What is Natural?
Elaine Cooper
Elaine Cooper Your Better Living Coach Get Up & Grow! On Pousse! Cooking Through Chaos
I am gritting my teeth as I write the word "natural". Why? There is no standard and it is used the wrong way too often and it gets my goat! Living in maple syrup country the first time I say the word "natural" on a maple syrup can... I had a "moment". What else would it be? I suppose it is necessary to distinguish from the fake syrups that contain "maple flavours" or "natural flavourings".
Remember the old adage “Patience is a virtue”? Making changes to your eating habits takes time and patience. You are retraining your brain, body and your taste buds. Adding high-nutrient foods into your diet will bring you tremendous benefits to getting your body’s system detoxing adequately. That means "regularity" or a smooth move. I know, down and dirty subject. Have you checked in with yourself lately? Staying away from unhealthy, addictive foods is hard at first. Some make a smooth adjustment, others not so much.
In honour of maple syrup season about to start I am including a recipe for my "Gorilla Granola" sweetened ever so lightly with "natural" maple syrup. The real stuff.
Healthy doesn’t have to be weird
Tastes good too.
GRANOLA Basics (Gorilla Granola)
The yummy aroma will tell you it’s done! It will crisp up even more while cooling… Great for breakfast & as a snack on the go or anytime.
Ingredients
- 6 cups (Gluten Free) rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (sulphite free)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (raw) (opt)
- 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (raw)
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (raw)
- ? cup pure maple syrup or honey OR (rice syrup recommended for lowest glycemic content)
- ? cup water
- ? cup coconut oil
- 2-3 tsp. cinnamon (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1-2 tsp ginger (or more to taste)
- ? cup dried cranberries (sweetened with juice) or raisins (sulfite free)
Preparation Mix together and bake at 300 degrees F until golden (about 30 minutes).
Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix oats, in a large bowl. Combine syrup, water, oil and spices, coconut, nuts and seeds in a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Stir and pour over