Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies

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You won't even miss the dairy in these cookies!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Whole wheat pastry Flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (optional)
• 1 stick Earth Balance Vegan butter (softened)
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs Almond milk
• 2 Tbs chopped dried Cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped Pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine whole wheat, unbleached flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix butter, honey, vanilla extract, almond milk. Add flour mixture, dried cherries and pecans. Mix well. Form dough into a log. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut dough 1/4 to1/2 inch thick and place on cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown.

Some Health Benefits

Pecans boost good cholesterol and reduce unhealthy cholesterol in the blood system. they support blood health in general and heart health. Pecans also help the body process foods and to release energy from what we eat.

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Blueberry Smoothie

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Blueberries with strawberries, pineapple, pecans, walnuts and dairy-free almond yogurt, soy milk and orange juice... Decent range of nutrients, with a creamy, lovely taste to it! 

Some Health Benefits

Blueberries support brain, blood and heart health. The fibers aid in digestive health. They are known to be useful against constipation and diarrhea. They also help repair damaged cells and fight infections (urinary tract infection, for example).

Strawberries help the organs resist infections, inflammation and other damaged cells. They nourish the brain and heart system and boost the immune system. Strawberries enrich the blood, help dissolve blood clots, support cell growth and helps heal cuts and wounds. Strawberries also support bone and tooth health. They are useful in countering high blood pressure, gout and arthritis.

The Pineapple strengthens the immune system and helps clean our bodies as a natural detox. The fruit is eaten to counter swelling, vitamin C deficiencies, arthritis and indigestion (constipation). It helps break down proteins, sugars and starch. It is therefore useful in weight loss. Pineapples also support eye, skin, bones, the heart and blood vessel health. 

Hemp seeds offer proteins, magnesium, dietary fiber, Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are used as a detox. Hemp seeds favor blood, skin, organ and immune system health. 

Soy milk helps cell, heart, brain and blood sugar health. The Orange Juice nourishes the skin and tissues, and helps the body resist cancerous cells. The nuts also boost heart, bone, blood sugar, brain, nervous system, digestive system and immune system health.

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Catching On: Nutrition First

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The food we eat, exposure to the sun and physical activity help create healthy or diseased bodies. 

High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity - complicated by stress - have hit black people hard since we began spending much of our time indoors, being inactive and putting taste before nutrition. 

Yes, how we respond to stress is an issue. And often, it comes down to what's sustaining our bodies. In spite of the terrible physical, emotional and psychic stress of slavery, blacks back then were generally in better shape than many of us are today. 

Much of what is called food today looks good to the eyes and tastes "good" on the tongue, but is bad for the body. Fortunately, the awareness of the effects on families and the economy are forcing people to put natural eating and good nutrition first once again.

The pace and scope of this change might make it all feel like a passing fad. TV commercials and programs, doctors and politicians are increasingly promoting healthy foods. There's votes to win and money to make when you put "Nutrition first." 

You know health foods are in high demand when Walmart promotes it. You know it's what's on when Tops, Wegmans and Price Rite are selling it - and when some food industry giants are labeling their "tasty" unhealthy food as "healthy" and/or "natural" to get in on it. 

Don't be surprised if a health food store pops up in your area. Watch out, Lori's and Abundance! Those prices better come down, now. Shoo', we need neighborhood-run health food stores in the 'hood! People want to eat healthy. 

It is no longer cool to reject healthy food because it looks like some hippie, "alternative," white people thing. And healthy eating is not supposed to be boring, Google "health food recipes." You'll be flooded with more tasty recipes than you can handle. It's an excellent time to be get creative.

Blacks as a people have been known for living in harmony with nature. (And the world ate healthier before the "free market" profit overdrive.) Remember, our closeness to nature was an Enlightenment era justification for slavery. The "civilized" world is now catching on to it.

Honey Nut Muffin

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Protein-rich with vital minerals

I baked these muffins with almonds, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, honey, almond milk, grated coconut, Earth Balance vegan butter, egg-substitute (ground flaxseed*). I did it for the proteins and the minerals. 

*Ground Flaxseed as Egg Substitute

Ground flax seed

2-3 tablespoons of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed gives you the equivalent of 1 egg.

Directions:
Mix ground flaxseed with water. Heat and stir until it resembles beaten eggs.

Let the mix cool, then use in your recipe.

Honey Nut Muffin

Some Nutritional Benefits

Those of us who experience allergic reactions with nuts may replace nuts with favorite cereal or add other preferred dried berries. However, nuts and seeds have generally been a staple in black people's diet. 

The mineral content of nuts sometimes overlap, while each is unique in what it offers. Almonds, pecans and walnuts have significant levels of iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium, and selenium.

We will return to the nuts, but let's first look at flaxseed. Flaxseed, with its healthy fats, is known to help boost heart health. It balances blood pressure and blood sugar levels. This makes it useful against diabetes. Flaxseed also helps fight cancer. Its healthy fats make it useful in countering stroke.
  
Almonds support heart and blood sugar health. It enriches the blood, the bone and teeth. The nuts also boost brain health, the nervous system and the body's immune system. Almonds are a rich source of healthy cholesterol.

Pecans are good for fighting cancerous cells and infections. They also boost skin health.

Walnuts support brain, blood and immune system health. Walnuts are high in Omega-3 content. Combining it with almonds (and other nuts) rounds out its nutritional value.

Cranberries offer dietary fiber vital in heart health, digestion, absorption and elimination. It helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels and urinary tract health.

Honey in its pure form is not merely a natural sugar. It is a protein source and contains useful levels of iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium and copper.

If you do not have blood sugar imbalances (such as diabetes), you may add small portions of sweet fruit for extra sweetness. Love it!

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