Hey there,
Can I let you in on a little secret? Sometimes I don’t follow my own advice. I wake up, I want a cup of really delicious organic coffee, and I have it. I do this knowing that coffee throws off my blood sugar balance and can have a negative effect on my digestion as well as tax my adrenal glands. Why do I do it? Because I want to! The point I’m trying to get at here, is that you don’t have to be perfect to be healthy.
I often find when I talk to my clients that they are almost scared of me, at first anyway. They view me like a health police who has found out about all their unhealthy habits and have come to take away all their comfort foods. But here is the thing, when they find out I have very practical substitutions for all their vices, they warm up to me and hear me out. There is no big cliff that you have to jump off to get to the healthy side. Each and every one of us can make small subtle changes that will have a dramatic effect on our lives and how we feel every day.
Once you find your own motivation, by being open to trying new foods and start to look at food as a source of nourishment and self love, it will open up a whole new world for you. A world without suffering, where you can choose to have a coffee once a week and really enjoy it just because you feel like it. Not because it’s the only way you can get out of bed in the morning! Healthy living is not about what you have to give up, it’s about making room for more whole foods and finding healthier alternatives to the foods you already love. Change your perception, change your life.
Here is one my favourite little desserts, macaroons. At a recent workshop I did with Stand..Speak.. Soar.. we had these for a snack and they were AMAZING! The next day I had to attempt my own and I was really surprised at how easy they were to make. ENJOY (without guilt).
PS. If you have to take part in any speaking engagements and need a super confidence boost, I highly recommend this company. They truly helped me come out of my shell so I can continue to spread the message of healing with whole foods.
So here’s to having your chocolate macaroons, and eating them without guilt!!
Blissful Chocolate Macaroons ~ Raw Vegan Style
Prep/cooking time: 10 minutes + 20 minute freeze or 12 hours dehydrate
- 2 cups shredded coconut, processed into coconut butter or 3/4 cup coconut butter (not oil)
- 2 cups finely shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or coconut syrup for raw)
- 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla powder (or 1.5 tsp vanilla extract)
- Pinch sea salt
How to make:
Add 2 cups of shredded coconut into a high power blender and mix at high speed for about 1.5 minutes, or until you have a nice smooth mixture. Voila! You just made coconut butter:) Alternatively, you can buy coconut butter from the store and add 3/4 cup instead of the 2 cups of shredded coconut.
If you have made your own coconut butter, keep it in the blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend on low just until you get a uniform texture. If you are using store bought coconut butter (sometimes called Coconut Manna) just add all the ingredients into either a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth but still has texture.
Now you have two options. Using a mini ice cream or cantaloupe scooper, make little balls and either place them into an airtight container, or a dehydrator sheet. You can freeze them for 20 minutes, or dehydrate them for about 12 hours on 115F. I think they are absolutely delicious either way, although dehydrating them will give it a more cooked texture. Nice crunch outside and sot inside..
Makes about 20 macaroons. They were eaten so fast I didn’t get a chance to count them:)
With love + gratitude,
Annaliisa
