We are really excited to introduce a new contributor here at Take Six.
Our friend, Gwyneth, and her family have changed their eating/baking habits this past year. I was so excited when she said she would share some recipes with us, because any recipe she has ever given me has been a keeper!
I asked her why she started changing the way they ate and her baking ingredients. This is what she told me.
"Three years ago I started experiencing skin rashes (even hives) that were very irritating. I decided to go to a Natural Dietitian to try and get some answers. He suggested that I eliminate sugars, wheat and any white starchy foods for six weeks and do a regime of vitamins. I started feeling much better. I went back to eating all grains and sugars again and from time to time would have flare ups of skin rashes and just not feeling well. This March I decided to eliminate all grains out of my diet. The rashes disappeared and I noticed my belly wasn't bloated all the time. I just felt better in general. By eliminating grains I had to explore a whole new healthier way of eating. We used to rely on toast for breakfast and now we have healthy smoothies. Instead of high sugar snacks we have nuts, etc. Meals consist of vegetables, sweet potatoes, potatoes and meat. I bake with coconut flour and almond flour that have protein and low sugar. I sweeten with Agave or Stevia when baking. Instead of bread crumbs I use ground flax seeds as replacement. My husband and kids follow the same diet and notice a difference. We also have cut back on dairy products and my teens have noticed their acne is almost eliminated. Of course, we did make a decision to continue with ice cream as a treat because it's just too delicious! Our family is simply noticing that we feel better when we avoid grains and sugars."
I'm sure you will enjoy her recipes as much as I have. Any questions? Leave them in the comment section and Gwyneth will answer them there. So don't forget to check back.
Enjoy the Grain Free Pumpkin Bars. Just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving! I'm making them this week! ~Tanya
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sifted coconut flour
1 cup almond flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
7 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 11×13 inch pan.
2. Stir together flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Combine eggs, honey, oil, pumpkin puree in a separate, large bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well mixed (I like to use a hand mixer).
5. Pour the batter into the prepared 11×13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. (Bars are done when you insert a toothpick or knife and it comes out clean.)
6. Cool completely. Serve plain or frost.
Enjoy,
Gwyneth
Joining:
Kathy will be away for two weeks. She will return with "Take 5" on Sunday, October 14th.
Tanya, this sounds good and I am also experiencing skin rashes. I was tested for celiac and came in "twpo points above" normal. My dr. seemed annoyed that I asked to be tested and says it is "dry skin". I don't think so. I am going to try this and be more disciplined with white sugar and grains. xo
ReplyDeleteHi Barb, I am fairly new to this type of food preparation but it's getting easier and I am learning something new everyday! I was experiencing skin rashes and hives and just felt horrible. My doctor only wanted to treat the rashes and not what was causing them and I knew there was more to it. My skin rashes are subsiding more and more since eliminating grains and "most" sugar. I am in LOVE with milk chocolate!!! :) The more I continue the more I am making "new additions" to our diet and forgetting about the "eliminations" The pumpkin bar recipe is from my "newlywed daughter Sarah" who also does her and her husband's food preparation this way. We trade recipes back and forth. My other 3 kids and husband are on board also. I find a lot of simply fabulous recipes on line. Hope this helps! :)
DeleteI have heard of so many people who have taken sugar and grains out of their diets and are feeling so much better. And losing weight! An encouraging post. I need to at least get rid of the sugars. It's so hard to do! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pamela, There are some other products that you can use to sweeten also. I found some great recipes and trying new ones and using Agave to sweeten. :) Coconut flour is in itself quite sweet and smells wonderful!
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