Amazing egg-free AIP Pancakes!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I've become accustomed to eating strange foods for breakfast since I don't eat eggs, grains, or dairy.  It doesn't phase me to heat up a piece of fish or meat and a type of squash for breakfast. However, it is nice to have a more traditional breakfast option, especially one that my boyfriend (who is very picky) will eat with me.

I've been in denial about food sensitivities for a few months. How could something that is so good for me be bad? My diet is already limited- how could I need to restrict it more? However this week was the test.  I am one week into giving up coconut along with a few other foods which I was suspicious about, and I feel a ton better. I knew it would be hard to replace my coconut butter, coconut flour, and coconut milk (luckily coconut oil doesn't bother me) but experimenting with cassava flour has been great- even better then coconut flour! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. I was making cinnamon Kombucha squash in the oven and my boyfriend said, "those smell like pancakes," which is what gave me the idea. I love the texture AND taste better than regular pancakes!

AIP pancake 

Makes 4 small or 3 large pancakes! 

3/4 cup of cassava flour

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted + more coconut oil for the pan 

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 tsp vanilla 

Sea Salt 

1/2 cup leftover, cooked, and mashed kombucha squash (or other starch!) 

1/3 warm water + approx. 1 cup warm water 

Combine the flour, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Add the melted coconut oil, mashed squash and 1/3 cup warm water, working it until doughy. Slowly stir in the remaining warm water until the dough becomes a batter-like consistency. 

NOTE: The amount of water you add will vary. I do not remember the exact amount of water I used to get the right texture! 

Next heat up a frying pan with coconut oil. Spoon the batter into the pan. Cook the batter as you would a regular pancake! I like mine a little on the crispier side. 

Serve with uncured bacon and fresh fruit or grade B maple syrup for topping (optional) 

6 months later on TMW

For me this month marks one year of being sick and 6 month on the Myers way. When this picture came up on my Facebook as a memory from last September I could not believe that was me. The picture on the right is 1 year and 20 lbs ago... it was taken right before I became sick at a Barbie themed birthday party for my friend. The picture on the left was taken of me this weekend trying on dresses (I did end up buying that one- it even has pockets!).  I cannot believe I fit into a size 4! Last year I was somewhere around a size 8. It' was never about weight-loss- it was about healing. A lot of my other symptoms went away too that I am excited to share...

Before I started The Meyers Way Symptoms:

• Ringing and Grinding noises in ears
• Poor Sleep
• Heart Palpitations
• Uncontrollable Panic Attacks and Anxiety 
• Headaches
• Short of breath and Acid Reflux 
• Bed-ridden Fatigue 
• Hot face
• Faint and dizziness especially after eating 
• Numbness and Tingling on legs and arms
• Very Blurry Vision 

Symptoms I've had my whole life which improved:

• Seasonal Allergies (I had them so bad I was always stuffy)
• Very Oily hair and skin (I no longer wear any makeup on my face when I used to use a powder every day to absorb oils)
• Less acne or breakouts
• Skin that has always been rashy has improved.
• Better Moods
• Weightloss

Symptoms still present (hopefully will improve):

• Light sensitivity (has improved)
• Brain fog, ADHD, trouble concentrating (has improved)
• Blurry vision (only occasional now)
• Tiredness/fatigue (has improved)

New issues since The Myers Way:

• Bad PMS
• Bloating after eating 

I am hoping the rest of my symptoms will clear up. I know it can take a year to heal your gut.  I'm driving a lot more and doing a lot more now. Fall is my favorite time of year and last year I didn't get to enjoy it from being stuck in bed. I'm even thinking of adding new foods back into my diet.

Things have been going pretty well. While cleaning out my cabinets because we are finally moving. I'm getting rid of a ton gluten free processed crap. I can't believe I ate that!

It feels great to wake up this morning and not be apartment-hunting. I would spend hours making phone calls and searching online. We have been looking since July as I am suspicious my current apartment has a mold problem. It's probably not a coincidence I came very sick 2 weeks after we moved here. It was so hard to find something in our price range! One place we walked into there was even mold on the ceiling. Or another we walked into smelled like cigarettes and cat pee. Or my personal favorite red flag moment: "there's a sex offender living on the second floor, thats ok right?"

Aside from apartment hunting, healing hasn't been easy; I had a regression a slight in August. I gained back a little weight, my thyroid levels increased and I started loosing a lot of hair. When my least favorite time of the month rolled around, my PMS was so bad for about 2 weeks; I was tired, headachy, extremely depressed, brain-foggy, bloated and crabby.

August was tough, I started working at the bar probably more than I should, as it was there busy season. I went from only working 2 slow nights a week to working 3-4, sometimes on very busy shifts. I loved the money and getting out of the house more but it definitely took away from the time I had to prepare meals. I started to eat a lot of the same things- salads with avocado to fill me and quick pieces of chicken. I was also eating a sweet potato a day. I wasn't cheating or anything outside of The Myers Way meal plan just not eating enough of a variety of foods.

I started reading about developing food sensitivities; how we develop them when we eat the same things all the time. So I started eating a wider variety of foods. I also cut out sweet potatoes after reading in the GAPS diet some of the downfalls of it and what a difference it makes. I stopped eating a lot of salad- only occasionally now as I know raw vegetables are harder to digest. I'm working at the bar less now that it won't be so busy there; I will have more time to move (possibly buying an organic mattress and clean everything incase of mold contamination!) and keep up with cooking (thank god the new apartment has a dishwasher!!!). Ive also been trying to keep my stress levels down. We got an adorable cat a few weeks ago and it helps a lot with anxiety. I would have never thought that I could have a cat because I used to have very bad allergies but they're gone since TMW. The hair loss stopped and Ive lost weight again. I'm not sure what exactly helped these problems but something did! Hoping the healing continues...

The "when I'm VERY hungry" Breakfast

Two very exciting things in TMW lifestyle for me... 

First- I am officially down 20 lbs. Before getting sick I was very depressed about my weight. No matter how much I worked out or how "healthy" I ate (healthy to me then meant lots of gluten, low calorie processed snacks, yogurt, granola, and a starving tummy) I kept gaining weight and feeling less energetic. I still have symptoms but hopefully one day I can say I feel as good as I look! 

Second- while we are on the topic of breakfast- I FINALLY found sugar free bacon at Whole Foods.  The brand Wellshire Farms makes a "Sugar Free Dry Rubbed" bacon that is so delicious; I don't understand why most other brands inject the bacon with a form of sugar! This is a high quality product that does not contain gluten preservatives, artificial ingredients, antibiotics, growth promoting hormones, nitrates or nitrites. View ingredients.

Now for the Main Course. This morning I woke up VERY hungry. Thanks to the heat, I haven't felt like cooking or eating lately SO I took full advantage of my hunger this morning, knowing that as the day warms up I won't be eating anything heavy. I use this as my go-to breakfast when I know I won't have time to eat a nice big lunch or if my lunch plan is a simple salad. Packed with protein, healthy carbs and fats, it makes me super full! 

I start by poking holes in my sweet potato so it can vent then microwaving it for 8 minutes. (We have a very old, low power microwave so it could be less time for you!) Cut it in half to use as a base. Next I cook up some ground turkey. I either season it one of two ways depending on my mood. I like it with rosemary and lemon or cumin and parsley. Either way I add s&p, garlic and onion powder. Add the meat to the sweet potato. Next I make Dr. Amy Myers Whipped Avocado Dressing, whipping together the avocado with lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil, then add that to the top of the sweet potato/ meat. Finally, I add sautéed onions. Because I was VERY hungry the onions came out rushed today- less sautéed and more crispy (aka burnt). Don't you hate when that happens? 

Avocado Coconut Muffins

The struggle is so real to find breakfast-friendly foods when you're egg, dairy and grain free. I miss how easy it was to make a bowl of cereal or grab a granola bar. One reason why I love the coconut avocado muffin: once you make a batch its so easy to toast up in the morning.  Reason two: I can top it in coconut butter.

After picking up my first ever jar of coconut butter less than a week ago, I already finished it. Seriously- the stuff is amazing. With a similar texture to peanut butter and the perfect combination of sweet and creamy I find myself drifting to the counter and eating it by the spoonful.

This recipe is fairy easy and done in three parts. The arrowroot flour, melted coconut oil and water mixture is an egg replacer, so if you aren't egg free you can use an egg instead! They come out just sweet enough in my opinion.

Avocado Coconut Muffins 
(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, gluten and grain-free, paleo!)

1 avocado
3/4 cup coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup melted coconut butter
1tsp stevia (or more depending on your taste)
1 tbsp vaneilla

Pre-heat oven to 350

1. Start with combining the avocado, coconut milk and lemon juice in the blender until creamy.

2. Whisk the arrowroot flour, melted coconut oil and water together in a small bowl.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the small bowl mixture and blended mixture. The recipe should come out doughy but if it is too dry you can add more coconut milk.

4. Grease your cupcake tray with coconut oil (or use paper). Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until top browns.

Top with whipped coconut milk, cinnamon, or coconut butter! Toast or re-fry. Enjoy.