Healthy Happy Gut Repair Recipe

I've been missing my gut repair magic formula for a while, so I decided to mix some up again.  This combo is great for sealing up the holes with leaky gut, which gives your body time to heal and absorb the nutrients, rather than having food escaping out your gut.  When food doesn't travel the path of the intestines, and finds it's way in the blood stream, it can cause all kinds of crazy symptoms like eczema, allergies, digestive stress, acne, gas, bloating, memory issues, headaches, fatigue, just to name a few (yuck!).  Our food isn't supposed to be in our blood going out to our whole body that way, it's supposed to travel through the digestive track, where nutrients should be absorbed along the way through our vili (if not destroyed due to gluten sensitivity).  

Both Slippery Elm and Marshmallow Root are mucilage herbs.  Basically, that means they're pretty much like a slime ball, but with amazing nutrients and antioxidants that help feed the body.  They are both super soothing, as well as nutritive.  Dr. Christopher (from the Natural School of Healing) used to feed soldiers (as well as infants who weren't thriving) a Slippery Elm gruel or porridge (Slippery Elm and water together is like an oatmeal substance) that would give them the nutrients they needed, along with soothing any issues like dysentery, respiratory, or pretty much any sickness they had at the time.  

Most recent understanding is coming to the knowledge that Eastern Medicine practiced all along that the gut determines overall health and vitality.  It's becoming more and more well known.  Taking these herbs, along with L-Glutamine (which is an amino acid that helps with brain health, digestive health, muscle growth and repair, and other important functions) help to restore the gut.  I've found it to be greatly beneficial in healing my own leaky gut (from extreme gluten/dairy sensitivity).  

I found all these at my local health food store, but you can also find them online.  Just make sure you're getting them from a trusted source to guarantee you're getting what you're asking for.  Amazon can be great in getting things super inexpensive, but many health products are compromised and not what they say they are.  

Recipe:

4 oz Slippery Elm Powder

4 oz Marshmallow Root Powder

3 oz L-Glutamine

Mix all together and keep in a container.  

To use, I recommend that adult's take 1TBS 1-2 times/day.  I think it's pretty sweet on it's own, and tastes good to me, so I like it plain with 4-8oz water.  You can also mix it in a smoothie, nut or seed milk, or breakfast cereals.  For infants, I'd recommend 1tsp with 4oz water.  For children 2 or older, you can start with 2tsp and see how they do.  If you need to increase it, increase by 1/2 tsp each serving.  Results should be pretty quick as far as upset tummies.  I've noticed bloating calm down within 10 min to 30 min.  

Happy Tummy!

Chocolate Ginger Spice Cake

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Tomato-free,

Sugar-free, GAPS-Friendly, SCD-Friendly, Paleo

I was craving Ginger and Chocolate, so I decided to make a cake. I was super happy to find some eggs at the Health Food Store that I can eat that don't upset my tummy! They are pastured eggs by Vital Eggs. The insides are more orange (how eggs used to look years ago without all the grain-feed, antibiotics, pasteurization, bleaching, and who knows what else they do....). If you can't do eggs at all, then follow the substitutions below. I hope this hits the spot the same way it did for me!

Ingredients
1-1/2 C Almond Flour (you can also use 1 C protein powder with 1/2 C coconut flour instead of using nut flours)
1/4 C Cocao Powder (Omit if following the SCD. The cake still tastes amazing without cocoa).
3 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Ginger (I like a lot of ginger, so if you prefer it more light, then use 1 to 1-1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cardamom (optional)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (Preferably ACV that still has the Mother in the bottom.)
1/2 C Apple Sauce (optional)
1/4 C Raw Unfilterd Honey or Maple Syrup (If you don't do sugar, then start by adding 7-10 drops of liquid stevia and add one drop at a time to taste, or 1/4 tsp of powdered stevia at a time until desired taste. It will sweeten a little with baking, so go light on the stevia. You can also use 1/4 C Lankanto instead of honey or stevia if you prefer. Lankanto Monk Fruit doesn't have the aftertaste that stevia does. My stomach doesn't do well with Monk Fruit, however most do just fine).
3 Eggs (Pastured preferred. If you can't do eggs, then substitute 1/4 C Arrowroot powder, or 1/4 C ground chia plus 1/4 C Ground flax seed soaked in 1/2 C water for 5min. If using the chia/flax blend, you may want to add in 1/4C protein powder to help the consistency so it doesn't fall apart too easily. I like the SunWarrior Pea or Fermented Rice Protein blend).

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together well. Set aside. Combine all the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well. Then add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Pour batter into an 8x8 greased pan. (If you're not using eggs, then line the pan with parchment paper so the cake won't stick to the pan). Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 min (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Enjoy with a glass of coconut or nut milk, dollop of refrigerated coconut milk cream, or homemade ice-cream. It's also great all on it's own!

Clean Raw Chocolate Heart Melters

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Sugar-free, 

Vegan, GAPS-Friendly, SCD-Friendly, Paleo, Raw

Left image has coconut flakes.  Right image has walnuts added.

Ingredients:

1 C Coconut Oil (softened)

1 C Raw Cacoa Powder

1/8-1/4 C Raw Honey (or liquid Stevia to taste-Start with 10 drops and add drop by drop until you get desired taste)

1 tsp Vanilla powder (or non-alcoholic liquid)

Dash of Salt

Optional Add ins:  

1/4 C Coconut flakes/shreds

1/4 C Walnuts, pecans, or other favorite nut

Fresh Berries

Fresh coconut cream on top (after they've cooled and hardened)

Goji berries

Edible Flowers 

Pumpkin, Sunflower, or Sesame Seeds

Essential Oils: Cinnamon, Clove, Lavender, Wild Orange, Cilantro and Lime, etc

Chilies or cayenne pepper to desired heat

Raw Cocoa Nibs for an extra chocolate kick

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, add the cacoa, vanilla powder, and salt together.  Then, add the honey and any desired add-ins.  Mix well.  If you are using stevia, start by mixing 10 drops in with the coconut oil.  Then add to the chocolate mixture, stirring by hand.  Mix well.  (You may need to add 1/8-1/4 C more coconut oil if you are strickly sugar-free.  Mix just enough oil to get the chocolate mixed well and moist.)  Scoop the mixture into your choice of molds (or scoop into a small 8 x 8" baking dish lined with parchment paper and score into 24 pieces with a knife before cooling.)  Place in the freezer for about 15 min.  Pop out of the mold (or cut into cubes if using a dish) and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.  When you're ready to enjoy, let them sit out for 5-10 min and they are melt-in-your-mouth perfect!  This recipe makes just over 24 chocolate hearts in less than 20 min!  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Sugar-free, 

Vegan, GAPS-Friendly, SCD-Friendly, Paleo

One thing that I've really missed in going off all grains and sugar to help my gut and pancreas heal is my Mom's chocolate chip pumpkin oatmeal cookies.  Her cookies were always low-sugar and healthy as far as we knew it, but they are off-limits to me now for a while.  So here is my adaptation to one of my most favorite treats.  (Because I have been used to no sugar lately, these may not be as sweet as you prefer.  You can add more sweetener to  your personal preference.)  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Ingredients:

2 C Protein Powder (or Almond or Nut Flour)

1/2 C Coconut Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 C Ground Chia (Dry-Unsoaked)

3 TBS Ground Flax seeds (Dry-Unsoaked)

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend (or use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/8 tsp star anise, 1/8 tsp fennel)

1 tsp+ to taste ground Stevia leaves (You can substitute honey or raw sugar if you can handle the sugars) 

1 tsp Vanilla Powder (or liquid)
1/4 C Raw Cacao Nibs (or Choc. chips of choice)

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/3 C Coconut Oil

1 C Coconut Milk (or Almond Milk)

Directions:

Blend all the dry ingredients together (mixing in the cacao nibs last).  In a separate pan, melt the coconut oil.  Once melted, remove from heat and add all wet ingredients together.  Blend well.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing well.  The dough should be moist, and hold together fairly well when pinched.  If it's not moist enough, add more coconut milk 1 TBS at a time until you get a good consistency.  Scoop out with a spoon (I used an ice-cream scooper) and roll into balls.  Flatten them with your hand or fork and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min (or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops don't cave in when pressed).

Enjoy with fresh coconut cream on top of the cookie and some coconut or nut milk.