Do you or your neighbor have a fig tree that keeps giving and giving beautiful fruit?
How lucky!!
And even if you LOVE figs, you can sometimes feel overwhelmed by what to do with so much beautiful fruit.
Well these dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free muffins might be JUST the thing you’re looking for.
And by the way, I’m terrible at baking and even I can do these!
Fig and Nut Chocolate Muffins Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts or pecans or combo, soaked and wet
6 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee
1 cup figs (scoop out inside flesh—can include skins if soft)
1/4 cup tahini or nut butter of your choice
2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup figs, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts and/or pecans, chopped
Directions:
Soak 2 cups of walnuts/pecans in a bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours before making muffins. Rinse walnuts and then add to blender and follow the directions below.
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Grease muffin cups or tins.
Place the first 6 ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor: soaked nuts, eggs, oil, figs, tahini or nut butter, and vanilla extract.
Puree until smooth but do not over blend.
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients—cocoa, gluten-free flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well with a fork.
Add wet ingredients from the blender as well as additional figs and walnut/pecan pieces to the dry ingredients. Mix together until all incorporated, but do not over-stir.
Dollop batter into muffin tins (about ¼ cup depending on muffin tins).
Bake the muffins until they are puffed and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes for larger muffins and 20 minutes for smaller ones. Insert a knife into the center of one to see if centromedicorelaxesalute.it the inside is dry, no wet batter remaining.
Serve the muffins warm or allow them to cool first. They also freeze well.
YES, AND! Been thinking about this phrase a lot lately . . . Many of you may not know that I did improv for quite a few years and I loved it. It was purely recreational for me, a way to have fun, meet new people, and get creative.
And it brought SO MUCH to my life: it helped me release “perfectionism,” it taught me how to stay present more, it helped me be more empathetic and listen better, and it also introduced the concept of “Yes, and . . .” to me.
For those of you not familiar, the concept of “yes, and” is foundational to improv. It means that when your improv partner offers you a scenario, you respond with something that affirms their offer and builds off of it.
For example, if you’re in a scene together and your partner says, “Hey Samantha, pretty awesome space-ship you just built there!” you might say, “Yeah, can you believe I ordered it on Etsy and it only took 2 hours to build? Want to take a ride?” Your partner would then “yes and” you back and say, “Yes, that’s sounds like a great idea! Do you have any bike helmets?”
You see where I’m going . . . What you don’t say is “But my name isn’t Samantha” or “What space ship?” or anything else that blocks the offer.
So where am I going with this and how does it relate to health and wellness?
We can embrace the “YES, AND” concept in so many ways: * YES I can be an effective _________ (progressive leader, teacher, nurse, parent . . .you fill in the blank) AND prioritize my health and well-being. * YES I can eat nutrient-dense foods most of the time AND enjoy special treats now and then. * YES I am able to love and appreciate my body AND want to make healthy shifts and changes.
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking!
“YES AND” gets us out of perfectionism or “black and white” or “all or nothing” thinking. It embraces possibility and nuance. It builds on successes and taps into our creativity.
What’s a “YES, AND” that you are practicing right now? Would love to hear!
October is a poignant month for me. You see, my mom passed away on October 15, 1995 from complications from metastatic breast cancer. I was 21 years old. She was only 48.
Way too young. Both of us. Me, too young to lose my mother. My mother, way too young to die.
And ironically October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, I like to call it BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH instead.
This is more than an abstract pink-ribbon month for me. It’s personal. For me, I’d rather focus on having a healthy and balanced body.
At the age of 21 I made a choice. I was not going to go down the road of my mother’s body. I was going to do what I could, on a daily basis, to take good care of myself. I realized I had two choices: I could choose FEAR or I could choose LOVE. I chose LOVE. Love for myself, my body, my breasts, my health, my future.
And so, decades before I would eventually become a holistic health coach and nutrition consultant, I started to pay attention to my health in a way most 21-year-olds don’t. For years I’ve been clearing out potential carcinogens like harmful beauty products and cleaning supplies, unnecessary plastics, toxic food, and even harmful stress and mindsets (and people). I wasn’t anywhere near perfect (and I’m still not) but I have been making a conscious effort to be mindful of what goes on my body, in body, near my body.
Let me take a moment to tell you a little about my mom because I don’t want her to be defined by how she died. My mom was a strong woman and taught my sister and me to be strong women, too. She put herself through college at UC Santa Barbara and taught high school her entire adult life (first home economics and then history when they began to phase out home ec classes). She loved to shop and had a great eye for color. She was a fantastic gift giver and would shower us with presents at Christmas, often with gifts she had been collecting for us all year. She was actually very “crafty” and made all sorts of decorations (many of which we still have). She loved going to Hawaii, visiting historical sites, and planning amazing trips for our family. She could be incredibly “thrifty” but also was incredibly generous. We didn’t always agree (what mother and daughter do?) but I never doubted that she loved us deeply. Or that she continues to watch over us.
This is a picture of my family at my sister’s graduation from high school, just four months before we’d lose our mother. (My sister asked me to crop it! LOL!)
FIVE steps you can take TODAY to support HEALTHY HAPPY BREASTS:
1. Eat a healthy diet: Did you know that increasing your fiber intake can help lower excess estrogen levels and decrease your risk of breast cancer? Best way to get that fiber is to eat at least 3-8 cups of organic, seasonal vegetables every day (along with 1-3 servings of fruit)! Think dark leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, bok choy and other colorful foods. And if you’re eating all those veggies, you probably will have less sugar cravings too because your blood sugar will be more stable. Avoiding processed sugar and other foods that spike your insulin levels is another helpful thing we can do for our breast health every day.
2. Exercise regularly: Regular exercise has numerous benefits: we feel good, it helps us manage our stress levels, we often do it with others so we get to connect, it can help decrease excess estrogen levels, and it lowers the risk of breast cancer. Find something fun to do! And do it often.
3. Be social: As humans, we need connection to our “tribe.” We are social creatures and it’s important to cultivate meaningful relationships with others as part of our health and wellness plan. Women especially need to connect with other women often.
4. Be mindful of the chemicals you bring into your home: How toxic are your cleaning supplies? How about the beauty products you put on your skin every day? What’s in that lotion? Or your shampoo? Check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to find out more.
5. Practice Self-Care and Self-Love Every Day: As Dr. Christiane Northrup, women’s health expert and OB/GYN, so beautifully states: “This is the most important factor in creating health because carving out time to care for and love yourself unconditionally feeds your cells the positive thoughts and emotions they need to reproduce in a healthy way.” I love this and in fact this exactly what I guide people through in the Whole Life Nourishment for Changemakers group program!
Each year I choose a different way to honor and celebrate my mother.
BCPP works to prevent breast cancer by eliminating our exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation linked to the disease. They are a founding member and national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition working to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products.
In the midst of so much uncertainty and daily changes to our reality, I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to share with you that might be helpful. I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt almost bombarded the last few weeks with so much information, ideas, tips, resources, and suggestions. Some I have felt truly helpful and grounding. I wanted to share a few of my personal commitments and take-aways that I am doing my best each day to truly PRACTICE . . . with grace, kindness, and compassion. Perhaps you might find them helpful, too.
The Simple Practices (or scroll below for more details):
Eat to NOURISH your body
Stay hydrated
Honor your need for sleep and rest
Move your body every day
Practice mindfulness
Be in nature
Express gratitude and appreciation
Affirm the importance of creativity, play, humor, and love
Welcome opportunities for empathy, compassion, kindness, radical acceptance, and receiving/giving support
Create healthy boundaries through discernment
The Practices in More Detail:
Eat to NOURISH your body: Foods that support your immune system include colorful, fresh vegetables and fruits, quality protein, and healthy fats. Adding spices and fresh herbs can also be beneficial (think onion, garlic, fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, and spices like turmeric). Fermented foods like raw apple cider vinegar, raw fermented vegetables, and kimchi may also be beneficial–a happy belly supports a strong immune system. Be mindful of sugar and processed foods as these can deplete your immune strength. If you are feeling “phlegmy” I also suggest taking dairy out for a while since it is quite mucous-producing. Most importantly, if you do find yourself stress-eating, be kind to yourself and reach out for support.
Stay hydrated: This one may seem obvious but I added it to my personal list when I noticed early last week that I was not drinking enough water. I think I got thrown off my routine. So now I’m making a conscious effort to drink plenty of water and herbal tea throughout the day. A cup of nourishing broth works too! I try to use a colorful cup for my water so that it catches my eye and I’m reminded to drink. Adding a little lemon or lime to water can also make it more enticing to drink (plus a little vitamin C!). Herbal teas like ginger, licorice, and mint would be beneficial too.
Honor your need for sleep and rest: You might be finding that as we adjust to our new routines and ways of working that you have more energy fluctuations. Be gentle with yourself in this time and rest when you need to rest. It’s okay to need a break. I also encourage you to keep to your regular sleep times as sleep and rest are also an important part of supporting our immune system. If you can sleep in a little now that you don’t have to commute, do so! But still go to bed at your regular hour to keep consistency there.
Move your body every day: There are absolutely no shoulds on exactly how to move your body every day. Have a dance party, join a streaming fitness class, create your own home workout, walk your neighborhood, go up and down the stairs in your home, do some stretches. Just move!! Many of us are sitting way more than we usually would, so you might need to be more conscious about body your body daily. Beyond my daily walks and fitness routine, I have also found it helpful to take mini-breaks through the day to stretch, grab a cup of tea, sit in a different location or sit in a different way (like on the floor instead of at my desk).
Practice mindfulness: Again, there are a myriad of ways to do this including meditation, yoga, taking a hot bath, reading a comforting spiritual book, taking 5 deep breaths throughout the day, using essential oils for aromatherapy, coloring, knitting/crocheting, walking, gardening. New to meditation and want to give it a try, Deepka Chopra and Oprah are offering for free their 21-Day Meditation Series “Finding hope in uncertain times.”
Be in nature: If you feel comfortable doing so, get out into nature every day. Find nature in small places like your neighborhood (the flowers are glorious here in Oakland right now!), your backyard, your patio. Plant and grow something, if you can. Garden. Get your hands in dirt. Watch the sun rise or set. Look at the stars. Connecting with nature on a daily basis is one of the most important things we can do right now.
Express gratitude and appreciation: My husband and I have made it a daily practice to share each day: one “win” from the day, one challenge, one gratitude, and one appreciation to the other person. It’s become a lovely ritual, one I hope to continue. Gratitude is key right now. Even on the most challenging days, we can find something to be grateful for. Some days it might be something big like, “I’m so grateful for the health of my body” and other days it might be simple like, “I’m grateful for running hot and cold water.” Even in the midst of great unknowns, we can practice expressing our gratitude. Appreciation is slightly different in that it is the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. If you’re co-housing and co-working suddenly with a lot of people, a little appreciation can go a long way: “I appreciate that you gave me space to do my video meeting today” or “I appreciate how you cleaned up our morning dishes today.” If you live alone this appreciation might extend to a friend, family member or neighbor: “I appreciate you checking in on me.”
Affirm the importance of creativity and humor and love: Even in the midst of great challenge and difficulty, there are opportunities for laughter, joy, and pleasure. Take these moments and cherish them. I truly believe this time is calling on us to get creative. This may look like actually creating some piece of art like music, painting, knitting, writing, cooking, etc. Or it can be about having a creative mindset and getting innovative with solutions. And humor is also so important right now. Not only does it feel good to laugh but it can also boost our immune system! Lastly, and most importantly, these times are calling on us to CHOOSE LOVE. This might be love for our families and loved ones but also radical self-love. Love is the antidote to fear.
Welcome opportunities for empathy, compassion, kindness, radical acceptance, and receiving/giving support: I know I’m not alone in appreciating the myriad of stories out there of someone expressing kindness to strangers in these difficult times. I believe that what we give our attention to expands, so I am choosing to focus on places where I can be compassionate to myself and others. We are all handling this major event in different ways and I know I handle it differently depending on the day, the hour, the minute. That is all ok. Radical acceptance is about fully being with what is happening right now. It doesn’t mean you have to like it, but you stop resisting or denying it or wishing for a different outcome. Letting go of expectations or the sense that we can control things can be challenging, but it is good work to practice right now. Lastly, if you are in a place to give support right now, please do so: donate to a favorite non-profit, buy gift certificates to your local businesses who are closed right now, call a friend or neighbor to check on them. And if you need support right now, practice receiving kindness and generosity.
Create healthy boundaries through discernment: Right now we are all being asked to create a physical boundary for the well-being of our society, but remember to also create healthy boundaries mentally, psychically, and spiritually. This might mean being careful about how much news you watch (or when you watch it), being mindful about time spent on social media, choosing thoughtfully what shows you are watching, or even being more conscious of your own thoughts and where you place your attention and intention. Discernment is about consciously deciding what you bring into your world . . . whether that’s food, people, information, or your own thoughts. I find this to be very empowering.
Like all of you, I’m taking my life day by day right now. What this time of sheltering at home amidst a global pandemic seems to be highlighting for me are my daily practices of self-care so that I can show up for the world feeling as healthy, strong, energetic, clear, and grounded as possible. I hope you have found some of these to be helpful, too.
I would love to hear from you in the comments below: What daily practices are working for you and your household?
I love sharing information with people . . . I am a teacher by trade and by heart. So when I had a chance to go to the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s first-ever Leadership Summit on Clean and Healthy Living, I jumped at the chance!
I’ve been following the EWG for years now and use their
resources all the time with clients, so it was especially exciting to hear the
founder and CEO Ken Cook speak along
with many of the scientists doing the excellent work every day to put out
clear, evidence-based, relevant health information on everything from water
safety to clean beauty products to pesticides to healthy cleaning products. You
will find a wealth of helpful information on the EWG page!
