Baked Grapefruit with Cinnamon Coconut Whip

No Sugar Update: During the holidays (or should I say all of December), I indulged in some non-paleo goods. The result? My face broke out. My forehead, chin, cheeks! It wasn’t nice at all. After my yoga class today, another practitioner complimented my skin and asked what my skin care routine is. My answer: Bikram Yoga, Water and Paleo. I am just 11 days into my 100 day real food challenge and 7 days into the 21 day sugar detox and my skin has cleared up again and it feels great. This is my post-bikram face: Un-caked. Un-edited. Raw. No moisturizers, just lip balm. One of many reasons why I follow a Paleo lifestyle. Real food heals!

The no-sugar has been challenging but I have noticed some small, yet positive changes. Short term pain, long term gain! My taste buds are definitely changing and I had a couple of headaches early on in the week, but everything feels stable now. I have been trying to get creative with my food on this detox. Made these little lovely baked grapefruit with cinnamon coconut whip. Delightful.

Baked Grapefruit with Cinnamon Coconut Whip

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 grapefruit
• Optional: toppings (crushed nuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, roasted cacao nibs)
• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut grapefruit in half and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet
3. Sprinkle grapefruit with cinnamon
4. Top with toppings (optional)
5. Bake for 12 minutes
6. Top or smother with coconut whipped cream

Cinnamon Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Place coconut milk in fridge and leave over night
2. Place a steel mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes
3. Remove coconut milk from fridge, and scoop the coconut cream only (save liquid for smoothies) and place in the frozen bowl
4. Add cinnamon and whip together!

ENJOY! 🙂

CocoFlax Banana Cookies

It’s August already!? Where has the time gone… I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I have been focused on frivolously documenting my cycles. If you can recall, I talked about ditching the pill a few posts back. It has been two months since coming off the pill and I have been on one heck of an emotional roller coaster (a complete understatement)!

So far, my cycles have returned to a “normal” 28- to 29-day cycle, which has completely surprised me considering I was on the pill for over a decade. I wholeheartedly attribute this to eating clean. 100%

Although my cycles have returned to a somewhat normal state and my diet has been pretty clean, I have still experienced and continue to experience many, many mood swings (my boyfriend can attest to this) and physical changes to my body. My hormones are trying to balance itself out and until my hormones are in a happy equilibrium, I will keep reminding myself to “trust the process.”

I’m learning more and more about my body and how it should function naturally, which is amazing in itself. There are times that I am completely frustrated with this process, but I know that coming off the pill has been one of the best decisions I could make for my body.

I have been incorporating foods and supplements (like flax, chia seeds, chlorella, chasteberry, evening primrose oil, castor oil packs, etc.) into my daily routine to help with my road to hormonal recovery — thanks to the guidance and support of my trainer, Liz.

Here is a quick recipe for a yummy treat which includes flax. Paleo-friendly. Vegan-friendly. Even 21 day sugar detox friendly, if you use green-tipped bananas! Give these a try and let me know how they go! 🙂

Soft and Chewy CocoFlax Banana Cookies

Yields: 12 cookies

Ingredients
– 2 bananas (use green-tipped if doing a 21 day sugar detox)
– 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut
– 2 tbsp ground flax (optional)

You can also mix in nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Using a hand blender/blender/food processor blend banana and shredded coconut
3. If using mix-ins, add them now, but use a spatula and gently mix
4. Using a tablespoon, roll cookie mixture into a ball, then flatten into a disc
5. Bake for 20 minutes on a parchment lined baking tray
6. Enjoy! 🙂

If anyone is curious to know what is in my green smoothie today, I blended:
– 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
– 1/2 an avocado
– generous handful of spinach
– 3/4 cup of coconut milk
– 1 tsp chlorella
– 1 tbsp of ground flax

Lemon Coconut Power Bites

When I started eating Paleo, I depended on Larabars as a quick snack for those times I couldn’t eat and needed some energy (for example: at work). Larabars can get pretty expensive, so I started making my own version.

Here is a recipe for “Larabar-like” power bites that are not only cost effective and yummy, but only uses 5 ingredients! I brought these to the Raptors vs Nets Playoff Game 7 yesterday to share with some of my 30 Day Paleo Challengers who had some amazing willpower! Still recovering from that heartbreaking loss 😦

This is my friend Kelly & I on Day 4 of our challenge, keeping it Paleo at the game amongst fast food. Willpower! Fail to plan, plan to fail! 🙂

#wethenorth

Back to the powerbites… These powerbites are Whole 30 compliant (for me), Paleo & Vegan Friendly.

5 Ingredient Lemon Coconut Power Bites

Ingredients

– 1/2 cup of raw almonds
– 1/2 cup of cashews
– 1 1/2 cups of pitted dates (semi-soft)
– 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (up to 2 tablespoons if you want it more tart)
– zest of one lemon
– 1 1/2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut

*Note: you can substitute the nuts with any combination you like (almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamia, hazelnuts, etc), just make sure it equals 1 cup.

Instructions
1. Place almonds and cashews in a food processor and process until you get small pieces (I used my Nutribullet)
2. Place dates, lemon juice and lemon zest in a food processor/blender/nutribullet and process until dates are broken down
3. Place nuts, blended down dates & shredded coconut in a bowl and mix until combined well
4. Grease a 9×9 baking dish or pan and press mixture into a baking pan
5. Top with shredded coconut
6. Chill in the fridge or freezer until firm
7. Once chilled, cut into squares or bars. Alternatively, you can also press them in a mini muffin tray for a two-bite snack, as seen below!

🙂

#lifebymich

Overnight Coconut Chia Pudding

I love spending time in the kitchen to cook, but my schedule does not always permit me to do so. With working 12-hour days, maintaining a regular wellness routine, trying to have a social life and ensuring I get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I have to plan out my meal prep days. I`m a big advocate of meal prep (more on this later)! Meal prepping allows me to cook a few times a week and not to mention, it keeps me on track. Fail to plan, plan to fail!

My meal prep days vary each week in order to accommodate my crazy work schedule. When my weeks are busy, I like to prepare foods that are convenient. I often make food in bulk, use a slow cooker or prepare foods that are effortless, such as this quick and easy, yet delicious, Overnight Coconut Chia Pudding. If you are tired of bacon and eggs for breakfast (this does not apply to me), try this great alternative!

This recipe is vegan & paleo friendly.

Overnight Coconut Chia Pudding

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients
– 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (I like to use Native Forest or Aroy-D)
– 2 tbsp of chia seeds
– 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
– Optional: 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder (for a chocolate version)
– Toppings: Fruit, Nuts, Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, Cacao Nibs, whatever you like!

*NOTE: You can use a sweetener if you wish, but I prefer it without

Instructions
1. Place full-fat coconut milk, chia seeds & pure vanilla extract in a mason jar (something that can be covered) & mix well
2. Put jar in fridge to sit overnight
3. Top as desired & EAT!

*Note: You will need to warm it up for about 30-45 seconds before eating 

🙂

#lifebymich