Testimony of the Day
This is the type of thing that makes me want to spread the word of health more! Amazing results after one of our consults.
” Hi, Maria,
It’s been about 6 months since I found your blog through Dr. Davis. What a great 6 months it’s been! I’m down 52.5 pounds. I was taking over 500 prescription and non-prescription pills a month for severe IBS, acid reflux, asthma, headaches, etc. I had just turned 30 and was at my heaviest! I had been a long time “points” member, and was gaining weight while eating my whole grains and fruit by the pounds! Fruit doesn’t count as points you know!!! What a wake up call when I found your blog and became your client! I wanted to share some before and after pictures with you, although I am still a work in progress. Thanks again Maria, you have truly changed my life for the better.
Tanya“
Way to go Tanya! Keep up the great work! Click HERE to get started like Tanya
ADRENAL FATIGUE
Do you crave salt? People with adrenal fatigue crave salt because they often have low blood pressure. The adrenal glands regulate water and mineral balance in our cells. Without adequate quality sodium intake, your blood pressure drops and your adrenal hormones suffer. The adrenal glands are one of the most important organs in your body, yet they are often overlooked by medical professionals. These tiny essential glands secrete sex hormones and stress-response hormones. Internal and external stressors (exercise, lack of sleep, family, work…) have a huge effect on the adrenals and therefore our hormonal (thyroid, progesterone, estrogen, etc.) output.
During stressful events, your adrenal glands secrete hormones that help your body respond to the stressors; increase blood sugar, rate of breathing, cellular metabolism, and blood flow. They also produce cortisol (which everyone recognizes as the ‘belly fat’ hormone), but also estrogen (men produce estrogen from adrenals), testosterone, thyroid, and many other hormones; all of which regulate metabolism, immune system, reproductive, mineral balance, and excretory functions.
Signs of adrenal fatigue:
1. Insomnia (you can fall asleep, but wake up many times throughout the night)
2. Lack of energy
3. Little stressors make you feel anxious
4. Low moods
5. Low blood pressure
6. Bad memory
7. Low libido
8. You lack interest in the things that you use to love
9. Reoccurring infections
10. Asthma or allergies
11. Need coffee or stimulants to give you energy
12. Hot flashes or PMS
13. Loss of menstrual cycle OR prolonged cycle
Elevated cortisol uses up tyrosine, an amino acid found in protein, which is essential for the thyroid gland to convert from t3 to t4 (the more active thyroid hormone). If there is an inadequate thyroid hormone, the adrenal glands are affected and if there are inadequate adrenal hormones, the thyroid doesn’t function properly.
Your adrenal glands are your main stress adaptation glands. When you are overstressed and the adrenal glands are overworked, your body converts progesterone into adrenal hormones. This depletes you of
progesterone, which is our anti-anxiety hormone. Low progesterone also is the leading cause of anxiety, insomnia, and hot flashes.
Zinc is depleted with the use of birth control and high sucralose use. A zinc deficiency causes adrenal fatigue and PMS because it is essential for thyroid function (not to mention salty cravings and desiring something sweet after meals).
“HEALTHIFIED” PUMPKIN PIE IN A JAR
CRUST LAYER:
1/4 c powdered Swerve (or powdered erythritol and 1/4 tsp stevia glycerite)
8 oz cream cheese OR mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (or coconut cream for dairy allergy)
1 tsp pure vanilla
PUMPKIN LAYER:
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
OPTIONAL TOPPING:
Additional Crust Crumbles
CRUST LAYER: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, sweetener and stevia. Cream for a few minutes until very fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Add egg and mix well. Roll 2 TBS of dough into a ball in your hands (for uniform shape) onto a cookie sheet. Place cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Crumble and use a cookie crust.
Sprinkle the cream cheese layer with 2 TBS of baked cookie crumbs. Repeat with the rest of the jars.
Traditional Pumpkin Pie Jars = 290 calories, 20g fat, 2g protein, 39g carbs, 2g fiber (36 effective carbs)
“Healthified” Jars = 177 calories, 16g fat, 3g protein, 5g carbs, 2g fiber (3 effective carbs)
This is so great! I’m in charge of dessert for Thanksgiving dinner and since my FIL was diagnosed diabetic, no one should protest this yummy alternative! Thx!
Thanks!
Hi Maria,
I just love your blog!
With this article on adrenal health and an accompanying recipe for the amazing sounding/looking pumpkin pie in a jar, is this particular recipe helpful to the adrenal glands?
Thanks!
Cindy
Thanks so much on the adrenal info. I’m going through a pretty stressful time and in the back of my mind I only think of what you said about stress on the adrenal glad hurting my thyroid so this info was so helpful. I’m going to try the licorice plus. Thanks again
Thank you!
Maria, I have 11 of the 13 signs of adrenal fatigue. I am not overweight…actually probably a bit under. I work out by doing crossfit or running 5-6 days a week. I am trying to cut out the coffee, drink more water. I currently supplement with Fish oil, CLA, vit D3, rasp. ketones, shakeology daily, CoQ10. Suggestions to get my adrenal kick started?
Yummy! I am taking supplements to support my adrenal system! The product company is Neuroscience, Inc – based in Osceola, WI. My husband works there…
Stress stress and more stress…A vicious cycle.
This would be great for holidays or family meals in a large trifle bowl!
Great idea! 🙂
I went to itunes to download your latest book but from the 2 reviews that are there it seems that there’s a problem. They say that only 7 recipes came in their book.
Hi, Yes, there is an error with Apple and their iBooks upload. I have been working on it with their engineers. There should be 197 pages. I will let you know as soon as it is updated. Good news is that with the new iBooks you will automatically be notified when there is an updated version of the book. Sorry for any inconvenience. 🙂
That’s great, I really am looking forward to this book. Thanks for the info!
Hi Anne, The new version is now live. You should be able to go into iBooks and update it. It will be version 1.3. Thanks for your patience!
Can you use powdered/granulated Splenda instead of Swerve? I’d never heard of Swerve before your recipe so I was just curious. Thanks!
omg! I have always craved salt..never sweets really and last week I had a biometric test done and the nurse told me I have low blood pressure. Interesting now to see that connection to my cravings and the low bp. Btw I made your pumpkin pie creamer. I usually drink my coffee black, but this was a delicious treat!!! great recipe!
Thank you! 🙂
I find your blog very informative. Which sugar alternative would you consider to be the best all around sugar replacement? I need one that will work in cooked and uncooked foods. The prices prohibit me from buying a variety.
Thank you! I like Swerve best. It performs and tastes the closest to sugar and has great ingredients (and a decent price too). 🙂 http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=13
Another yummy pumpkin recipe to make Wonderful! Can I ask you to address the phytic acid/phytates in nuts & seeds in a future post? I’m eating LOTS of nuts & foods made from nut flours since I’m no wheat/low carb. How exactly does one soak nuts? Is there a ‘recipe’ & does it vary depending on the type of nut? I doubt if the nut flours I purchase have been soaked to remove phytates before those nuts are ground into nut flour. I’ve also found that since I went no wheat/low carb, I now get horrible ‘Charlie Horse’ cramps that I’ve never had in my life. And that’s a magnesium deficiency. I wonder if I’m now deficient in other minerals/vitamins too. Can you elaborate on this topic for me? Thanks so much!
Thank you! That is one of the reasons I use blanched almond flour. When they blanch they soak the nuts and remove the outer husk. 🙂
Maria, do you have a “healthified” sugar cookie recipe???
I have cookie cutouts in this cookbook. 🙂
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20/detail/1456593595
Is there a big taste difference if you use Swerve instead of the Just Like Brown Sugar? Regular brown sugar varies greatly from white sugar, but it’s that taste variance that makes recipes so yummy. Is there any other way to get that brown sugar flavor if I use Swerve? Thanks so much for all the great work you do!
There is that little bit of taste from the brown sugar that is hard to replace, but they still turn out good without. One trick it so brown the butter before using it in the recipe. That will give you some of that brown sugar taste. 🙂
Thank you! I bet that will help. I had never heard of “browned butter”. I served it over veggies for my kids and they went CRAZY over it. Even my pickiest eater liked it! You ROCK Maria!
Awesome Carly! 🙂
Hi Maria,
Just downloaded your book on baking sweets! Question, when you add the stevia along with erythritol in some recipes, is it the liquid stevia or powdered? For example, add 1 tsp. stevia along with Swerve for baking. In my recipe, it calls for 1/3 cup Splenda: I want to replace with Swerve/Stevia….how much Stevia? One tsp. liquid Stevia sounds like a lot!
Thank You
I have a conversion chart in the beginning of the book. In the sweeteners section. Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll post it. It is on page 21 of the print version. 🙂
Thanks Maria, I should have looked first! You and Dr. Davis have positively changed our lives! He is Type 2 and already his BS are trending down, plus we both have lost weight and feel so much better. He loves the Almond cookies, which I garnish with your cream cheese frosting. Great taste and structure.
Thank you co much Cecile! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Hi Maria,
I’m a huge fan of your site and it has helped me a lot, as I was recently diagnosed with several food allergies – gluten included. I was looking forward to making your Healthified Pumpkin Pies in a Jar for Thanksgiving, but I must say – despite having followed the directions exactly, the recipe did not turn out. The measurements were off, my mixtures were liquid and the cookies for the crust layer took way longer than 10 minutes to bake. Unfortunately, I ended up going to Thanksgiving empty-handed with no dessert to show, which was extremely disappointing.
I think what you’re doing is great and I will continue to visit your site and try your recipes, but I thought it was worth sharing with you the difficulty I experienced with this recipe.
Sorry to hear you had an issue. I have had many other say they loved it so I am not sure what happened.
Great Site.
I just wanted to correct something you said about T3-T4.
T4 is the storage form of thyroid hormone. T3 is the active form.
Your body converts T4 into T3.
When you don’t convert enough T4, or if there’s a problem with T3 getting into the cells, then your adrenal glands start pumping out cortisol to compensate.
That’s why alot of hypothyroid folks also hae adrenal issues.
I’ve switched to a gluten free / low carb lifestyle & really appreciate your website.
Thanks!
Hi Maria …. Came across your blog and love it. On topic of adrenal health .. Would be interested to have a discussion on how best to kick it.. Anyway we can get connected ?
Hi! I would be honored to help. Just go here and contact me to get started! Thanks! 🙂
is there a way to make this nut free?
thanks!
Would individual portions of the Pumpkin Pie in a Jar freeze well, do you think?
They should. 🙂
I want to know where I can find these adorable little jars.
You can get them right here. 😉
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=45
This recipe looks great, I make a no crust pumpkin pie and bake it in individual servings so my husband doesn’t over eat it, from a self made recipe. I’m going to try this for Thanksgiving. Is the recipe in one of the books? I have a couple of your books, they are so informative. I also bought one on audible, it’s just too much information for an audible, I returned it and bought the hard copy. I love all of your research.
How much cinnamon do you use in the crust cookies? it’s listed in the instructions but not in the ingredient list.
1 teaspoon
Hi Maria,
I am allergic to tree nuts so I’m not able to use almond flour or almond milk. I am not allergic to coconuts. Can I just replace almond flour with coconut flour and almond milk with coconut milk in most of your recipes?
No. Sorry. Coconut flour is totally different.