Author Archives for Sandra Shields, Healthy Food and Wellness Blogger, Health Coach, Balanced Living, Clean Beauty Consultant

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About Sandra Shields, Healthy Food and Wellness Blogger, Health Coach, Balanced Living, Clean Beauty Consultant

Hello! I am Sam. I am a foodie, baker and a Health Coach who likes being in the kitchen making food. My recipes are all gluten free and there are recipes for different food intolerances as well. If you are looking to incorporate healthier eating habits and live a more balanced life, I hope to inspire you. I have had an obsession with baking since I was ten! I started this blog to share recipes I was making for myself after finding out I had gluten sensitivity and other food intolerances which I have mostly healed, but will always be sensitive to gluten. I went to school for Health Coaching as a second career at Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Nutrient dense food gives the body the best fuel and building blocks to be vibrant, healthy, prevent disease, and maintain great energy as well as heal. I am excited to share delicious food recipes, tips, baking and treats too!

Busting A Sugar Craving!

Busting Cravings. Get to the Root Cause.

Busting Cravings. Get to the Root Cause.

Today let’s talk about Cravings! Do You Have Cravings? Are they strong cravings or just mild? How would you rate the level of your cravings, and what are they?

Your body is so amazing! It knows when to go to sleep, when to wake up, and when to blink. It maintains a temperature of 98.6 degrees, repairs itself when injured, and knows the miracle of creating another human being. Your heart beats without you telling it to. Your lungs breathe for you. The body is a super computer, and it never makes mistakes. When you are experiencing cravings, take a look at the foods, deficits, and behaviors in your life that are the underlying causes of your cravings.

For instance a craving for chocolate can be your body telling you it is deficient in Magnesium. A small square or two a day may help satisfy this craving by restoring your magnesium levels, and then you won’t be tempted to eat a whole bar at a time, because you have corrected the underlying cause of the craving.

Have you slept well the night before? Lack of sleep can cause us to eat more and have cravings as well.

Many people view cravings as weakness, but really they are important messages meant to assist you in maintaining balance. When you experience a craving, deconstruct it. Ask yourself, what does my body want and why? Keep in mind if it is sugar and sweets you are craving constantly, it could be a sugar addiction. We also have cravings when we are trying to replace something in our emotional lives, and certain foods can mean comfort to us like a favorite food from childhood.

Think about what you are craving this week. Keep a journal for the week and write down all your cravings. I find the notebook on my phone to be handy for this. Can you satisfy your cravings by having just a little of the food you are craving, or replacing it with another activity, a healthier food choice if you are craving an indulgence, a warm hug, time spent outdoors, de-stressing with a favorite pass time, or exercise?

I am always here to listen. You are a superstar!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Cherry Raspberry Popsicles

Cherry Raspberry Popsicles

Guess What??? Yep, that’s right! It’s popsicle season! How did you guess?

It is probably because you are an amazing human being! AND you want to fuel your body with clean food to stay super amazing or become even more super amazing! Am I right?

This month marks the one year anniversary of my blog. I am so excited!!! I have shared over 100 recipes with you all in the past year to help you reach your goals, as well as stories of Ming, Ming! Whether it is improving your health overall, better digestion, wanting more energy, cleaning up your diet, eating Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Real Food, or healing from SIBO and other digestive difficulties, I am so glad you are here!

I have been honored to be a part of your journey, and also my journey through blogging to reach my health goals. I have to say, I have been feeling really great, and I hope you are too! I have met some amazing, super awesome, kind and generous people, and each and every one of your comments has touched me.

Today I am sharing a delicious, easy popsicle recipe that I know you are going to absolutely love! There is no garbage or artificial anything in them, just four ingredients and they are pretty too! I used popsicle molds to make these, but I have also made them in little paper cups with popsicle sticks inserted into them from the local craft store!

Cherry Raspberry Popsicles

Ingredients:

10 oz. Frozen Organic Raspberries

1 Cup Frozen Organic Tart Cherries

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Add the ingredients to your blender. Mix on high until smooth. Pour into molds. Freeze until solid (about 6 hours). To un-mold, run under hot tap water a few seconds. If they are in a paper cup, simply peel the paper off. Enjoy!!!!

Raspberry Cherry Popsicles - Real Fruit!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

Orange Boost Smoothie

orange boost with type

Orange Boost Smoothie is a creamy addition to a smoothie rotation! It provides Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Protein from gut healing grass fed gelatin which also will help joints, skin and connective tissues regenerate, antioxidant rich Matcha Green Tea, Cinnamon (antioxidant, fights inflammation), and is easily digestible..

I like to have this smoothie in the mornings on my tough workout days when I have depleted glycogen.

Orange Boost Smoothie

1 Ripe Banana

1 Organic Medium Orange

1/4 Cup Sliced or Baby Organic Carrots

2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin

1 Tablespoon Matcha Green Tea Powder

1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Crushed Ice

Directions: Blend together the Orange, Carrots and Banana. Add in the gelatin, Matcha Green Tea Powder, lemon juice, cinnamon and crushed ice. Blend on high until smooth.

Try this smoothie on the days you need an extra boost! Enjoy!

serves 1-2

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blueberry Crumb Loaf

blueberry crumb loaf with type 2

It’s a great day to make a blueberry crumb loaf! The birds are screaming here this morning. They are so happy about the Spring weather! Everything is so green, and the buds on my Thundercloud Plum trees are swelling and turning pink. We have several of the trees lining the driveway. The smell of the blooms is heavenly! It reminds me of sweet tarts.

Thundercloud Plum Tree Blossoms

Thundercloud Plum Tree Blossoms

Thundercloud Plum Tree Close to Blooming

Thundercloud Plum Tree Close to Blooming

I planted blueberry bushes three years ago, and this year I think I will get a good crop of them. Blueberry bushes are ornamental also, so I incorporated them in my front garden.

I grew up with my father always having a large garden, and my mother would can and preserve the summer’s bounty, which we would enjoy year round. So, this year I have decided to get back to my roots and grow more of my own food. I started a raised bed garden and so far have planted baby lettuces, which are sprouting already.

Hopefully by summer, I will be making this loaf using my own organic blueberries. But today after being outdoors working in the garden, I can’t think of a better afternoon snack than a cup of tea and a slice of warm blueberry crumb loaf!

Here is the recipe!

Blueberry Crumb Loaf

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees and grease an 8″ inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

Ingredients for Streusel Topping:

1/4 Cup Toasted Walnuts (Toast them for five minutes in your 350º degree preheated oven)

2 Tablespoons Pecans

2 Tablespoons Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Ingredients For Bread Batter:

2 Cups of Superfine Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons of Dried Currants

3/4 Cup Organic or Wild Blueberries

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract (like this)

1 Teaspoon Gluten Free Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Directions:

For the Streusel Topping:

Pulse all the streusel ingredients in a food processor until it forms medium crumbs and is even in texture. I use my mini processor for this, but you can use whatever one you choose.

Set aside while you make your bread batter.

To make the bread batter:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients except the currants and blueberries.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and thoroughly incorporate. With a rubber spatula, fold in the currants and blueberries. Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. It is thick. Then, sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the loaf.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You can tent the loaf with foil the last 15 minutes if you notice the crumb is getting too dark.

Remove from the oven, and cool in the pan for five minutes. Then using the parchment to help you, remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or cooled. Store any leftover bread after the first day in the refrigerator.

Blueberry crumb loaf with type

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Paleo Peeps!

paleo peeps 3 with caption

Get-togethers with friends nourishes the soul as well as the body. Food is at the heart of community when you think about it. Most events, parties and time spent in celebration with others involves some type of food, traditions and favorite regional dishes.  It is also seasonal, so in the Fall and Winter we eat more heavy warming food, and in the Spring and Summer our bodies tend crave lighter food. This works perfectly in eating locally. I encourage you to listen to your body. What is it telling you?

My Paleo Peeps is a fun way to serve deviled eggs.  Take them to a get together, or invite some peeps to a picnic to celebrate Spring. Immerse yourself in community with others and nourish your body and soul!

I used local pastured eggs in this recipe. The yolks are yellow and full of nutrition!

Paleo Peeps 2 with text

Although I regularly make homemade clean mayonnaise with my immersion blender, I am in love with Primal Kitchens new Mayo made with avocado oil and completely clean ingredients! It is so good and convenient! I used it in these deviled eggs, or you can make or choose your own favorite brand. Here is my favorite homemade recipe, because it is fail proof. You need an immersion blender, and it is super fast!

paleo peeps 4 with type

 

My Paleo Peeps!

Ingredients:

12 Pastured Eggs (Hard Boiled and Cooled)

1/2 Cup Good Quality Mayo (I used Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo).

1 Tablespoon Gluten Free Yellow Mustard (garlic free for Low FodMap like this.)

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Peeled Carrot

24 Currants

1 Sundried Tomato for Wattle

Directions: Slice the eggs in half from tip to bottom. Remove the yolks and mash with the mayonnaise, mustard and salt. Put the egg yolk mixture in a quart size ziplock bag and snip off the end of the bag. Pipe the yolk mixture evenly into the egg halves.

Now decorate your peeps! Currants for the eyes, slice your carrot into beak shapes and skinny slivers for the feet, and take a small snippet of sundried tomato for the wattle! Refrigerate an hour or more before serving to set the filling.

Paleo peeps 1

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Grain Free Bunny Pancakes

Bunny Pancakes Grain Free Kid Friendly

I recently saw the cutest pancakes made into a bunny shape showing the back of a bunny in Good Housekeeping Magazine. They were made with wheat flour, and since my family is gluten free, I really wanted to replicate these for my kids, but with my own spin on it and grain free. We had so much fun making these, and they are easy peasy and delicious! It is a fun kitchen recipe for children to participate in. Mine had a ball creating their bunnies on the griddle, naming their bunnies (Bubba and Fluffy), deciding if they were a boy or girl, etc.  For the younger kids, they will enjoy watching you make their bunny, and I sure hope the kid in all of us enjoys a bunny too!

Here’s Zackary getting ready to eat his bunny pancake.

Grain Free Bunny Pancakes with Zackary

They are made with nutritious ingredients, and are perfect any time of year, but especially on Easter. These pancakes are made with bananas, eggs, almond flour and honey, and I used blueberries for the eyes and dried, unsweetened banana chips for the tail and feet embellishment.

Weekend Bunny Pancakes, Healthier Kid Approved

grain-free-bunny-pancakes

Grain Free Bunny Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas

4 Pastured Eggs

3/4 Cup Superfine Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons of Clear Honey

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Banana Chips

Blueberries

Coconut Oil for greasing the griddle.

Directions: Heat a non-stick griddle to 325º degrees. Puree the bananas in a small blender. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the blueberries and dried banana chips.

Brush a little melted coconut oil onto a preheated griddle. Drop 1/4 cup of batter in a circle shape for the body, 2 Tablespoons of batter in a circle shape for the head, 1 Tablespoon of batter in an oval shape for each foot, and 1 Tablespoon of batter in a long ear shape for each ear. Put three blueberries on the bottom of each foot for toes and two blueberries on the head for eyes. When set and the edges are looking dry carefully flip the pancakes and cook a minute or two longer. Assemble the bunny with the blueberry eyes and toes facing up. Add a dried banana chip for the tail and one for each foot decoration and serve.

Makes 4 Bunnies.

Note: 1 Bunny is Moderate FodMap containing 3 Tablespoons of Almond Flour.

Grain Free Bunny Pancakes - Kid Approved, Paleo

 

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

blueberry blast smoothie

Are you a fan of healthy smoothies like me? I love all the blended nutrition you can get in a smoothie, and how they are so easy to digest. I am especially a fan of really cold ones. The coolness of the smoothie gives me a sense of well being. A warm beverage can do the same thing depending on the season, time of day, if I just worked out or was romping around the yard with Ming and the girls. My favorite smoothies are ones that get their sweetness from whole fruit and no added sugar like this Blueberry Blast Nut Smoothie. It is simple to make and can be enjoyed any time you get a craving. This delicious smoothie takes only minutes to whip together, and contains good fat from Coconut Milk and a Nut Butter of your choice, as well as Blueberries and Melon for Vitamin C, Antioxidants and Phytonutrients. There is the option for add ins for more health benefits!

For more health and wellness tips, you can go to my new Sandra Shields, Certified Health Coach Facebook page here and like it to follow me. I post new content there throughout the week! Thank you to all my followers for your support! I love you guys!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Banana

1 Cup Wild Blueberries

1 Cup Honeydew Melon, Chopped

1/2 Cup Coconut or Almond Milk

1 Tablespoon of Nut Butter (Almond, Walnut, Cashew)

1 Cup Crushed Ice

Blend in a blender on high until smooth.

Serves 1 – 2

Optional add ins: Bee Pollen, 2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin, 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad

I am in love with spiralized vegetables! It changes the texture and whole experience of eating them. The noodles or spirals coming out of the spiralizer as you turn the handle are gorgeous and abundant! Recently, I spiralized golden beets and then wondered, what should I do different with these gorgeous spun gold noodles? I decided to lightly steam them and serve them as a chilled beet salad.  I wanted crunch, flavor and eye appeal. I also wanted to keep the ingredients simple. The results were a salad with almonds for crunch, scallions and avocado oil.

I tend to spiralize several things at once and then store them in the refrigerator until I want to use them, so I only have to clean up the spiralizer once. These beets were ready a day in advance, and the actual preparation time the day of was about 20 minutes.

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad

Ingredients:

2 Medium Golden Beets, washed, peeled and spiralized

1/2 Cup Scallions, sliced, green parts only for Low FodMap

1/3 Cup Slivered Almonds

3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil

2 Teaspoons White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt (to Taste)

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper or to Taste

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad 2

Directions: Place a few inches of water in the bottom of a pan with a steamer insert and bring to a boil.  Add the beets and steam five minutes, just till tender…think al dente. Remove from the steamer and run under very cold water to cool quickly and prevent further cooking. Drain the beets well. Add to a bowl and toss with the remaining salad ingredients. Serve, or refrigerate to chill more and let the flavors meld.

Everything contained in this salad is not only delicious, but offers health benefits. Beets are rich in nutrients, fiber, detoxify and contain phytonutrients.  Scallions are great for immune system health and contain Vitamin K for bones and Vitamin A for the eyes. Almonds contain fiber, protein and good fat as well as the good fat in the avocado oil, which is delicious!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

 

Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream

strawberry lemonade ice cream 3 with text

I have a Spring “ice cream” recipe for you today that is tart, creamy and dairy free! It uses a pound of fresh strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest (for the zing), coconut milk, honey and a pinch of salt. It is beneficial to use whole fruit in treats whenever possible to get in the fiber and nutrients the way they were meant to be consumed. It also slows down the absorption of sugars, as opposed to just using a juice with the fiber and fruit extracted. This Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream is a Low FodMap recipe as well with just a quarter cup of honey in the batch, and it serves six! This would be delicious as an Easter treat or served at a Spring cookout. I really love the color of this ice cream, it is a beautiful shade of pink, all natural, and just a few ingredients. All you need is a blender…..no cooking…..and an ice cream maker. The one I use is the Cuisinart hereI have had it for years and it keeps going strong!

strawberry lemonade ice cream 4 with text

 

Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Pound Fresh Strawberries

1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk, No Additives

6 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Zest of Two Organic Lemons

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Directions:

Clean and hull the fresh strawberries and place in the blender with the can of coconut milk. Zest the lemons and put the zest in the blender. Then, squeeze the juice of the lemons and add to the blender. Add the honey and salt. Blend on high for one minute, or until smooth.

Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator and chill for four hours and up to 24 hours. When chilled, churn your ice cream and serve. If you have any leftover, you can freeze it in a air tight container. When eating any leftover ice cream, make sure it sits at room temperature about 10 minutes to allow the ice cream to soften again.

Serves 6

Eat Your Nutrients!

Eat Your Nutrients!

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