After our last two posts about real food (that is, naturally grown sans chemicals), I was inspired to make a delicious green drink using an ingredient I’ve never tried before: hemp! Check out this yummy, delicious and nutritious blended green meal recipe to help you cleanse this spring.

Hemp seed has a nutty taste and adds just the right amount of crunch to this green drink made mostly of green grapes. As a pleasant contrast, the avocado lends a smooth texture as well as a healthy fat for a satisfying meal in a glass.

Grape Hemp Crunch Green Drink

Makes: 3 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 big handful kale, washed and de-stemmed
• 1 big handful spinach, washed
• 1/2 large apple, de-seeded
• 2 tbsp fresh avocado
• 2 tbsp hemp seed
• 1 cup green grapes
• 1/4 cup apple or grape juice
• filtered water (until desired texture)

Preparation

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!

If you read food labels, then you’ll probably agree that even most of the “healthy” cereals on the market use unpronounceable ingredients (a.k.a. crap). Since you can always trust your own homemade food, here’s a super easy granola recipe that tastes WAY better than anything you’ll find in a box!

Loaded with protein, grain and balanced with natural sugar, this homemade granola is a treat whether you pour milk over it and eat it as a cereal or sprinkle it over a bowl of fruit and yogurt. As an added bonus to it’s pleasing crunchy texture and incredible cacophony of tastes, it’s also allergy-friendly!

I’ve made this homemade granola three times now, trying different variations of ingredients. ALL of them have turned out spectacularly but this one I’m sharing with you today has been the best so far. (I think it’s the delicious mixture of tart cherries and exotic apricots.)

Feel free to use your imagination and substitute whatever flour, oil, nuts, seeds and dried fruit you love or have on hand.

Easy, Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe

Makes: 7 cups

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup small pumpkin seeds (pepita)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cherries & chopped dried apricots

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, nuts, coconut, seeds and cinnamon.
2. Combine the oil and honey in a small saucepan. Heat briefly to liquefy the honey. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour liquid over the dry ingredients. Mix well.
4. Spread mixture in a 9 x 11 glass casserole dish. Bake at 350º F for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Allow to cool, stir in dried fruit, then store in the refrigerator in tightly sealed containers.

FYI: some of the variations I’ve tried include pecans, almond slivers, dried figs, dried currants, dried cranberries, poppy seeds, no coconut and no extract. Some future variations I’m thinking: raisins, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, amaranth flour, sunflower oil and almond extract.

What are you thinking about trying in your homemade granola recipe?

Some say the ancestors of the Mayans were from Atlantis. This ancient civilization sunk into the sea almost 13,000 years ago, the last time the Earth experienced a shift like the one predicted to occur around 2012. If you’re preparing for 2012, print this recipe out and put it with your dried lentils!

The movie 2012 was incredible! This post and recipe is in honour of a being alive at this fascinating time in history and for the sensational work of Roland Emmerich. I’m excited to see what the future will bring and will be preparing in fun, little ways.

Like stocking up in dried legumes (which last forever) and experimenting with healthy recipes:

Atlantian Lentil Soup: 2012 Special

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils, soaked overnight and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
2  (19 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
6 cups veggie broth
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in soup pot and toss in prepared veggies on medium heat.
2. Cook for 5 minutes and stir in spices.
3. Add soaked & rinsed lentils, stock, tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
4. Simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours or until lentils and veggies are cooked.
5. Enjoy!

Using canned lentils:

1. Heat oil in soup pot and toss in prepared veggies on medium heat.
2. Cook until soft.
3. Stir in spices and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add rinsed lentils, stock, tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

The trees in Toronto are glowing with autumn colours and there’s a chill in the air. There’s always something to love in every season and if you’re having a hard time finding it, food is always a safe bet! Let’s embrace the fall brisk winds with some warm, seasonal soup.

Although the ingredients in this lovely fall soup require a little muscle to prepare, between the creamy texture, sweet, spicy taste and powerful health benefits, you’ll be thankful for the workout the gourd gave you!

Low in calories and high in essential vitamins A and C, this butternut squash, garlic and curry soup is your ticket to better health and youth:

Sweet & Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 small yams or sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 small onion
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
2 fresh apples, seeded and cubed
6 cups veggie or chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp curry
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Throw on some tunes and prepare the veggies.
2. In a soup pot, simmer ingredients for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
3. Let cool and puree soup in a food blender until smooth.
4. Reheat and serve. (or freeze for later!)

Nutritional Information

Calories 223.1

Total Fat 5.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.1 g

Cholesterol 7.2 mg

Sodium 371.8 mg

Potassium 894.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate 37.7 g

Dietary Fiber 6.9 g

Sugars 6.4 g

Protein 8.4 g

• Vitamin A 264.8 %
• Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
• Vitamin B-6 25.0 %
• Vitamin C 49.6 %
• Vitamin D 0.0 %
• Vitamin E 2.1 %
• Calcium 9.3 %
• Copper 16.9 %
• Folate 12.3 %
• Iron 10.6 %
• Magnesium 14.9 %
• Manganese 26.2 %
• Niacin 29.0 %
• Pantothenic Acid 9.7 %
• Phosphorus 14.1 %
• Riboflavin 16.6 %
• Selenium 9.7 %
• Thiamin 16.4 %
• Zinc 5.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Do you have digestive issues and want to learn if food sensitivities or intolerances are part of the problem? If you’re starting an elimination diet adventure and want some ideas for yummy meals and recipes that comply with even the most strictest of elimination diets, then this post is for you!

For your convenience and thanks to reader, Heather, here is a compilation of elimination diet-friendly recipes published here on Live Lighter so far:

1. Outta this World Elimination Diet-Friendly Meal. 5 recipes: Coconut-Almond Crusted, organic Chicken Fingers, Spicy Homemade Mustard Dipping Sauce (or Honey Garlic Dipping Sauce), steamed Garlic Asparagus and Broccoli and Watermelon-Berry Fruit Smoothie.
2. 3 More Yummy and Good on Your Tummy Recipes. 3 recipes: Miller’s Supreme Millet & Veggie Dish, Black Bean Spread and Kinda Like Chocolate Pudding.
3. Elimination Diet Adventures Continued… and More Hypo-Allergenic Recipes. 3 recipes: Organic Chicken with Oregano & Basil Soup, Bitchin’ Black Bean Quinoa Salad and Even MORE like Chocolate Pudding.
4. Elimination Diet Adventures… On Pause. 3 recipes: Cuban Black Bean Dip, Broccoli, Spinach & Sweet Potato Stir-Fry with Coconut Milk and Spicy Stewed Apples.
5. Game On! Elimination Diet Adventures Continue. 2 recipes: Steph’s Easy Broccoli Quinoa and Steph’s Roasted Garlic Black Bean Dip.
6. Berry Guava Elimination Diet-Friendly Froozie.
7. 3 Allergy-Friendly Recipes. 3 recipes: Steph’s Zesty Black Bean Dip, Steph’s Yummy Lamb Dish and Elimination Friendly Rice Pudding.
8. Smoky Chickpea Stew.
9. Fresh Basil & Black Bean Quinoa Salad.
10. Warming Chickpea Stew.
    
11. Green Detox Blender Meals. 19 recipes in 6 posts. These blender meals add variety to your elimination diet, help you cleanse your system of offending foods faster and more thoroughly and will give you a break from cooking and cleaning.

Please note that some of the above listed recipes have been reproduced or inspired by those found I’ve found in 2 amazing recipe books:

• The Vital You’s Ultimate Holistic Cookbook.
• CCNM’s Brown Rice Cookbook.

These recipe books are FULL of many more recipes for you to enjoy and alter to suit your tastes and/or particular elmination diet. Unfortunately, their cookbooks are for sale in person only. Please contact them and request that they sell their books online!

So there’s 42 recipes for you to try while you’re on your elimination diet. Good luck and as you discover/create other elimination diet recipes, we’d love to have you share your allergy-friendly recipes with us!

The hot summer days are upon us and our bodies are craving light, cooling foods. Let’s celebrate salad season with a recipe!

Created recently, this one was a BIG hit with everyone who tried it. Since quinoa (see pic) is an easy-to-digest grain, it’s especially delightful for those with digestive issues.

Please come back and let us know how you like it once you’ve tried it:

Fresh Basil & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

This recipe was inspired from The Vital You’s “Quinoa and Black Bean Salad” (very different BUT equally yummy) found in the Ultimate Holistic Cookbook:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water, filtered
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped finely
4 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp cold-pressed virgin olive oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 can black beans, rinsed
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Quinoa Preparation:

1. Put quinoa in a small pot and pour tap water over grains. Swish grains around with your fingers. Strain water and loose debris down sink. Repeat again, one to two more times.
2. Combine rinsed quinoa with filtered water and a dash of sea salt. Bring to boil, lower heat to minimum, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Let cool.

Salad Preparation:

Mix cooled quinoa with rest of ingredients. Enjoy!

The last few days here in Ontario were absolutely beautiful – it was like springtime! Today the temperature drops back down to normal temperatures and winter will be knocking at our doors once again.

To help prepare, I’ve tried this elimination diet friendly, allergen-free, vegetarian and vegan recipe full of protein and great taste. This time I chose the cashew butter rather than the almond spread, and used beef broth this time. Next time I’m going to mix it up a bit and would prefer it to be a little spicier.

It was a hit with the hubby and the crew at work. I’ve shared this recipe with several people already. But why believe me and my folks?

Check it out for yourself:

Warming Chickpea Stew

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable stock or water
1-2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 med sized yams, diced
2 cups additional vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, carrot…)
2 cups green kale, chopped
1 cup chickpea, cooked
½ cup brown rice, cooked
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup cashew or almond butter
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup tamari
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock/water, yam, additional vegetables (not kale), chickpea, brown rice, and sea salt.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix nut butter with ½ cup liquid from stew.
5. Stir mixture back into stew, along with kale, and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add lemon juice, tamari, and chili powder and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Serve.

Reference: Jackie Yurko, ND.

If you’ve been following Live Lighter, we’ve been on an elimination diet adventure. It’s a diet designed to help you find foods that irritate your digestive system because you’re either allergic to or sensitive to them. These foods include gluten, 3 types of nuts, dairy, sugar, nightshade veggies, soy, shellfish and catfish, several fruits, corn, caffeine, alcohol, and certain meats.

That list doesn’t leave much left! Even in my Allergy-Free recipe books, there are recipes that include several items on the “to avoid” list, like tomato or eggplant (both from the nightshade family) or lemon and limes (citrus fruits – not allowed). This makes creating tasty meals quite the challenge, let me tell you!

So I thought I’d share some of my recipes that I’ve found or created since I’ve been on this very restrictive diet. Even if you’re not on an elimination diet, these recipes are very healthy and extremely easy to digest – as long as you don’t wolf them down.

Here are 3 allergy-free recipes to try out:

Steph’s Zesty Black Bean Dip

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Serves 4 people (with lots left-over for the week)

Ingredients

1 can black beans, rinsed
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp tahini sauce (sesame paste)
2 tbsp flax oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp marjoram
3 tbsp distilled or filtered water
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Try serving with fresh, raw veggies or rice crackers.

Steph’s Yummy Lamb Dish

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

1 cup brown rise, rinsed
2 cups water
2 cup spinach, rinsed and de-stemmed
2 cup kale, rinsed and trimmed from stems
4 tbsp tahini sauce
4 lamb medallions
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Place brown rice in a pot and fill with water. Tickle rice with your fingers and strain it with fingers or lid. Repeat. Put 2 cups of water with rinsed rice in the pot and bring to boil. Put lid on and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Place the lamb medallions on a drip or broiling pan – one that’ll allow the fat to drip down away from the lamb as it cooks. Put the lamb in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
4. Prepare greens and place in a pan with water. Put a lid on it. When the rice has about 5 minutes left to finish, start steaming the greens on medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Fluff the rice and scoop 1 cup onto a plate.
6. Place steamed greens on top of the rice.
7. Drizzle tahini sauce over rice and greens.
8. Season with sea salt and pepper.
   
9. Cut medallions into quarters and place on top of greens.
10. Serve and enjoy.

Elimination Friendly Rice Pudding

This tasty rice pudding recipe was adapted from The Vital You’s Ultimate Holistic Cookbook:

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup left over cooked brown rice
Almond milk to desired consistency, stevia to taste
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
3 tbsp warm water
Cinnamon or nutmeg to taste
Dash of sea salt
½ tsp vanilla
1 handful raisins, soaked (optional)

Preparation

1. Beat together ground flax seeds and warm water, until smooth. This is your egg substitute. If you prefer another, use it. Or if you can have dairy, replace these two ingredients with 1 egg.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a pot. Heat slowly on stovetop until gently boiling, stir, reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and enjoy!

With eliminating soy and milk products from my diet, my morning smoothies haven’t been the same. I just love the thickness and smoothness that yogurt and flavoured soy beverage lend these delicious, healthy, easy-to-digest protein breakfast drinks.

However, I found a fabulous substitute! It’s guava nectar (although, I’m sure any fruit nectar will do). It’s extremely flavourful and compliments the other frozen fruit in the smoothie…er, I guess it’s called a froozie without the milk derivatives.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Berry Guava Elimination Diet-Friendly Froozie

Ingredients

1 ½ cups Europe’s Best 4-Field Berry Mix (straw, rasp, blue & blackberries)
½ cup guava nectar
½ serving Ruth’s hemp protein powder
½ cup filtered or spring water (to desired thickness)

Directions

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional Info

Calories 223.2

Total Fat 2.5 g
Sat Fat 0.2 g
Poly Fat 1.5 g
Mono Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 20.3 mg
Potassium 543.0 mg
Total Carbs 44.9 g
Dietary Fiber 10.8 g
Sugars 28.0 g
Protein 9.6 g

Vit A 11.7%
Vit B6 6.0%
Vit C 68.7 %
Vit E 13.8%
Calcium 55.5%
Copper 12.2%
Folate 10.9%
Iron 19.2%
Magnesium 32.3%
Manganese 75.9%
Niacin 8.3%
Pantothenic Acid 3.6%
Phosphorus 16.4%
Riboflavin 7.2%
Selenium 1.4%
Thiamin 4.4%
Zinc 14.4%

It’s been awhile since we had an elimination diet adventure post. Several weeks ago, I started the stage that I was most excited about, food reintroduction. It’s the phase of the elimination diet where you slowly and methodically begin eating the foods that may have been causing our bodies to react negatively.

This part, while fun, has also been very challenging. It’s basically a scientific test and I’ve found that it requires a lot of attention, planning and determination. This is how it’s supposed to go down:

1. Continue eating hypo-allergenic foods from the elimination diet.
2. Take one day and eat 2 – 3 servings of a possibly offending food, e.g. eggs.
3. Note any digestive disturbances throughout the day.
4. Wait 1-4 days and choose another food to try, repeating the process until you’ve tried all possibly offending food groups (wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, sugar and nightshade).

The problem is that life tends to happen, plus it’s terribly difficult to go against the grain. For over three months now I’ve been turning down social invites left, right and center (I think people were starting to take my no’s personally). I only started going out again (where there was food) since this reintroduction stage.

So while I’ve tried a few foods, most of it has come in the form of pizza, sushi, pasta, sandwiches, etc. where I’m trying many of the possibly offending foods all at one time. If I’m sensitive to say, gluten, there’s no way I’d be able to differentiate it between say, the tomato in the nightshade family. I’d just feel yucky and still don’t know why.

There are several other factors that make this reintroduction phase difficult, as well. The biggest interfering culprit, and our most destructive and common enemy, is stress . Stress impedes proper digestion, as well as how you eat and how much. I know for myself, when I’m stressed and I eat, I tend to eat faster and in bigger portions than I would if I was taking my time and enjoying my meal. (Look here for 3 ways to improve your digestion without changing your diet .)

So those are some of the obstacles in the reintroduction stage I’ve discovered. Now that I’m aware of these and other challenges of the elimination diet , I consider this a successful first attempt! I admit that I’m disappointed that I haven’t yet discovered my food sensitivities, but I’m satisfied that I’ve done my best under the circumstances and faired well with this intensely restrictive diet. I can let it go (for now) and enjoy the summer with all its glorious BBQs and patio dining. My elimination diet adventures are officially on pause until the fall. 

Don’t get me wrong, though, my digestion is important to me and I’ve learned a lot on this elimination diet. I will continue to find and make elimination diet-friendly recipes (and post them here) for most of my meals. This will help me manage my digestive troubles until I continue my adventures in the cooler weather, starting with a safe, enlightening 3 day fast . I just won’t say no to a big, juicy barbequed sirloin steak with baked potato, sour cream, chives & bacon bits (NOT an elimination diet-friendly meal , my friends).

If you have any recipes or elimination diet adventures of your own to share, please comment below!

Enjoy these 3 yummy, healthy and easy-to-digest, elimination diet-friendly recipes:

Cuban Black Bean Dip

This garlicky, hearty dip is found in the CCNM ’s Brown Rice Cookbook:

Ingredients

1cup canned black beans, rinsed
2 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp flax oil
1 medium garlic clove, crushed
Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a blender or food processor, combine beans, chopped onions, vinegar, flax oil and garlic. Blend until smooth. Season with pepper and place in serving bowl.

Broccoli, Spinach & Sweet Potato Stir-Fry with Coconut Milk

This tasty and unusual stir-fry is taken from The Vital You’s Ultimate Holistic Cookbook:

Ingredients:

1 small broccoli, cut into florets
½ lb. sweet potatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick and salted
1 bunch green onions
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. chili flakes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large bunch spinach
1 15 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
sea salt to taste

Cooking instructions:

1. Separately boil the potatoes & broccoli in salted water until tender, then drain.
2. Set aside 2 tbsp. each of the green onions & cilantro and puree the remaining green onion, cilantro, turmeric, chili, 1 tbsp. oil and coconut milk.
3. Heat a wok or a large skillet, then add 1 tbsp. of the oil and swirl it about the side. When hot, add the onions & stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the spinach & stir-fry until wilted and tender. Add the broccoli & potatoes, season with sea salt & cook until heated through. Pour in the coconut mixture.
5. Bring to a boil & simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Serve garnished with the reserved cilantro and onions.

Spicy Stewed Apples

An interesting breakfast alternative from The Vital You’s Ultimate Holistic Cookbook:

Ingredients

1 cup apple juice (organic)
8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 stick cinnamon (or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon)
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves

Preparation

Place all ingredients in saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Then turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes until apples are tender. Serve hot or cold, topped with rice milk or almond milk if desired.