How to: Balance Your Meals

It seems like everyone (including myself) is always running. Running to work, to the store, to see friends and family...and at the end of the week, we're exhausted. We're completely burned out and run down; we begin to feel down and out! So, what is the solution? Why are we feeling like we can never have a moment to just chill out? I've found in my own experience that it is a lack of  

bal-ance  /ˈbaləns/
Noun: An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

Our culture has no real concept of balance. We're rushing to get to wherever we've decided we should be going and when we get there we're left feeling lousy. Now, I'm no professional organizer or zen master type who has this all figured out. But I have figured out that the days I am more balanced in my activities, I am more focused on each task and I am able to get more done without feeling as stressed out. What's the first thing I do in order to find balance? I balance my meals (of course it's food related!)

Why Balance Meals?
Balancing your meals can be the foundation of your whole day. How are you supposed to work to get everything else in order if your own body chemistry isn't in order? You might be able to, but your body is going to feel pretty stressed out while you do. The reason behind balancing your meals is this; to feel even keel you need to eat even keel. Where am I getting this idea from? Research from Dr. Diana Schwarzbein's book The Schwarzbein Principle. From there we get the Schwarzbein Square, which we use a reference for balanced eating daily in my office.

1.  Quality Proteins- Main nutrient in your meal. Fresh as possible,     not full of preservatives or hormones. Organic is best. Eggs, meat, fish, and whole milk dairy.
2.     Healthy Fats- Ensures good brain function, make some hormones and keep all your cells happy.  Avoid all damaged fats found in processed foods. (hydronated, oxidixed or trans fats)
3.     Eat Non-Starchy Vegetables- Celery, cauliflower, onions, cucumbers, greens and leaf vegetables.
4.     Real Carbohydrates- Grown, picked or harvested. Real carbohydrates in whole organic grains, legumes and starchy vegetables. 

 So a balanced meal means each of the blocks is present every time you eat. In order to get consecutively balanced meals throughout the day takes planning. But, it's not as complicated as we make it out to be it just takes forming some new habits. Here are some examples to get you on your way.

Breakfast
Seemingly the hardest meal for anyone to get, breakfast can be made easy with a little planning. A balanced breakfast looks something like this: A free range, organic egg prepared how you like it and dinner's leftover sweet potatoes and spinach fried up in a quality butter. We have at least one thing from every portion of the square. A breakfast like this will carry you well into lunch without any hunger pains!

Lunch
Personally, I like to switch around my typical lunch and dinner (eating a bigger meal in the middle of the day) but for a lot of people it's just not possible. A balanced lunch would look like this: A large green salad with any and all veggies you like, rice or beans on top, raw cheddar cheese, and a homemade olive oil dressing. A lot of people's beef with salads is that they never feel full after eating. With this kind of salad, there is no chance you will not feel full and satisfied with the amount of protein and fat present.

Snack
When you just grab an apple for a snack, all you're getting there is some quick energy in the form of a real carbohydrate that is going to spike your energy then drop it low again. Now if you added some coconut oil and organic peanut butter to your apple, you'd have an energy sustaining snack. The reason you're feeling hungry and/or tired is because your body needs some protein and fat.

Dinner
I find dinner to be my favorite meal because it usually decides what I'm going to eat tomorrow for leftovers! I am a great big believer in left overs because it means cooking (along with everything that got dirty to make it) just once. It's a huge time saver. So here is what a well balanced dinner looks like: A free range, organic chicken roasted in the oven, baked sweet potato or brown rice, broccoli and cauliflower steamed and a quality butter dabbed onto everything.

Doesn't sound like much of a diet does it? And that is really the best part about this. When you eat a balanced diet your body will begin to heal, you'll begin to metabolize properly, you'll have more energy, and you'll begin to lose weight. I love food, no doubt about it. But sharing my knowledge base is just as enjoyable to me as actually eating! Leave me any questions you may have in the comments and I'll be happy to answer them! ^_^

Cheesy Oat Biscuits

Cold nights, quilts, and butter on biscuits...some of my favorite aspects of cold weather. Here is a more healthful, gluten free alternative to a typical biscuit recipe. Since these are a little denser than your regular biscuit, you can also easily use these for small sandwiches!

Cheesy Oat Biscuits 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Oat Flour
• 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup Cold Butter, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup Raw Chedder Cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon Raw Honey

1. Preheat oven to 450* and grease a cookie sheet with butter or coconut oil.
2. Sift flours, sea salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix in butter, cheese, and honey until a sticky dough forms.
4. Apply extra oat flour to the table and roll dough out. Cut with a glass or cookie cutter to whatever size you decide. Put onto greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned on tops and bottoms.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Makes approximately 14 biscuits

Store in refrigerator in a plastic bag with a paper towel in it. 

Gluten Free Brownies

Now, I know what you're thinking...gluten free baking is nigh impossible; not with this recipe. This  yummy, gooey brownie recipe is easy-peasy lemon squeezy! This has no finicky flour measurements to speak of! ^_^

Gluten Free Brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Coconut Crystals
  or 1 1/2 Raw Honey
• 2 cups Organic Nut butter (of your choice, I use peanut butter)
• 1 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 Substitute Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2/3 cup Raw Cacao Powder

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x13 pan* with organic butter.
2. In a large bowl, cream sweetener, coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla and flax meal egg substitute.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda, and raw cacao powder.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until completely incorporated.
5. Scrap bowl of brownie batter into greased pan and bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes minutes. If you like a gooey brownie, it's going to be approximately 15 minute. For a more cakey brownie, it's going to be closer to 17-20 minutes. You can really have these as under baked as you like because you don't have to worry about raw eggs!

*Another option for brownies on the go is to grease a muffin pan with butter, and bake for 9-12 minutes.

Citrus Coconut Soup!

This is a cream based soup that you can really spice to tickle your personal taste buds! Add cumin or curry for an Indian style twist, or maybe a bit of coconut crystals for a sweeter soup.

Citrus Coconut Soup

Ingredients:

• Coconut Oil
• 1 medium Onion
• 1" chunk Grated Ginger
• 5 cups Chicken Stock
• 3 cups Coconut Milk
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Zest
• 3 tablespoons Fresh Orange Zest
• Sea Salt

1. In a large soup pot, brown your onions and grated ginger in coconut oil. 
2. Add chicken stock, coconut milk, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Let simmer on a low heat while zesting (which is a fancy term for finely grating) fresh lemon and orange into the mixture. For even more citrus flavor, add juice from the lemon and orange to taste.
3. Add sea salt to taste and serve with a pinch of the fresh herb of your choice on top. You can also add more coconut oil for flavor.

Serves 6-8.

Gluten Free Flax Wraps

Our second bread-like substance for my fall kick off, I seem to be on a spicy kick  this week! So, for all your Mexican food/burrito needs: 
Gluten Free  Flax Wraps
Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 tablespoons Flax Seed Meal
• 2 tablespoons Almond Meal
• 1 tablespoon Oat Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan or Guar Gum
• 1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Coconut Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Milk 
• 1/4 teaspoon Raw Honey
• 4 tablespoons Warm Water
• Salt and Pepper, Cayenne, Herbs de Province, Italian Seasoning (add any or all to taste, these are just a few suggestions)
• Wax Paper

Without Tortilla Press/Baking Directions:

1. First, Preheat your oven to 375* F. 
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then thoroughly mix together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
3. Beat wet ingredients into dry ingredients then add spices/herbs to taste. Dough should be pretty sticky.
4. Separate the dough into to balls. Place balls in between two pieces of wax paper. Use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten dough until it is semi-round and the thickness of a tortilla (about 1/8" thick).
5. Bake in oven for 5 minutes between wax paper. then peel of paper and put back in the oven for 3 minutes more on a cookie sheet. The trick to making these come out well is baking them until they're not doughy on the inside but not crispy on the outside. So keep an eye on them.
6. Remove from the oven when fully baked. After cooled a few minutes, use a knife or a long thing spatula to lift of cookie sheet and put on an iron cooling rack.
   
    This recipe makes 2 wraps. You can store them in the freezer, fridge, or counter with a paper towel between each wrap.

With Tortilla Press/Pan Directions:

1. You're going to follow the recipe above the same except your not going to preheat your oven!
2. Place balls of dough between two pieces of wax paper and flatten slightly with hands;depending on the size of your tortilla press, your going to alternate the size of your dough balls. Put in tortilla press and flatten completely.
3. From here you can go ahead and follow the backing instructions OR you can use a cast iron frying pan to make a "real" tortilla.
4. Over medium-low heat, put a pat of organic butter in the pan. Remove on piece of the wax paper and place round in pan, then pull off the top piece of wax paper. Fry until the wrap is bubbling, then flip and cook until the same thing happens on the other side. Add more butter as needed.
   
   This recipe makes 4 small wraps or two big wraps. When frying, I find it's best to use them as needed. To heat up wraps, you can also use the pan method.

Spicy Spaghetti Squash Soup

 The second soup of the season! Be aware that this soup can be modified entirely to suit your spicy needs. Add more or less of the things with an asterisks next to it. 

Spicy Spaghetti Squash Soup

 Ingredients:

• 4 Jalapeño Peppers
• 2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Minced Garlic
• 1 Teaspoon Cayenne
• Soup Stock of your choice
• 1 spaghetti squash
• Coconut oil
• Honey

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Then Bake at 350* for 1 ½ hours with coconut oil and honey drizzled on top of each half. Put squash on the side for later use.
2. When making your veggie stock, add the peppers to when you’re browning your vegetables. Follow the vegetable stock recipe the same until your adding your spices and add the red pepper flakes, cayenne, and garlic here.
3. Add baked spaghetti squash and puree with stock using a food processor or emulsifier.
4. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Serves 8-10. Freezes very well.