I was a DIEHARD Starbucks fan and when they released their pumpkin cream cold-brew…I was smitten! Now, I am a hot-coffee fan so the only thing that bugged me was that it was cold…BUT living in Texas, it’s nothing that would deter me from ordering. I LOVED it so much but I haven’t had Starbucks since last November when I found out about a bunch of health issues that my body was fighting. So that meant saying goodbye to my Pink Drink and Pumpkin Cream Cold-Brew. It was a sad day. BUT, my body feels SO much better and I will never go back! So that means that I have to adapt recipes and find stuff that will work for me. Thus, my latest fall coffee recipe was born! This is a hot coffee, with a subtle hint of pumpkin and you can kick it up a notch and make it a bulletproof version!
Without further ado…here is my Pumpkin Cream Coffee!
Ingredients:
Coffee Base
Make your coffee how you like! I prefer using my AeroPress with 1 scoop Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane. I fill up my large coffee cup with water and microwave it for 3 minutes. While it is heating up, I add 1 scoop of coffee to my AeroPress and when the water is ready, I pour the water over the coffee grounds. I let sit about 2 minutes, then press it over my coffee cup.
Pumpkin Cream
1/2 cup organic coconut cream or coconut milk (can)
1 tsp organic pumpkin puree
1/8 heaping tsp pumpkin spice
OPTIONAL: organic whole-leaf stevia
Using a handheld frother or small blender, froth/mix all ingredients for 1-2 minutes to build air and make the cream super frothy. If you like it sweet, add a drop or two of organic liquid whole-leaf stevia to taste before frothing.
Keto Coffee Additions
1/2 TB organic grass-fed butter
1/2 TB organic coconut oil or MCT oil
If adding the Keto coffee additions, use your frother or blender and mix these ingredients in with your coffee base before pouring over the cream.
Directions:
Once you have all ingredients ready, pour the pumpkin cream over your coffee and enjoy! I like to stir mine all together, but it’s pretty to look at when the cream is separated from the coffee. You could also make this a cold-brew but halving the water used to make your coffee and replacing it with ice. Let it cool a bit. Fill a cup with ice, pour over cooled coffee and top with pumpkin cream.
Did you make this recipe?
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Truvani is giving away their new ceramic canisters with bamboo lids, FREE with any purchase of any powdered products (plant-based protein or marine collagen), now through September 15th!
Just click this link and get your free ceramic canister to hold your delicious Truvani powders!
In this new series of posts, I am debunking common myths about food, beliefs that I use to have myself. If you didn’t catch Part 1, you can go read it here.
Today I am sharing all about an important topic that seems to be the hardest one to get out of our diets: sugar! Why should we avoid sugar? How do our bodies react to sugar? And what can we eat in replace of sugar?
I’m sharing all of that today! So let’s dive right in…
Just Say No to Sugar
You probably guessed it already, but sugar is the enemy, not fat, as I mentioned in my last post.. And sugar goes by a variety of different names making it easy for manufacturers to hide how much sugar is truly in a given product.
ThatSugarFilm.com stated:
“When reading a label, it’s important to check the ingredients list and look out for any of the sugars listed. Often SUGAR will be on the list but companies are getting cheeky now and are using these other names like ‘evaporated cane juice’ or ‘organic palm sugar’ as a disguise and to avoid the word SUGAR. These are still an added ‘free sugar’ and usually contain fructose as a sweetener.”
Dangers of Sugar
There are many dangers to having too much sugar. For one, it may cause heart problems. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey gathered information to identify what could happen when we consume too much sugar. Their results indicated “that most U.S. adults consume more added sugar than is recommended for a healthy diet, resulting in a higher risk cardiovascular disease mortality.”
Diabetes is probably the most concerning when it comes to excessive amounts of sugar. Our liver converts sugar into energy, but when we consume too much sugar, our liver simply cannot metabolize it, thus metabolic syndrome occurs and our bodies become insulin resistant.
Another trend on the rise is Candida overgrowth, which can occur because of too much sugar, stress, antibiotics, and other factors. I personally was diagnosed with Systemic Candidiasis in November of 2019. It had been growing and happening for a few years. Sugar, even in natural form from fruits, can be damaging when excessively consumed. I was in survival mode as a mother and heavily neglected my body. I ate too much fruit and not enough vegetables and drank too many sweetened caffeinated drinks from a popular coffee chain. I knew I was harming my body, but I kept on consuming and eating too much sugar. I knew better. I go into more detail about my healing journey with Systemic Candida here:
My Healing Journey I’ve stated in the past that I have been battling many health issues. One of which is Systemic Candida…that means it is in my blood. Everyone, EVERYONE, has Candida. However, it is contained in the gut and in a good balance. However, as soon as you add antibiotics, sugar, gluten, stress, anxiety,…
Since eliminating sugar from my diet (including most fruits) in November of 2019, my Candida is almost completely healed! I have been able to reintroduce some more fruits into my diet as well as other foods that were “banned” from the strict Candida Diet. I went hardcore into the diet and followed it to a T, from November of 2019 to May of 2020. I still follow it a bit (since I still have some Systemic Candida), for instance I am not consuming many high starch vegetables (like potatoes) and only consume a 1/4 of a very ripe banana maybe once a week. I still follow (and always will) a gluten-free, dairy-free, added sugar-free lifestyle.
Honestly, I don’t miss much. My energy levels are so much better than they use to be, my skin has cleared up tremendously, my tastebuds are insane (even the slightest sweet food is crazy sweet!), and food just tastes better in general.
What Sugar Can I Consume?
The most common comment I hear when I tell people I am sugar-free is, “Wow! I could never do that!” And a part of me wants to say, “Your right! If you believe that you won’t be able to do it.”
You HAVE to change your mentality. Just knowing that sugar causes cancer, how it causes your body to react just like if you did a line of cocaine, that it is more addictive than drugs, that it causes inflammation in your body, and that is causes a SLEW of other health issues should be enough for you to drop it cold turkey. But again, you have to completely change your mindset. Instead of focusing on all the foods that you canNOT have because it contains sugar, focus on all the foods you CAN have! You can still eat fruit (now, I can’t in high doses because I have Systemic Candida, but that doesn’t mean that everyone can’t…and once my Systemic Candida is healed I will consume more!), replace your cane sugar with raw, natural honey, and it is safe to bake with organic, whole-leaf stevia. I still get to indulge in sweet treats, like mug cakes and chocolate fat bombs.
And when the holidays roll around, I will bake my own sugar-free desserts and bring those for others to eat as well.
My go-to thought that I share often is that we get this one body. God gave you a vessel to live in on their earth and you are to take care of it. Love it well by fueling it with healthy, organic, natural foods that He gave us.
YOU CAN DROP SUGAR!
It is possible!
If you want to watch something to get you fired up some more, I highly recommend the documentary Fed Up.
Another good one is The Sugar Film:
Ingredients
What are some ingredients/additives that you want to avoid? Let me start by saying that the ingredients label will now become your best friend. In my next post, ‘Are the Foods You’re Eating Slowly Killing You? – Part 3’, I will go into actual ingredient names that you want to avoid and why, as well as answer any questions that you have for me via Instagram and Facebook. Look for those polls to come in my stories this week!
Until next time! Have a blessed, sugar-free day! 😉
If you know me, you know I LOVE lemon anything!! Lemon pies, lemon cupcakes, lemon bars, lemon anything!
However, some of my favorite lemon recipes are loaded with cane sugar and dairy…which I cannot have because of my health issues (you can read about my health journey with Systemic Candida here).
This microwavable lemon mug cake is sugar free, gluten-free, Keto-friendly, dairy-free, and Candida-safe. If you are further along in your Candida journey and can have fruit, you could top this cake with fresh organic raspberries and coconut cream! It is perfect!! If you are more of a chocolate fan, this recipe will hit the spot as well!
This sugar-free lemon mug cake is the most easy recipe to dive into at the end of a long day and it is made with only six ingredients:
Tiger nut flour is an amazing gluten-free flour! I wrote up a lot of info about this amazing nut-free flour here.
Egg – I use only one pasture-raised egg in this recipe.
Baking powder – I use Danielle Walker’s homemade baking powder recipe, since a lot of store bought versions have gluten, aluminum, corn, and/or GMOs. It is super easy to make your own and you probably have all the ingredients on hand!
Lemon juice – I use the juice of one fresh, squeezed lemon
Organic Stevia – I use only a couple drops of organic, whole leaf stevia for added sweetness.
Mug cakes are usually baked in the microwave for only 90 seconds at high power (800W). Or, if you are more patient and/or don’t have a microwave, you can make this mug cake in an oven-safe ramekin and bake for 12-15 minutes in a preheated 350ºF oven. Whichever way you decide to bake your mug cake, you will know it is cooked through when you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean or with no crumbs on it.
So without further ado, here is my favorite lemon mug cake!
Mix all of your ingredients in a microwavable coffee mug or bowl (make sure it is a large mug as the cake will double in height).
Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
Remove from the microwave and let cool a few minutes. Top with fresh organic raspberries, lemon zest, and a dollop of organic coconut cream.
Oven:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF
Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a small bowl and pour the batter into two small ramekins, or one medium ramekin.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until cook through. Check after 8 minutes as it make cook faster depending on your ramekin size. Use a toothpick to test doneness.
Let cool for a few minutes and then top with fresh organic raspberries, lemon zest, and a dollop of organic coconut cream.
This mug cake is one of my favorites for satiating that chocolate craving! I use tiger nut flour instead of almond flour for this recipe because of its natural sweet flavor and health benefits.
Chufa, also known as tiger nuts or earth almonds, are not actually nuts! They are small edible tubers. They are about the size of garbanzo beans and have a sweet, nutty flavor. They are rich nutrients and antioxidants and have been linked to several health benefits – ranging from better digestion to a reduced risk of heart disease1.
Tiger nuts were one of the first plants cultivated in Egypt and traditionally used as both food and medicine.
Health Benefits of Tiger Nuts
Tiger nuts are:
tubers rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds.
a good source of insoluble fiber, which can prevent constipation and help your digestion run smoothly.
rich in fiber and arginine, both of which can contribute to lower blood sugar levels. They also contain compounds that may reduce how much sugar is absorbed in your gut after a carb-rich meal.
rich in heart-healthy fats.
Tiger nuts may also contribute to a stronger immune system by fighting infections, including those from antibiotic-resistant bacteria2. And since tiger nuts are not part of the nut family, they are completely safe for people with nut allergies and they are naturally gluten-free.
For this recipe, I also use my homemade baking powder (recipe from Danielle Walker) or you can purchase this clean one, too.
1 TB organic almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
Instructions
Mix all ingredients (minus the almond butter) in a large microwavable coffee mug or bowl. Once mixed, dollop the tablespoon of almond butter right in the middle (no need to mix).
Microwave for 90 seconds. Let cool 2 minutes. Top with a bit of coconut cream and enjoy!
Variation: You could also omit the almond butter and top with fresh strawberries or raspberries and a dollop of coconut cream.
These fat bombs are DA’ BOMB! Haha! No, seriously, they are the perfect sweet treat but also pack a protein punch!
All you need is carob powder, coconut oil, almond butter, collagen peptides, and salt.
I love using carob powder for many reasons! First and foremost, it is allowed on the candida diet. Secondly, it is naturally sweet and has many health benefits, including that it is low in fat and sodium, contains calcium but no oxalates, it’s high in fiber, naturally gluten-free and caffeine-free, and is a rich source of polyphenol antioxidants. Another BIG plus for those who suffer from migraines, carob does not contain tyramine. Healthline.com states that Tyramime is a byproduct of tyrosine, an amino acid. Foods that contain tyramine may trigger migraine headaches, and chocolate contains tyramine. Carob, however, does not contain tyramine and is considered safe to eat if you get migraines. Also, fun fact…carob powder is Fido-friendly. It doesn’t contain high levels of theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs and cats in large quantities. Win win!
Sugar-Free Fat Bombs (Candida-friendly, Keto, No Bake)
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup almond butter (pure almond butter – no added sugar)
Stevia to taste, if needed (I find carob powder to be enough sweetness)
Walnuts, quartered
Instructions
Mix all ingredients (except walnuts) together until smooth. Pour into silicone ice cube trays (I like these ones) and top with 1/4 walnut. Freeze. Pop out and eat when you need to cure that sweet tooth!
My youngest son just turned SIX this past month and I am very sentimental about it this year. SIX. How is it that he is already six years old?! One of my favorite traditions with my boys is to write to them on their birthday in a 5×7-ish spiral notebook that I got at the…
I am not going to lie. This blog post idea came to me really fast, and I figured I better write it down now while I have the courage and it’s clear in my mind. Confronting my sin is not easy – I don’t believe anyone has an easy time facing their negative qualities of…
Hello friends! It has been a moment! My last blog post was about three months ago, and I have enjoyed stepping away and refocusing my mind and my heart. But I do have to say . . . I miss this community! I miss writing. But I don’t miss Instagram – at least not yet…
Every Friday I will be linking up with Shay Shull of Mix and Match Mama and sharing all my recent fav finds! Today, it is quite the mix, from food to music to sunscreen!
If you blogged about your favorite things, make sure to link up with Mix and Match Mama and myself!
Coconut Bowls
Coconut Bowls was created and inspired by the opportunity to reduce single use plastics through sourcing sustainable coconut shells, while providing jobs for low-income artisans. I love that their bowls are handcrafted by artisans from coconuts that were discarded as waste, they are so beautiful, and every purchase supports sustainability and helps the environment. I also admire their company and its purpose:
“Giving back is at the core of the Coconut Bowls purpose, and thanks to the incredible support of the Coco Community, who have not only helped Coconut Bowls champion sustainability to millions of people around the world, you’ve helped donate tens of thousands of dollars to environmental charities through Coconut Bowls verified 1% For The Planet commitment. In addition to this commitment, Coconut Bowls has offset all of the carbon from every shipment since the very first order back in 2016.”
Get your own Coconut Bowls here and use code LGRECI at checkout.
Zinc It Over
I HATE wearing sunscreen…especially on my face! I always breakout, it feels awful, it messes with my makeup. THAT HAS ALL CHANGED!! My skin care guru recommend I use sunscreen because I have sun spots, plus were are outside A LOT. Spring/summer = lake around here. Zinc It Over is awesome! I can wear my makeup as usual, then I just spritz this on top and voila! I am covered and protected!
Chocolate is always a fav! BUT, with my health issues, I cant consume sugar…so that got me on the hunt for something that I could eat that would satiate my chocolate craving. Enter Lakanto Monkfuit Chocolate Bars! I love them! I usually grab a couple squares and nosh on raw almonds while watching my fav show.
Our boat!
Summer is just better on the lake. My husband is incredible at finding good deals and this boat was no exception! We had been on the hunt for the PERFECT family boat for a couple of years…and ladies and gentlemen…we FOUND HER! We purchased her last year and spend pretty much every weekend on the lake in the summer. She’s a pre-owned (though you wouldn’t know it looking at it) tri-toon and my hubby named her ‘No Plans.’ Which is fitting for this quarantine life we are living!
We have already been out a few times this year and can’t wait for more lake days!
Love Bug Apparel
Love Bug Apparel is by far one of my favorite clothing lines! Aside from it being our dear friends company, I would buy every shirt they own! They are cute, soft, durable, and so super comfy! You can pretty much always catch me wearing one of their shirts! Here are just a few of my favs:
My Write the Word journal is one of my favorites! I love waking up before the kids and writing down the Bible verse for the day and getting a moment to write out my prayers. I love the simplicity of the journal and the space to make it yours. I recently finished my first journal and now starting my second – Cultivate Prayer.
Trolls World Tour Soundtrack
Y’all…we rented the movie and watched it more times than I can count (we had to get our moneys worth!). Now we listen to the soundtrack allllll day. And I’m ok with it! My boys ask Alexa, “Play the new Trolls soundtrack” and we listen day after day! My favorite song is Don’t Slack. What about you? Have y’all been listening to this on repeat??
This past week I fought the flu, and my body wasn’t pleased. While lying in bed, one has much time to think and reflect. And a thought kept occurring to me as I lay listening to my boys play. I don’t want to miss it. I don’t want to mess this up. I don’t want…
I am sure by now you have seen it all across social media and the news that a draft written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to the press indicating the US Supreme Court’s majority would overturn abortion and thus abortions would fall at the state and local levels. If it is overturned -…
While reading 2 Kings 17, I was reminded of God’s powerful wrath and multiple warnings to the Israelites. The Lord judged the people of Isreal because they had copied the evil customs of the world and followed their own desires instead of worshiping the one true God. Recently I have been inundated with messages about…
