The Truth About Coffee

The truth about coffee? You have to find your own truth and do what works for you!!

It's no secret that I LOVE coffee and yes, caffeine. I have for as long as I can remember and I've gone back and forth on whether or not it's good for you. The truth is, you can find info on either side of the argument and as with anything else, you have to do what works for you.

>>Coffee is BAD<<

>>Coffee is GOOD<<

So, I'm done with my most recent break, but this time I'm using the healthiest options. We all need our vices, right? I've consulted with my D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and she suggests just 1 cup a day of organic, unflavored coffee only.

Do I have to tell you why organic? Besides the obvious that we're all aware of (GMO's, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.),  coffee is actually one of those crops that are very heavily sprayed with pesticides and those contribute to a wide range of health problems and risks. 

Have you ever wondered what they flavor your coffee with? If you like your coffee flavored like I do, it's best to flavor it yourself with "healthier" creamers / sweeteners that show you all of the ingredients. Often the stuff we put IN our cup of joe is worse than the coffee itself. 

Here are my most recent finds. Do you have your own "healthy" alternatives for your morning joe? Share them with us below!

Organic medium roast coffee beans from Costco.
Dairy free coconut creamer from Sprouts.

Cauliflower crusted pizza - first attempt - scored!!

Ok, so maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty dang close.. because well, come on, THE KIDS LIKED IT!! And especially for Eddie, that's saying A LOT. His absolute FAVORITE food is pizza and he has really missed it since going Paleo. I'm so happy to find some pizza that he can eat again - happy kids, happy mom!! :)

It's funny because my cooking almost always comes out the best when it's not planned or measured. So, I'll give you my best shot at sharing what I did tonight. If you try it, please let me know how it works out for you!

I'd also like to add, that our *official* Paleo Cooking at Home program is over. Tomorrow Eddie has an appointment with our family osteopath and we will be discussing diet further with her. There are definitely some things we'll be keeping around, such as some meats.. and then of course we'll still indulge in our occasional "treats."

All in all, I have been extremely pleased with where our Paleo venture has taken us. I think all of us have benefited from it in some way or another. It has taken me back into the kitchen and I am going to be sharing lots more of my ventures in food with you again. It is something I have truly missed over the past year and where my passion truly lies.

So, here's that crazy crust I threw together! :)

Cauliflower Crusted Pizza

1 small head of cauliflower, blended in a food processor or Vitamix.

1/4 C whole flax seeds

1/4 C coconut flour
(you can use your own choices of flours: flax, almond, coconut, etc.)

1/8 C or less nutritional yeast

3 eggs

3 oz. tomato paste (optional)

2-3 tbsp. coconut oil

Salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together. It will have a thick, pasty texture.

Coat cooking sheet with plenty of coconut oil and spread the mixture thinly and evenly on pan.

Cook the crust by itself at 400* for about 20 minutes, until it begins to brown.

Take out and top with homemade pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. I was working with limited options tonight because I need to go shopping. I used a cheese blend because it was all I had, but I prefer shredding my own mozzarella. 

Bake again at 400* for about 10-15 minutes. 

Because this isn't your typical pizza dough, you might not be able to pick it up with your hands to eat it. It just depends on your toppings, your cooking sheet and how your oven cooks it. Either way, you should be able to serve easily with a spatula and ENJOY!! :)

Got veggie protein?

I was so excited when All Pro Science contacted me to try their veggie based protein. As a vegetarian, the same old sources of protein powder can get quite boring. So, I researched their products along with all of the ingredients and I was in! I especially love their tag line: "All Natural. Nothing to Hide!" It's true.

I have to admit, I was still weary. Even though I already know and believe that we get plenty of what we need from what Mother Nature provides, I wasn't sure just how veggie protein could actually come out tasting good. And I was VERY pleasantly surprised!! I tried the french vanilla flavor and this was definitely better than any whey protein I've ever had. Smooth, creamy and pleasantly rich (not too rich) in flavor!

And then there was the super foods... these are sure to taste strange, right? ;) Nope! Only more delicious nutrition! These are a great addition to a quick smoothie on the go..

I highly recommend checking out All Pro Science - the All Natural Choice!

AND I'm super stoked to let you know that APS is offering my lovely followers a 30% discount using promo code: hh30

Let me know how you like it! :)

*I must note that I'm not a believer in replacing meals. I believe that we should feed our bodies with whole foods from the Earth as much as we possibly can. AND I do think that shakes and smoothies are a great choice for snacks and/or supplementation when we're on the go in our busy lives.

Reading Labels

A crucial piece to optimizing your health is knowing what you're putting in your body. One of the places you can start is learning to read labels. In a perfect world, nothing we eat would have a label to begin with. While I believe that is something we should all strive for, it would be unrealistic to assume that everyone eats that way. So, here are some of the key pointers when looking at food labels so that you can be sure that what you're eating is REAL food and not laden with chemicals and preservatives - all of which can prolong and divert your healthful goals - whether those may be to lose weight, to regain or just maintain your health.

INGREDIENTS: The longer the list, the better off you are without it. Why? Because you probably can't pronounce half of the things on the list, which means you probably don't know what they are. If you don't know what something is, look it up and you'll be sure to not want to eat them after all. Knowing is half the battle!

I used to be addicted to chips. When I started getting serious about my health, that was the first thing to go. I don't think all chips need to be red-taped, but if their ingredients list looks something like this, you should think twice. This is not whole food.

Some ingredients to avoid:
MSG
BHT
Aspartame
Trans fat
High fructose corn syrup
Artificial sweeteners
Artificial colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc.)
Enriched flour
Textured soy
Hydrogenated oils
Autolyzed and hydrolyzed yeast extracts



So, what IS acceptable? Most likely that answer is going to be different for everyone, depending on your goals and preferences; whether you're a meat eater, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. But I think there are a few universal things to look for.

SUGARS / SWEETENERS (<<click here for a list of sweeteners in disguise): Processed and refined sugars come in MANY shapes, sizes, names and disguises. Generally, I prefer raw honey, stevia and xylitol because those are the ones that I know to be less or not processed. I also know that there is still debate on some of those. If you can get your sweet fix from adding fresh fruit to your dishes instead, it's MUCH better and healthier for you. On a label though, I would look to see where "sugars" sit in the list. The further down they are, the less there is of it. Then I would check the grams. Always, less (or none) is best. 

This is my idea of a good looking label. These are from Flackers. Whole seed crackers; no added sugars or flours; no mysterious ingredients.

FLOURS / STARCHES: A lot of people ask what breads are best. Personally, I might have bread once every couple weeks. And when I do, I opt for 100% whole grain and if I can I choose sprouted (found at most health food stores). Ezekial is one of the best that I know of. Breads (and crackers) are commonly loaded with ingredients to avoid: enriched flours, high fructose corn syrup and other sugars. Here's a nice looking bread:

Reading the ingredients list is a perfect place to start learning about what's in your food and what you're putting in your body. The more you know, the bigger your desire becomes for whole, real, FRESH foods. And in turn, the better you will start to feel.

The closer a food is to the way Mother Nature made it, the better. 

If the Earth made it, eat it - if man made it, don't. 

Thanks for reading, and please let me know if you have any questions or things you'd like to add.

Yours in Health,

~Mimi~