I am on day #3 of The 21-Day Sugar Detox - out of who knows how many total I've done in the past few years. For those who follow Clare and I on Instagram, you know I've been dealing with some issues that has had me away from Crossfit for way too long now. First it was stress and just a general over-whelmed feeling in all areas of my life, then it was digestion issues -- and once those were all sorted out and taken care of, I got some pretty serious back pain. I am not perfect Paleo and I kept saying "oh, I'll conquer it all at once when I am back in the game" (meaning Crossfit/working out)... but days turned into weeks which turned into months and I am where I stand now:
1) up about 15-20 lbs
2) not fitting into any of my clothes from last summer
3) uncomfortable in all my clothes
4) and just sad when I look back to where I was this time last year
My goal is no longer a certain amount of weight loss.. at least not my MAIN goal. I just want to be comfortable in my skin and be able to kick some serious butt with a bar and some plates. But I know those 15-20 lbs don't belong on me in the way of fat. Oh, and my eating got way out of control. Margaritas should not be a couple times a week sort of thing.
Enter The 21-Day Sugar Detox.
So far I am doing well, but I found myself day-dreaming of cookies. Not an uncommon thing during the first week of the detox. I am generally more lenient the first week (I stick to mainly level 3 now that I've done it strict a few times - but allow in some rice from level 1. I advise to do it it exactly as the program indicates for whatever level you pick if this is your first time). What is lenient for me? I can go a little more heavy on the nuts and the allowed fruits to just get me by.. then weeks 2 and 3 I move to relying less and less on the stuff that I still manage to over-indulge in.
So here ya go.. this is how I fixed the cravings today. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but these are so good that I'll be making them off the detox as well! Chewy, very tasty and they hit the spot.
Banana Walnut Cookies
grain-free ~ gluten-free ~ egg-free ~ 21DSD ~ paleo
grain-free ~ gluten-free ~ egg-free ~ 21DSD ~ paleo
Makes about 14 cookies
1/2 cup butter or ghee, melted
3 medium green-tipped bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon Great Lakes gelatin (red or orange can)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup walnuts (or nuts of your choice)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
My go-to for mixing all batters is my food processor, but feel free to use a bowl and hand mixer.
Using the food processor, blend together the butter, bananas and vanilla until smooth. Add in the almond flour, gelatin, baking soda and salt and blend until well combined. Add in the coconut flakes and pulse until just combined. Move the batter to a small bowl and fold in the nuts.
On a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment, drop the batter by rounded spoonfuls and flatten slightly. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully move to a wire rack to let cool and firm up.
Enjoy!
