no bake chocolate cookie heaven (+ keto!)

5 min to make:

1/2 c softened coconut butter
1/4 c melted coconut oil or vanilla bean ghee (the latter makes these incredibly delectable)
1 c unsweetened shredded coconut (+add a little more at the end if it’s too wet)
1/2 c ground sprouted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (or hemp seeds are delicious as well)
few drops of stevia (optional if you like them not so dark. mix with coconut oil once melted before combining with other ingredients)
2 packets four sigmatic reishi (optional)
5 T cacao powder
1/4 c cacao nibs
pinch of sea salt

-mix all ingredients well by hand or in food processor and roll into balls/shape into cookies. store in fridge.

instant happiness spray

i made something magic, and i’m gonna start throwing them out for christmas gifts!

for instant happiness:
spray this on your clothes, on your pillow, in your face, on your couch, in your hair!
i’m so sensitive to smells and don’t like most perfumes, room sprays or candles. + most of them are toxic & hormone disrupting! this one i could smell all day & it instantly lifts your mood and energy.

for the spray:
1 t sea salt
1/2 of a vanilla bean pod (this makes it amazing & so fresh!! but you could also use 1/2 t vanilla extract)
16 drops wild orange pure essential oil
water
-add all to a 2oz glass spray bottle and shake well before each use.

for a roller bottle:
1 ounce organic fractionated coconut oil
6 drops wild orange EO
6 drops organic vanilla extract
-add to a roller bottle, shake, and go to town.

warm maple mulberry peach (grain free) porridge

found some juicy late season peaches & made this tasty sunday brunch:

2 T hemp seeds
2 T sprouted pumpkin seeds
1/4 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c other chopped organic raw nuts of choice
1 c homemade coconut or nut milk of choice
few drops of maple stevia or 1 T lakanto maple syrup
pinch of sea salt + cinnamon + nutmeg
1/2 chopped peach + slice the other half to top
2 T dried mulberries

-add all ingredients to a sauce pan and gently heat on stove over low heat, stirring frequently until all the liquid is absorbed.
-transfer to 2 serving bowls and sprinkle generously with cinnamon, bee pollen, and fresh fruit.
++ mixing in a packet of chaga or reishi mushroom + adding a dollop of fermented coconut yogurt is always a good idea.

creamy turmeric latte heaven

a biiig cup of this is just DOING IT for me today.

gut lovin’. brain boostin’. hormone supportin’.

(:

1.5 c brewed dandelion + nettle tea
1 T turmeric
pinch of black pepper
1/8 t ginger
1/8 t cardamom
1/8 t cinnamon + more to top
2 T vanilla collagen creamer
2 T coconut butter
1 t vanilla bean ghee
2 t mesquite powder
1 t gelatinized maca
stevia if needed - to taste

-blend until frothy and smooth.

**buy organic**

lion's mane mulberry mylk

a sweet shroomy treat to sip on while you work to boost your brain power!

10 oz filtered water

2 T mulberries

2 T coconut butter

1 t gelatinized maca powder

1 t lions mane mushroom powder

1/2 t he shou wu

pinch of sea salt, cardamom, & vanilla bean powder

-blend on high until very smooth. serve warm or chilled.

lion’s mane mushroom is made up of 20% protein. both scientific and medical studies reveal this mushroom delivers remarkable brain support by activating essential peptides needed to grow, restore, & strengthen neuron activity in the brain. 

mid-afternoon it works like magic! 

adrenal nourishing deep green pesto with green tea kelp noodles

how many of us are over worked, over stressed, and have burnt out adrenals? these days, it's most of us.

it is essential to get whole foods into our diet that deeply nourish our thyroid and adrenals to ensure maximum function.

in this yummy pesto you will find many of those foods: 

dark leafy greens

sea vegetables

herbs

adaptogens 

healthy fats 

nutritional yeast

use it as a spread, a sauce for your favorite noodles, or a dip for crackers and veggies. i mixed it with kelp noodles and added wild caught salmon on top-mmm!

to make, add all ingredients to a food processor:

1/4 c raw pine nuts 

1/4 c nutritional yeast

1/4 c evoo

1/4 c acv

2 c kale

2 c spinach

1 c fresh basil

1 handful parsley

3 cloves garlic

1 t blue green algae

1 t cordyceps mushroom powder

1 t holy basil powder 

1/2 t sea salt 

-pulse all ingredients until almost smooth. taste for flavor. store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

GREEN CHOCOLATE (zero sugar!)

raw vegan matcha white chocolates guys! eating green anything is usually a good idea..especially chocolate-am I right? i love the sweetness of the white chocolate mixed with the earthy matcha taste-so satisfying!

these babies are gonna give you the little boost of love we are always looking for in a chocolatey treat, minus the sugar and plus the nutrients.

ingredients:
1/3 c gently melted raw cacao butter
1/4 c gently melted raw coconut butter
3 T raw cashew butter
3 T lakanto sugar
2 t organic matcha powder
1/8 t vanilla bean powder
few drops of stevia (optional, if you like it extra sweet!)

-add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. pour into moulds of choice, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried cranberries (optional). chill in freezer until firm and whip those babies out for a nourishing sweet snack!

a different take on digestion

this might be a lengthy post, but trust me-worth reading.

like most people, i have Struggled (with a capital S) with digestive issues. maybe not as severe as most, but through a lot of trial and error, pill popping and enema taking (natural, herbal pills guys), i have come to realize my problem: i have never fully trusted my digestion. i have never relaxed enough at meals for it to do its work. i have never fully been embodied when it comes to dealing with my DS, I've just always assumed it was something i was eating that my body couldn't handle, food allergies, my hormones were off balance, i was low in magnesium etc... which were all very true, but they weren't the bulk of it. 
while those things (and many more) definitely play a role in a lot of us, may i suggest that for most of us, it is far beyond that? that it may be more stress, emotional and every day life problems that are negatively effecting the way we digest and assimilate our food? 
well, here are just a few fun graci facts that will maybe inspire you to try something different for a while:

there are a few things we often assault digestion with. they are: poor quality food, too much food, challenging food combinations, poor meal timing, stress, medications, toxic dietary beliefs (i.e. "food makes me fat"), lack of knowledge-especially around food allergies/sensitivities, and poor immunity. 

in over 75% of digestive cases, nothing is wrong with digestion per-se. digestion is simply telling us what’s up with our life, it’s giving us feedback about how and what we eat, and it’s asking us to consciously participate in the nutritive process... 

digestion is the challenge to embody.

the digestion of food = the digestion of life.

in other words, digestive disturbance is often the result of unassimilated events, emotions, experiences, lessons...the more we learn to digest/absorb all of our life, the more empowered and efficient our digestive metabolism can be. 
the phrase "all health or disease begins in the gut" is so true. the GI immune system is the largest collection of immune tissue in the body; 60-80%. the gut is an immune organ, big time. these are a few things that deplete gastrointestinal immunity: alcohol, sugar, smoking, caffeine, anti-biotic use, over-eating, poor food combining, poor quality food, allergenic foods, vaccinations, stress, heavy metal toxicity and excessive "cleanliness". here are things that will enhance gastrointestinal immunity: relaxation, pleasure, breathing, pro-biotic supplements and foods, alkaline forming diet, exposure to nature & organic soil, sleep, exercise and yoga/pilates.

so, your key tools to use for optimal digestion? 

• relaxation

• breathing

• slow

• time

• awareness

• body wisdom

• rhythm 

there is no such thing as perfect digestion. it isn't designed for perfection. digestive power and efficiency will come and go. it alerts us to what works, and what doesn't. digestion asks us to become conscious participants and teaches us and informs us, meal to meal. it asks to be noticed, for us to respond to it. it is inviting us into gut wisdom, the enteric nervous system. our DS is highly attuned to the stress response and our emotions. stress is a killer, especially when it comes to our digestion. it diminishes digestive blood flow, gut bacteria, gut enzymes, gut peristalsis, gut oxygen, gut immunity, stomach acid regulation, muscle tone of gut organs, bowl movement regulation, and nutrient absorption. 

it really is a simple science: stress response = sympathetic activation = digestive shutdown. 

relaxation response = parasympathetic activation = digestive activation. 

the  physiologic stress response is caused by anxious thoughts, difficult life experience, negative emotions – sadness, grief, shame, etc., moving too fast, eating too fast, “multi-tasking”, living too fast, survival based mentality and more. 

be calm.

especially when you eat. 

there is another phrase i love that says "we eat ourselves sick and digest ourselves back to health". in this world, the obsession for hard abs is a distorted attempt for true core strength, centeredness, and “solar power”. good digestion means good rhythm which = embodiment. 
good digestion grounds us, centers us and balances us. 

have you ever heard someone say "i just had this gut feeling!" that is gut wisdom-the brain in the belly. if your food issue or health challenge was a divine message, what would that message be? if the universe, your body, was asking you to learn something deeper, what might that be?