Muffins, muffins, and more muffins!

Breakfast is one of the best times of the day, and it’s even better when chocolate chip muffins are involved!

These muffins are gluten-free, nut free and vegan, making them friendly for most people with food allergies. Not to mention they are extremely delicious! No one will be able to tell they are healthy and allergen free! (Shhh it’s our little secret)

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup gluten free flour mix
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl mash bananas and mix with milk, sugar, vinegar and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips or other fixings.
4. Divide batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until slightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Pasta Crazy!

Are you addicted to pasta? Will you eat any shape or size and even everyday? Have you ever considered swapping your regular pasta for veggies?

Some might think I’m crazy, but pasta made from vegetables is absolutely delicious and extremely health!

There are a couple different methods to achieve vegetable pasta noodles:
1. Roasted spaghetti squash – spaghetti squash naturally forms strands when cooked that resemble spaghetti noodles. Simply roast the squash for 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When it’s tender simply scrap with a fork to form the spaghetti strands. Top with your favourite pasta fixings.
2. Zucchini – zucchini makes a great alternative to spaghetti or fettuccine noodles. All you need is a vegetable peeler or julienne vegetable peeler. Simply use either peeler to transform the zucchini into ribbons (fettuccine) or thin julienne strips (spaghetti). If using a regular style vegetable peeler you can run a knife through the large ribbons to form julienne strips. Simply take your zucchini ribbons/julienne strips and steam for a couple minutes to soften, then top with your favourite pasta fixings.

Remember to eat 7-10 servings of vegetables a day. Vegetable pasta is a fun and easy way to help achieve these numbers.

Enjoy!

Berry Energizing Smoothie

Looking for a great on the go breakfast or easy afternoon pick me up snack…try this delicious berry energizing smoothie!

Loaded with vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, healthy fat and even protein this smoothie is the perfect snack for a quick and fulfilling energy boost.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 banana
4 Tbsp hemp seeds
Handful kale
1 1/2 cups coconut water or almond milk

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and enjoy!

>

5 tips for healthy, glowing skin!

After a long winter your skin can feel dry, cracked, and dull. The harsh winter air pulls moisture out of your skin, leaving it feeling tight, itchy and in need of some extreme moisture.

Looking to get that healthy, dewy, fresh look? Here are some health expert approved tips to beautiful, flawless Skin!

5 tips for beautiful skin:

– Stay hydrated: drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water a day and eat water dense foods (cucumbers, celery, watermelon). Hydration is crucial for cell health and key to a healthy, dewy glow.

– Love your liver: liver helps to detox your body and prevent breakouts. When toxins build in the body they look for an escape route, one being the skin in the form of pimples. Drink warm lemon water on an empty stomach in the morning to support liver function and detox. Consuming fibre rich foods also helps with elimination of toxins – eat that fibre!

– Good digestion: leaky gut can lead to eczema, acne and rashes as food particles leak through our intestinal lining and cause inflammatory reactions. Avoid known food allergies and support proper digestion. Supplementing with a probiotic or consuming probiotic rich foods can also help balance gut flora (bacteria) and support optimal gut health.

– Consume omega-3 fatty acids: reduce inflammation throughout the body, help maintain fluidity of your cell membranes and help relieve and prevent dry, itchy skin. Eat fish, nuts/seeds (flaxseeds, walnuts), avocado, and dark leafy greens daily to increase healthy fat intake.

– Use natural products: use products that you could eat! Everything you put on your skin gets absorbed into your blood stream and can affect your health. Conventional products are generally loaded with chemicals and fragrances that irritate and dry out our skin. Make and avocado or oatmeal mask, moisturize with coconut oil or buy organic fragrance free products.

Enjoy healthy, glowing skin all year round!