Glimpse into choc chip banana bread

When you are grain free and gluten free, bread and cake textures are a distance memory! A recent discovery I made in a local health store was green banana flour. I have been experimenting with it, and it makes quite fluffy, baked treats.
This recipe is also dairy and egg free, so it can be a little dry once it has cooled. I find that it is yummy toasted or microwaved, and topped with mashed banana, strawberries or coconut butter.

Choc chip banana bread

1 cup green banana flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup choc chips
1/4 - 1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup banana, mashed
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 coconut oil
1 gelatin egg (1 tablespoon of gelatin dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water)
1 chia egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water)



Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Line loaf pan with baking paper.
Combine dry ingredients well.
Combine wet ingredients well.
Stir the two mixtures together. Pour into the lined pan.
Cook for 40 minutes, or til inserted skewer comes out clean.

Glimpse into ice magic

Here in Australia, everyone loves ice magic on their ice cream! This is chocolate sauce which hardens when poured on top of the cold ice cream. Here is a healthy, nutritious version, which is just as delicious!

Ice magic (1 serve)

1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of cocao
1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil

Adjust these basic quantities to suit your taste buds.

Glimpse into healthy icecream

An important part to our special Christmas recipe, which will be revealed in its entirety this Foodie Friday, is this amazing and delicious recipe...

 

Banana ice cream

Basically, this recipe is: FROZEN BANANAS! All that needs to be done, is slice up a banana for each serve, and freeze. When ready to serve, simply blend the slices in a powerful food processor.

It is delicious in this simple form, but of course, you can add healthy extras for different flavours. Here are some of my favourite combinations:

Glimpse into Wellness Wednesday - week 49 - Santa squats!

This week's Wellness Wednesday will focus on the squat, and in keeping with this month's festive theme, it will be called the Santa Squat!

The squat is an awesome exercise which involves the upper and lower body, in particular the butt, thighs, lower back and core. It burns calories, and strengthens and tones your muscles.

It is a tough exercise, so take it easy to begin with. I began with two seated squats, and very slowly worked up to being able to do about 5-10 squats. I can not go very low, but I am working on it. Remember that every time you add a little more movement to your day, the stronger you get, so do not worry about not being able to get low. (I have written more about this concept here.)

To commence, place you feet firmly on the floor, about shoulder width apart.
Your feet should not point straight ahead, but slightly outward.
Looking straight ahead, bend at your knees.

Start off by lowering yourself into a chair, like happy Santa, sitting down for his cookies after his

156, 987th chimney descent! When you are stronger, lower down as if you were about to sit in a chair. Do not let your knees go forward past your toes, and keep your heels on the floor.
Turn your ab muscles on (pull them in), and keep your back in a neutral position.

Lower yourself down and back, slowly. Tighten your body so that your movement is controlled. Extend your arms in front of you for balance. You may find it helpful to place your hands on a bar or chair in front of you. Go as low as you can; but not further than when your thighs are nearly parallel with the floor. Remember, start off with the smallest of drops if that is what you can do.

Come slowly back up to a standing position, and say "Ho! Ho! Ho!"

Glimpse into strawberry tea jelly

This month will be full of special posts to get us ready for the festive season! Just because you have restricted diets, or because you have chronic health issues, does not mean you have to miss out on the festive cheer! I will bring you ideas on how to be part of this Christmas season.

This week's extra posts will revolve around a surprise recipe which will be revealed in its entirety this Foodie Friday. The large (but easy) recipe will be broken down, and the first part of this recipe will be....

Strawberry tea jelly!

1 1/2 cups of boiling water
2 jasmine green tea bags
1 ginger tea bag
3 teaspoons of gelatin
1/4 cup of orange juice
2 cups of strawberries
1-3 tablespoons of maple syrup (optional)

1. Add the gelatin into the boiling water in a small bowl and stir constantly til it is dissolved.
2. Steep the tea bags in the boiling water and gelatin mix. Set aside til the tea is strong.
3. Blend the strawberries in a food processor.
4. Sieve the fruit puree into a large bowl, so that the strawberry seeds are removed.
5. Stir the orange juice into the strawberry puree.
6. Add the maple syrup if desired.
7. Remove the tea bags from boiling water. Pour the tea into the fruit mixture.
8. Stir until well combined. Cover the bowl with cling wrap.
9. Place the jelly mix into the fridge til set; at least 2 hours.

You can choose different teas, fruit and juice to use for the jelly, depending on your favourite flavours.

Glimpse into Motivation Monday - week 49 - enjoy the merry moments

Happy 1st of December! Welcome to the Summer (or the Winter, wherever you may be), and to the month of Christmas festivities. This month, our Motivation Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays and Foodie Fridays will have a festive theme.

 

To begin, this week's motivation is a quote from Dag Hammarskjold.

 "Time always seems long to the child who is waiting - for Christmas, for next summer, for becoming a grownup: long also when he surrenders his whole soul to each moment of a happy day."

 

Do not get so caught up in the excitement of what is ahead that you forget to live the moment which is happening to you in the present. It is good to have something to look forward to, but if you live in the future, you will miss the amazement of today. Make the most of every moment that is given to you.



Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 47 - banana

Today's Foodie Friday ingredient is the humble banana!!

These delicious fruits are a quick and easy hit of carbohydrates, which normalise blood sugar levels, and so are great for sustained energy, workout fuel, and maintaining a good mood and a clear and effective mind. Bananas are a great source of fibre, antioxidants and some important vitamins, such as B6 and C. They can even help prevent and fight some cancers. Due to their no fat, low salt and high potassium combination, they are a fantastic food for maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Bananas also have a pretty neat trick up their sleeve. Due to their low calorie content combined with their ability to be very filling, they have a high satiety index. This means it is fairly impossible to get fat on bananas! In terms of fructose content, bananas are safe for most of us on a fructose restricted diet. This is because the fructose and glucose content is fairly equal.

I use bananas in a lot of my baked treats and smoothies as they are a delicious thickener and a great egg replacement. They are also awesome by themselves, or sliced up with a few shakes of cinnamon on them. It is great to keep some sliced bananas in the freezer so that you always have some to use. Frozen bananas can be used in recipes such as "icecream", smoothies, or defrosted for cakes.


Here is a very simple recipe for you which you can knock up when 3:30-itis hits!!

Choc dipped bananas

1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of cocao
1 banana

Mix the oil, syrup and cocao til combined well. You may like to adjust the ratio to suit your taste preference.
Dip the banana into the mixture. The banana can be whole or sliced.

You may like to eat it as is, runny and straight out the bowl. Otherwise, try setting the chocolate by placing the dunked banana into the fridge or freezer til set to the desired firmness. Keep in mind that the banana may brown slightly. If you are not on a nut or seed free diet, you may like to also smear the banana with your favourite nut butter or tahini too!


Here are some other recipes on my blog which contain banana.

Choc banana quinoa cookies
Nut and seed banana bread
Spicy banana slab
Quinoa pancakes
Choc nut smoothie
Green smoothies

Glimpse into learning to live with chronic fatigue/ PosturalOrthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/ Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Now and again, someone stumbles across my blog who is new to dealing with chronic fatigue, or a friend of a friend points them in my direction for advice. This has made me think that it is time to do a summary post about some of what I have learned about dealing with certain issues so far on my journey.

Glimpse into Wellness Wednesday - week 46 - child pose

I have not been able to do as much yoga as I'd like for a while because I have been too fatigued and dizzy, but there is one move that is relaxing and beneficial that I can do when other moves are out of reach. It is the child pose, and it stretches the ankles, knees, thighs, hips and lower back, and relaxes the spine, neck and shoulders. It is calming, increases blood circulation to the head, and massages the internal organs.

Glimpse into Motivational Monday - SELF - week 46

 

Do not compare yourself to others. Use them as inspiration, but do not compete. You are the only person you need to get better than. Acknowledge what your own abilities are right now. Set a goal. Fight with every scrap of "oomph" you have to get to that point. Then set another goal.

You've got this.

Glimpse into reintroducing seeds and nuts on the Autoimmune Protocol

I have been eating within the Autoimmune Protocol now for three months. My gut feels happier on the whole, with less bloating and pain. I don't know that any massive symptom improvement has occurred in terms of my autoimmune conditions, so I am continuing on, though I wanted to try nuts and seeds and see if I could reintroduce them for their health benefits. If nothing else, I have seen the benefits of not sneaking in the odd bite of dairy, or a slice of gluten free bread containing egg for example. I know that I need to avoid the foods I am intolerant to and be strict with that, and then continue to test out the potential benefits of avoiding foods which can cause autoimmune flairs.

Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 45 - nut free pesto

I posted a pesto recipe on Instagram a while ago, and have also shared the pesto with friends a few times, and I keep getting requests for it to appear on the blog! With it being on my blog's instragram account, I kept thinking I had posted it! So here it is! Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm!

This pesto is nut free, but full of flavour. Make sure you stir it before serving, as the liquid can separate a little and become a tad runny.

Pesto 

1 cup of kale or spinach
2 cups of basil
1/4 - 1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-5 anchovies (to your desired taste)
1/4 cup of olive oil (add a few splashes of garlic oil too if you like)
1 pinch of salt


Optional add ins:

* 2 tablespoons of oregano
*1/2 cup coconut milk
*10 olives

Blend all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Serve with fresh sliced vegetables, such as carrots, cucumber and celery, or through a bowl of zoodles/zucchini "noodles" (or any other way that takes your fancy)!

Glimpse into Motivational Monday - APPRECIATE - week 45

When things get tough and life is not going the way you had hoped, it is easy to wonder what is the point of having dreams and plans. However, the worst thing you can do is to stop working for the way you want your life to be. Do your best to not give into filling your days with wishing for something, and feeling hard done by. No matter how much it hurts, get up and fight for it. Only you can achieve the life you want. At the same time, look around, and be amazed by what you are blessed with. Take in the view on the way up, and be thankful for the journey.

 

 

Glimpse into a Glimpsing Gembles online Book Club update

Over in the Glimpsing Gembles Book Club section of the blog, there are new posts up. We are currently discussing a book by Bryce Courtenay called "Smoky Joe's Café." There is also the announcement post for November/December's book choice. Pop over to join in the online book club! Everyone welcome.

http://glimpsinggemblesbookclub.blogspot.com.au/

Glimpse into week seven of the Autoimmune Protocol

I feel quite happy with my progress on the Autoimmune Protocol. If nothing else, I have decided that I am much better off not sneaking in the foods I know that am intolerant to (who knew?!). I have decided that I am going to continue to avoid grains, gluten, nightshades, sugar, and the foods I am intolerant to (dairy, wheat, peanuts, eggs and FODMAPs) indefinitely.

Glimpse into week six of the Autoimmune Protocol

Week six! This is flying by. I would say my progress this week is similar to last week's. I have had the added nuisance of regular nausea though, which I am frustrated and confused by!

Does anyone else have issues with meat, and different ways of cooking meat? I have had problems with slowed cooked and stewed meats for some time. Even the smell of them cooking makes me feel unwell. This week, as strange as it sounds, I think meat that has a stringy, fibrous texture is what might be causing the problem. I would love to hear anyone else's ideas about digestive issues with meat, why it occurs, and ways to overcome it.

Glimpse into week five of the Autoimmune Protocol, and starting Midodrine

This week began with a visit to a friend's place which involved food. I cut up a pile of carrots, celery, and cucumber, and created a pesto. It was simple, but I was able to cater for myself as well as bring something that other people would be interested in eating (though, placed on a table which was full of amazing looking (and smelling!) cakes and sausage rolls, I'd have not blamed a soul for not touching the rabbit food!!!)

Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 38 - AIP & FODMAP friendly green smoothies

As I mentioned in my update for week four of the autoimmune protocol, I am finding that green smoothies are a great start to the day.
I have previously done a post about green smoothies here. These are all AIP compatible, however you will need to skip the chia seeds, and use water, coconut water, or coconut milk for the liquid, instead of other milk alternatives.

Here are a few more which I have been enjoying of late.


The creamy delight:

A large handful of kale/spinach
1 stick of celery
1 frozen banana (sliced before freezing)
A few berries or pineapple
A few shakes of cinnamon
A big splash of coconut milk
Water (enough to create desired consistency)



The tropical juice:

A large handful of kale/spinach
1 celery stick
A large squeeze of lemon juice
A big chunk of fresh ginger
A small amount of fresh pineapple
Water (enough to create desired consistency)



The fierce zinger:

A large handful of kale/spinach
1 celery stick
1 kiwi fruit
A small chunk of fresh ginger
A few shakes of ground cinnamon
A few squeezes of lemon juice
Water (enough to create desired consistency)

Glimpse into week four of the Autoimmune Protocol

I can not believe it, but I have now completed one month of the AIP diet! Time flies when you're having (free of everything) fun!!! ;-) 

Magnifying Moments

~ See the good...a blanket placed over you when you have fallen asleep in a random spot from exhaustion 

~ Feel the happy...muddy paws of a blissed out puppy

~ Brighten your mind...the tiny grain tries to protect itself by being hard to digest - hence all humans have a certain degree of problem when consuming grains
~ Find the moment...cuddling my new little nephew

 

See the good (small things to be grateful for)

Feel the happy (small things to be happy about)

Brighten your mind (small things to be fascinated by)
Find the moment (small things to plan to see/do/feel)