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

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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

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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

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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:

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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

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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).

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This elimination diet adventure has both ups and downs , a thrilling rollercoaster I like to call, The Diet Decimator! It’s been both challenging and extremely rewarding. Between the yummy recipes , the cleansing and, most importantly, a notably improved digestion…I could possibly stay on this diet forever!

Ya, ha! Riiiiiight. I could – since necessity calls for creation and these recipes I’m trying are truly deeeelish – I just don’t want to. Truth be told, I’ve cheated almost everyday since starting this extensively restrictive diet. Mind you, they’ve been healthy cheats, like a handful dried fruit and chocolate chips or a small, black organic coffee.

For awhile, I was feeling guilty about cheating because I know I can do this perfectly… under the right circumstances. If all I had to do was this diet? No problem. There would be no stress and therefore no cravings. And doing it perfectly isn’t just my ego talking, Folks, it means the difference between 3 weeks and nearly 3 months!

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These elimination diet-friendly recipes are just as tasty as regular food, and they ease your woes as you work within your restrictive diet trying to find out if you have any food sensitivities or allergies.

Whether you’re on an elimination diet, have some digestive troubles or just want to watch your waistline, the following 3 recipes are sure to be pleasing in more ways than one. They are super easy to make and if you’re like me, you’ll be expanding your food repertoire at the same time.

Millet is a grain similar to quinoa but less expensive and a little less tasty (quinoa has a nutty flavour while millet does not). Washing these two grains is tricky. The easiest way is to purchase a sieve but if you don’t have one handy: put the grain in a pot of water, swish it around, strain with your fingers and repeat at least once more before cooking.

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