 Flourless, paleo almond butter chocolate chip cookies YUH-UM. These are the cookies I make when I am seriously ready for some chocolate chip cookies but don't feel like having an upset stomach later on.
They're great to bring to parties, no one will even know they're healthy - I trick all my friends with these bad boys. Quick with simple ingredients is my baking style and these cookies are just that.  Who doesn't love Nutella and cookies? Put them together you got the sweetest treat! Unfortunately, many hazelnut-chocolate concoctions aren't ranked too high in the health department due to their high sugar content but never fear... I got you covered with this healthier, lower sugar homemade "nutella" cookie. It could also very well be the easiest cookie to bake when you're in a pinch. With only three ingredients, I think you're really going to enjoy this one!
 Poor gut health is often linked to leaky gut or “intestinal permeability”. Leaky gut is when the intestinal walls are damaged - Picture them like tight mesh walls and when they’re damaged the holes in the mesh get bigger allowing undigested food, toxins and bacteria to ‘leak’ out into the body and bloodstream. It’s actually pretty common in western cultures due to our diets and daily habits. You can find out if you may be suffering from leaky gut by taking this short gut health quiz [HERE].
 Eating fruits is a great way to improve gut health and today we’re going to focus on mangos! Here in the Cayman Islands it’s currently mango season [a very popular time of year over here]. I have to be honest, I used to dislike mangos until I got my hands on a fresh, juicy Caribbean mango and now I swear I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
If you aren’t quite as lucky to be able to pick them right off the tree in your backyard, frozen mangos from the grocery store are your best bet in getting the freshest pick. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often fresher than the fresh options at the stores (unless local) because they are picked at their ripest time and then flash frozen, preserving them at their best time for consumption. Click here to read more about how gut health affects your mental health.  Ever wondered what’s been causing your bloating and how you can fix it? Me too, girlfriend. So many women [and men] struggle with bloating and think that’s just ‘how it is’ but not you! You’re here to find out how to get rid of it, you know there’s always an answer to your problems and that’s why I like you ;) Let’s look at bloating; why the heck it pops up all the time and how to get rid of it without taking any medicines!
Bloating is typically gas that is trapped in your abdomen. It makes you feel like you’ve just eaten WAY too much and your belly is distended, feeling tight and full. This can be super uncomfortable and annoying. It's usually your body's way of letting you know that your gut isn’t very happy with what you’re doing and it’s time to figure out what it is. Read more on gut health HERE.  You’ve got a workout routine, you’re eating well but you aren’t getting any results. You aren’t feeling an increase in your energy like everyone said and you’re feeling pretty exhausted wondering how anyone keeps this up?!
Sound like you? It’s easy to get wrapped up in the thought of “I must not be doing enough” but that mentality can actually be counterproductive when it comes to your health. All or nothing thinking is a cognitive distortion that causes you to think in black and white categories with no consideration for a grey area (aka balance).  I finally whipped up one of my very own recipes. Recipe testing here in Cayman isn’t very fiscally responsible so it’s rare I have a recipe of my own and I’m very lucky this one came out so well on the first try. PHEW!
Before I share the recipe I just wanted to share a bit about how swapping out refined sugar with more natural sugars like honey, coconut sugar and maple syrup has made such a difference! Most of the time when I’m feeling something sweet I choose a paleo baked good, this isn’t because I am trying to lose weight or restrict myself but more so because they don’t make me feel horrible afterwards and it’s harder to binge on because they actually fill you up (cause they actually have nutritious value).  Hey! As you may know by now, my name is Ashleen. I am the co-founder of the Not So Sugar Coated which is an Online Health Coaching business. If you’ve known me before I moved to Cayman you might be asking me how the heck I even got involved in all of this and fair enough, my life has taken a complete 180 from where it was 4 years ago! Let’s get into how it all started… But before we do, if you want to get a quick little insight into all the magical steps, strategies and foods that got me here you’re going to want to check out this Ultimate Guide I created just for you!
 We’ve all done a diet or ten in our lifetime. Fad diets specifically are a tempting, quick fix for weight loss which is something we (“we” being western culture) have been trained to desire; however, they can be pretty detrimental to our physical and mental health if they’re frequently used.
Fad diets are known for recommending nutritionally deficient foods or only eating one kind of nutrient dense food for a period of time all while promising fast weight loss and nonsensical health improvements. Think of things that read, ‘lose 10 pounds in one week by only eating eggs ’ and other silly claims that have little or skewed scientific evidence for working (like obviously eating 500 calories a day will get you to lose weight but you’re also hurting yourself).  Gut health issues are extremely common especially if you are eating a Western diet. If you’ve ever experienced; excessive gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, regular discomfort after eating, exhausted all the time for seemingly no reason, anxiety or depression, skin issues, weight fluctuations, poor immunity, hormone imbalances, brain fog, food intolerances and even autoimmune issues it’s likely you have or have experienced poor gut health.
Many of these symptoms are often confused as normal but they’re not and it’s important that you take the necessary steps so you can have optimal gut health and begin living a fuller, happier life!  Getting clean beauty products can be a daunting and overwhelming task. It’s hard to know what is clean and what’s not especially when beauty ingredients are not often things we are familiar with. That’s why the “Think Dirty” app is so awesome! You know longer have to wonder or research your own products and ingredients you can just simply scan the barcode! Even if the product you are looking at isn’t in the system you can request it to be added by answering a few simple questions! It’s super cool and takes the hassle and time out of learning what’s what.
 *You've NEVER heard of #2*
So, I see my therapist once a week and she tells me to write down things I’m grateful for and I’m like yeah… yeah… I’ve heard it before Susan *this is not her actual name haha* but being the good little student I am, I committed to trying it out longer than a day because I mean… what else do I have to do?! And nothing I’m doing on my own is working to help me through my anxiety *shocker* This was three years ago… and I’m still writing my gratitude lists almost every single day because SURPRISE… they work! Why else would a therapist who went to school for 6 years and gets paid bookoo bucks be telling me to do it?!  If you are a meat eater and you are looking after your health you probably think you’re doing okay with your grilled chicken breast and steak but if the quality isn’t there you aren’t doing yourself many favors.
You are eating “clean” and somehow your toxicity is still high, you’re still feeling sluggish or worse you’re having full-on health issues. Some of these symptoms can be attributed to meats that are fed weird diets, given antibiotics, or are given hormones to make them larger & grow faster. If you think about all that stuff going into your body, that you didn’t ask for, it's pretty repulsing and can actually cause a whole heck of a lot of issues.  Sugar has a pretty bad rap in the health field and not for nothing, as you'll read below! However, glucose is needed for our cells to thrive. The problem is, most people are eating the wrong kinds of sugar. Complex carbs like; sweet potatoes, quinoa, legumes, and vegetables as well as fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. These complex carbs don't spike blood sugar as quickly as simple carbs do which is what makes the biggest difference. This is why a donut and a piece of fruit don't compare - not to mention the difference in fiber and vitamins and minerals! I am a big advocate for decreasing sugar not eliminating. This also helps you to not feel deprived which often leads to binging - no, thank you! If you're looking for a way to manage your anxiety through food, make sure you download the (free!) Ultimate Guide for Easing Anxiety Through Food!
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AuthorHey! My names Ashleen. Archives
June 2020
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