Gluten Free Vegan Almond Muffin Bread: Finally Getting Back to This

Whew! It's been a really long time. I think my last post was about peppermint bark! Before that, I hadn't been posting much either. I have been itching to get back to sharing things with everyone but life has been stressful.

I think I mentioned in a post last year that 5 years ago I was diagnosed with an Autoimmune disease and told it's most likely Rheumatoid Arthritis. My gut never fully accepted this diagnosis but I went on the meds anyway. After a couple of years, I had the biggest flare-up of my life. It was hard to get out of bed and even walk to the bathroom. It was awful. At the beginning of this year, I had some issues with the medications at my pharmacy and it meant I was going to be off the meds for at least 3 weeks. So, since I had already cut down to one dose a day a few months previous and had improved a lot, I decided to just go off of it and see what happens. 

Well, my pain and swelling went down. Not completely, but significantly. I was doing yoga again, lifting weights, and walking more. My muscles seemed to be stronger and I had a better range of motion everywhere. As a former dancer, the most exciting thing for me was being able to go on relevé for the first time in over 2 years. Then, about 30-45 days after I stopped taking it I had a flare up of my IBS, eczema, my face broke out all over (I am 42), my body odor changed, and most importantly...my anxiety flared beyond anything I have ever experienced. However, my pain and swelling remained low to almost non-existent. I knew I was doing the right thing and felt (especially when my face broke out) that my body was trying to rid itself of toxins from the medication. Six weeks later and I am finally feeling like I am coming through it. I had to do some diet clean up and started meditating. I did more and more research on anxiety and panic attacks. Breathing exercises, meditation, mantras, yoga for anxiety, staying away from certain foods, and watching happy and silly movies and shows (avoiding the stressful ones and no news watching) are all things I discovered helped. I have a long way to go, but the turtle wins the race, right? Luckily my IBS has calmed down a ton, my face has cleared up, and my body odor has returned to normal. Even my eczema I have on my scalp has cleared up almost completely. I could go into everything I am doing, but that wasn't the point of this post. 

In the midst of all of this, I aimed at cleaning my diet even more. With stomach issues, I am always looking for cleaner ways of eating. That usually means I need to make my own food. I can't tell you how hard it is to find Gluten Free Vegan bread products that don't have nightshades or chemical crap. Just finding GF Vegan bread, in general, is difficult. So, I started trying recipes. I haven't found a regular sandwich bread, but I found this (sort of) sweeter bread recipe that I kept adapting and tweaking until it was all my own recipe. I have never created my own recipe. Surprisingly, all the trials were edible but I wanted to make it perfect. It took a couple of weeks but I finally did it!

Now, I was looking to gain some weight when I created this recipe and was focusing more on nutritional value than low in calories. In the few weeks that my anxiety was the worst, I lost about 5 pounds because my stomach hurt so much I couldn't eat real food. I got to a weight I was not comfortable being at when I knew it wasn't because I was doing healthy things like working out and eating clean. This recipe uses almond flour and avocado oil so it adds a significant amount of calories to the servings. But it tastes so good! I have never made a gluten-free vegan bread that is soft, fluffy, and tasty like this one. It could probably be scooped into a muffin tin as well. Try it and let me know what you think. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I do have a real camera now, so hopefully, I can remember to take some decent pictures!

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN ALMOND MUFFIN BREAD

• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup arrowroot starch
• 2 T + 2 teaspoons of tapioca starch/flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour (not almond meal)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed, plus 3 tablespoons water)
• 3/4 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax seed and water. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine/whisk all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients, adding the flax egg last.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. It will start to get a little fluffy. You don't want to get rid of the air bubbles so don't over mix. (I use a smaller rubber spatula to make it easy)

6. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased medium sized loaf pan. Be careful not to press down too much and don't bang the pan on the counter. You want to keep the fluff.

7. Bake for 50-55 min. Let cool 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.

For 10 servings per loaf:

Amount Per Serving
calories 236
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15 g	23 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	8 %
Monounsaturated Fat 10 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 133 mg	6 %
Potassium 76 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 7 g
Protein 2 g	5 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	3 %

This bread would also be tasty as a breakfast bread. You could add a touch of cinnamon to the recipe or even do a brown sugar crumble on top. Blueberries might even be a wonderful addition as this is sort of a muffin texture. Try some things and let me know how it goes!

Now that I am starting to feel a little better and I am now working from home full time (therefore have more time since I don't have to sit in traffic) I hope to get more posts. It seems that health and recipes seem to be the most viewed posts. Let me know if there is anything else you are interested in. I do have some makeup posts I want to get done. 

Cheers and happy baking!

***notes: You can sub oat or buckwheat flour for almond flour but you won't get the same texture. You can sub a regular GF flour blend for the white rice, brown rice, tapioca, and arrowroot but omit xanthan gum if the blend includes it. Coconut oil can also be used in place of the avocado oil, but I prefer the flavor of the avocado oil.

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*****UPDATED: Be sure to use dark maple syrup. I tried using the light maple syrup (the only difference) and it didn't rise as well. I went back to the Grade A Amber and it came out perfect again.

My Life: What's Been Going On

It's been a while since I have posted. This isn't because I haven't wanted to or because I haven't thought of things to post. It all comes down to lack of time.

The last few months have been a bit crazy in my personal life. I suddenly moved, my job got a lot busier, and I have been trying to manage my anxiety. When you have anxiety, one little thing can throw you off. When you have big things happen, it can throw you in a spiral even when those things are happy or good. 

My full-time job is in its busy season and our budget was increased this year, so it's even crazier than last year. My bosses are both used to me now and I think they trust me more so there has been an increase in projects thrown at me which has been positively welcomed. I am not one to be happy being bored. It drives me up the wall and isn't good for anxiety. So, this increase in the workflow is good, but can also cause its own type of stress. 

Moving has been wonderful. I am finally back on my own and have my own space after many years. I have a wonderful mother who has been extremely helpful while I went through some of the toughest times in my life. My life is getting back on track and being back on my own is one of those things that helps. But with new experiences comes new responsibilities and it's been a long time since I have had the sort of expenses I have now, which brings on a whole new type of anxiety. 

So, I have been getting settled in, having a birthday, working overtime, and caring for my mental health (and my cat who has his own anxiety over the move). All of the sudden the holidays are upon us! How did this happen? How has it been so long since I have posted? I had planned on baking a new recipe over the weekend for my company's Thanksgiving potluck yesterday, but then I came down with a cold and had to miss the potluck. I am hoping to make that recipe over the holiday weekend and share it with you all. If it turns out like I think it will, everyone will love it!

I leave you with a promise of my return and a hope that everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving...and a quote from my favorite show, Gilmore Girls.

Luke: Shouldn't we give thanks first?

Jess: Thanks for what?

Luke: Well, that we're not Native Americans who got their land stolen in exchange for smallpox infested blankets.

Lorelai: Amen.

Anxiety: A Dibilitating Condition

Anxiety sucks.

It can suck the emotion, health, and joy out of your life. It can wear you out mentally and physically, keeping you from doing the things that you love, which sometimes makes you look like a flake to friends and family. Many people that don't have anxiety don't understand the impact it can have.

Imagine the thing that you are scared of the most is in front of you at all times. Scared of heights? Visualize you are standing on the edge of a cliff all day long. What does that do to your body? Scared of snakes? Envision one is following you around every minute of the day. Sometimes it will hide, you will forget about it, and the anxiety will subside, but that fear can return at any moment.

Anxiety can manifest itself in many different ways depending on the individual. For me, some days it's just a gentle "buzz" all over my body as if I were standing on top of a wood sander and the vibration is reverberating back into my body. It's similar to when you get the chills, the tingling all over, but it never leaves and you can't shake it off. Another day, it will be just my stomach, and the tightness and sourness will make me think I ate something bad or I am getting sick, but if I take anxiety medication it goes away. On the worst days, I get the buzz, the stomach upset, intestinal discomfort, shallow breathing, light headed/dizziness, and I am fatigued yet restless as if I drank 5 cups of espresso on an empty stomach. I will cry at the drop of a hat, with no trigger. A panic attack can add nausea and hyperventilation into the mix and the feeling of running away from whatever situation you are in as if a bus is barreling at you and you are desperate to get out of the way. Those days...those are the days you don't want to get out of bed. It's hard to call in to work "anxious". It's just not a viable excuse.

To combat anxiety, you have to combat the fight or flight response the body creates. When you come across a scary situation, your body automatically decides to fight or to run ("flight"). Well, with anxiety, that reaction happens for no reason at all. Sometimes there will be a trigger, such as a phobia or reminder of a traumatic event, but sometimes it will hit you out of nowhere. The key is to prevent it in the first place. Easier said than done.

There are some "key" tips that help prevent anxiety: exercise, regular meditation, breathing techniques, healthy eating, limit or omit caffeine and alcohol, and adequate sleep. The only one I have been able to keep up on consistently is no alcohol and limited caffeine. I feel that when I AM doing all of these things, my anxiety is lessened.

There are also foods that help with anxiety. For example, blueberries, chamomile tea, dark chocolate, avocado, and oatmeal all have a calming effect on the nervous system. Any foods that contain a decent amount of magnesium are sure to assist, as magnesium contributes to hundreds of reactions in the body and a deficiency in magnesium has been proven to be a contributing factor to increased anxiety. Magnesium supplements or magnesium drinks help drastically, especially if you are already super low in the mineral.

What do you do if anxiety hits you like a ton of bricks? Well, there are a couple of tricks that help lessen the effects, besides popping some Xanax.

1. Stop and breathe

Put those breathing techniques to work. I will usually stop and close my eyes (if I am not driving), take a deep, slow breath in while counting to 6, hold for 4 seconds, then blow out slowly through pursed lips as if blowing out a birthday candle for about 7-8 seconds. I repeat this rhythm until I find that my heart is slowing down and my breathing is under control.

2. Legs up the wall yoga pose (Viparita Karani)

If you have the ability to plop down on the floor at a moment's notice, this one helps dramatically for me. Lay down with your butt pushed up against the wall and your legs straight up. You will be in an "L" position in line with the floor and the wall. Put your hands on your stomach and practice the breathing technique above. Gravity works in your favor here. This allows the blood and flow of fluids to head back to your central body, helping to rebalance circulation. It will bring down your heart rate and can aid in controlling blood pressure.

3. Essential Oils

I personally prefer DoTerra brand, but just make sure it is a reputable brand that is certified therapeutic grade (DoTerra) or known to be 100% all natural (Plant Therapy). (Do not buy on Amazon as often times these are scams where they have diluted the oils and resealed the bottle). I use a few different oils for anxiety. Lavender is the most common and can be used aromatically, or put on wrists, temples, or on the bottom of the feet to help calm you. Frankincense is also a great one but can get pricey when you are purchasing a pure and proper oil. Right now Balance by DoTerra is helping me the most. I put this on the bottom of my feet and rub a few drops on the back of my neck and in 15 minutes I have usually calmed my nervous system. Bergamot is another fantastic oil to use for calming your system. I also have a diffuser in my office at work as well as in my bedroom at home. They keep the rooms smelling nice and help bring down my anxiety no matter what blend I use.

***Note: Balance does contain Blue Tansy which can leave a blue tint on the skin until you wash it off.
***If you want to purchase DoTerra, please contact me at hstarbBLOG@gmail.com.

4. Walk

That's it. Just walk. I take two walks a day while at the office. I put on my sneakers and get outside. The fresh air and movement help so much. I usually get in 10-15 min morning and afternoon. Exercise is key for prevention and helps calm anxiety in the moment, too.

5. Ear seeds

You are probably saying "What the heck are those?" I did too when my acupuncturist first suggested them for me. They are tiny seeds on a little piece of sticky tape that you place in your ear on the acupuncture/acupressure points that are associated with relieving anxiety. Once they are placed you can press on them to stimulate the point and calm your uneasiness. The first point is Shen Men, which is located at the top of the ear. The other point I use is the heart point. This one is a little harder to place. It is located in the deepest part of the ear. However, this website contains videos, diagrams, and different types of ear seeds for purchase.

When all else fails, or I am having a major panic attack, I have no choice but to take some rescue medication. However, if I follow all of the ideas above, I am usually on track.

Anxiety is the worst. It's something I battle with almost every day. But with proper education about how it manifests and how to calm it, we can live normal lives. I work with a doctor, an acupuncturist, and a naturopath for my anxiety. They all support my natural approach. Don't get me wrong, I still keep meds on hand for those days when I just can't kick it, but I wanted to share with others who might be suffering from this sometimes debilitating condition that there is hope.

***If you suffer from extreme anxiety or panic attacks, please see a doctor/psychiatrist. They can help enormously and not all of them are drug pushers. Find one that works for you and supports your natural approach to life.