Have you missed me? I haven’t written in a while. Mostly, for over a year actually, I have been immersed in a tenacious search for healing. A perfect storm of events led to a complete breakdown of my immune system which led to a seemingly endless search for ANSWERS.

Of course, I began with ‘the food’ as that’s always my first line of defense. But honestly? My diet was pretty amazing to begin with. I eat few, if any, processed foods, 98% fresh, wholesome and organic and with the exception of red wine and a cup of coffee once or twice a week, I really wasn’t sure what else I could add or subtract.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know how much I try to avoid food identities: vegan, vegetarian, paleo, etc. It’s not that I don’t believe in experimentation. I do! Particularly around healing. Oftentimes our body needs a little boost or a reset or a therapeutic diet to find its balance when health struggles appear or when weight loss resistance rears its ugly head. But here’s the thing, we simply must leave room to ‘change or minds’ (which is particularly ironic given the new journey I’m on, but that’s another story). Becoming attached to a food identity keeps us in ‘food fear’ and that alone can seriously impact our health.

So, after a year of working with the Paleo approach … first, autoimmune paleo (which is excruciatingly restrictive), then, plain old paleo (which isn’t really a bad way to eat if you can give yourself permission to eat a few ancient grains from time to time as they are soooo very nourishing … I’m back to my ‘love what you eat’ approach to nourishment:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (Thank you, Michael Pollan)
Must be delicious.

Because, once again, I’ve learned that creating the conditions for health must include PLEASURE. And ‘mindfully’ eating the foods that bring you pleasure is a good thing.

And, I’m celebrating with a gorgeous glutenFUL bread!

Gasp!

A nourishment guide promoting gluten? Well, yes … and no. Unless you suffer from celiac disease or you have a known sensitivity to gluten, making glutenFUL products a part of your diet ‘on occasion’ is a good thing.

 

Blueberry Zucchini Bread (cake)

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup avocado oil
 (or walnut oil)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups raw cane sugar
2 cups finely shredded and drained zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pint fresh blueberries

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two loaf pans.
2.    Grate a large zucchini (or two small zucchini) and place in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until most of the liquid comes out. You will want to have 2 cups of shredded zucchini after it has been drained. Set aside.
3.    In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini.
4.    Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans.
5.    Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!