Creating a healthy and purpose-driven life.
While Christmas may be over, it’s ALWAYS a good time for pumpkin bread!
I was out of chocolate chips, but wanted something more than a simple pumpkin bread. I found some dried cranberries and pecans in my pantry and thought they would make a great substitution…..
and I was right!
It’s that time of the year again when cozying up with a hot cup of cocoa while wearing reindeer slippers and watching the same Hallmark Channel movie for the 100th time is common place.
I love hot chocolate as much as the next person, but I LOVE that this recipe that I’m about to share is one that is healthy enough for you to enjoy daily! It’s lower in sugar and has more protein than most commercial hot chocolate mixes out there. (I’ll do a comparison of Swiss Miss and my favorite protein for hot chocolate in a later post.)
One of the first habits I implemented when I found out I had hormonal imbalances was increasing my protein intake. I had learned all about balancing your blood sugar and to do that, upping your protein intake was recommended.
My problem was that I didn’t know how to do that. I know I’m not alone in that.
The idea of consuming 30g of protein per meal to reach a total amount of 80-120g of protein per day seemed like an impossible feat.
You know what DOES have a ton of protein though? A can of tuna. And I was on a total tuna salad kick, especially the one from Whole Foods that had dried cranberries and pecans added to it. The combination of sweet, salty, and tangy really did the trick for me.
When I tell you that these are the simplest individual cheesecakes to fix, I’m making no exaggeration. They literally are just that.
For me cheesecake is a controversial topic. The New York style cheesecake is super heavy and not my cup of tea (but don’t get me wrong, I’ll still eat it), while German cheesecake is more light and fluffy. You also definitely can eat more than one slice of German cheesecake, which is a total bonus, since it doesn’t weigh you down as much as the American one does.
Anybody else a fellow Francophile? I was scrolling through my instagram when I saw THE picture. The epitome of French class. The insta-famous scene of a slender woman enjoying a beautiful breakfast spread on a balcony with a stunning older railing overlooking a glamorous and classic street full of buildings that look like they could be from the 17th or 18th century. And of course on a weekend, that induces awe-inspiring feelings of jealousy, which meant that obviously I had to create my own spread.
But let me tell you – I don’t do well with croissants or high-sugar items like jams or jellies, so creativity was the name of the game. Instead of making a typical French breakfast, I made something that would still feel luxurious but was in line with my health goals. That meant no refined sugar, no wheat, no dairy and high in nutrients. Which is NOT easy. Thank goodness for protein powder baked good recipes!
This baby dutch pancake is delish! It’s so ridiculously simple to fix, that it’s hard to believe. PLUS, it’s high in protein, low in sugar and in calories! So you can have a ton of toppings, a latte on the side and enjoy every bite and sip.
My Dad’s favorite cake is carrot cake. Can you blame him? There’s something very American about carrot cake, and it always has a hint of childhood when you bite into it. I can even usually justify eating a slice or two because of all of the veggies it has in it – has to be healthy, right?
It’s my favorite season of the year! With fall come all of the fall-themed festivals, holidays and goodies. Last year I had wanted to fix something that was semi-borderline healthy, and was Halloween-appropriate. Unfortunately I never found the ghost cookie cutter I had been looking for, but only found this baby foot cookie cutter that I promptly decided to turn in order to make it look like it’s shaped like a ghost (when genius strikes, it strikes well).
It is summer, and summer means lemonade, which means I’m eating anything and everything related to lemons. Honestly I’ve been contemplating fixing a lemon poundcake, but so far the reasonable side of me has won that debate. Instead I’ve been playing around with healthier recipes. As always, I like to incorporate anything that has added nutritional value – so what better than protein and chia seeds? So on the top of my list was a summery lemon chia pudding recipe!
Hello everyone!
Let me tell you, being low-sugar is NOT easy for me. However, I do feel like it’s helped me a lot. I’ve had clearer skin, better digestion, no sugar crashes, and less cravings. Every once in a while I’ll give in to temptation and say to heck with it and have a scoop of ice cream but the effects are almost immediate – the sugar craving monster strikes again and what was one scoop of ice cream turns into a whole pint consumed! I never thought I’d be the one to say that watching my sugar intake would be my thing but it has become a new part of my everyday life. Of course this means I’ve been on a hunt for healthier versions of treats, and found one that is SO good that it’s hard to believe how good it is for you!
It’s almost fourth of July! I know my instagram feed has already been preparing for next week with pictures of sparklers, red-white-and-blue smoothie bowls and a variety of other foods. A few months back we were on the road and passed by a fireworks stand and I made sure to stop and grab some sparklers. In Germany we’d use sparklers for various special occasions, usually New Year’s Eve, so it always seems odd not to have them around that time of year. This time however I can’t wait to grab them for the day that every American so joyously celebrates.