Physician Advises: Skip the Grains But Not the Treats This Holiday Season… Cardiologist and Best-Selling Author Dr. William Davis Shares Grain-Free Recipes for the holidays and tips to stay healthy. This post wasn’t compensated – just wanted to share some cool info.
At a time when we most want to look and feel our best, we seem to do everything possible to ensure we don’t, says cardiologist Dr. William Davis. “The weather starts to change and we reach for the pumpkin-spice cookies, cider doughnuts and beer, which launches us into processed carbohydrates season,” says Dr. Davis, author of “Wheat Belly Total Health,” (www.wheatbellyblog.com), the latest in his bestselling “Wheat Belly” series. {And I’m the first to admit that I am a processed carb-aholic. Seriously.}
{Buy it here: Wheat Belly Total Health: The Ultimate Grain-Free Health and Weight-Loss Life Plan.}
“They make us tired and sluggish when we especially need energy as we prepare for all the fun stuff and preparation that lead up to Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hannukah, and they cause us to gain weight, which we immediately pledge to shed come New Year’s.” People have been taught that the refined, processed carbohydrates in foods like white rice, white bread and traditionally baked goods are “bad carbs.” We’re told we’ll be healthier, happier and slimmer if we get stick to the “good carbs” in fruits, nuts and whole grains.
Not true, Dr. Davis says – at least in the case of grains.
“Grasses and grains like wheat are a great food source for goats, cows and the like,” he says. “But humans have a different digestive process and different nutritional needs. Grasses are not only responsible for unwanted weight gain, but also more serious conditions, including Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. We just weren’t meant to eat them.” {Which was super surprising to me. I suffer from some of these conditions, as do many of my family members. But I didn’t realize how serious this was….}
That doesn’t mean you have to do without your favorite treats during the holidays. Just make them a different way. He offers this great recipe to try, that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, lunchtime, or entertaining:
Pumpkin Spice Muffins – Grain Free Recipe – (makes 12):
Ingredients
- 2 cups ground almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup ground golden flaxseed
- Sweetener such as Truvia or stevia extract equivalent to 3/4 cup sucrose
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Dash of fine sea salt
- 1 can (15 ounces) unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sour cream or canned coconut milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- melted coconut oil or extra-light olive oil.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and then grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Stir together the almond meal, walnuts, flaxseed, sweetener, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Stir together the pumpkin, sour cream or coconut milk, eggs, and oil in another large bowl.
- Now stir the pumpkin mixture into the almond meal mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about half full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out dry, about 45 minutes.
- Cool the muffins in the pans 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Eat and enjoy!
About Dr. William Davis
William Davis, MD is a cardiologist and author of several books that have sold more than 2 million copies, including the No.1 New York Times bestseller “Wheat Belly.” He has appeared on major national media including the Dr. Oz Show, CBS This Morning, National Public Radio, and Live! with Kelly.. Davis has built a substantial online presence on his Wheat Belly Blog, (www.wheatbellyblog.com), with more than 300,000 visits per month. He is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine, with training in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease at the Ohio State University Hospitals. A Case Western Reserve University Hospitals, he served as Director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship and Assistant Professor of Medicine.
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