Marcieli da Silva

03/04/2021

Filled Chocolate


Filling:
7 pitted prunes
1/4 cup almond flakes
1 Tablespoon almond butter
1 Tablespoon dried shredded coconut

Coating:
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a food processor bowl, add the prunes, almonds, and coconut. Blend the ingredients to combine. Add the almond butter, and process again until the mixture stick together.

Roll into bite-sized balls or press them with your hands to shape them into the desired form.

Place them on a plate and put them in the fridge.

Meanwhile, place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Put the bowl of chocolate into the microwave and nuke them for 45 seconds. Remove the bowl and stir. Put the bowl back for another 30 seconds. Remove it, and stir again to fully melt the chocolate.

Remove the prune mixture from the fridge and coat them with chocolate.

Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them set completely before serving.

17/03/2021

I love cakes 😋 So, here is another recipe:

Almond-Coconut-Cornmeal Cake 😋
It’s moist, fluffy, yummy, and easy to make!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 cup sugar (coconut, demerara, or organic)
1 cup coconut milk (or any milk)
1 cup almond meal or almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut (dried or fresh)
1/2 cup cornmeal (AKA fuba)
1 Tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

✨ Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F
✨Using a blender, start by adding eggs, oil, and sugar. Process until well combined
✨Add coconut milk, almond meal/flour, cornmeal, and coconut. Blend until smooth
✨ Finally, add baking powder and vinegar, stir by hand or just pulse
✨Pour the batter into bakeware and bake for 35-40 minutes

14/03/2021

Good morning!
⏱️Daylight saving time. Do you love it or hate it?

I'm okay with it. As long as can have my breakfast in peace - no rushing, please 😋

Banana Almond Waffle
 

Ingredients:
2 small banana, mashed
2 beaten eggs
1 cup almond flour
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (or chia, or h**p seeds)
1 heaped Tbsp chickpea flour (or oat flour)
1/4 cup coconut milk (or other plant-based milk)
1 Tsp baking powder
Cinnamon to taste

✨ Preheat waffle iron;
✨In a bowl, add the mashed bananas and beaten eggs, stirring until well combined. Add almond flour, chickpea flour, seeds, cinnamon, and baking powder. Stir well, incorporating them into the batter.
✨Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, enough to cover the center and most of the central surface area. Once the waffle is deeply golden, transfer it to a plate. Repeat.

08/03/2021

A healthy body and mind are crucial to thriving in crazy times like this. Yoga can help with both!

Thanks to Carla Vido you can learn some poses and breathing exercises to practice anywhere!

This is an in-depth article about the health benefits of yoga. Learn how to boost your immune system with poses and breathing exercises.

04/03/2021

My toddler loves farofa - a traditional Brazilian dish made with cassava flour. To boost nutrients and vary the flavor, sometimes I make some adjustments to the original recipe. You might want to try this one for yourself, too 😋

Ingredients:
1/2 purple onion, chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 cup of coconut pulp (from homemade coconut milk) or unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup cassava flour
1 small grated carrots
Leaves and stems of 2-3 carrots
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Salt to taste (or about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Heat a frying pan at moderate temperature to allow the coconut oil to melt, but avoid too much heating to prevent reaching the smoke point of coconut oil (same if using olive oil).
Add the chopped onion and sauté until tender. Add the coconut pulp or shredded coconut and stir well to dry - don't let it burn.
When the mixture gets dry, add the grated carrots and leaves. Sauté for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add nutritional yeast, salt, and other seasonings you like.

02/03/2021

I think you should try these Almond Cookies

Ingredients
1 egg
2 tablespoon of honey 
1 heaped tbsp almond butter
1 + 1/2 cup almond flour
1 heaped tablespoon h**p seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.
In a bowl, beat the eggs with honey. 
Add almond butter, flour, seeds, and baking soda. Stir to combine all the ingredients. 
Make small balls, place them on a baking pan, and press each of them with a fork to flatten. 
Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

26/02/2021

If there is one thing that I miss the most for being dairy-free is cheese. I was a cheese lover. I would eat cheese every day, especially white cheeses such as ricotta.

There are plenty of vegan alternatives out there. Some taste good, others not so much. And the ingredient list is not always the healthiest. So, this homemade almond-ricotta cheese is my go-to when I want comfort food. The best part: it's easy to make, creamy like the real deal, and healthy! A good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium, and potassium.

Ingredients:
1+⅓ cup raw almond without skin
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (optional)
½ Tsp salt
½ cup homemade almond milk/coconut milk (or canned coconut milk for extra creaminess)

🌟Soak the almonds in water for 6 hours or overnight.
Drain the water, and you'll notice that the skins will be slightly shriveled. Gently squeeze the almonds and loosen the skin from them.
🌟Put the almonds into a blender with lemon juice, oil, salt, and milk.
🌟Blend on high until the almonds become as smooth as possible. Pause and scrape down the sides of the blender occasionally. If needed, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture blends properly.
🌟When smooth and creamy, remove the mixture from the blender.
🌟Store it in a glass container with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days.

24/02/2021

I have seen many people, especially women, asking around about easy and yet nutritious snacks/meals to eat before and after their workouts. You don't need or shouldn't rely on protein shakes. I'm all in favor of real food whenever possible.

Eating good-quality whole foods in reasonable amounts 1-2 hours before working out is ideal for most people. Think about 50/50 protein and carbs and a bit of healthy fat (e.g. banana + nuts, oatmeal + nut butter, bread + nut butter or hummus, fruit + plain yogurt, apple + cheese). After working out, aim to eat a balanced meal within 30 minutes-2 hours, perhaps with a bit more protein - think about 70/50 protein and carbs (e.g. eggs/tofu + veggies, fish + salad, avocado toast + egg, beans/lentils + brown rice + lettuce).

Of course, hard-training people and athletes have more unique needs.

What else do you eat before or after a workout? Comment below 😉

22/02/2021

Have you heard of POSTBIOTICS? They are a hot topic in nutrition these days!

Learn how you can support your gut health and immune system with them 👇

This is a complete guide to postbiotics. Learn how to support your gut health and immune system with this in-depth article.

18/02/2021

I wish I could say otherwise, but the pandemic is not over yet! Boosting our immune system is always a good idea. So, here are some tips:

*Aim to have balanced meals - choose colorful food, including sources of proteins, whole grains, and veggies/fruits.

* Improve immunity by feeding the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Raspberries, artichokes, green peas, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, beans, figs, chia and flax seeds, okra, aloe vera are prebiotics. Kefir, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh are sources of probiotics and postbiotics.

*Hydration is always important. Don't forget to have your reusable water bottle in hand, and drink water often and enough for your body needs. Herbal teas are also welcome.

*Although it's a stressful time, avoid sugary foods and drinks. Sugar overwhelms your liver, messes up with your hormones, and takes a toll on your immune system.

*Try to keep your body moving. You can play with your kids, stand while working, clean up the house, and do some exercise in your living room. If the weather is good, go for a walk!

*Relax your mind with a meditation or breathing technique. And follow a sleep routine. Sleeping is the key to fight inflammation and promote good health.

15/02/2021

After a long weekend, all we need is a 😴 good night's sleep to get our week off to the perfect start!

Eating certain foods before bed-time may help you sleep better. But because we should wait at least three hours after eating to go to bed, only have a snack if your eating routine requires it. If so, opt for a small and nutrient-rich snack.

Tryptophan-rich foods are good options. Tryptophan is an amino acid necessary to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for the sensation of pleasure/well-being, essential to induce the natural sleep cycle.

So, before bed, these snacks can help you relax and improve sleep:
🌰a handful of nuts
🍌 a banana with a tablespoon of oats or almond butter
🍒 cherries
🥝 kiwi
🧀 a slice of cheese
🥛 a milk-based smoothie

13/02/2021

I used to eat bread every day - for breakfast and dinner. When I got my diagnosis of celiac disease, I was devastated. The first gluten-free bread that I tried made me cry.

I thought I couldn't live without bread! Then, years later, I finally learned how to eat healthily. I discovered a whole world of foods, all of them naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

Nowadays, I don't eat bread regularly. Bread is for special occasions or when I really feel like having it. And, most of the time, it is a homemade recipe!

So, here is one that I enjoy very much!

Banana Bread with Walnuts 😋

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp muscovado sugar (no need, but it deepens the flavor and color)
6 tbsp coconut cream
4 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 Tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp of cinnamon powder
1 + 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (try Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour made with garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, whole grain white sorghum flour, tapioca flour, and fava bean flour)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp baking powder

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the eggs with sugar. Add coconut cream (or a dairy-free yogurt), mashed bananas, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix all the ingredients. Then bring the flour mix, flax seeds, and mix until smooth. Finally, add the baking powder and the chopped walnuts and stir gently.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 355°F (or 180°C) for approximately 45 minutes. Check it by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the bread when you think it is ready - it should come out clean.