Beauty-Boosting Bliss Balls

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I'm so proud to share this recipe of these Beauty-Boosting Bliss Balls with you. My mission was to create a small snack with a lot of superfoods combined together for boosting your beauty to the fullest. These Beauty-Boosting Bliss Balls are especially amazing for glowing and healthy skin due to the ingredients properties which harmonise together well. I usually make a batch of these at the weekend to have enough for the upcoming weeks, although to no surprise they don't always last until the end of the week. They're very handy when you're on the go and you suddenly feel tired, hungry or just want a healthy snack in the middle of the day. 

So you might look at these beauties and ask yourself why are they healthy and good for my skin? The answer is simple: due to amazing superfoods such as oats, almonds, flaxseeds, coconut, chia and sunflower seeds, goji berries, spices and of course the perfect anti-aging booster called raw cacao. They all support the healthy function of your body and promote glowing and healthy-looking skin from the inside out. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free. If you replace the honey with maple syrup, agave nectar, yacon syrup or stevia powder you easily turn the recipe into vegan as well. I won't replace the honey in this recipe because it brings a special note to it in combination with the raw cacao powder. In the following I provide you with further information from a selection of this magical superfoods which are especially good for your skin:

Sunflower seeds: are high in protein and a good source of iron and calcium. Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E. This vitamin ciculates through your body neutralising the damaging free radicals which can threaten the health of your cells. Vitamin E helps reduce the risk of inflammatory skin conditions including acne and eczema. Due to its rich source of another great antioxidant called selenium, which assists in repairing your DNA while essential fatty acids encourage soft and smooth skin.

Flaxseeds: as the highest known plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, followed by chia seeds. They help reduce inflammation, strengthen your immune system, support cardiovascular health and contribute to a healthy brain function. Chia seeds are very digestible plant proteins and an excellent source of antioxidants and minerals. 

Goji berries: In Chinese medicine these superfood is known as the secret to strengthening the immune system and longevity. Goji berries contain 18 amino acids, including the eight essential ones, and an incredible amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants help lessen the damage caused by free radicals. Next to antioxidants they're packed with trace minerals, essential amino acids, vitamin C and anti-aging properties. In Asian herbal medicine these berries are being used to preserve youth and promote well-being. 

Coconut oil: is praised for it's anti-aging properties. On top of that it contains a lot of vitamin E, which is essential for healthy skin growth & repair, to keep skin smooth and to protect it agains cracking. Due to it's antioxidant properties it prevents premature-aging and wrinkling of the skin.  Coconut oil also contains many proteins. These protein keep your skin healthy and rejuvenated – from the inside out. 

Raw cacao powder: contains nearly 20 times the antioxidant content than blueberries. Next to promoting a balance in hormonal mood swings, serving as an aphrodisiac, protecting your heart and suppresses your appetite, raw cacao can prevent premature aging. The antocyanins found in raw cacao protect your cells from premature oxidation or destruction, which keeps us looking and feeling younger longer. On top of that the Journal of Nutrition (2006) found that woman who drank raw cacao a day had better skin texture, increased oxygen saturatio, improved microcirculation and improved skin hydration. 

Cinnamon: with its warm and sweet flavour has been used in traditional Eastern and Western medicines throughout history for its antiseptic properties.

Beauty-Boosting Bliss Balls

Ingredients
50g almond meal
30g rolled-oats (optional: gluten-free)
40g desiccated coconut
1 tbsp flaxseed, grounded
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp goji berries
3 fresh dates, pitted
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp raw honey (vegan: yacon/maple syrup/agave nectar)
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
ca. 30ml filtered water

Combine all ingredients except the filtered water into your blender. Blend.
Slowly add some water and blend until mixture is combined together well and becomes smooth but not too wet. 
Then form balls out of ca. 1 1/2 tsp mixture. Sprinkle some extra desiccated coconut over these beautiful bliss balls. Store in your fridge for about 7 days. If you have too many, you can also freeze them for the following week. 

Enjoy!

(Makes: 12-15; Preparation time: 15min)

You will love them – as much as I and all around me do. 

I wish you all a relaxing Sunday evening and a happy new week,
Lots of love, Fabienne.

Raw Carrot-Hazel Dreams

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The last couple of weeks I spent a lot of time in my kitchen experimenting and creating wonderful new recipes. As I want my recipes to be perfect I take my time and the time they need to be completed to perfection. 

My recipes not only need to be delicious, I strive them to be healthy and good for your body at the same time. Most of the time I try to include magical superfoods with lots of different properties. Today I present you my Raw Carrot Hazel-Dreams which you need to try out because they are simple to make and so delicious. On top of that they give you energy which lasts long and prevents sugar cravings.

Raw means they haven't been heated at all and its ingredients still contain their natural properties. The recipe consists of the main ingredients such as carrots, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews. A special ingredient is the yacon syrup. You might have heard of or come across it in other recipes of mine. Yacon is a large plant that is mainly grown and cultivated for its roots. Yacon syrup is commonly used as healthy replacements for sugar as sweeteners in various recipes. At the same time this sweetener is a real wonder elixir because of many reasons:

Yacon syrup regulates sugar levels, helps with weight loss, improves liver health, lowers "bad" cholesterol and blood pressure and is known to prevent certain types of cancer. On top of that it boosts digestive health and strengthens the immune system. The majority of the carbohydrate sugars contained in yacon syrup cannot be digested by the body, which results in a very low calorie intake and low sugar level coming into the bloodstream. It also helps the body to absorb vitamins and minerals of other foods while it's rich in potassium, calcium and phosphorous.

You're crazy about your health? Go nuts – seriously! 

Cashews: are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Vitamins such as E, K and B6 come along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, selenium and zinc. These components are all very important for maintaining good health and are required for the body to function properly. According to research, eating more nuts such as cashews can lower your risk for cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure and "bad" cholesterol levels while potassium, vitamins E and B6 help to fight heart disease. The copper and iron work together to help the body form red blood cells which in turn keeps blood vessels, nerves, bones and the immune system healthy and functioning properly. Replacing the animal fats and proteins with the mono-and polyunsaturated fats found in cashews is an excellent way to manage your weight and reduce stored fat in the heart.

Hazelnuts: contain as cashews as well heart-healthy fats that can protect the health of your heart. Hazelnuts have a high amount of vitamin E in addition to B vitamins and folate. Vitamin E is especially important in maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails, while B vitamins are important in energy metabolism. Hazelnuts as a rich source of minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, provides many health benefits such as regulating a healthy blood pressure. 

Raw Carrot-Hazel Dreams

Ingredients

Filling:
2 organic carrots, peeled and grated roughly
30g flax seeds, grounded
140g almond meal
450g fresh dates, pitted
2 tbsp psyllium husk
50g desiccated coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of cardamom

Icing:
200g raw cashews, soaked before about 3 hours
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp yacon syrup (other option: maple syrup; non-vegan option: raw honey)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
ca. 80-90ml water
a handful of hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
a handful of shredded coconut, toasted

Combine all ingredients into your blender. Blend until mixture is combined together well.
Then pour the mixture into your muffin tins with a spoon. Pay attention that the mixture sticks together in the muffin tins by pressing down the mixture with a spoon. Depending on the size of your muffin tins you will get about 12-18 muffins out of the mixture. After this step you should put the tins into the freezer while you prepare the icing.

For the icing you only need to blend all ingredients listed above until mixture becomes smooth. While blending, pour the water at the same time into the mixture to be distributed evenly. Take the muffin tins out of your freezer and spread the icing over the muffins. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts and desiccated coconut over these little beauties. Then freeze them again for about half an hour until the icing sets on top of the muffins.
Serve and enjoy these Raw Carrot-Hazel Dreams!

(Makes: 12-18 depending on size of muffin tins; Preparation time: 60min)

I wish you all a great weekend and stay happy & healthy!

Lots of love,
Fabienne.