Mama's Guide for a Safe Halloween

Struggling to find the perfect snack for those long study sessions or for a mid-afternoon bite at work? Look no further! These memory-boosting cacao bliss balls from Meghan de Jong are all the fuel you need - with the added benefits of lion's mane mushroom, a well-known nootropic that can help to increase concentration, attention, focus and memory retention. As an adaptogen, lion's mane also provides the support your stress response needs during trying times! "Boost Your Memory" Cacao Bliss Balls Ingredients 1 cup almonds 1 cup Medjool dates 1 Tbsp. Organika Lion's Mane “Memory” Powder 2 Tbsp. cacao powder 2 Tbsp. cacao nibs ¼ tsp sea salt ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter (or any other nut butter of choice)   Instructions Place almonds in a food processor or blender and mix until you reach a fine flour-like consistency  Add the dates to the blender and continue to mix Add all remaining ingredients and continue to blend until everything is well incorporated Roll into golf ball size shapes and store in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for any longer  NOTE: If your dates are a touch on the dry side, feel free to add 1 – 2 tsp of warm water to the mixture to help moisten things up while you’re blending Meg De Jong is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist located on Salt Spring Island. She has a passion for growing, cooking and baking delicious food! Follow Meg on Instagram, or check out her website.

This National Nutrition Month don’t feel guilty about having your cake and eating it too. Dessert to celebrate National Nutrition Month? We’re serious. For National Nutrition Month (NNM), we’re all about making the comfort foods you love healthy by using a few healthier substitutes for ingredients that are easy to use, and beneficial to the body! Healthy Substitutes Coconut oil is a great alternative to fatty shortenings and low-grade oils that can block arteries by increasing cholesterol/lipid levels. Full of medium chain triglycerides, coconut oil is a source of good fats that help boost metabolism and balance energy levels! Coconut palm sugar has less of an effect on spiking insulin levels and balances blood sugar while promoting stable energy levels. It also gives a delightful hint of coconut to your favourite foods! Enhanced Collagen Original Powder adds protein and gut boosting power as its high in amino acids and protein. Naughty, but Nutritional As opposed to other brownie recipes, these gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free brownies are much healthier for your heart and blood sugar levels. Coco Loco collagen Brownies Ingredients ¾ cup brown rice flour ¼ cup raw carob powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 tbsp Organika's Enhanced Collagen Original Powder ½ cup coconut milk ¼ cup Organika’s Coconut Oil (melted) ¾ cup Organika’s Coconut Palm Sugar 1 teaspoon organic vanilla ½ cup carob chips* Directions Sift brown rice flour, carob powder, baking powder, Enhanced Collagen Powder and salt in a large bowl, set aside. In a separate bowl blend together coconut milk, Organika®’s Coconut Oil and Coconut Palm Sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until smooth. Then mix in carob chips. Grease a 8x8 pan, bake at 350*F for 20 min. Enjoy! *Carob chips are sugar, dairy and gluten free. Gluten-free, dairy-free and guilt-free, we hope these brownies set you off to a great start to National Nutrition Month.

Do you want to start adding adaptogens to your daily routine, but you're just not too sure how? Try creating a Reishi Cacao Smoothie to add a little more Balance. Back-to-Balance Reishi Cacao Smoothie Ingredients 1 ripe banana (frozen works well)  ½ cup frozen zucchini (easiest to slice into disks and then freeze or buy pre-frozen) 1 tsp Organika “Balance” Reishi Powder 1 Tbsp. raw cacao powder 1 cup almond milk 1 Tbsp. Peanut butter Optional: a few handfuls of ice    Instructions Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until well incorporated Feel free to add more almond milk or a few splashes of cold water to the blender depending on how thick you like your smoothies Pour into large cup and sprinkle with raw cacao nibs or hemp hearts for extra goodness   NOTE: if you choose to add ice, this will help to thicken the smoothie and make it colder   Meg De Jong is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist located on Salt Spring Island. She has a passion for growing, cooking and baking delicious food! Follow Meg on Instagram, or check out her website.   Learn more about why adding adaptogens to your day can help you reduce stress, and find balance!