When I discovered food combining about 7 years ago through both Natalia Rose’s book The Raw Food Detox Diet and Donna Gates’ Body Ecology Diet, it was life-changing.  I am, by no means, exaggerating when I say that.  My digestion improved, I had more energy than ever before, my skin looked clear and bright, and stubborn weight effortlessly fell off of me.  Even my mood improved.  I never felt better!  This way of eating was also so incredibly freeing.  I didn’t have to worry about labels, whether I should or shouldn’t eat meat, calorie counting, or portion control (which I’ve always been terrible at, anyway!).

Putting these simple food combining guidelines into action will ensure food moves through you smoothly and efficiently, without getting stuck in your intestines, clogging you up, and weighing you down.  It’ll also ensure you absorb more nutrients from your food, leading to...

These might seriously be the most delicious cookies I’ve ever tasted.  They are my go-to for every potluck and they are always devoured!  Even people who eat “real” cookies (made with wheat flour, dairy, and sugar) love them.  Trust me, they are a hit.  With super simple and minimal ingredients, they’re so easy to throw together, too.

When I’ve made paleo and vegan chocolate chip cookies in the past, they never have that same moist, chewy texture I was looking for.  But these definitely do!

Just throw all of dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix together until well-combined.

Then add the wet ingredients and mix until well-combined.  The mixture should be pretty crumbly, but once you roll them into balls, it should stick together.  You can fold in the chocolate chips at this point, too.

There’s already very minimal sweetener in this, but if you’re looking...

I don’t know about you, but I have zero self-control when it comes to dessert.  Sweet treats don’t last more than a day in my house, and even that is generous.  It’s so serious that I even bought a $70 time locking container to put treats in (that I quickly returned, because $70?!?!).  Every time I bake a batch of cookies or muffins, I immediately give most of them away to clients, friends, strangers on the street.  Anything to get them out of my house, where I will likely inhale the whole batch within hours.

Why don’t I just stop making them, you ask?  Because I love healthy treats and I don’t think life is meant to be lived without them.  The only answer, then, is to create single-serving healthy treats that’ll leave me feeling satisfied without 11 other servings  tempting me with their deliciousness.  And, apparently, I’m not the only one.  I asked my ...

If you know me, you know I’m all about that dessert!  It’s my favorite meal of the day, and I can hardly get through 24 hours without it.  So, when I can make a sugar-free dessert that’s made with actual whole food ingredients (no flours here!), it brings me the most joy ever.  This recipe will bring you joy, too, because it’s super simple, easy to make, and you probably have these ingredients in your kitchen right now.

These babies are also SIBO and lowFODMAP friendly, for anybody dealing with IBS or SIBO (which I am – more on this another time!).

I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, but feel free to add them in....

If you have a love affair with stevia, you definitely want to read this.  If you’re someone who has tried to love stevia on your quest to give up sugar, I’ve got some good news for you!

Going sugar-free is all the rage these days, and for good reason.  Sugar, in all it’s forms (yes, even coconut sugar & maple syrup!), has an endless list of side-effects, including:

Side Effects of Sugar Consumption

• Overeating
• Food cravings
• Skin issues & wrinkles
• Can lead to weight gain & obesity
• Digestive issues
• Recurrent yeast infections & UTI’s
• Candida
• Inflammation
• Mood disorders (depression, anxiety)
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune disorders
• Hormonal issues
• Fatigue
• Feeds cancer cells

Many consumers are finally getting hip to sugar’s destructive ways and making the switch to stevia. But what is it and is it good for you?

Stevia is a plant that has been used for over 1,500 years...

Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a sugar addict.  My sugar addiction started when I was a kid.  I used to sit and do my homework over an entire box of Oreo cookies.  As a teenager and young adult, not much changed.  I could still easily eat a box of cookies, a few bags of candy, and an ice cream sundae to polish it off.  Ugh, just thinking about it now gives me a stomachache.

Even though these days, I eat a pretty nutritious diet, sugar still has it’s sweet little hold on me.  Whether it’s the raw chocolate treats at the health food store or the gluten-free vegan muffin at the coffee shop, I have to work incredibly hard to restrain myself.  I’ve seen the effects sugar can have not only on my body, but also on my mood, brain, and skin.  And let me tell you, it ain’t pretty.   So, I steer clear of it as much as possible these days with a few simple tricks.  Here’s how you can,...