This is the first holiday season I’ve been home for in four years. I usually go home during the summer but this year I felt those heart strings being tugged and I wanted nothing more than to go and be with my family. There’s nothing like putting your feet back on solid ground (both literally and figuratively) after journeying across that big old ocean and sighing that sigh of relief that one can only know once you’ve spent some time away from your home and loved ones. You can breathe easy.
We’re (my family) a complicated bunch and things have never been simple or easy. I swear our parents raised us to be difficult. That’s part of the reason they drive me crazy and it’s also why I love them so much.
As if coordinating meals during the holidays isn’t challenging enough, one of my beloveds is on a sugar-free (natural and artificial) diet that permits no legumes, no grains, and very little fruit if any at all. Say what? Yep, pretty rough. Thanks, Candida Albicans.
If you’re a woman, you’re probably already familiar with this fungus. It’s one of the causes of vaginal yeast infections. Most people don’t realize that candida overgrowth not only causes vaginal infections, it can also cause a whole lot of upset in the gut. Under normal conditions, it helps breakdown and absorb nutrients along the intestinal wall but when it is overproduced, candida is able to penetrate into the bloodstream, breaking down the wall of the intestine. This cause toxins to be released into your body. Its’ overgrowth in the gut can lead to depression, anxiety, leaky gut syndrome, chronic fatigue, outrageous sugar cravings and even intestinal disorders like IBS. This theory generally isn’t accepted by conventional medicine, even though it is widely accepted among naturopaths and functional medicine practitioners.
I remember studying the anti-Candida diet when I was in school. It was one of the most difficult diets to design as a nutritionist and to maintain as the patient. It’s a diet high in animal protein, fat, raw vegetables, and nuts; a pretty hard diet to follow unless you have an iron stomach and especially hard for people who are not used to eating a whole lot of animal products. Candida likes to hang out in alkaline environments so for the diet think foods that create the opposite: acidic. Lean meat, eggs, citrus, nightshade vegetables, among other things. The biggest plus this diet has going for it is the unlimited amount of veggies permitted. It takes a lot of will and patience: it has to be followed for at least 3-4 months in order to be effective, along with natural anti-fungals, such as Pau d’Arco, or in severe cases, prescription ones. There’s a lot of controversy out there about whether fruit, pseudo grains and certain legumes can be allowed on a anti-Candida diet. I found this list to be pretty comprehensive, although I recommend going over it with a qualified nutritionist or naturopath before beginning this diet or any for that matter.
I thought I would be doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen at home, which in my universe means lots of dishes based in or accompanied by grains. Nope, not so much. Very impressed by her determination, I was inspired and challenged to come up with adaptations for some of those homey holiday staples.
Looking for grain-free, gluten-free, starch-free, sugar-free baked good recipes (it was Christmas after all), I kept getting a common denominator: almond flour. We were already on almond overload: almond milk, almond butter, raw almonds. Not to mention the 1.6 kilos of turrón I brought home. Serious overdose.
While I adore almonds and love them for their healthy fats and vitamin and mineral wealth, anything in excess can be too much. I wanted a way to give diversity to baked dishes so I decided to play around and I wanted to share the results with you.
1. Savory Pecan Biscuits by Roost: these are AMAZING. Like, can’t-stop-putting-them-in-my-mouth kind of amazing. We happen to have an abundance of pecans down here in Georgia so that was an easy find. Instead of almond flour we used chickpea flour, making these an excellent source of complete protein and a great snack to tote around with you when out and about. To make vegan, try chia seed eggs and some time type of flavorless oil that holds up to high temps (grapeseed?) or leave out the chickpea and try a blend of hazelnut and pecan with coconut oil, playing with the herbs as well.
2. Pie crust with crumble topping: S. came up with this. We used a combination of pecan, coconut and almond flour. Here are the measurements (you can find the original recipe here):
– crust:
1 1/2 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg (or chia egg)
-crumble:
1/3 cup chopped hazelnut & almonds (or any combination of nuts and seeds)
3 tbsp EV coconut oil or ghee
(bisquik sub)
1 cup nut flour/coconut/chickpea/
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
stevia to taste
3 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp coconut oil
3. Life changing loaf of bread via My New Roots – this was my first attempt at this bread because psyllium husks have until now alluded me in Spain. I made it using 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup coconut flour in place of the oats. It came out super dense, which I attribute to the coconut flour, so I would recommend subbing in 1 1/4 cup nut flour and 2 tablespoons coconut flour. Or go all chickpea. If buckwheat is allowed, give the groats a try instead of adding oats. Let me know how it turns out.
4. Socca- I’ve made this recipe loads. Super easy and tasty, serving as a pizza base or just slathered with some olive oil and topped with some avocado and greens.
If you want to read up some more on the symptoms and treatment for Candida, here are some helpful links:
Approved foods
general overview
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It’s worth considering how big of a role fat plays in this diet and making sure to prioritize plant based fat over animal fat, buying high quality, cold-pressed oils, and raw (sprouted) nuts when possible. Pack in the veggies and get creative: cauliflower posing as rice, celery root as pasta, turnips and white beans faking you out as mashed potatoes.
Sometimes we all need a little push to let our imagination kick in. I have a feeling 2014 is going to be just like that: pushing ourselves to be better and more imaginative and daring to dream the unconventional and supernatural and make them a reality in our day-to-day lives.
Wishing you all a fabulous 2014…
COSECHA 