Sugar-free, Grain-free, Low Carb Chocolate Muffins - Oh Yeah!

I have been on a bit of a muffin baking frenzy lately. I am finding it really hard to keep myself full and in snacks on this Candida diet.  Its tricky. I'm already getting sick of eggs (eek). I eat two smoothies a day.  And veggies are hard to snack on ALL THE TIME. Especially without ready made dip. 

So I have been experimenting. Lots. 

Some batches have been okay. Some batches have been good. But this batch was AWESOME. I say that in a totally grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, low carb kind of way. Revise your expectations if you are new to this way of eating and you will be much happier. They won't be selling these at Tim Hortons but I really enjoyed them (with a caveat below).

The texture was amazing. Dare I say almost like a "normal" muffin. This is usually my issue with Paleo-style baking.

That being said, I did use Xylitol. It is a sugar substitute that is pretty readily available (I've seen it at Bulk Barn and Vita Health in Winnipeg). And it tastes a lot sweeter and more natural than Stevia. But, and a big BUT, my system didn't like it. I got a Xylitol headache about 2 hours after eating these. Two days in a row - actually three - I ate it again even though I knew the consequences - they were that good. 

But I decided to still go ahead and share this recipe because lots of people can handle Xylitol just fine. Dr. Davis of Wheat Belly fame is a huge fan. The Candida guru's can't seem to decide. Just listen to your own body. I happen to be a rare, unique and sensitive creature. Its not working for me but it might work for you.

And this base recipe was awesome so I'm going to try it again with some Stevia and a few tweaks and see what happens. 

I say this was a snack food but we all really know that I'm just trying to make a dessert disguised as a snack..............Frankly these wouldn't be bad with some coconut milk frosting now would they. Candida cupcake anyone?

Candida Diet Friendly Chocolate Muffins with Almond and Coconut Flour

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 - 25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack candida-diet friendly gluten-free low-carb paleo sugar-free Wheat Belly almond flour coconut flour chocolate xylitol

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Ingredients (12 muffins)

• 1 cup blanched Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup organic coconut flour
• 1/4 cup ground golden flax (I grind in my coffee grinder)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 Tbsp organic 100% cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, seperated
• 4 Tbsp free run liquid egg white (equivalent to two whites)
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup powdered Xylitol

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line your muffin baking pan with 12 large liners. Don't skip this step.

Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Separate egg yolk and egg white into two separate mixing bowls. Add vanilla, coconut milk, coconut oil and Xylitol to egg yolks. Mix to combine.

Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Add liquid egg whites to separated egg white. Using a hand mixer, blend until egg is fluffy and starts forming peaks. This should take a couple of minutes on medium speed.

Gently fold egg white mixture into batter.

Place about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin liner. Smooth out the top of each one with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife in the center comes out clean.

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Insanely Good Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust - Take Two

No. Your eyes aren't deceiving you.

I am posting the same recipe twice today. 

Because I am playing with my new RECIPAGE. See my new link on the right hand side of the site navigation bar (up top). 

It will take me some time to get all my old recipes populated. But hopefully this makes it easier to read my recipes and print them out.  And search for some of the oldies.

Technology can be great fun when it works. 

So here is my awesome new pizza crust recipe. Again. Its kind of fitting since we have had this for dinner two days in a row. Hubby loves it and its pretty simple so why not. Enjoy

Insanely Good Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust with Coconut Flour

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes plus roasting squas

Cook Time: 35 minutes in oven

Keywords: bake entree candida-diet friendly gluten-free low-carb sugar-free paleo spaghetti squash coconut flour

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Ingredients (1 - 12 inch pizza)

• 2 cups previously roasted spaghetti squash, about half of a medium sized squash
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup ground golden flax seed
• 2 Tbsp organic coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup mozza cheese, shredded (loosely packed)
• 1/3 cup liquid free-run egg whites

Instructions

To roast your squash. Cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Place cut side down on a baking dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a pizza baking pan with parchment paper.

Strain your squash in a colander or sieve squeezing out as much of the water as you can. Place in a bowl and add egg and mozza cheese. Combine.

Combine all the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix thoroughly.

Let stand at least 15 minutes to let the coconut flour absorb some of the liquids.

Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture on the parchment paper. Mine was about 1/4 inch thick and made a 12 inch pizza.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom is not browning to quickly. Adjust temperature and time as needed based on your oven and baking sheet. The centre should seem "dry" when its cooked enough and the bottom will be browned.

Add pizza toppings and bake for another 15 minutes.

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Insanely Good Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust - I still can't believe this actually worked

I am super excited about this recipe.

Can you believe it? I can only because I made it.

Like. Really. Plus I think this Candida diet is really starting to work. I am starting to feel very energetic again...........I woke up before all 3 kids and felt rested. At ten to 6. Rested enough to get out of bed when I didn't need to. God is answering my prayers. Its a great day. And it actually smells like spring for the first time. Hallelujah!

I didn't actually think this recipe would work - or not this well - I was just trying to use up some leftover roasted squash. But it was amazing. My husband wants it again for supper tonight.

He had no idea what it was made of. You can not tell the key ingredient is spaghetti squash. Seriously. And we could pick it up and eat it like a "normal" piece of pizza. This is momentous for this family. Pizza is sacred to my husband.

We also LOVE the Wheat Belly Cookbook Pizza Crust #1. But given its made from almond flour its not the most low calorie or low fat option out there. I'm lucky to not be watching calories right now because I'm breastfeeding but hubby doesn't really like that it is 200 calories a slice just for the crust.

Plus I like to save my nut intake for snacks.

So this is an awesome alternative that will be a new staple in our house. It is low-carb, wheat-free and even Candida friendly. Well, my version of the Candida diet allows 2 - 3 ounces of mozza 3 times a week so I am safe if I watch my intake.

I suggest you roast the squash in advance and let it cool completely. I used half a squash for one crust.

Insanely Good Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust with Coconut Flour

2 cups previously roasted spaghetti squash, about half of a medium sized squash
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup ground golden flax seed
2 Tbsp organic coconut flour
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup mozza cheese, shredded (loosely packed)
1/3 cup liquid free-run egg whites

To roast your squash. Cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Place cut side down on a baking dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a pizza baking pan with parchment paper.

Strain your squash in a colander or sieve squeezing out as much of the water as you can. Place in a bowl and add egg and mozza cheese. Combine.

Combine all the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix thoroughly.

Let stand at least 15 minutes to let the coconut flour absorb some of the liquids.

Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture on the parchment paper. Mine was about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom is not browning to quickly. Adjust temperature and time as needed based on your oven and baking sheet.

Add pizza toppings and bake for another 15 minutes.

I topped this with a tomato sauce made from mixing tomato paste with canned coconut milk and spice, some  grass fed nitrate and sugar free sausage, onions, cherry tomatoes and a little mozzarella cheese. 

Grilled Asian Marinated Chicken Thighs with Coconut Amino's and Ginger

This would also be fantastic sprinkled with some sesame seeds. Ooops I forgot.

If you are in "Candida-land" like me it can be isolating and lonely. No one wants to invite you for dinner (don't really blame them - my hubby doesn't even know what I can eat). You pretty much can't eat out anywhere. And you can't snack on any of the foods at a party. From a social perspective it kind of sucks. Most social occasions revolve around food. Well at least after the age that social occasions revolve around alcohol. You really notice it once you give up EVERYTHING.

But you can still go out. Just eat before you go. Take a smoothie for the road. Throw some nuts in your purse. And you will usually find some kind of vegetable to nibble on. And tell your friends not to worry about feeding you - you will bring a Candida diet friendly emergency pack as a back-up.

And if you are cooking for others it can be challenging. If you are having dinner guests you want them to enjoy the food. And you also want to be able to enjoy it with them. At least in your own house it would be nice to eat the same food as everyone else. And it seems a little weird (don't touch that chicken - its for me!!!!) and time consuming to prepare a separate meal for yourself.

So here is a Candida-diet friendly recipe that is simple and can be served to guests without them even knowing its made from a super restrictive list of ingredients. You could easily double the marinade - I am finding this clean eating a bit expensive so I made mine really sparse to try and cut back on waste. Yes - I am that frugal.

And this would be fantastic served with my Asian inspired Paleo salad or it would actually make an awesome lunch served on top of that salad. No one will even realize they are eating a Candida diet friendly meal.

If you are doing the Candida diet YOU NEED TO GO BUY SOME COCONUT AMINO'S and COCONUT VINEGAR. Seriously. It will really help you with sauces, dressings and marinades.  If you have those you can survive this diet. In Winnipeg you can get it at Vita Health. Or order it online. Just get some.

So here is a simple and quick recipe to help you enjoy a meal with your lucky non-Candida bearing friends.

Candida Diet Grilled Asian Chicken Thighs - With Coconut Amino's and Ginger

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: grill entree candida-diet friendly gluten-free low-carb paleo soy-free sugar-free wheat belly chicken

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Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4)

• 8 chicken thighs (serves 3 or 4)
• Marinade
• 1 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp coconut amino's (marinade)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh or bottled
• 3 drops sesame oil (or to taste - a little goes a long way so be careful)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 nub of fresh ginger, or at least one Tbsp chopped
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• dash pepper

Instructions

Pour/rub marinade into chicken thighs.

Let marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Grill on bbq until cooked. I did it over low/medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve and enjoy a meal with your friends. You could also grill some pineapple rings for your guests as an extra side dish - just don't eat them yourself if you are on the Candida diet.

Simple.

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Milestones at MamaEatsClean - Thanks for stopping by 10,000 times!

What an exciting weekend for Mama. I hit 10,000 page views on my blog. And I'm almost at 100 followers on Pinterest. Exciting stuff for a stay-at-home mama jotting down her culinary adventures and pursuit of health as a maternity project. Us accountants love numbers and milestones.

I know I just lost all credibility on health and diet related matters by finally admitting that. Yep. I'm an accountant.

I don't have any particular goals for views or followers but it is fun to watch the stats anyway. I'm not making a penny doing this (what kind of accountant am I anyway?). I really started blogging in January as a way to start documenting my recipes for our family. But it turned out to be a great creative outlet. I love writing. I love editing pictures on PicMonkey. I love experimenting in the kitchen. And maybe I've helped a few people. I hope I at least gave a few people some meal or snack ideas.

And it turns out that journalling is great way to try and work through a problem. I didn't really think I had a problem when I started this. I was full of energy on my new low carb way of eating and loving it. 

But my adrenal fatigue snuck back up on me over the winter. I got a severe case of low iron. And now I have low white blood counts. And I have a Candida overgrown. 

So what started out in January as a way to document recipes has evolved into a way to document, ponder, question, probe and try to cook my way to better health and figure out what the heck is wrong with me. 

And health is a finicky thing so my ingredients and diet keep changing as I go. And my symptoms, moods and general outlook might change from day-to-day. Its a bit of a roller-coaster. 

To those of you faithfully coming back here sorry for the ups and downs but thanks for stopping by. I have learned so much in the past four months - about diet, detox, clean eating, clean living, shopping and cooking. Hopefully my ups have inspired some of you to clean up your diet. And hopefully my downs haven't turned anyone off of clean eating. 

I have also learned that there is a sea of information out there and each of us has to figure out what works for our own bodies. I started out on a bit of a "wheat is the devil" crusade. And I still am not fond of wheat and don't eat it anymore but I have learned that there are lots of different views out there on food. Some raw vegans probably think my diet is pretty "dirty".

I'm just trying to listen to my body and adjust what I eat based on what is right for me at each point in time. What is right for me might not be right for you and that's okay. What's right for me today might not be right for me tomorrow. So that means my blog can be a little all over the place. My definition of clean keeps evolving. I'm learning. I'm trying to fix me. And I'm trying to do it while still eating delicious, tasty, satisfying food. Because I LOVE food.  

So I have some issues to deal with. Yes. But I am sleeping better than I can ever remember (in between wake ups because that little 10 month old sure does miss me during the night) and my digestion is working better than ever. And I owe that to cleaning up my diet. 

For the next little while at least my focus will be on fighting my Candida overgrowth. So my diet won't include any sugar (none, zip, zilch, nada), yeast, mushrooms, vinegar, fruit (seriously) or pork (ouch). Plus very little dairy. This is hard. I am struggling. But I am doing it. Some of my recipes might not be that exciting but I am working with a super restrictive list of ingredients. And doing my best to make them into something filling and satisfying. 

So as I do every Sunday - here is my week in review. A sampling of some of the clean and Candida friendly food I made to try and keep my constant hunger at bay.

Thanks again for stopping by...........and keep eating clean.........at least some of the time!

My girlfriend brought me these yesterday and they brought joy to my heart and a smile to my lips. I don't get flowers very often (hint, hint, nudge, nudge hubby) and I am too cheap to buy them for myself but i LOVE them so much. And she brought pink - I am partial to pink. Nothing to do with clean eating but they made me so happy that I had to share them with all of you. And its kind of a celebration post so why not. 

Eggs Scrambled in butter with some spinach. I used almond milk instead of cow's milk so they were Candida friendly and just as fluffy. Its nice to get a serving of veggies in before 8 am. Less pressure the rest of the day. Although servings of veggies is not a big issue on the Candida diet since I can't eat much else. 

Organic Grass fed beef meatloaf. I made it with egg, ground golden flax, shredded zucchini and spices. I used tomato paste as a topping. It was very tender. Almost too tender.  A bit of a weird texture. So I didn't share the recipe.

I am seriously addicted to Chocolate Vega One smoothies with ice, cacao nibs, coconut, nut butter and ground Chia. I have one or two of these everyday. I think it is because the Vega One has a healthy dose of Stevia so its a bit sweet. And my sweet tooth WILL NOT DIE. Do you think it means I shouldn't be eating them? Sometimes your body craves what it shouldn't have. Hmmmm. I hope not. They are saving me.

Leftover meatloaf with roasted beets and roasted cauliflower. And a small smidge of white rice. 

Almond flour breaded chicken breast with tomato sauce and mozza cheese. Served with roasted cabbage and steamed broccoli. Cabbage was the best part of this meal. 

I did some baking experiments this week. I'm on a bit of a coconut flour kick. For dessert and so there is something to snack on because I am ALWAYS hungry and snacks are tough. This was a maple walnut coconut flour cupcake I made. It was pretty good. 

I had started eating oatmeal last week and then discovered it was slowing my digestive system  way down to the point my stomach was distended, bloated and I started feeling rotten. So my brief love affair with oatmeal came to an abrupt end. It was fun while it lasted. This overnight oatmeal ended up down the drain rather than being shared as a recipe.

I have to pack salads every time I'm not going to be around the house for a meal. This was a delicious oriental salad but what a pain in the butt to not be able to eat any fast food. How am I going to keep this up when I go back to work - PANIC.

Coconut flour  Chocolate cupcakes with coconut cream icing. Recipe to come. Sweetened with Stevia. Really not so sweet for a cupcake but you gotta do what you gotta do. Its partly psychological.

Devilled eggs. I used avocado for creaminess since condiments are out of the question these days. I have been eating a ton of eggs. Free run and antibiotic free of course. 

More eggs, this time my spinach, onion and sundried tomato basted eggs with Italien seasoning. I like this breakfast. Its yummy.

This is my usual smoothie cup. It a kids cup from some restaurant they let you take home. Don't be fooled by my pictures. We don't always eat on white plates and drink out of nice glasses. I eat off Dora plates when I need to. 

Asian Grilled Chicken Thighs.  I used coconut amino's, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil as a marinade. They were good. 

I tried roasting green beans in a casserole on the bbq. It didn't work. They were super crispy. But cauliflower done the same way is amazing. I also made a pot of chicken chipolte soup with black rice and spinach. It was good and I seem to be able to tolerate small amounts of rice. 

Some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I made for the kids. I'm so used to coconut and almond flour baking now these looked ridiculous when I opened the oven. They were so fluffy. Wheat may be the devil but it sure does work well for baking. I didn't get to eat one bite of these but the kids loved them. I 

Another salad for lunch. I added a bit of mozza on top this time to change things up. I'm allowed 2 or 3 servings of mozza a week (just 2 or 3 ounces). This was one of them.

Grilled Zucchini - A Recipe Idea if you are outside Grilling this weekend

Well folks, you were supposed to be getting a post on Asian Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs but my camera battery died before I could transfer the pictures. 

And I have four loads on laundry to fold and put away before bed. I hate that job. 

We had a CRAZY busy day. We are landscaping our front yard in between caring for three children. And we always give ourselves these crazy deadlines. For instance we have 4 yards of rock being delivered tomorrow at some unspecified time. For once we need them to be late - please be late.  We still have lots to do before it gets here.

So I need to get folding and I need to get to bed. Those little bricks are deceptively heavy and hard on the body. Hubby is limping and I'm just bloody exhausted.

And I need to fix my blackberry. It hasn't been working for the past three days. I feel like someone cut off my arm. 

So is that enough excuses for why you aren't getting a proper blog post with some kind of useful information?

Hope so because that's all I've got. But at least I've got a recipe from the archives that's a good one to share.

If you are grilling this weekend, why not make zucchini as your side dish instead of potatoes. They are so darn delicious. Everyone who tries these are surprised - they don't expect much from zucchini........but they are really good. 

Grilled Zucchini

3 small fresh zucchini
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Sprinkle of garlic powder, fine sea salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - omit for Candida diet)

Wash well. remove ends. Cut each zucchini into 6 wedges lengthwise. Put into a glass loaf pan. Sprinkle with oil and spices. Mix thoroughly. Cook on grill until tender but still slightly firm. About 3 minutes each side on medium high heat. Remove from grill and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving hot. These are also good leftover on pizza, in omelets or on a salad.

Candida Killing Coconut Lemon Bombs

So I have to apologize if I'm all over the place on what I am eating these days. 

I tried incorporating "non-glutenous healthy whole grains" back into my diet and it completely backfired. My digestion completely slowed down - which means I started feeling bloated and icky.  

Then my cravings and blood sugar swings came back full force. And with that some nasty moods. I was really disappointed as I survived 3 weeks of the Candida diet only to fully regress with what was supposed to be an acceptable Candida friendly food. I didn't even cheat.

And I was really enjoying that oatmeal (and it was very small servings btw). 

So whether its the Candida or I have some carbohydrate intolerance, I am back off the whole grains. Its not worth it. I felt pretty rotten and had to go through a pretty bad day of withdrawal when I cleaned my diet back up.

The reason I had decided to re-incorporate grains back into my diet is that I am a hungry gal and keeping myself full and satisfied on the Candida diet is tricky. Its hard to think of and prepare enough things to eat without getting bored or running out of time. Plus I don't want to lose anymore weight and I figured I should replace some of the calories I had to give up when I got cut off of fruit and dairy. 

But that was not meant to be. 

So I'm basically restarting the toughest phase of the Candida diet (damn you oatmeal) and I'm making sure I have "bombs" in the fridge to tie me over between meals and give me some calories. 

What are bombs you ask? They are basically just healthy fat snacks. I first saw "fat bombs" on Pinterest a few months ago. At that time I thought they seemed a little ridiculous - who would want to eat healthy fat snacks just to get some calories. 

Now I kind of get it. 

If you are not going to eat processed foods and you work or have kids or any number of activities that keep you from shopping and cooking constantly you need to have snacks on hand that will fill you up and give you some calories when you are on the run if you are going to stick to this diet. 

This batch I made had coconut oil and lemon oil which are both Candida fighters. If you are going to use coconut oil as an anti-fungal why not jazz it up a bit and let yourself feel like you are getting a treat in the process. They aren't dark chocolate but they aren't half bad.

Wish me luck on round two.

Candida Killing Coconut Lemon Bombs (makes 15 bombs - 1/2 Tbsp each)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3 Tbsp Hemp Hearts

3 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

6 drops liquid Stevia (without alcohol)

3 drops natural Lemon oil

Melt coconut oil in microwave for about 40 seconds on high. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Pour into chocolate/candy mold. I have a silicone mold that holds 15. I put 1/2 Tbsp of the mixture into each well. 

Place in the fridge and chill. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Sugar Free, Gluten Free Coconut Flour Oatmeal Pancakes - Candida Diet friendly

So I'm on the Candida diet, which is very similar to a Paleo diet, but with even more restrictions. 

I am coping okay under the circumstances. But I do miss pancakes. I really like them. 

Probably because you usually top them with something sweet and they kind of remind me of cake. So I was craving some. 

And I have also decided to try and incorporate some non-glutenous whole grains back into my diet on a limited basis. Because although I do want to starve out the Candida, I don't want to starve myself. I don't want to lose any more weight , I don't want to be hungry all the time and frankly I need some convenient alternatives to cook with as time is precious and in short supply.  So I decided to replace some of the simple carbs I had to give up in fruit with some complex carbs in whole grains. 

Its kind of fun to shop for some new ingredients again. Do you know how many whole grains they have at Bulk Barn. Fun, fun, fun. I even bought some Black Rice - it is the sexiest thing ever. That's how much I love food! Sad.

Anyway. I made these delicious pancakes. Really good. As a topping I mixed some nut butter, canned coconut milk, cinnamon, Stevia and butter. I warmed it in the microwave before spreading it on top. And then sprinkled more coconut on top. It wasn't maple syrup but it was good.  And filling. I'll be making these again and next time the kids will be sharing them so I'll make a double batch.

Coconut Flour Oatmeal Pancakes

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients (Makes 8, Serves 2)

• 1/2 cup quick oats (gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 drops liquid Stevia

Instructions

Mix together dry ingredients.

Use blender to combine coconut milk, eggs and Stevia.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix thoroughly and then let stand for 10 to 15 minutes to let coconut flour "expand".

Fry in coconut oil over medium heat until bubbling.

Turn and repeat.

Serve with sugar-free toppings of choice. Enjoy!

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Sunday Week in Review - I've Turned a Corner

Well folks, I think I am turning a corner. My energy levels are coming back. I think. I hope. The funny thing with health is that it can be fleeting so I hate to even say it. But since Tuesday I have been feeling like I'm getting back to normal. No more naps, no mood swings, significantly reduced cravings and hunger. 

After my bout of low iron a month or two back I haven't felt 100% energy wise and my moods were all over the place. But after about 2 weeks of my Candida diet (no sugar, yeast, vinegar, dairy, fruit, coffee, pork, processed foods, etc) things seem to be settling down. And it feels good!

Unfortunately for my husband my increased energy almost always ends up in a new project around the house. So since Tuesday "we" have decided to re-landscape the front of our house. It was supposed to just be a re-do of our sidewalk. It means lots of fun designing for me and lots of hard grunt work for him. Sorry buddy - I love you! 

The Candida diet can be a bit challenging (understatement), even for someone who professed to be a clean eater to start with but it is doable. You just have to do some cooking, shopping and plan for when you are leaving the house. Don't leave the house without an emergency snack - take nuts, smoothies, protein bars - something to help you out if you get hungry so you don't have to buy something when you are out. Because almost nothing store bought is Candida diet friendly.

And we weren't actually deprived of good food. We had lots of awesome meals this week. So don't be discouraged if you are trying to eat Paleo, Gluten-free, Candida-diet friendly or just clean. You can still eat great food. 

I've actually been incorporating some non-glutenous whole grains back into my diet - I limit it to 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time and my blood sugar seems to be handling it okay. I am now trying to maintain and/or gain a bit of weight as my white blood count is really low which means more doctors and tests. Sigh. Something to potentially feed my anxiety - but I'm trying not to let it because I'm sure it all relates to breastfeeding/absorption issues/sleep deprivation/crappy adrenals. In the meantime I will keep eating clean, make sure I'm getting lots of calories and eat lots of good food...................hope this gives you some ideas for a week so you can keep it clean as well. 

Hubby roasted a turkey for Mother's Day. A HUGE turkey. A really HUGE turkey. We ate it in every variation and combination I could think of as leftovers. It is supposed to be good for low white blood counts so it was perfect timing. Here we had it with gluten-free gravy, fried zucchini, peas and a couple of cabbage rolls. 

Chicken, avocado, sun-dried tomato and cilantro salad. Yum.

A batch of Vega One, avocado, nut and ground Chia protein bars. I can no longer have dates (boo hoo) but these are pretty good for a Candida diet friendly food. These are must haves in the freezer to help me out with snacks and keep me going.

This is how I used one of my left-over Chocolate Vega One Protein containers. I covered it with scrapbook paper and then used it for my girls headbands and hair supplies that we have a hard time keeping organized. It was the perfect size. 

A view from the top. My leftover Vega One container - up-cycled to a hair accessories organizer.  

Turkey Chipolte soup with avocado - this was GOOD soup. Yum!

I roasted cauliflower in the oven and then "smashed" it with a potato masher to make the base for my Candida friendly UN-lasagna. See below. 

Candida diet friendly - UN-lasagna. I made a roasted cauliflower base. Then I made a middle layer of leftover turkey with peppers, onions, garlic, coconut milk and spices. I topped with a layer of mashed roasted sweet potato. I topped that with a wee bit of mozza and paprika. Baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. It was so good. My 10 month old - LOVED it. Good thing hubby and I loved it because a 9 x 13 pan goes a long way - lots of meals out of this.

Another banana loaf for the kids. This one for the freezer.

I made some "lemon bombs" - recipe to come this week. I make these healthy fat bombs to keep me going and get some calories. Don't think I will need these when I finish nursing and start gaining weight but for now my body is telling me it needs calories.

Cabbage and jicama coleslaw - I used coconut vinegar for the dressing. Its the only vinegar I'm allowed. 

A snack for the kids. If I put fruit on the skewer they eat it.  Put anything on a skewer and they might eat it.

Another turkey lunch. This one with coleslaw.

Yummy basted eggs with spinach and sun-dried tomato's for breaky. This is good and easy.........and good.

Candida lemon cake. Sweetened with Stevia. It wasn't very sweet. The cake texture was  good so I should make it again but I think I lost my notes. Not sure if I'll be able to re-create it. Dumb.

Raw zucchini salad. One of hubby's favorites. 

Raw Paleo oriental salad. Had this twice this week. Made with broccoli slaw (pre-cut and washed) its easy to whip up and totally clean.  So delicious.

In my attempt to start eating some whole grains I made some Gluten and sugar-free oatmeal and coconut flour pancakes. They were really good and I had no negative blood sugar impact. Yay. And they kept me really full until lunch. So recipe to come this week. Sure would have loved some maple syrup but I'm not allowed sugar so I concocted a nut butter, cinnamon spread that was delicious if not sweet. 

Baked cod with onions, peppers  and sun-dried tomatoes for lunch. Not my favorite thing but a good source of protein and hubby loves fish so I choke it down once in a while.

Sugar free organic grass fed meat-sauce with fried zucchini and broccoli slaw and 1/4 cup of brown rice noodles. A kid friendly and quick dinner. 

This was a butter rum smoothie. I had Vega One Chocolate smoothies once every day but this was a little change for a dessert. Good and clean.
 I always forget to take some pictures so we had a few other variations of turkey not shown and another pot of cabbage soup. And some Chia puddings. And some other stuff. But that's most of our week. No chocolate, no coffee. I can't believe I'm doing it, but I am. You can too!

I missed my brother's wedding social  last night- I felt really guilty but I NEED to get healthy which means resting, getting to bed early and not lugging 3 kids across the province to sleep in someone's else's bed. So sorry for not being there but I was thinking of you. Hope it was awesome. You will probably need some clean food to help you recover this week.