Banana Pancakes

When my daughter was born, I needed a quick and healthy meal for busy days. The banana pancake was [and still is] a winner.

Basically, the recipe is one egg for one ripe banana. In the following recipe, I added flavor, protein, and fiber to make it a little nutritious and fancy.

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe banana

1 egg

1 Tbsp of grounded chia seeds

1 Tbsp of almond flour

Pinch of cinnamon & vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash the banana in a medium bowl.

2. Add the beaten egg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

3. Incorporate the chia seeds and the almond flour. Make sure it’s well blended.

4. Cook it for about 4 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Five factors that influence your hormones

Whether you have premenstrual cramps or hot flashes, or still acne, you may suffer from hormonal imbalance. Even if having discomforts around your periods or close to your menopause is something widespread, it's not a requirement.

Many things can cause disruptions in your hormonal cycles, and diet has a considerable influence.

Alcohol

It takes a lot of work for the liver to metabolize from alcoholic beverages. This marvelous organ is also responsible for the production and management of hormones, among other vital functions. If the liver is too busy to detoxify from alcohol, the overloading will alter its duties, and symptoms of hormonal imbalance may appear. Without forgetting that alcohol is also sugar and though will unbalance different functions in your body.

For many women, alcohol will disturb sleep as well. Not so good especially if you are in your menopause.

Sugar

This empty calorie food is accountable for type 2 diabetes, cravings, and weight gain that affect hormone regulation and a big trigger for premenstrual syndrome, acne, depression, or even fatigue.

High blood sugar is also linked to insulin resistance that is a significant cause of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

Sugar is highly inflammatory and can cause many disruptions, especially in the guts, where the microbiome plays an essential role in the excretion of estrogen.

Lack of fiber such as fruits and vegetables and high in processed food

Eating eight servings of fruits and vegetables is key to getting sufficient phytonutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and fiber. These are essential to hormone regulation, intestinal transit, and many more. In high estrogen levels, fiber plays a massive role in hormone regulation and allows the elimination of bad estrogen.

Plant-based food is also rich in phytoestrogen that has a positive effect on estrogen control. It has been a controversial subject for many years. Still, research has now proved that phytoestrogens can reduce cholesterol levels, osteoporosis risks, menopausal symptoms, and even breast cancer.

Sedentary

It's no surprise that the lack of exercise has a significant incidence on health overall. And for many reasons, hormones are hardly impacted by sedentary. Engaging in exercise activity helps to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin levels. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect that makes it interesting to regulate metabolism.

Stress

While stress response is natural, chronic stress is a vicious cycle for your health. As cortisol and adrenaline are meant to save your life in a dangerous situation, they also negatively affect your metabolism. Over time, high cortisol levels would alter insulin sensitivity, and high adrenaline levels would influence blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.

Those five habits together may be the cause of your hormonal imbalance. Engaging in stress-reduction activities such as meditation, yoga, or exercise and adopt a healthy diet are vital for taking good care of your hormones.

Easy gluten-free pie crust

I feel lazy sometimes when I have to make a pie crust. But honestly, it’s the most straightforward recipe you can do that is worth the price, the taste, and the quality. It’s only three ingredients and 15 minutes of prep. I kept it simple for the basis. You could blend different flours too, have fun! And forget the idea of rolling the pie; you’ll have to press it in the pan.

For savory pie, I use brown rice or sorghum flour. If you want to be fancy, you can combine it with millet, quinoa, or buckwheat flour.

For a sweet pie, I like oat flour or brown rice flour.

GF PIE CRUST

Prep. time: 15 minutes - For one 12 inches crust

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of gluten-free flour of your choice

1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter (1 stick)

3/4 teaspoon of xantham gum

2 tbsp of cold water

1 pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, place the flour, xantham gum, and salt.

2. Pre-cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and add it to the flour.

3. With the tip of your fingers, combine the butter with the flour. When it seems well blended, add 1 tbsp of cold water and knead the dough. If it’s still dry and you can’t form a ball, add the last tablespoon of cold water. The dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to the bowl anymore.

4. Butter a pie dish and start to press the dough little by little. Make sure you flatten it enough.

5. Keep it refrigerated until you use it.

Why Vitamin D is so important?

WE KNOW THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO BE EXPOSED TO THE SUN TO SYNTHESIZE VITAMIN D. MORE THAN EVER, EXPERTS RECOMMEND ADEQUATE LEVELS OF VITAMIN D. BUT WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? LEARN THE BENEFITS OF YOUR HEALTH.

PRIMARY ROLE: HEALTHY BONES AND TEETH

Essential to the metabolism of calcium, it improves intestinal absorption and decreases urine elimination.

It helps prevent a disease called rickets, resulting from a vitamin D deficiency. It is increasingly rare in industrialized countries thanks to early detection. It will often be given to infants exclusively breastfed because breast milk appears to contain a little. Rickets mainly manifests as a growth disorder in children.

NOT JUST A VITAMIN

- The body converts vitamin D into a hormonal form called calcitriol. It plays a role at the cellular level and helps regulate insulin. Hence its interest in autoimmune diseases and diabetes.

- It is also one of the only vitamins that can store in fatty tissue. That's why obese people need a higher dose of vitamin D due to ample fat storage and decreased circulation.

THERAPEUTIC INTEREST

- It has the most benefits, according to several studies, for hypoparathyroidism, psoriasis, osteoporosis, and rickets.

- New studies have discovered some interest in preventing cancer and depression.

- It appears that the administration of vitamin D would reduce the onset of influenza, especially in children under 15, reduce respiratory infections in young men and prevent relapses of pneumonia in children under 3.

- Research has shown benefits in the case of depression, fibromyalgia, and anxiety.

FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN D

- Fatty fish: trout, herring, salmon, tuna, cod liver oil

- Several fortified products: Chicken eggs, cow's milk, or soy drink

FACTORS THAT HINDER ITS ABSORPTION

- Age: after 50 years, it is often necessary to supplement and even more after 70 years, if there is the presence of kidney disease or intestinal absorption

- Lack of sun exposure depending on the season, latitude, and time of day (summer, spring, and autumn, 5 to 15 minutes of exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. seems to be enough)

- Sun creams, although necessary for the prevention of skin cancer, reduce the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin

- People with dark skin need more prolonged exposure to the sun

It is always better to have your vitamin D level checked with the doctor because self-supplementation is not without risk. Indeed, too much vitamin D will present some toxicity: nausea, weakness, constipation, and irritability.

My best version of Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of my favorite treats for breakfast or snacks because it’s a smart way to save your very ripe bananas and reduce (or completely skip) refined sugar in your cake.

For one loaf of Banana Bread

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup of avocado oil

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 cup of coconut sugar (optional)

1 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour

a pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3/4 of chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a pan.

2. In a medium bowl, prepare the wet ingredients: mashed bananas then add the eggs, vanilla, and oil.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the chocolate chips if desired.

5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Let it cool down before serving it.

Enjoy!

Prevent stretch marks during pregnancy with my Glossy Mama Belly Oil

The first day I knew that I was pregnant, I started to apply plain organic almond oil on my belly, breast, and hips, every morning and night. I was concerned about what to put on my skin and have the more natural product to prevent stretch marks.

After a few research, I decided to mix my own oils and switch every other night with plain shea butter or unscented body butter made from cocoa butter.

Here are all the oils you can use in your Glossy Mama Belly Oil that is safe for the baby and bring the best hydration to your skin:

• Olive

• Almond

• Jojoba

• Argan

• Rosehip seeds

• Sesame

If you can, choose organic, virgin, and cold-pressed oil.

GLOSSY MAMA BELLY OIL

INGREDIENTS

• 40 ml of olive oil

• 35 ml of almond oil

• 20 ml of jojoba oil

• 5 ml of E vitamin (20 000 IU)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a dark glass bottle, mix all the ingredients together.

2. Actually, quantities are not strict. Remember to put more olive oil and almond oil and to respect the quantity of the E vitamin.

3. Apply every morning and at bedtime, as early as possible during pregnancy.

Tips

Hydration comes from the outside but also from the inside. I’ll publish another article about how to prevent stretch marks from the inside.