Author: Scott & Rhonda

A Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

Today I’m sharing a Chocolate Chip cookie recipe.

A friend of mine put me on to it. These cookies have a surprise ingredient and are healthy enough to eat for breakfast. They taste great, are gluten free and keto friendly (so low in carbohydrates).

The recipe is from a site called Sweet as Honey and the cookies are really quick and easy to make.

I started to get my ingredients measured out and I realised that I was short on Almond flour. So, I made a small change and have shared the recipe with my changes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 16

Ingredients

1 large egg – at room temp. & lightly beaten

75 g unsalted butter – melted

100 g Monkfruit sweetener

60 g zucchini – finely grated and with excess water removed

85 g almond flour

85 g buckwheat flour (for added fibre & protein)

½ teasp baking powder

1 teasp ground cinnamon

¼ teasp ground ginger

¼ teasp ground nutmeg

¼ teasp salt

1 teasp vanilla extract

50 g chopped pecans

80 g sugar free chocolate chips

Method

* Preheat oven to 160’c. and line baking tray/s with parchment paper and set aside

* Finely grate the zucchini with skin on. Then placing the grated zucchini in the centre of a clean tea towel, wrap and squeeze bundle to remove all water. (This is important so as to avoid soft cookies)

* In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg with the melted butter and sweetener.

*Stir in both of the flours, zucchini, and baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla.

* Once thoroughly combined, stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

* Use a tablespoon to scoop balls of the mixture onto the trays.

* Wet your hands and lightly press down on the balls of mixture to flatten and shape the cookies.

* Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.

* Cool on a cooling rack for a least 30 minutes before eating. They will firm up at room temperature.

* The cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies can be frozen in zip lock bags to keep for longer if necessary.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do.

If you want to try more keto friendly baking, check out the Sweet as Honey website for more ideas.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper.

A bit about Shingles.

Today’s post is about shingles.

Scott unfortunately contracted this virus recently and he was very uncomfortable with the associated pain.

We decided to do some research on the virus to gain more information about it and determine the best treatment.

As usual, I will share what we learned.

First, what exactly is shingles?

Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a disease that triggers a painful, blistering skin rash. The same virus as chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus, causes it. After you recover from chickenpox (usually as a child), the virus continues to live in some of your nerve cells.

For most adults, the virus is inactive and it never leads to shingles. But, for about one in three adults, the virus will become active again and cause the painful condition.

This is because the inactive chickenpox virus stays in the nerve cells near the spine. When the rash develops it’s because the virus has become active again. Usually, a person will only get shingles once in their lives, but it can sometime occur again if you have a weakened immune system.

Why is it so painful?

The intense pain is due to the virus actually damaging the nerves and the nerve fibres in the skin. The pain has been described as a very intense burning sensation creating acute sensitivity of the skin.

After the actual rash goes away, some people may be left with ongoing pain called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. The pain is felt in the area where the rash occurred.

Living with the PHN pain has been known to cause depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and weight loss. It can also lead to serious eye problems, including blindness, pneumonia and hearing problems.

The older you are when you get shingles, the greater your chances of developing PHN.

Who is at risk for shingles?

Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for developing shingles. Researchers do not fully understand what makes the virus become active again and cause shingles. But some things make it more likely, such as a stressed immune system.

The immune system is the main defence system of the body that responds to infections. Age can affect the immune system. This means that the risk of developing shingles increases as you age. About half of all shingles cases are in adults age 60 or older.

Other factors such as illness, cancer and cancer treatments, too much sun, and organ transplant drugs. Even stress or a cold can weaken your immune system for a short time.

Is it contagious?

If you are in contact with someone who has shingles, you will not get the symptoms of the virus yourself. However, direct contact with fluid from the rash can still spread the varicella-zoster virus. This can cause chickenpox in people who have not had chickenpox before or the chickenpox vaccine. The risk of spreading the virus is low if the shingles rash is kept covered.

How is it treated?

Unfortunately, to date, there is no cure for shingles, but prompt diagnosis and treatment can speed healing and reduce your risk of complications.

There are some options available that may help in conjunction with pharmaceuticals, such as ointments and creams. Researchers have also found that certain essential oils have antiviral and pain-relieving properties. Though further studies are needed, some evidence suggests that these oils, when applied, may help to alleviate pain and itchiness associated with shingles.

These are:

  • Neem oil
  • St Johns Wort oil
  • Peppermint oil
  • Capsaicin oil
  • Geranium oil
  • Thyme oil
  • Lemon oil

It seems that the most effective treatment for the herpes zoster virus is prevention and there are vaccinations available to prevent shingles.

Thankfully, due to a fairly quick diagnosis, Scott is recovering well. There is still some continuing PHN, however it is manageable.

We hope you found this information helpful.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

(Sources – Science Direct– Aust. government Dept. of Health – US National Institute on Ageing – US National Library of Medicine )

Nuts, Seeds and Omega 3

Todays post is about nuts and omega 3.

A friend of ours was recently sharing that she had been craving nuts and seeds quite a lot in the past few weeks. She asked if we were aware of this being a symptom of anything.

We were not sure but thought it could mean that her body was craving Omega 3.

I decided to do some research and as usual am sharing my findings.

The health world has been focusing on Omega-3 fats as they play a major role in heart, brain and overall health.

So what is Omega-3?

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), a type of healthy fat.

There are actually three main kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, each capable of providing vital health benefits for the body and mind.

The 3 kinds are – Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

ALA is crucial for normal growth and development. It also helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.

EPA helps maintain normal blood pressure levels and reduce inflammation. EPA may also reduce the symptoms of depression.

DHA is important for brain development and function. It can also benefit heart health by reducing blood triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood).

The body can’t produce these essential fatty acids on its own. It is important to make sure you’re getting enough through dietary sources. If you don’t, you could experience the symptoms of omega-3 deficiency.

In addition, there’s currently no standard test to diagnose an omega-3 deficiency, though there are several ways to analyze omega-3 levels.

To date, few studies have investigated the signs and symptoms of omega-3 deficiency. Therefore I was unable to find any studies to suggest that craving nuts or seeds, was an indicator of low levels.

There are however some other recognised symptoms of omega-3 deficiency.

Main symptoms of low omega 3
  • Hair and /or skin is feeling dry – this is because omega-3 fats help retain moisture in the skin, they also help keep your hair healthy.
  • Feeling anxious or depressed – DHA‘s are known to have neuro-protective and anti-inflammatory effects
  • Dry eyes – essential fatty acids play a role in eye health, including maintaining eye moisture.
  • Blood Pressure is higher that normal – Omega-3s are known as the “heart-healthy fats” and are associated with significantly lower blood pressure levels.

It is relatively easy to ensure good levels of these ‘fatty acids’ in your body simply by eating a varied diet.

Main Food Sources of Omega-3s

Plant oils such as flaxseed (linseed), soybean, and canola oils contain ALA.

Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts also contain ALA.

Several types of fish contain omega 3 such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, anchovies, bass, and cod.

Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, are good sources of ALA.

Of course there are several other processed foods and supplements available that are fortified with DHA and other omega-3s.

So, in a nutshell, upping your omega-3 intake helps improve your skin and hair, lower your blood pressure and improve your overall heart health.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – U.S. National Institute of health – Healthline– WebMD –