3 Healthy Bars to Travel With AND 1 Day Book Sale!!

I have such exciting news: My eBook is being relaunched and included in a fabulous paleo book bundle sale!  TODAY ONLY, you can get the Kindle Edition for a mere $.99 !!!!

This is a wonderful opportunity to check it out along with the other great titles and add some healthy reading & delicious recipes to your summer reading list. 🙂

 

3 Healthy, Tasty Bars

There is a growing selection of healthy, whole food-based bars which is AWESOME for those of us who want to stay healthy & energized (and stay on track!) while traveling.
If you are traveling this summer, here are 3 bars to consider taking with you.

Epic Bars: Sustainably-raised, 100% organic grass-fed meat combined with minimal, whole ingredients. No sugar, grains, gluten or dairy. I love the Bison Bacon Cranberry flavor!

Gather Bars: Hazelnuts, maca and cocoa? Macademia nut, pumpkin seeds, coconut & dates? Sign me up! I’m all for bars that are grain-free, fruit-sweetened only bars with lots of healthy fats to balance blood sugar.

PaleoKrunch Bar (Original): Sometimes a granola bar hits the spot. This bar by Steve’s Paleo Goods rocks. Coconut oil, almond meal, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut and a smidge of honey=simple, healthy, tasty.

Safe and healthy travels! Don’t forget to bring a great book with you! 🙂

How To Make Bone Broth

Making and consuming bone broth is a sacred tradition I highly encourage. If you’ve never made it and are intimidated, this step by step guide will help you successfully make this nutrient dense elixir.

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Benefits of Bone Broth

Glycine and other amino acids

  • Vital for healthy connective tissue and digestive health (SIgA)
  • Helps regulate synthesis of bile salts and gastric acid
  • Required for production of glutathione (master antioxidant)
  • Enhances muscle repair
  • Converted into the neurotransmitter serine which helps reduce stress, promote alertness & memory

Glycosaminoglycans

Collagen

Glutamine

  • Improves gut health (where 80% of our immune system is!)
  • Increases muscle growth

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs of high quality bones per gallon of water (i.e. 2-3 full chicken carcasses for a 5-gallon stock pot)
  • Optional but delicious organic veggies:
  • 1 onion
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic (last 30-60 mins)
  • 2 large celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, unpeeled
  • 1 bunch of chopped parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice or other type of vinegar)
  • 1+ Tablespoons sea salt
  • Herbs and spices to taste: 2 bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage

How To:

Beef: 48 hours

Chicken or poultry: 24 hours

Fish broth: 8 hours

  1. Cover 2 lbs of raw bones in large pot with cool, filtered water  (or you can roast them to boost flavor-30 mins at 350 degrees).
  2. Add vinegar and let sit for 30 mins (I like apple cider vinegar, coconut vinegar or sometimes I squeeze a fresh lemon in there).
  3. Add rough chopped veggies (except garlic and parsley), herbs, spices, and salt.
  4. Bring water to boil.
  5. Reduce heat to a slow simmer, remove impurities that rise to top in the first few hours and discard.
  6. During last 30-60 mins, add parsley and garlic.
  7. Let cool and then poor through strainer to remove any bones and veggies.
  8. Store in mason jars in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze.

Bone broth can be sipped from a mug, used as a base for sautéing vegetables or meat, added into sauces, or made into soup. It is a wonderful staple to include weekly (daily is even better!).

Protein Waffles

Below is a wonderful recipe for waffles that uses coconut flour and whey protein powder instead of grains. They are fluffy, delicious and much more filling than traditional grain-based waffles. Whether you have a gluten intolerance or are just making a choice to eat more nutrient-dense foods, you’re sure to enjoy this recipe. Seen below is my daughter topping her waffle with fresh, organic blueberries (underneath is Kerrygold butter and a little coconut nectar).

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“HEALTHIFIED” PROTEIN WAFFLES by Maria Emmerich

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup JAY ROBB vanilla egg white or 1 cup whey protein (I use Whey Natural by Synergistics -grass-fed)
  • 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • 1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (I have used both raw cow milk and coconut milk and they both work great)
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted

Preheat waffle iron to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). Enjoy! Serve with Nature’s Hollow Xylitol syrup. Makes 10 waffles.

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NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per waffle)
Traditional Waffle = 223 calories, 8.5g fat, 5g protein, 27 carbs, 0.7g fiber (26.3 effective)
“Healthified” Waffle = 144 calories, 8g fat, 12.2g protein, 4g carbs, 2.1g fiber (1.9 effective)