Each and every one of us is exposed to stress throughout our lives. In fact, stress has become a daily part of most of our lives. The painful reality is that stress in and of itself cannot always be avoided. In some cases, a little stress from time to time can even be beneficial for our health. Regrettably, most of us experience high amounts of stress over prolonged periods of time. As a result, our bodies are forced into a near-constant state of alert while there are some people who think it is beneficial to stay in a state of high alert, research has shown it can have damaging side effects.

The Pressure Is On

When our bodies are unable to relax they respond to every sound and light. As a result, falling asleep becomes next to impossible. Our bodies are hardwired to protect themselves. In an attempt to do this, they identify anything that can be seen as a threat. Unfortunately, our bodies are unable to distinguish a physical threat from an emotional one. When this happens even something as simple as a looming deadline becomes as terrifying as a burning building. Given how our bodies have evolved to multiple deadlines, bills, traffic, and the never-ending to-do list our bodies are forced to function drowning under the weight of excess stress.

Under Pressure

What happens to our bodies when left in this high-stress exposure? Our bodies, whether we realize it or not, are constantly working even during our times of rest. However, typically when we rest our bodies switch over to essentially a “night crew”, think of it like a B team. When our bodies feel like they are under attack they keep their A team on board to pull a double shift. Basically, the body keeps its best team on staff until they are no longer able to perform. Understandingly enough, things can and do fall through the cracks. Once things have moved past our body’s self-defense things really start to fall apart. Stress naturally increases inflammation in our bodies. This process prevents our bodies from getting the nutrients they need while also removing harmful toxins from within. As a result, our bodies are now forced to wage war on numerous sides with an exhausted force. It is only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

Side Effects Of Stress

One of the most common side effects of prolonged stress is adrenal fatigue. Our adrenals serve a vital role in our health, they produce and regulate critical hormones that signal our body’s responses. The worst part is that when you experience adrenal fatigue is that it takes at least four years to correct it. Now while that might not seem like a big deal on paper. Individuals with adrenal fatigue experience insomnia, depression, brain fog, chronic fatigue, weakened immune system, hair loss, dull skin, muscle fatigue, digestive issues, and more! Now, imagine years of that. Things take on a whole new light and no one wants to experience anything like that.

Stop Stress From The Start

So how can we prevent this from becoming our story? Well, short of moving to the middle of nowhere and cutting off most of our interactions with others it is not likely that we can eliminate stress entirely. Luckily, there are things we can do to help our bodies process this excess stress. Detoxing regularly is one of the best ways to remove any built-up toxins in our bodies. But there are even certain foods that can help us naturally reduce stress. For example, citrus fruit, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and more. Different teas can help too! Try cinnamon, chamomile, citrus, ashwagandha, stinging nettle, and more. There are even more ways to help keep your stress in check. As my gift to you, there is a stress reduction-free gift below.

Chickpea Brownies

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 10

• 15 ounce can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp Raw coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup Maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Pure vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt (to top)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a food processor, blend chickpeas, nut butter, syrup, oil, and vanilla. Once everything is blended together add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and the non-flaky sea salt. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the container until everything is smooth. After everything is a blended fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a pretreated 8×8 baking pan. Top with more chocolate chips and flaky sea salt. Bake for 21-23 minutes. These brownies tend to be more fudge so if you prefer crispy bake longer. 

Brown Sugar Ginger Cookies

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Serves 22

• 3/4 cup vegan butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 3/4 cup dark coconut brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 cups coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Glaze:

• 4 Tbsp vegan butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• 1/2-3/4 cup powder coconut sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix with wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and let the dough sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Oil hands and spoon dough onto baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 minutes until edges are crisping. The center will be soft, let cool on the pan. Melt together the butter and syrup in a pot over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining glaze ingredients and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over cookies.

Coconut White Russian

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Serves 1

• 3 Tbsp vanilla vodka
• 1 Tbsp coconut rum
• 2-4 Tbsp vanilla syrup
• 3 Tbsp Kahlua
• 2-4 Tbsp coconut milk full-fat

Vanilla Syrup:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

In a medium pot, combine honey, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To make the Russian, add ice, alcohol, and syrup. Stir and pour coconut milk over the top. For a non-alcohol version swap the alcohol out for iced coffee.

Baked Butter Pecan French Toast

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Serves 8

• 1/2 cup brown coconut sugar
• 7 Tbsp vegan butter melted
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 8 large eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
• 2 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 loaf gluten-free bread
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Pretreat a 9×13-inch baking dish with a non-stick option of choice. In a bowl combine the brown sugar, syrup, and 6 Tbsp butter. Pour over the bottom of the baking dish and top with half of the pecans. In another bowl combine all the remaining ingredients except the bread, nuts, and remaining butter. Once mixed well, submerge the bread into the mixture and transfer it to the baking dish. Repeat until all the bread is in the dish. Pour any remaining liquid over top. Mix the remaining butter and nuts together and sprinkle over top. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Get Started Today

Keeping your body free of toxins and free radicals is necessary to maintain a healthy life and a healthy mind. There are tons of foods you can add to your regular diet to help your body with its critical detoxifying processes. If you are looking for a safe and all-natural way to detox your body at home be sure to check out my Balancing Abundance Program. Because detoxing is so important and realistically everyone should be doing it on at least a seasonal basis I have taken the time to put together a program to help you do just that. Here’s the thing, I know working with me one-on-one can seem difficult to get into (due to limited space) and I wanted to be able to give everyone an additional solution that has no limits. You deserve to be happy, healthy, and successful at everything you do so here are some recipes to help set you up for success!

 Need A Hand?

A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. We all have to deal with our health daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day, you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help, I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as acting as a sounding board, do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected], or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!