Oatmeal Banana Blender Pancakes

I was thinking this week about how powerful habits are when it comes to health.  Of course we all have habits, both healthy and unhealthy, that are already part of our routine.   But wouldn’t it be great to be able to harness the power of habits IN ORDER to make health and personal wellness feel (imagine this) easy?

Habits are hard to make, that’s for sure!  But, what’s really interesting is that they’re equally hard to break for good once they’re established. What does this mean for us?  It means that, if we can get through the hard part of creating a pattern, we’re going to be able to keep those habits without too much effort on our part.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you the best pancakes I've had in years. They are plant based whole food. And part of my upcoming PURE program I will be announcing soon. Try them and let me know what you think

In my training as a Culinary Nutrition Expert at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition I learned so many wonderful whole food, plant based recipes. This one was easy and one of my favorites because I truly loved oatmeal, bananas and pancakes. I am always looking for recipes that did not use processed flour or any flour at all. I would also use this recipe to make waffles.

Banana Oat Blender Pancakes

Yield 6 - 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Directions should always be short and to the point.

1. Place all ingredients in blender. Puree until combined.
2. Let the batter rest about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat nonstick pan/griddle.
4. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan/griddle.
5. Cook until the pancakes begin to bubble. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown.
6. Serve with toppings of your choice.
7. Optional Toppings - Fresh fruit, seed/nut butter or pure maple syrup.

Warmly,

Teri Sewell

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Best Herbs & Spices for Inflammation

Inflammation is something we all have dealt with at some point, with many of us having chronic inflammation that we deal with often. There are countless inflammation causes, and knowing the root cause is imperative for resolving the problem. In the meantime, there are some things we can do to lessen any inflammation we may be dealing with. 

Today, we will dig deeper into some of the best anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, what they do, and how you can incorporate them into your diet.

Turmeric is excellent for fighting everything from allergies to arthritis and has been used for centuries in Indian and Chinese medicine. This is mainly because of the curcumin, but turmeric also has over two dozen other anti-inflammatory compounds. It’s yellow in color and readily found in many health food stores. You can add this to your meals, drink turmeric tea, or take it encapsulated. 

Ginger is another one that has been used for centuries for general aches and pains, to soothe sore muscles, and fight fatigue. You can use it fresh or in powder form, and it’s great for those days you’re feeling under the weather. Ginger is easy to throw into any traditional Asian dish. Keep some on hand for those days you wake up with a sore throat.

Capsaicin is the compound that is responsible for the therapeutic properties of Cayenne Pepper, as well as its spicy taste. This is more widely used in creams and ointments and works with the nerve cells that communicate pain to the brain. 

Cinnamon has many benefits, with the most popular being ​​the anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the likelihood of cellular damage. Cinnamon also thwarts abnormal cell growth, which helps to protect us against illness.

Cloves are the sister to cinnamon but are much more potent. Cloves protect against the inflammation that can cause discomfort, so finding ways to add cloves to your diet is beneficial. Fresh cloves can be grated and added to food and drink. Some tout it as a great anti-fungal, as well.

Changing what is happening in your gut often changes what is happening in your body. Incorporating these herbs and spices into your daily diet is an easy way to put yourself on the road to better health and less inflammation. 

These are easy to add to your favorite recipes, giving them even more flavor and health benefits. Try searching for recipes online using these ingredients if you need some new ideas. Chai tea is a great option to get many of these in one place and a simple addition to your daily routine.