6 tips to make any baking recipe healthier….part 2 of 2
Continued from yesterday. (Yes, I know people are HEALTHIER and recipes are more HEALTHFUL, and so does my editor, but we abandon that in my book titles because "Healthful Recipes" sounds so stiff and wrong.)
4. Oil
Please don't use "vegetable oil" for baking. It's highly refined, heated to high temperatures, and already rancid when it's sold to you. Instead, for baking, use coconut oil. In the summer, it'll be liquid, and in the winter, solid. It works well as a substitute for butter, shortening, or oil. We have organic, cold-pressed coconut oil in our group buy every year, but year-round you can get it here. You can read here about why this oil is far more nutritious that most and what it's good for.
You can also substitute extra-virgin olive oil in recipes that call for just a small amount of butter or oil or if you don't like coconut oil. It usually doesn't affect the flavor.
5. Organic, free-range eggs or egg substitute
If you buy only ONE thing organic, make it eggs. North Americans get far too much Omega 6 fatty acids, probably because of our high intake of refined vegetable oil, which has a toxic imbalance. Commercial eggs are 6:1 omega 6 to omega 3. Eggs in their natural state are the exact opposite, with far more omega 3 that we are deficient in--so buy organic, free range. I have a friend in my neighborhood whose chickens are fed no chemicals and range in the yard. I buy from her on the rare occasion I even use eggs. You can also pay more at Costco for organic, and most health food stores have them.
You could also use this very nutritious substitute for each large egg: let 1 Tbsp. chia seed sit in 3 Tbsp. water for 30 mins.
6. Salt
Please never use iodized, refined salt (i.e., Morton's) for anything besides homemade play-dough. For cooking / eating, use Original Himalayan Crystal Salt for a high-vibrational frequency completely unrefined crystalline whole food. My second favorites would be Real Salt or celtic sea salt.
Now in your whole-foods lifestyle, you don't have to throw out your favorite baking recipes. Make these 6 substitutions and you should have very good results!
Posted in: Recipes, Whole Food
I got turned on to you by Dr. Oz’s Green Smoothie. Looking for more information I stumbled on to your videos on youTube. I have gotten so hooked on what I have seen that I purchased the Blendtec blender and tried a green smoothie with it. OMG! You are totally right. This is the greatest product ever. Thanks for recommending it. I also ordered your complete 12-Step program and it is expected to arrive this coming Thursday. I am so excited to begin trying your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing and especially teaching us.
Ground Flax Seed can also be substituted for both oil and egg in baking recipes. Info on substitution ratio is right on the packaging
I recently ordered your program along with some of the items you sell. My question is about the Liquid Light. The first ingredient is Aluminum. Aren’t we trying to avoid this? I bought new baking powder and deoderant to avoid aluminum and now I feel stange drinking it by the cap full. Please explain this.
No, it’s not an ingredient–it’s one of dozens of trace minerals found in that chelated food. You don’t want to eat metals or rocks. Alum in deodorant is metal–your body cannot assimilate or eliminate it. Natural water from springs, unrefined crystal salt, other whole foods, have all those trace minerals, which your body requires as it is comprised of all those minerals. Whole different thing.
JoEllyn, The homemade weed killer will kill grass also.
RE Coconut Oil. Only use extra virgin. it is awesome. i am using it more and more. It tolerates heat much better than Olive Oil. I use it in baking as a substitute for butter or oil. If I substitute it for oil, I heat it until it melts. Take a little and rub it on your hands and face. It has a very subtle coconut smell that quickly dissipates. Your skin will feel like silk!!
I’m surprised that Himalayan salt is your first choice and Real Salt is your second. Why is this? They are essentially the same product (same number of trace-minerals, same crystalline structure, etc), but Real Salt is from Utah and all the Himalayan salt is from Pakistan . . . and Real Salt is less expensive because it is domestic.
http://blog.realsalt.com/2010/08/comparing-real-salt-to-himalayan-celtic/
I never saw a response to Debbie regarding iodine. It’s my understanding that iodine is essential for our bodies, so if we switch to the sea salts, how do we compensate for that?
The iodization of refined salt is NOT an effective way to get bioavailable iodine anyway. Sea vegetables may help with that, and if you’re iodine deficient, you can also get Lugol’s solution (I put 3 drops in water every morning). A hormone clinic specializing in bioidentical hormone (rather than drugs) can help you with this. If you put an iodine tincture on your inner forearm (about 2″ by 2″ square) and it disappears within a couple of hours, you are iodine deficient.
I’m just getting caught up with my e-mails. I was unaware that you included baking in your diet. That’s ok, it just means I learned something new. 🙂 I’m still figuring out what’s best for me as I heal from 61 years worth of problems. Thanks for sharing.
Baking isn’t something I do a lot of. However, I teach a 60-80% raw diet, and since my program is designed as that do-able place for EVERYONE in the Western world, coming over from the Standard American Diet. So, it helps to have some healthier options when you DO want comfort foods.
Robyn,
You need to come out to Colorado Springs, CO! Any plans for that?
I do use organic cocoanut oil but have a question. Ihave heard that it is about 75% saturated oil. Is this correct. Should we be concerned about this.