paleo – Plum Joyful

Ketogenic diet : the new miracle cure?

PlumJoyful — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:24:44 +0000

There has been a lot of talk about the ketogenic diet lately and I have been very intrigued by what I’ve learned. Every year there is a new “miracle” diet promising a better body, perfect health and glowing skin. From Paleo to raw vegan, we have heard it all. However the current hoopla around the ketogenic diet suggests that it is more than a diet that will increase your wellness and decrease your waistline. Unlike all the other diets, the ketogenic diet has been proven to have real therapeutic effects and has become an area of research in regards to everything from epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and ALS to type 2 diabetes. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that not only does it do wonders for your physique, but it could possibly have very real neuro-protective effects. What’s interesting is that the diet flies in the face of our conventional ideas of a healthy diet. Less grains and more butter and cream? Say what? So let’s take a look at what this diet is, and all of the potential benefits we may be able to reap from it. What is the Ketogenic diet? The ketogenic diet is a diet that […]

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Paleo Caramel Apples : Dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free

PlumJoyful — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 07:00:26 +0000

I LOVE caramel apples. Well really I love caramel, and I like apples. But something about the combination really works, and brings back many childhood memories. When I was a kid, on very special occasions, (mainly Halloween), my mom would buy these caramel discs that came on wax paper that you were meant to wrap around an apple to make caramel apples. I loved them so much I would generally just eat the discs straight off the paper before we could even get to making the apples. Hence my lifelong love of caramel began. When I went dairy free almost 15 years ago (Holy moly!), I mourned my beloved caramel. I could never find a dairy free alternative. About four years ago, while on an incredibly restricted diet to heal some autoimmune issues I was having, I discovered this caramel recipe out of sheer desperation. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. I NEEDED something that felt like a treat. I knew I could have coconut milk and I could have honey. I figured if cream and sugar made caramel, then couldn’t coconut milk and honey do the same thing? Luckily for me and for all of us it did! After a little […]

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The best chicken bone broth recipe : A healing elixir

PlumJoyful — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 05:44:42 +0000

Bone broth is having a moment, and rightly so. It has played a major role in the healing of my gut and immune system, and I am a true believer in it’s benefits. I talked about it in THIS post, but I thought that it really deserves its own page. People are catching on to bone broth’s healing properties and it’s starting to go mainstream. Bone broth is different from regular stock in that it is simmered for an extended period of time (from 6 to upwards of 24 hours), and is therefore extremely rich in flavor as well as nutrition. There is something so nourishing and healing about soup. We use it to heal ourselves when we are ill, or to warm ourselves when we’re cold. It is good for the body as well as the spirit. So for those who are curious about wether bone broth may help them, here is some more information on why bone broth is so good for you, as well as my own (and favorite) chicken bone broth recipe. Bone Broth Benefits Rich in collagen – Bone broth is a very rich source of collagen which helps keep skin healthy and glowing, as well […]

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Strawberries and cream popsicles: Vegan and Paleo

PlumJoyful — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:00:20 +0000

The weather here in LA has been hot! We had scheduled work on our Air conditioning, and of course it coincided with this heat wave, so needless to say staying cool in our house has been a challenge. I wanted something cool and delicious, and since we always have coconut milk on hand, and we had a surplus of strawberries, this popsicle was born. It’s quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are clean and healthy so it’s the perfect treat for kids. It’s creamy, dreamy, and oh so good. What you will need 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk 1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries 2 Tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Little squeeze of lemon juice if you want to play up the tartness of the berries (optional) Popsicle mold I used THIS one. Directions Combine milk, 1 cup strawberries (saving half a cup to chop up), maple syrup and vanilla in blender. Blend until smooth. Chop the leftover 1/2 cup of strawberries. Place a spoonful of chopped strawberries in each popsicle mold. Pour liquid in to fill the mold. Place your sticks and lids on. Makes 4 popsicles, adjust recipe as needed for more popsicles. Freeze for […]

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Grain free Berry Shortcake

PlumJoyful — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 07:00:14 +0000

The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and I want to share an easy and patriotic treat with you all. This Berry Shortcake is a healthier take on the all american OG Strawberry Shortcake. It’s light and delicious and is dressed in red white and blue. Wether your throwing a traditional barbecue, or a fancier Fourth of July affair, you can’t go wrong with this dessert. It is suitable for anyone on a gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, SCD or GAPS diet. It is not suitable for vegans because coconut flour requires egg as a binder. Sorry my vegan friends! More for you guys coming! For the rest of you, this is a must try dessert. So much yum. Berry Shortcake Ingredients 1/2 cup Coconut Flour 4 eggs 1/2 cup Grapeseed oil 1/2 cup honey (If your diet allows, you can use Agave for a more traditional vanilla cake flavor) 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 TBSP vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients and mix. Sift in dry ingredients and whisk well. Pour into silicone or paper cupcake cups. I prefer silicone because they are reusable and so easy to peel off after baking. Also with silicone […]

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Coconut milk whipped cream: Dairy free and Paleo

PlumJoyful — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 07:00:04 +0000

This coconut milk whipped cream is a simple and incredibly delicious whipped cream substitute. It is thick, creamy, oh so yummy, and will spruce up anything from ice cream (stay tuned for a great dairy free ice cream recipe) to simple strawberries. It takes all of two minutes to make and is paleo, SCD, GAPS, and vegan friendly for those on special diets. For vegans just substitute agave for the honey, or if you like sugar you can use coconut sugar. Here’s what you will need. INGREDIENTS 1 can full fat coconut milk or 1 can of coconut cream 1 Tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of salt (optional) DIRECTIONS If you’re using a can of regular coconut milk ( FULL FAT, Lite will NOT work), you will need to leave it in the fridge for at least a day. The cold temperature will cause the cream to rise to the top. Because supermarkets are so cold, I often find that the coconut milk cans have already separated on the shelf. You can tell by picking it up and shaking it vigorously. If you don’t hear any liquid or sloshing then it’s already ready to go. If it […]

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The best coconut flour pancakes: Paleo Perfection

PlumJoyful — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 15:20:02 +0000

These gluten free, dairy free coconut flour pancakes are the bomb diggity. As you know if you read this post, I’m trying to give up sugar. Let me just say the struggle is real. Life at the moment is rather busy between a toddler (who doesn’t sleep, Oh joy!), work, a traveling husband, and all the other day to day rigmarole. Sugar is my go to fuel right now. Normally I stay away from refined sugar at all costs, but not having slept more than three consecutive hours for a year and a half has driven me to desperation. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do ya know? So I caved to the sugar high and it continues to dig its powdery meat hooks into me on a daily basis. I have to give it up, but in my exhausted state I’m not prepared to go cold turkey. I need reinforcements! I need a gentle transition! I need healthy tasty treats/substitutions to ease me into this! So the plan is no refined sugar, but a little honey and maple syrup is A ok for the moment. These pancakes are saving my ass right now. They aren’t too high […]

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Creamy Kale Salad: Dairy free and Paleo

PlumJoyful — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 07:35:05 +0000

In keeping with the clean and green theme of the month I wanted to share a very simple salad recipe. If you did the green smoothie challenge last week then your probably feeling a little lighter and brighter. Let’s keep up the green goodness and continue our Spring cleanse. Kale is a great choice because it is such a powerful green for cleansing, and it can be used in place of the usual salad greens. Creamy Kale Salad Salad Ingredients 1 bunch Kale (the regular curly variety) 3 purple carrots (orange are fine too, I just love the look of the purple ones) 1 cup dried cranberries Dressing Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Rinse the kale and cut the leaves from the stem by slicing lengthwise along the edge of the stem on both sides. Chop into small pieces and place in a large bowl, slice carrots in thin discs and add to Kale along with the cranberries. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Add to salad and massage dressing into the leaves with your hands to soften it a bit. That’s it! […]

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Simple spring salad

PlumJoyful — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 08:07:34 +0000

I love Spring. I know I’m a bit early, but the weather here in Los Angeles has been unseasonably warm, and Spring has been on my mind. I also love Farmer’s Markets, and my favorite one seems to be bursting at the seems with lush, sexy, colorful produce as Spring gets closer. It made me want to make something that tastes like spring while still using some of the winter produce like mandarins and beetroot while it’s still seasonal and available. Something bright, light, tart and sweet. I saw a big bag of amazing baby spring lettuces, and this very Spring-y salad was born. It is simple and fresh and perfect for a warm spring afternoon. If your on the east coast, maybe just pump up your heat, throw on a tank top and flip flops and get in the spirit with all us west coasters. simple spring salad ingredients 1 large bowl of mixed lettuces. Whatever you like. I love baby romaine, particularly an heirloom variety with red and green mottled leaves. 3-5 baby striped beets 3-5 mandarin oranges (clementines and tangerines work great to) 1 cup micro cilantro – Micro cilantro are baby cilantro sprouts that have that cilantro flavor […]

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Paleo “That’s my Jam” Olive Oil Muffins

PlumJoyful — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:39:18 +0000

In honor of Valentine’s day, I wanted a simple yummy easy to make sweet paleo friendly treat you can bake for your significant other, or yourself! This muffin is the perfect way to start your day. Healthy, gluten, refined sugar and dairy free, SCD and GAPS friendly, it’s moist and sweet with a little tart kick from the raspberry jam on top. Ingredients 3 eggs 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey 1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon coconut flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking powder (if you are paleo use Featherweight baking powder, or one that uses tapioca or potato starch in place of cornstarch. If your hardcore paleo, baking soda can be substituted) 2 Tablespoons cooked sweet potato (hardcore Paleo peeps can omit) All fruit (no sugar added) Rasberry jam, or any jam you like Combine the eggs, olive oil, sweet potato and honey and blend well. Combine sifted coconut flour, salt and baking powder and add to the wet mixture until well blended. Pour batter into cupcake or muffin cups. Add a small dollop of jam to the top of each one. Makes 6-8. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. *Baking times may vary oven to […]

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