Let’s talk keto for a minute. And while we’re chatting, put these Keto Cinnamon Muffins into your oven! Why not? Then grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk.
I’m No Doctor
I’m not gonna lie – I don’t know much about keto nor am I participating in a keto diet. I do in fact eat a higher fat diet and low(er) in carbs but I’m not at all certain about me being in ketosis. I don’t even know if I care to find out. My daughter however, is doing her best to eat more of a keto style diet and I will confess, it’s doing a world of good for her health!
Without getting into too much detail, my daughter (now 20) has dealt with ups and downs emotionally and her ‘time of month’ has always been very hard for her. She’s also fluctuated with weight for no known reason. As I learned more about gut and hormonal health, I suggested she get some tests done. One of the first things the doctor suggested we do (and mind you, this was BEFORE her test results came back) was to put her on birth control pills to help “regulate” her periods/homones. I don’t know about you but I would prefer the doctor see blood test results before jumping into diagnosing with a synthetic hormone. I mean, I’m no doctor but I do know that seeing test results would be helpful in terms of diagnosing.
Fast forward to today (as I should keep some things private), we opted to let food be thy medicine. Much to my surprise, she asked a lot of questions about the keto diet and we did some research for keto and healing. While I eat more of a paleo template, she loves her cheese and just felt like the keto diet would work better for her. And it has! From me looking in at just the physical, she seems to have more energy, skin has cleared up, periods aren’t as heavy and she’s lost a few pounds. She’s even handled some stressful situations with more ease and patience.
What She’s Learned
She has since lowered the amount of dairy she consumes because she did in fact learn that she breaks out a bit when eating too much dairy. This is something she would have never even realized had she not switched to this style of eating. Eliminating most of the foods she was used to eating has allowed her to really see what works and doesn’t work for her.
We all have our own shades of the diet template that we choose to fuel with and she’s finding hers. I’m watching her make different choices and switching out foods as she’s learning what is healing and what is hurting. I love that she is finding this out through her own tellings by the way she feels and/or what physical things may happen after eating a certain food (breaking out, bloated tummy or even lethargy). And what’s more, she’s eating real food and learning for herself (vs. me telling her) that food does have a purpose! It’s not just about ridding your hunger, it’s about fueling with foods that will help your body thrive!
Enters –> Keto Cinnamon Muffins
These Keto Cinnamon Muffins were made to help give her the satisfaction of a treat from time to time. They aren’t the sweetest muffins you’ll ever eat – that’s for sure – but what brings a smile to my face is that, my daughter really likes them! This tells me that her palate has definitely changed. A year ago she may have scoffed at them because they aren’t the typical muffin you’d grab at 7-11 or your favorite bakery!
While eating real food to gain optimal health is the best way to go, we all know we need that “fun food” from time to time. It doesn’t have to break the path you’re on either. There are many recipes that can help keep you on your trail, while giving you a little freedom of something special. That’s why I created these Keto Cinnamon Muffins – to help keep her on her path without her feeling like she doesn’t have the freedom to eat “treats”. And warming these muffins up with a dab of butter, makes them all the more delicious!
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup + 2 tsp stevia in the raw (or favorite low glycemic sweetener)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter, melted/cooled or coconut oil, melted/cooled
- 2 tbsp Kite Hill Cream “Cheese”, softened (or regular cream cheese)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp cream “cheese”
- 3 tsp stevia in the raw
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, stevia, 1 tbsp cinnamon and salt.
- Combine eggs, butter or coconut oil, softened cream “cheese”, vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients in with dry and whisk to combine.
- Line a muffin with parchment muffin liners. Scoop batter with large scooper, into each liner, filling about 3/4 way up liner.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Mix the cinnamon, stevia and cream “cheese” and spread on cooked/cooled muffins.
