Do you recall the last time you woke up feeling crappy? Maybe it was a cold coming on or a stomach bug or migraine. You called in sick or slogged through it until you felt well again. And you wondered about the cause. Did you share a drink with someone? Get sneezed on? Eat something contaminated? Fortunately, we are often well again in a few days.
You are a wellness warrior! You practice prevention daily – washing your hands, sneezing into your elbow crease, getting vaccinated, taking zinc and vitamin C – but there are still some insidious things we're prone to, exposed to, or deficient in that require detective work to uncover. Take gluten intolerance, for example, or unresolved hypothyroidism, or excess fat in the abdomen that just won't quit. Not knowing why or what to do about it beyond taking a prescription drug can be frustrating and downright scary. That's why I'm so excited to tell you that I'm in my first semester of training in Functional Medicine – the field that focuses on root causes of symptoms and illnesses.
What if you had persistent symptoms with no end in sight? That's what I experienced in my mid thirties. Imagine joint pain, muscle soreness, a numb toe and tongue, and brain fog every day for months...until I figured out and addressed the root cause which, in my case, was gluten. If you're a science geek like me, you'll want to know that gluten caused an inflamed and leaky gut which led to an immune system attack gone awry. Check out my book, Gutsy, if you want to learn how to be a gut detective of your own symptoms. And if you'd like to share and discuss your own experience, let me know either below or by contacting me directly.
The body is made of interconnected systems. When one system is malfunctioning, we can look for upstream causes in the other systems. Soon I'll know more about what to have you tested for, what to rule out, how to read labs even for subclinical findings (ie, beyond the regular lab reference ranges), and which natural remedies will reverse the problem – rather than a prescription that doesn't address the root cause.
The future of medicine is here. and I'm excited to be embarking on it!
In the meantime, enjoy these delicious gluten-free and healthy muffins.
Chocolate Nut Butter Muffins
High in protein and free of refined sugars and flours, these muffins are a satisfying treat any time.
Makes 12 muffins
Print Recipe
WET
1/4 cup peanut butter, or almond butter
2 T maple syrup
3 eggs
3 medium bananas, smashed
1 T vanilla extract
1 t apple cider vinegar
DRY
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
3 c almond flour
1/2 c cacao powder (Raw chocolate powder has more nutrients than treated cocoa powder.)
2 T ground flax seeds
1/3 c dark dairy-free chocolate chips (I love organic 70% dark chocolate chips from Equal Exchange.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper muffin cups into muffin tin wells. Combine first 6 ingredients either by hand or in a food processor just until well combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the first 5 dry ingredients without the chocolate chips. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and combine by mixing until well integrated, or by pulsing 3-4 times. Add chocolate chips and combine by hand, mixing well.
Place batter into each muffin cup using an ice cream scoop or 3 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 15 minutes. Let muffins cool completely. They will last up to 3 days in airtight container at room temperature, or in fridge for a week. Enjoy!
You are a wellness warrior! You practice prevention daily – washing your hands, sneezing into your elbow crease, getting vaccinated, taking zinc and vitamin C – but there are still some insidious things we're prone to, exposed to, or deficient in that require detective work to uncover. Take gluten intolerance, for example, or unresolved hypothyroidism, or excess fat in the abdomen that just won't quit. Not knowing why or what to do about it beyond taking a prescription drug can be frustrating and downright scary. That's why I'm so excited to tell you that I'm in my first semester of training in Functional Medicine – the field that focuses on root causes of symptoms and illnesses.
What if you had persistent symptoms with no end in sight? That's what I experienced in my mid thirties. Imagine joint pain, muscle soreness, a numb toe and tongue, and brain fog every day for months...until I figured out and addressed the root cause which, in my case, was gluten. If you're a science geek like me, you'll want to know that gluten caused an inflamed and leaky gut which led to an immune system attack gone awry. Check out my book, Gutsy, if you want to learn how to be a gut detective of your own symptoms. And if you'd like to share and discuss your own experience, let me know either below or by contacting me directly.
The body is made of interconnected systems. When one system is malfunctioning, we can look for upstream causes in the other systems. Soon I'll know more about what to have you tested for, what to rule out, how to read labs even for subclinical findings (ie, beyond the regular lab reference ranges), and which natural remedies will reverse the problem – rather than a prescription that doesn't address the root cause.
The future of medicine is here. and I'm excited to be embarking on it!
In the meantime, enjoy these delicious gluten-free and healthy muffins.
Chocolate Nut Butter Muffins
High in protein and free of refined sugars and flours, these muffins are a satisfying treat any time.
Makes 12 muffins
Print Recipe
WET
1/4 cup peanut butter, or almond butter
2 T maple syrup
3 eggs
3 medium bananas, smashed
1 T vanilla extract
1 t apple cider vinegar
DRY
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
3 c almond flour
1/2 c cacao powder (Raw chocolate powder has more nutrients than treated cocoa powder.)
2 T ground flax seeds
1/3 c dark dairy-free chocolate chips (I love organic 70% dark chocolate chips from Equal Exchange.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper muffin cups into muffin tin wells. Combine first 6 ingredients either by hand or in a food processor just until well combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the first 5 dry ingredients without the chocolate chips. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and combine by mixing until well integrated, or by pulsing 3-4 times. Add chocolate chips and combine by hand, mixing well.
Place batter into each muffin cup using an ice cream scoop or 3 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 15 minutes. Let muffins cool completely. They will last up to 3 days in airtight container at room temperature, or in fridge for a week. Enjoy!