This breakfast is delicious but even more importantly is packed with anti-inflammatory, immune-supporting goodness that keeps you full for hours. It’s fresh and zingy but really filling. If you like your smoothie thinner, add more liquid. If you prefer it thicker add less liquid and eat from the glass with a spoon like I do – yum!
It also has protein which your body needs in order to make antibodies to ward off infections. See below for more details of how this smoothie helps your immune system.
For 1 hungry adult:
1 scoop/2 rounded dsp of Sun Warrior Warrior Blend protein powder or other protein powder of your choice (e.g. pea protein, sprouted rice protein, or for for a dairy option, Solgar Whey to Go Vanilla) If you don’t have protein powder, make sure to use more avocado and seeds to keep you fuller longer
200ml unsweetened milk of your choice: almond, hemp, coconut milk, home-made kefir, milk
1 small/medium pear, washed
2.5cm of peeled sliced fresh ginger (slice it across the grain to avoid long fibres in your brekkie!)
1 level tsp ground turmeric (or half a thumb of peeled fresh turmeric, sliced)
Rounded tbs ground seeds e.g. linseed or a blend (e.g. pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and linseed). If you don’t have seeds you could use nuts, either ground or soaked overnight
Optional: 1/4 ripe avocado (use more if you don’t have protein powder)
Optional: a teaspoon of lecithin granules (helps you digest fats and feeds your brain)
Optional (for extra sweetness): pure stevia drops, erythritol or xylitol to taste, or a little honey
1. Remove stalk from the pear, cut up the rest (seeds and all) and throw in the liquidiser.
2. Add the liquid and then other ingredients. Blitz for a minute until smooth. Enjoy.
Why this smoothie is good for you: Turmeric, ginger and avocados contain the natural anti-inflammatories curcumin, gingerol and vitamin E. So if you want to get rid of annoying skin conditions or boost your digestive wellness these are fantastic things to add to your everyday eating.
Flax seeds and pears contain soluble fibre which feeds the beneficial bacteria that support your resistance to infections both viral and bacvterial. Ginger is anti-viral too. Ginger and turmeric selectively encourage growth of good bugs in your gut.
Because this breakfast is rich in protein, beneficial oils and low in sugars (from fruit) it helps regulate blood sugar to keep your energy, concentration and mood even throughout the morning. Like all meals, this shouldn’t be gulped down – you need to “chew” all your food to mix it with saliva and digest it properly. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, great for moisturising skin and body from within. Yoghurt and kefir provide friendly bacteria important for a healthy digestion, clear skin and stable mood. Fermenting makes the milk easily digested, removing the casein (dairy protein) that triggers food sensitivities in so many people. Lecithin granules help emulsify (digest) fats and are a great source of phospatidyl choline. Pho. choline is only found in egg yolks, lecithin and organ meats and are essential for memory.
I have to admit I was dubious about making this cake because it contains no grains. I couldn’t believe it could be as nice as the wheaty carrot cake I used to make before I learned I was coeliac. But this one is lovely and moist and not as fiddly to make. The icing is phenomenal whether you go for the dairy-free or the dairy-laden option. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly from the one on “Wheat Belly” by cardiologist William Davis. He writes about why humans are totally unsuited to eating gluten and how you can enhance your health by cutting grains. The original recipe uses double the sweetener for the cake, but I found that a bit sickly. If you (or your kids) have a massive sweet tooth though, feel free to double it…
For 10 generous servings:
Cake:
125g coconut flour
90g xylitol or erythritol
2 tbs grated orange zest*
1 rounded tbs ground flaxseeds
2 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
1 rounded tsp ground allspice
1 rounded tsp grated/ground nutmeg
1 rounded tsp gluten-free baking powder (this is usually free of toxic additives)
Pinch Himalayan salt/Atlantic sea salt
4 large eggs, organic if possible
105g coconut oil, gently melted
200ml natural soya yoghurt, natural yoghurt or kefir
100ml full fat coconut milk (tinned is fine)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (not “essence” unless you are happy to eat gluten)
160g (2 cups) finely grated carrots
110g pecans, chopped (or use walnuts)
23-25cm circular or square springform baking tin
Electric cake mixer or whisk
Icing (vegan or standard cheese base):
1 tbs lemon juice or home made kefir
1 tbs xylitol/erythritol (or more, to taste, if you want it sweeter)
200g plain Coyo (dairy-free yoghurt) for dairy-free/paleo diets OR ricotta cheese if you want to eat dairy
Alternative kefir cheese icing (kefir is tolerated by most dairy-sensitive people):
200g kefir cheese (made by straining kefir through muslin/nut milk bag to remove the watery “whey”)
2 tbs xylitol
Optional: zest of a lemon
*If you don’t use organic oranges, there will be pesticide residues on the peel. So put your oranges into a litre of water, add 2 tbs vinegar and leave for at least 20 minutes before scrubbing well (to remove the chemicals). This trick also works for cleaning vegetables (leafy greens can just be soaked and washed off after).
1. Preheat oven to 170C (155C fan) and grease the baking tin with coconut oil.
2. To make the cake: combine the coconut flour, erythritol, xylitol, orange zest, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix by hand.
3. Beat together the eggs, gently melted (just hand hot) coconut oil, yoghurt or kefir, coconut milk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the coconut flour mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the carrots and pecans by hand. Pour the mixture into the baking tin.
4. Bake for around 1 hour checking after 45 mins. When a toothpick/skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean it’s done. You want the cake to remain moist. Much better slightly undercooked than over, I promise!
5. To make the icing: combine the Coyo or ricotta with the lemon juice and xylitol in a bowl and beat until smooth. If you’re making the kefir cheese based icing omit the lemon juice and optionally add the zest of a lemon.
6. Spread the icing over the top of the cooled cake.
Why this cake is better for you: As you probably know any food that’s cooked above 100c generates toxic by-products (though less so if you don’t use sugar or polyunsaturated oils). That’s why a raw or just gently cooked diet (nothing above 100c) helps keep you younger longer, lowers inflammation and generally helps your body. That said, who doesn’t occasionally want something like a cake? This one is ideal as it’s grain free and protein rich. This means it doesn’t cause the fluctuations in blood sugar that fuel inflammation and can trigger skin issues, fatigue or dips in brain function. Coconut, unlike most oils, is still good for you even when it’s been heated. Roll on full-fat coconut milk! The low fat stuff is filled with emulsifiers and lacks the good stuff. Xylitol is what’s called a sugar alcohol and is 1.6 times as sweet as sugar but with half the calories. It’s not absorbed by your body so it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. It’s generally deemed to be safe. If you have a very sensitive bowel, go cautiously with xylitol because it can be hard for some people to deal with in large quantities. Guideline: just a slice, and not the whole cake in one sitting! If you use Coyo yoghurt (or kefir) in the icing, you will also be getting a boost of friendly bacteria in this delicious cake to boost vitality and wellbeing.
This is a great breakfast (or any meal) and is super fast. The kippers are left to stand in boiling water for a few minutes while you grill the courgettes and tomatoes, simple…
I like to remove the skin of the kipper before cooking because otherwise it causes the fish to curl up unattractively. But if you don’t care about that, don’t bother. You could also have the lovely vegetables more simply with a small smoked mackerel or trout fillet – no need for the pan of water.
1 small kipper (smoked herring) fillet, skin removed with a sharp knife
1 medium courgette, sliced lengthways into strips around ½ cm thick
2 medium tomatoes, halved, woody bit removed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoons dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Boil the kettle. While the kettle is heating up place a small pan on a medium heat to warm before putting in the kipper and pouring on enough boiling water to cover. Take off the heat and leave to poach in the hot water for about 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat the grill. Place the courgettes and tomatoes on a baking sheet or on the grill rack and cook until just softened. You are not looking for everything to be squishy, just heated through and softened slightly.
3. Arrange on a plate, sprinkle with olive oil to taste and scatter the dried oregano over the tomatoes.
4. Serve with the kipper.
Why this is good for you: Kippers are smoked herrings. Because herrings are a wild cold water fish, they are rich in essential omega 3 fats you need for healthy skin and hair. Omega 3 helps prevent your blood from clotting too much and this helps bring more blood and nutrients to the whole of your body. Oregano, even dried, is high in antioxidants (provided you store it away from light and air) and has anti-fungal, anti-yeast and anti-microbial properties against bad bacteria in your gut. “Bad” bacteria and yeast are a major cause of skin problems and weight issues. They can be lowered, and good bacteria encouraged, by what you eat every day. Tomatoes and courgettes are a rich source of beneficial fibre and (more) antioxidants, which protect our bodies from inflammation and delay the ageing process. This breakfast is very light on carbohydrates (sugars) and free from grains so its super-healthy.
A blob of this will turn your just-grilled or baked fish or chicken and some steamed vegetables into a feast. It’s also lovely on a plain oatcake with (if you eat dairy) a few crumbled pieces of goat/sheep feta cheese on top. You could also stir it into humous, to make it extra fancy. Once of the things I love about these home-made pestos is they last a LOT longer than if you just leave the fresh herbs in the fridge. The garlic and virgin olive oil in this one help preserve the mint. My batch lasted 10 days in the fridge. Don’t forget to cover the pesto in a layer of olive oil in the jar – this stops the air from making it go brown. If you prefer, use all walnuts, or a mixture of seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower, to make the pesto.
30g almonds
15g walnuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
40g mint leaves (about 1 big bag)
20g parsley, stalks removed
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for covering
1. Blitz everything together in a mini food processor until it’s as smooth as you like it. Personally I prefer it a bit “rustic” so I often blitz everything except the nuts, until smooth, and only add the nuts at the end, to retain a rough texture. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a bit more olive oil.
2. Decant into a clean screw top glass jar. If you are not going to use this straight away, add a layer of olive oil on top to stop everything going brown. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Why this is good for you: Mint helps soothe your digestive system and reduce gas (flatulence!). It suppresses pathogenic (disease-causing bacteria) in your gut and also in your mouth (for fresher breath). Garlic has similar anti-bacterial properties and preferentially encourages good bacteria to multiply. This is all good news for anybody who wants to get their digestive system into tiptop shape, who has skin problems, or who has any inflammatory conditions. Garlic also helps support good liver function which is a cornerstone of having good skin. Raw extra virgin olive oil is a rich source of vitamin E. Vitamin E “recycles” vitamin C as an antioxidant in your body, making it more effective. Vitamin E is natures moisturiser and skin smoother. It also helps reduce your tendency to allergies such as allergic dermatitis, hives, hay fever or food sensitivities. Vitamin E helps keep your skin younger longer too.
This is gorgeous and super fast. I love this on a weekday when I come in late, hungry and don’t feel like spending more than 15 minutes cooking dinner. It works beautifully for small fillets/darnes of chicken, hake, salmon, or cod and I have used it for lamb chops too. Yum! Make up more then you need and store in an airtight jar somewhere dark, so it keeps its precious volatile oils and flavours.
For two:
1/2 tsp chilli powder (or a whole teaspoon if you use very mild chilli)
1 tsp Himalayan or Atlantic Sea Salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs each of:
Coarsely ground black pepper
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Ground coriander
2 x small (100g) chicken fillets, 130g-150g darnes/fillets of salmon/white fish or 4 lamb centre loin chops
For cooking:
Juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon (or a little olive oil if you don’t have lemon)
Mix everything well and store in an airtight jar away from light and heat until ready to use.
When you want to cook the meat or fish, pour some of the spice blend onto a plate. Rub with a little lemon juice on your meat/fish. Dip/roll the meat or fish in the spice mix until totally coated on all sides.
Cook in the oven on an oaked baking sheet or under the grill.
Oven: 1/2 an hour at 180C for small chicken fillets, 15 minutes for fish fillets
Grill: Around 7 minutes each side for chicken or around 3-4 minutes each side for fillets or darnes of salmon, hake or cod.Serve with:
2-3 cups steamed broccoli, green beans, runner beans or peas per person, dressed with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a knob of coconut oil.
A large mixed salad of green leaves, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumber or courgettes, dressed with one of my salad dressings from this blog.
Why this is good for you: Herbs and spices are a fantastic way to get even more taste and vitality into your day. They are antioxidant, anti inflammatory, heal the digestive system (chillies can help heal ulcers!) and keep you younger longer by holding back the ageing process. Many help alleviate skin conditions by supporting your liver function. Black pepper contains piperine, a substance that increases your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals in the meal. Herbs and spices contain tens or hundreds of times more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables, weight for weight. Vegetables (and small amounts of fruit) are still a powerhouse for wellness but don’t forget the herbs and spices.
This is a delicious bright green soup and contains protein from the peas. It is a meal in itself and just the thing for a wintery Irish January day while you recover from the festive season splurge. It takes about 20 minutes to make and it freezes well. Dried herbs won’t really cut it in this soup, it just won’t taste great. I got the original recipe from Rose Elliot’s “Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking” but adapted it to use better-for-you oils and fats.
For 4:
15g butter or ghee (clarified butter, suitable for those with dairy intolerance), or if you don’t have either of these, 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
900g frozen peas (petits pois are the nicest)
1½ litre vegetable stock (make by boiling up chopped carrots, onions, cabbage or other green veg stalks, a leek and a bouquet garni) or use Kallo veg stock cubes/Marigold bouillon
A generous handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
To serve: extra virgin olive oil or natural yoghurt
1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the onion, sweat on a low heat, covered, until soft and translucent.
2. Wash your thyme, then find an elastic band or a piece of string and tie it in a bunch, this saves you spending ages fishing out stray twigs from the soup later. Set aside.
3. Add the peas to the saucepan and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring often. Pour in the stock/water, add the thyme, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for a few mins until the peas are done.
4. Find the bunch of thyme sprigs and roughly (with a spoon) separate the leaves (which you want) from the twigs (which you don’t). Leave the leaves in the soup and throw away the twigs.
5. Add the chopped fresh mint and process till smooth.
Serve with:
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about a teaspoon) or a blob of natural yoghurt on the top. For dairy-free diets, avoid yoghurt.
Variations:
If you want to increase the variety of vegetables in this soup you can add 1 large leek at the same time as the onion.
Why this is good for you: Peas are a great source of vegetable protein so this is a good sustaining soup and a perfectly balanced meal even on its own. The protein and the fats will keep you full for ages. Like all intensely green vegetables, peas are also rich in magnesium. You need magnesium for stress management, sleep, detox and even weight loss. This soup avoids harmful refined oils (most cooking oils). Refined oils are found in shop confectionery, biscuits and cakes, processed foods and all cooking oils except cold-pressed or extra virgin oils. Heating virgin cold pressed nuts/seed oils makes them harmful. Olive oil can be gently heated, and virgin coconut oil/ghee/butter are safe for cooking at higher temperatures. Marigold, Vecon or Kallo are better quality stock cubes than most. Thyme has powerful antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties which slow ageing and tune up the health of your digestive system. Mint helps calm and soothe your whole digestive system.
We had this for dinner last night – what a lovely change after all the festive overindulgence….
This recipe is great with fillets of lemon sole or monkfish. You could also use cod or hake though these do have a tendancy to break up more easily (so don’t stir during cooking or they will go to mush). Thai Curry paste from Western companies like Sharwoods is less hot then that from Asian shops so choose whatever you prefer. This recipe is also good made with shelled king prawns which can be cooked from frozen (but don’t cook for more than a few minutes or they will become tough!).
For two:
2 medium white fish fillets (about 130-150g each), skinned and cut into bite sized cubes
1 large onion, roughly chopped or a bunch of spring onions, cut in 2cm lengths
200g frozen peas (for alternative, using courgettes, see below)
2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2-3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste (or yellow/red if you don’t have green)
1 small tin coconut milk (165ml tin from Asian shops/good supermarkets)
Juice of 1 small lime (or use the juice of half a lemon)
2-3 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh coriander if you have it
Optional: 1 dsp of Thai fish sauce
1. In a wide bottomed saucepan or frying pan on a medium heat mix the coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce if using, and stir until smooth
2. Add the onion and cook, covered, till softened (about 8-10 mins for white onions, about 3 minutes for spring onions).
3. Add the garlic, peas (breaking the lumps up), courgette if using, and fish to the mix in the pan and stir well to coat everything in sauce. If the mixture looks a little less saucy then you would like or looks like drying out, add a tablespoon of water (the fish will give off liquid during the cooking too).
4. Cover with a lid or a plate simmer for about 5 minutes until the fish is opaque.
5. Squeeze over the lime (or lemon) juice, and sprinkle on the coriander.
Serve with:
Low carb or SC Diet: https://annacollins.ie/cauliflower-rice/
OR
Grains (not suitable for SC Diet):
Brown basmati or long-grain rice cooked with ½ teaspoon of turmeric to give a beautiful golden colour.
100% buckwheat noodles (Health stores/Asian shops)
Variation:
We ran out of peas the other night and used a couple of large courgettes instead. Sliced into 1cm disks and added 5 mins after the onions, they are delicious too.
Ketogenic diet option:
Avoid using the peas and instead use courgettes, and don’t use rice or noodles instead. As a cheat, you could use “zero” or “slim” noodles from Asian shops or health stores, which are made from konjac. Konjac helps feed good bacteria in your gut, which can aid weight loss. Konjac is not absorbed or digested by your body, so they effectively have zero calories!!
Why this is good for you: Herbs, spices (in curry paste) and garlic give a huge boost to your health, helping detoxification, reducing inflammation and delaying ageing (great news for any of us over 30!). If you want beautiful, clear skin and a healthy digestive system, cooking daily with herbs, garlic and spices is a winner. All green vegetables are rich in magnesium, which also helps us to relax, sleep well and feel upbeat. Coconut milk is high in good fats called medium chain triglycerides which are great for energy, being burned off by your body instead of being stored in fat cells. Coconut also contains lauric acid and caprylic acid, both of which help prevent excessive yeasts and “bad” bacteria in your gut. Coriander helps bind (and safely remove) toxins in your digestive system, especially mercury which you ingest (every time you eat) if you have old-fashioned silver-coloured dental fillings. Cooking at low temperatures like this (100C or less), instead of frying or roasting, keeps more nutrients in your food too.
This is a nice, comforting weekday recipe and is great value too. It freezes well to give you a stash of ready meals.
Indian lentil dhal
For 3 See “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
1 rounded dsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 pint boiling water (or water leftover from steaming vegetables)
1 tsp Dr Coy’s Vegetable Bouillon (for SC Diet). Otherwise Kallo low salt veg stock cube (optional) or 1level tsp Vecon vegetable bouillon
28g creamed coconut, grated or chopped up – or 2 tbs thick tinned full fat coconut milk
Black pepper
1 level tsp (teaspoon) turmeric
1 rounded tsp garam masala (from Asian shops or make your own by grinding 25 g each of cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns in a coffee grinder or mini food processor to a fine powder)
225g/1 cup/230ml red lentils
Optional: a handful of fresh (rinsed and destalked) coriander leaves to garnish
Put onions, oil, 1 tsp water into a saucepan, cover and sweat 5 mins until onions are softened.
Add spices, garlic, cook 2 mins. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is dry.
Stir in the lentils, cook 1 min, add the boiling water. NB Don’t add stock cube or salt-containing vegetable bouillon before lentils are cooked or they will toughen and take forever.
Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 mins or until soft.
Meanwhile dissolve the veg stock cube or bouillon if using in a little boiling water. Stir the chopped/grated coconut or thick coconut milk and the dissolved stock cube (if using) into the cooked lentils until dissolved. The mixture should be soft but not sloppy.
Season to taste, adding more water if you want the mix thinner.
Scatter over the coriander leaves if using
Serve with:
At least 1/2 a plateful steamed greens and other vegetables per person (e.g. shredded cabbage, broccoli florets, mange tout peas, sugar snaps, green beans and cauliflower, sliced carrots or sliced/diced turnips) and optionally (if you’re NOT on SC Diet) a little brown rice
Why this recipe is good for you: Spices and herbs lower inflammation and delay the onset of wrinkles! Soluble fibre in lentils and beans feeds good gut bacteria needed for a healthy immune system, good digestive and bowel function and hormonal balance. This type of fibre lowers cholesterol, and helps eliminate used hormones and toxins by sticking to them in the gut, carrying them safely out through the bowels. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides that go to help energy production rather then being stored in your body as fat. These medium chain triglycerides are also helpful for brain function, especially for anyone experiencing age-related memory decline. Lentils and brown rice are also rich in B vitamins needed for energy production, libido, stress control and mood. Deficiency of B vitamins is common if you are stressed or regularly eat refined foods, stimulants or drink excess alcohol.
These are a simple-to-make confection from Sarah Jane White, whose book, The Extra Virgin Kitchen, is a favourite of mine. I made them today and they turned out a totally delicious treat that’s bright green. As the author says, they are idiot-proof. Although you are supposed to freeze them I didn’t bother and just chilled them down to harden them a bit. Yum!
If you are gluten-free, remember that vanilla “essence” can contain gluten while vanilla extract (made from actual vanilla) is gluten-free.
Buy matcha green tea powder in Asian shops or health stores.
Makes 16
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or a generous pinch of vanilla powder)
3 level teaspoons matcha green tea powder
125g desiccated coconut
2 tbs coconut flour
Pinch sea salt/Himalayan salt
3 rounded tbs coconut oil
2-4 level tbs honey
Pinch dried ground turmeric
Quick squeeze fresh lemon juice (2 dessertspoons, give or take)
Food processor
Line a flat plate or baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Add the ingredients to the food processor and blitz for 30 seconds, or until the mix starts to form a ball.
The next thing you want to do is shape the dough using 2 dessertspoons or small soup spoons. Scoop out a small spoonful of dough and form it into a mini macaroon or madeleine shape using both spoons. As Sarah Jane suggests, you could also use one of those special metric tablespoon you can buy from kitchen suppliers, to give a professional looking shape.
Freeze the macaroons until they are solid, then transfer to your fridge.
Why these are good for you: Green tea has health benefits as they are laden with antioxidant catechins. Green tea promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut which are helpful for clear skin, super-efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients. Good bacteria are also responsible for helping remove toxic chemicals and used-up hormones from your body quickly and safely. Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can be super-helpful for reducing stress or anxiety. Coconut oil is a great source of medium chain triglycerides. These help feed your brain and also supply ready energy to your body without being converted to fat! Lemon juice has antioxidant properties and helps boost liver function, to help rid you of all those natural and man-made toxins your body works to get rid of every minute of every hour.
This is a gorgeous, thick smoothie and really creamy. It’s my favourite breakfast at the moment. I like to make it so thick I can eat it with a spoon but that’s just me. To thin, add more non-dairy milk. Or more avocado to make it even thicker. The stevia drops are important here because otherwise there will not be the slightest hint of sweetness. I love this smoothie because it fits in well with a paleo way of eating, which makes me feel SO much more energetic. This smoothie will keep you going for hours because the good fats keep you fuller longer.
For 1 big eater
200 ml unsweetened additive-free coconut milk (or use 3 tbs full fat coconut milk from can and top up with water)
1 heaped tsp raw cocoa powder, organic if possible
1 tbs whole flax seeds, soaked overnight in half a cup of water (or use 1 dsp cold-milled flax seeds)
1/2 a ripe avocado
2 dsp protein powder (hemp protein or dairy-based Solgar Whey to Go from health stores or Sun Warrior protein powder which is already sweetened with stevia – you might not need more sweetening)
20 drops pure stevia (a non-toxic sweetener)
1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon for sprinkling
Throw everything in the liquidiser and blitz till well smooth. The flax seeds will give you some “bits” and texture. If you don’t like this, use finely ground flaxseeds instead. For an extra health boost and flavour, sprinkle with ground Ceylon cinnamon.
Variations:
For a change from chocolate, use 50g raspberries instead. If you are not on a ketogenic diet, you can add even more raspberries if liked. 50g raspberries contain 2.3g of carbohydrate.
You could use erythritol or xylitol to sweeten (not suitable for a very low carb/ketogenic diet)
Why this is good for you Avocados are a great source of vitamin E and monounsaturated oils. These help dampen inflammation, keep you fuller longer with their healthy fats, and keep your skin young and smooth. Raw organic cocoa is free of chemical contaminants and like, cinnamon, has powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help keep your digestive system well and reduce inflammation. A bit like long-acting paracetamol but without the dangerous side effects. cinnamon also has antioxidant action and also helps balance blood sugar. This is good news if you are diabetic, pre-diabetic, or struggle with energy peaks and slumps throughout the day. Flax seeds, especially when soaked, emit soluble fibre, a type of mucilage that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. These bacteria manufacture vitamin K (for healthy bones and wrinkle-free skin), and butyric acid which keeps the lining of your bowel healthy and free of tumours. High quality protein is important at breakfast because it keeps you satisfied and helps weight management. Having enough protein helps you be more resilient to stress, maintain muscle mass, and detoxify chemicals, hormones and waste products we make or take in all the time. Did you know that pure cocoa posder is classified as a spice – it’s packed with antioxidants, as is Ceylon cinnamon. If the packet says “cinnamon” then it’s not the useful Ceylon cinnamon, but cassia cinnamon, which does not have the health benefits and in large amounts over a long period of time, can have negative effects.
