to self-motivate, moodiness and that constant feeling of being tired.

So here are a few nutritional ways to boost your mood and hopefully eliminate or lesson the effects of SAD this year:

1. Fats – the brain is made primarily of fats, and in order for our brain to properly send us signals, such as mood and touch, we need to give it a healthy dose of fats. But not just any fat, we want to provide our brain with healthy Omega-3 fatty acid. Fish Oil provides our body with one of the most efficient sources of Omega-3, however if you are a vegetarian or vegan don’t worry coconut, nuts and seeds also provide you with a good hit of those healthy fats.

Pepita Crusted Salmon Fillet

Ingredients:
1 cup Pepitas, raw
½ cup Parsley, chopped
1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp Avocado Oil
½ tsp Himalayan Rock Salt
4 Salmon Fillets

Directions:
– Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking she with parchment paper
– In a food process crush Pepitas, parsley, lemon juice, oil and salt into a chunky paste.
– Place the Salmon fillets on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the Pepitas mixture on top of the fillets evenly.
– Place salmon in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on their thickness. Remove from oven and enjoy.

2. Caffeine – is that boost we grab in the morning and even sometimes in the afternoon, but did you know that it is also a natural anti-depressant. Caffeine helps to stimulate the nervous system, while also stimulating the brain’s production of feel good hormones like dopamine and serotonin.

• Just because caffeine is this wonderful mood booster doesn’t mean you should be reaching for just any old caffeinated product. When choosing your caffeine, the source is important. Opting for something less processed and organic is always your best bet.
• If you are choosing to get that caffeine from coffee do what you can to choose organic, whole bean when possible to reduce the potential for mold contamination. If coffee isn’t something you enjoy perhaps try green tea or matcha as a good source of quality caffeine.

– You can also do the coconut cream for a luxurious and healthy fat add in HERE

3. Carbohydrates, but remember not all carbohydrates are created equal. Sometimes during these darker months our cravings play tricks on us asking us to grab those processed, heavily refined products like sugary cookies and cakes when really what your body needs are some complex carbohydrates. When we say complex carbohydrates what do we mean? We are talking about all those glorious winter squashes that are now in season, sweet potatoes, potatoes and unrefined whole grains. When we choose the healthy complex carbohydrates we assist our body in the production of serotonin and dopamine, which help energize us and keep our moods up.

4. And don’t forget about chocolate!! Unfortunately for some of the chocoholics out there we don’t mean milk chocolate we are talking about good quality dark chocolate (70% or higher). Dark chocolate has been proven to help lower cortisol levels in the body, which really means lower physical stress on the body. Less stress means our body can focus on producing feel good hormones instead of our stress hormone cortisol. Plus it’s chocolate, is a reason really needed?

Pumpkin Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Icing

Ingredients
4 eggs, large whisked
1/2 cup maple syrup or Xylitol
1 can pumpkin puree (or 1.5 cups works if you roast it yourself)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil melted

1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup cocoa/cacao powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

-Combine wet ingredients (exception is xylitol for the first portion) in a large bowl. Whisk your eggs. Add in maple syrup, pumpkin, and vanilla extract. Melt your coconut oil and add in last. Mix it well. Set aside.

-Next combine your coconut flour, cocoa or cacao powder, coconut sugar or Xylitol, baking powder and chocolate chips.

-Add the dry ingredients to the wet and then combine well. You can do this in a food processor or by hand with a good mixing spoon and a little bit of a workout! 😉

-Once mixed place in a parchment paper lined pan or glass baking dish 9×9 works well. Bake at 350 for about 45 mins or until you can poke a toothpick in and it comes out clean!

Once cooled get the recipe for Avocado Chocolate Frosting HERE!

5. Vitamin D & Sunshine -It is getting colder and we are all fighting that urge to just hibernate for the next 8months, but it is important to get outside and get moving. Sunshine and exercise are some of the best mood boosters around, and unfortunately because of the cold we often don’t utilize them as much as we should.
• Happy light – if it is just too cold or the idea of going on a 30 minute walk in winter just isn’t sitting right with you, investing in a blue light might be something to think about. These lights replicate natural daylight helping to reduce sluggishness, give you a boost in energy and are often used to combat SAD.
• A general rule is if your shadow is longer than you are tall you aren’t absorbing enough vitamin D from the sun, so it is important to supplement your diet in order to support your mood and your immune system as we get less and less sun for the next 8 months.
• Mushrooms, surprisingly the skin on mushrooms is absorbent much like our own skin, so leaving them in the window to catch a few rays will increase the amount of vitamin D they will deliver to your meal.

CATCH THE SEGMENT HERE!

Filed Under: Brain Food, CTV, Healthy Eating, Media Appearances, News, Recipes, Seasonal Food, Weight Loss Tagged With: avocados, brownies, Good mood, recipes, Sunshine, Vitamin D

Thick Lovely Chocolate Brownie Goodness!

May 17, 2016 by Rachel

Try this easy recipe out any time for a lovely little treat made for you, or the ones you LOVE!

Brownie Goodness!!!

1/2 cup coconut flour or 3/4 almond flour
3/4 cup raw cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut oil melted We love Silkeny Organics!
3 eggs, at room temperature ( You MUST use real eggs here for the thickness)

1/2 cup Xylitol or about 3 tbsps of stevia or 1/4 cup pure local maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp of dry ginger

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 and grease a glass baking dish (8×8 or 9×9).

Mix almond flour or other, cocoa powder and coconut oil on the stove stirring constantly on LOW heat! Once melted remove from burner.
Crack 3 eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Add in the Xylitol, vanilla extract and ginger. Mix well. If the Brownie mix has solidified add a little more coconut oil and reheat. Next add the warmed mix to the large bowl with the egg mixture and mix well! Enjoy with a glass of coconut, cashew or coconut milk!

Pour into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes and ensure when you insert a toothpick it comes out clean! 🙂

Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Organic, Recipes Tagged With: brownies, cocoa, Nutrition, recipes, Silkeny Coconut oil

Chocolate Almond Zucchini Muffins with Silkeny Coconut Oil!

April 28, 2016 by Rachel

These are perfect as an afternoon snack, these muffins are easy to make, have a veggie in them and use Silkeny Coconut Oil which is great for baking and even for body care! 🙂

Ingredients

1 Cup almond flour
2 tbsps Stevia
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)
1 zucchini grated
1/4 cup coconut oil Melted (can use more if you find the batter is too dry if not using the maple syrup)
1/4 cup nut or seed butter (let it sit out so it’s a stirring consistency)

Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, cocoa and stevia with a fork or whisk.

In a large bowl combine eggs, maple syrup if using, 1 zucchini grated, melted coconut oil and the nut or seed butter.
Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing until combined.

Scoop about ¼ cup of batter at a time into a greased paper muffin liner in a muffin pan. We greased with coconut oil!
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges
Cool in the pan and then pop out onto a plate!

photo (2)

Filed Under: Product Review, Recipes Tagged With: almond flour, cocoa, coconut oil, muffins, recipes, Silkeny Coconut oil, zucchini

School Lunch Swaps on CTV Morning Live

October 9, 2015 by Rachel

School lunches can be tough when you are trying get your kids to eat a bit better. Here we have some great alternatives to some of the lunch box regulars!

Rice Krispie Squares with a twist!

Ingredients:

Rice Krispie Cereal (approx. 6 cups)
1 Bag of marshmallows
2 Tbsp. of butter or coconut oil
1/3 cup chia seeds (white or ground ones hide better)
1/3 ground flax seeds
1/3 cup hemp hearts
Splash of vanilla
Handful of mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Melt the marshmallows and butter in a pot, slowly add the rice krispies to mixture. Once incorporated add the chia, flax and hemp seeds. Stir. Grease a 9×13” pan with coconut oil. Sprinkle in a few chocolate chips, give one last stir and place mixture into pan. A greased spatula or your fingers works well to keep the mixture from sticking. Allow to firm up, cut into squares and Enjoy!!
photo (4)

Apple Slices with Cinnamon! All you need to do is cut up an apple to and sprinkle with cinnamon!

photo (6)

Chummus or Chickpea Hummus

Ingredients:
1 can organic chick peas (drained and rinsed)
3 TBSP of unsweetened cocoa
2-3 TBSP of maple syrup or honey (to taste)
¼ tsp. celtic sea salt
½ tsp. of vanilla
¼ cup water or almond milk
Optional: coconut, mint, slivered almonds

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in your food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add water/milk a small amount at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Chickpeas:

These are a great addition to your children’s lunch, they are quick to make, and are loaded with protein. This is very important for school age children as protein helps, with brain function, growth, energy and muscle
maintenance

Ingredients:
¾ cup of coconut palm sugar
¾ cup of butter
1 egg
2 tsp. of vanilla
1 can of chick peas 15 oz. (drained and rinsed)
2 cups of whole wheat flour or gluten free blend
½ cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. Himalayan salt
½ – ¾ cup of chocolate chips

How we do it:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix butter and sugar in a bowl, beat in an egg. Add the vanilla.
Drain and rinse one can of chick peas, blend in your food processor until creamy.
Mix into sugar mixture. Add in flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix until a creamy batter is obtained.
Sprinkle in your chocolate chips and give one last stir. Place round balls approx. 1” in diameter on cookie sheet, you may have to flatten with a spoon, as they don’t spread very much.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, allow to cool and then Enjoy!!

IMG_1395

Watch the segment here:

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=723628&binId=1.1487308&playlistPageNum=1

Filed Under: CTV, Did you know?, Food Products, Healthy Eating, Media Appearances, Recipes Tagged With: caven nutrition group, chickpeas, chocolate, easy recipe, nut free, ottawa, recipes, school lunches

Tahini Cookie Recipe From the Ottawhat Podcast!

June 4, 2015 by Rachel

We sat down with the super awesome, lively team from the Ottawhat Podcast (Amaan, Rob and Keegan) and talked Ottawa, Nutrition and the importance of getting outside.
We sampled some tahini cookies and below is the recipe. Tahini is high in calcium, iron, and it has protein as well! It’s a great alternative to peanut butter and has a creamy texture and delicious taste!

IMAG0069

Ingredients:
-1 cup raw tahini (or combination of raw tahini and peanut butter)
-1/4 xylitol or coconut sugar * can add more if needed
-1/2 tsp of ginger and cinnamon
-1 Tbs. ground flaxseed OR 1 egg
-1/3 cup Optional chopped 85% dark chocolate

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit).

Mix tahini with xylitol/ sugar in a bowl. Add the cinnamon and ginger in.

If not making it vegan for your needs, add the egg and mix well! If you want to use flax instead, mix the tablespoon of flax with three tablespoons of water in a small cup and allow it to sit for a minute until it thickens and gels a bit. Mix it all it all up, and it should thicken up at this point! If adding dark chocolate do so now and mix to combine.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then spoon the globs onto the sheet! Then you can flatten them out like peanut butter cookies with a fork!

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and let cool and eat them up with a friend while watching the sun go down. 🙂

 

Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Recipes, Weight Loss Tagged With: caven nutrition, cookie recipe, dark chocolate, Nutrition, ottawhat, recipes, tahini

Fuel for Runners: Healthy Snacks Before and After your Workout

May 14, 2015 by Rachel

HIGH PERFORMANCE NUTRITION: FUELLING FOR IMPROVED HEALTH AND ENDURANCE

Natasha will be doing a Sports Nutrition Workshop for runners at Mountain Equipment Co-op at 6:30pm May 14th. To learn more visit: http://events.mec.ca/node/62566

The better you fuel your body, the more energy your muscles can store, the faster you recover, and therefore, the harder you can train. Your fuel determines your athletic potential.

There are three important principles of a sports nutrition strategy for distance running. Applying these principles correctly can help maximize the gains from your training and help ensure that you run your best race.

  1. Stay hydrated
  2. Provide optimal fuel for your muscles
  3. Promote optimal recovery after training or racing

How do you determine what to eat?
To simplify a diet for any active individual, fuel your body and reduce nutritional stress by incorporating nutrient dense, whole foods. This provides the body a platform for improved overall health which includes: a reduction in biological age, improved athletic performance, better sleep quality and reduced sugar cravings.

Incorporate:

  • Colourful fruits and vegetables
  • Lean proteins (fish, chicken, grass-fed beef, eggs)
  • Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, flax, chia)
  • Whole grains (quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, oats)

Eliminate/Minimize:

  • Processed, sugar-laden products
  • Unhealthy fats (trans, hydrogenated)
  • Inflammatory foods (wheat, dairy, sugar)
  • Stimulants (caffeine, alcohol)

Raspberry Coconut Pre-Run Smoothie
For energy and endurance during your run, it is important to fuel 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to heading out. The key is quick digesting carbs for energy, electrolytes to sustain hydration, and a healthy fat to sustain you through the run.

Ingredients:FullSizeRender
½ cup frozen raspberries
1 tbsp coconut oil or coconut butter
1 ½ cups coconut water
Handful organic baby spinach
Vegan vanilla protein (only if more than 1 hour prior to run)

Directions:

  • Blend ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Banana Protein Bars
These simple, no-bake bars are a perfect option to fuel after exercise. A blend of digestible carbs and protein, this quick snack provides optimal nutrition to aid in proper recovery.

Ingredients:IMG_4579
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ½ cups gluten free oats and/or quinoa flakes
½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 heaping tbsp almond butter (or sunflower seed butter)
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp Himalayan rock salt
1 scoop vegan protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
Additional shredded coconut for garnish

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well together.
2. Line a square dish with parchment paper.
3. Place the mixture into the square dish and flatten it evenly with your hands. Wet your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick to you.
4. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and lightly press down on bars to secure.
5. Cover the container and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer, slice into bars or squares.

Adapted from joyoushealth.com

Filed Under: Recipes, Sports Nutrition Tagged With: caven nutrition, fuel, natasha onley, Nutrition, nutrition for runners, ottawa, protein bar, recipes, recovery, runners, Sports Nutrition, sports nutrition recipes, sports nutritionist, vegan

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