Guest Recipe: Hot Cereal for the Advanced Plan

Today I have another guest recipe to share.  This one comes from a great woman, Susan Dotters, who has been living the Maximized Living lifestyle for over a year, has been a longtime follower of Healing Cuisine, and has lost 45+ pounds by doing so!  Let's give Susan a round of applause!!

Susan sent me her recipe for Advanced Plan approved "Hot Cereal" this past fall.  We have been enjoying this creamy comforting porridge for breakfast.  You've really nailed it, Susan!  Thank you for letting me share your recipe here for all of us Advanced Planners to add to our arsenal.  I'm certain there are many moms saying "thank you" right now, too!  This is a whole food alternative to Cream of Wheat or oat meal.  Our 19 month old son gobbles it up!

Susan's Hot Cereal
Makes 2 servings

2 Tbsp chia seeds
4 Tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
1 organic Granny Smith apple, minced
about 1/2 cup filtered water
10-12 drops pure liquid stevia (more/less to taste)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp raw pecans/walnuts/cashews/almonds, chopped fine

1.)  In a bowl, soak the chia and hemp seeds in the almond milk for about 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes with a fork.

2.)  While the seeds soak, mince a Granny Smith apple.  Add apple bits to a small sauce pan and add just enough water to cover.  Bring the pot to a simmer and cook until apples are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

3.)  Remove from heat.  Stir in stevia, cinnamon, chopped nuts, and chia/hemp seed mixture.  Warm the cereal over Low heat until warmed through.  To keep the nuts and seeds as raw as possible, do not bring it to a boil.  Top with anything you'd like (keeping it Advanced Plan of course) and serve!

This is a fabulous breakfast full of healthy fat and protein from the chia and hemp seeds.  I like to switch the flavors up by using thawed organic peaches from the freezer, fresh strawberries or blueberries, or leaving the apple out and just having the cinnamon.  Dave likes to top his with coconut milk for a creamy richness.

I have also done this as more of a porridge by heating the almond milk on the stove top first until almost boiling.  Then add everything to the blender (chia seeds, hemp seeds, stevia, cinnamon, nuts, and hot almond milk).  Blend until smooth and serve.  The chia seeds will thicken the mixture as it sits.  This blended version is even more creamy like Cream of Wheat.

Enjoy adding this to your weekly breakfast rotation!

Wordless Wednesday

Heal Canker Sores Naturally

Most of us have experienced one of these in our lifetime.  A canker sore is a little ulcer inside your mouth or on your tongue.  It can be very annoying while you have one.  A canker sore can result from a few different things: stress, accidentally biting your mouth, braces rubbing your mouth, spicy or citrus food (or another food trigger), abrasive foods (chips, popcorn, nuts, etc), vitamin or nutrient deficiency, gastrointestinal issues, or a weak immune system.  One or more of these could be causing your canker sores to appear, last longer, and hurt more.

Canker sores can be extremely painful, especially if you eat spicy or citrus foods.  They also last for 1-2 weeks before finally healing up.  It's not fun to have one! 

The reason I'm posting on this topic is because my husband experiences canker sores often from nicking his mouth with his teeth while chewing food.  He's always had the problem since he was young.  Over the years we have developed a game plan to help prevent the pain and suffering that comes with a canker sore and to boost the healing time so he doesn't suffer for the full 2 weeks.  Here are our tips to healing canker sores faster naturally.

Heal Canker Sores Naturally

1.) GET ADJUSTED  Your body has an amazing ability to heal itself.  That power starts in the brain and travels down through the spinal cord out to every organ and cell of your body.  Chiropractic looks for any interference in the spine which prevents the healing power from traveling to the places it needs to. Each adjustment has been shown to boost immunity anywhere from 200-400%.  When a canker sore is present, it's time to boost your immune system, and I know no better way to do that than a chiropractic adjustment from my Maximized Living chiropractor.  If you are looking for a Maximized Living chiropractor near you, visit MaximizedLiving.com and search your zip code or address.

2.) ELIMINATE TRIGGER FOODS  These are most commonly anything spicy or citrus, but you may notice your canker sores come on after eating a certain food or ingredient.  Once you narrow down on your trigger, eliminate it as much as possible from you diet.  This will help your canker sores heal faster, and will help prevent future canker sores from developing.

3.) CUT OUT ALL SUGAR  You should hop on the Advanced Plan strictly while experiencing a canker sore.  The Advanced Plan will help you cut out all sugar which causes inflammation in the body.  The less inflammation present in the body, the faster your body can heal.

4.)  L-LYSINE  Lysine is one of the 9 essential amino acids (your body cannot make it on its own) and is one your body needs for tissue repair and growth.  You may also see relief by supplementing Lysine for cold sores or shingles sores.  1,000 mg 3 times daily until the canker sore heals.

5.) BRUSH AND RINSE OFTEN  This helps to keep your mouth clean and limits the canker sore's exposure to bacteria which can make the canker sore last longer and more painful.  Use a natural (or homemade!) toothpaste without SLS or other chemical ingredients that are shown to further irritate or even cause canker sores.  Follow brushing your teeth with a mouth rinse of hydrogen peroxide.  This helps to clean out the canker sore and actually eases the inflammation and pain.

6.) B-COMPLEX VITAMIN + ZINC  Look for a B-complex that has B-6 and B-12.  Canker sores can be caused by a B-6/12 deficiency or they can stick around longer if you're low in either of these.  Likewise, a deficiency in zinc can both cause or worsen a canker sore.

Wordless Wednesday

Guest Post: Strawberry Doughnuts!

Look at these...Advanced Plan Strawberries-n-Cream Doughnuts from Tall Girl (Jessica) over at Tall World After All!

Jessica took the original recipe for Strawberries-n-Cream Cake and, voila!, turned it into doughnuts!  Can you say GENIUS?!

Prepare the recipe as normal, but increase the baking powder by 1 teaspoon.  Spoon the batter out into the doughnut pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Great on their own, or make a simple and lovely glaze by melting down some coconut butter.  You could stir in vanilla, stevia or a little almond milk to thin.

Be sure to check out Tall Girl's blog.  She is a world traveler, currently living in Madrid.  She always has interesting experiences and stories to share, and some new recipes along the way.  Thanks for this new spin on a recipe, Jessica!  :)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday