All the pictures I took of this lovely breakfast are horrible blurry because I was too busy making yummy noises and doing the happy I love my life dance to take a good picture. These pancakes were out of this world. The impromptu blueberry and agave nectar sauce only made things better. I dont think I stopped fawning over them the entire time I was gobbling them down. The fella is the best one ever for making these lovelies.

The rich crunchy almonds and flax seed contrast nicely with the citrus and they create a great texture. You would never know that they are grain free. Add in a blueberry syrup and this is the breakfast of champions. Even the dog loved her couple bites of them. You can see how stunned she is over getting to eat some of the best pancakes ever.



My only pointers to you are that if you decide to use dairy instead of soy milk that you add it towards the end as you probably wont need to use the full amount called for in the recipe as regular milk is much runnier than soy. We ended up with pancakes that had some structural integrity problems because of this. We also didnt have any bean flour and ended up grinding some oats as a substitute which probably didnt help the batter stay together. They were still outstanding and you can bet we will be making these again, next time Ill invest in some bean flour to see what a difference it makes.

Grain-Free Lemony Almond Pancakes

1/2 cup natural almonds (raw or lightly toasted)
1/4 cup finely ground flax meal

2/3 cup plain or vanilla soymilk (if using regular milk you wont need as much liquid)
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1-1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup chickpea flour (I used finely ground oats as it was the only comparable thing in my kitchen)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

In the bowl of a food processor, whir the almonds and flax until you have a very fine meal the texture of coarse cornmeal. There should be no large pieces of almond visible.

Add the milk, agave, oil, lemon zest and lemon juice and whir again. Allow to sit while you prepare the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.

Heat a nonstick frypan over medium heat (I use cast iron). Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and whir just until blended.

Pour a small ice cream scoop or 2-3 tablespoons worth of batter onto hot pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until bubbles appear and then pop on the surface of the pancakes and the edges look dry. Gently flip and then cook another 2-3 minutes on other side. Keep cooked pancakes warm while you continue with the rest of the batter. Makes 8-10 small pancakes.

Original recipe from Diet Desserts and Dogs Blog.

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Im kind of oblivious when it comes to my body. Up until recently that was a bit of a good thing because it meant I didnt obsess about my weight or even know what bra size I wear. This helps me be comfortable in my skin but it probably was less than healthy as I never knew how much I weighed unless I found myself on the horrifying scale in the doctors office.

This obliviousness however is not the sanest thing in the world when one is dieting and blogging about it for the world to see. After 20 something years of not weighing myself I havent been able to convince myself to start doing it regularly now. So it took until the other day for me to notice the pants I bought a month ago were falling off me, my shirts were baggy, and regular wine shop customers kept going on about how thin I looked. Clueless me still thought I had only lost about 12 pounds. I stepped on the scale and almost fell off it when I discovered Ive now lost exactly 20 pounds. No wonder none of my clothes fit. Finally all the deprivation almost seems worth it.

I really didnt expect the results to be so obvious and so fast. Now Im down a pants size and oh so glad Ive kept my wardrobe from when I was lighter so I have something to wear. Cant figure out whether Im thrilled or freaked out that Ive lost weight so quickly.

Mostly Im thrilled because those 20 pounds are the evil nasty ones that Ive gained since going on thyroid medications that have caused havoc on my metabolism. The doctor warned me about weight gain but I wasnt prepared for gaining that much while eating less and exercising more so until the fella and I decided on this diet I had given up on ever being thin again. It should be interesting to see how difficult it is to get rid of the weight Ive been hanging on to a little longer.

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First of all, who is in charge? You or your food? Decide now how committed you are going to be in trying and extreme diet. The more committed and consistent you are, the faster and better results youll have.



There are necessary changes in your food choices that need to place. Make your decision now to go full out without looking back. Move forward while being in control of your habits and completely focused on your meal planning and preparation.

Set yourself up for weight loss success by limiting your involvement in other areas of your life. A good time to start is when your life is in balance. Choosing to switch to a new way of eating right before a wedding, in the middle of a move, or at the start of new job, probably are not the best times to change your food regime. It will be easier to keep organized if your life is at an even state without major life changes.

3 Things to know before you learn about extreme weight loss diets that work

1. Meal plan. Plan meals and snacks at least 2 weeks in advance. Planning will enable you to buy the necessary food for your meals.

2. Shopping list. Organize a shopping list for all of the foods, herbs, and spices you will need. Make sure your list is complete. If you are missing some items, it is easy to slip back into old habits because you were not prepared to eat what you had planned.

3. Prepare. Prep snacks and other meal items in advance. Cook double and save the rest for another day. Chop up fruits and veggies and place in easy to go bags or containers. Make a weeks worth of snacks.

3 Extreme Weight Loss Diets That Work

1. Sugar free. Sugar is an excellent food for fat cells. They love it and thrive on it. As soon as sugar is gone, the fat cells stop producing and the old ones melt away. Once off of sugar for at least 2 weeks, you will stop craving it as much. Check food labels for sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Beware of sugar filled beverages.

2. Raw food. A raw food diet eliminates sugar as well. Consuming mostly fruits and vegetables, you will gain energy while speeding up your metabolism.

3. Cleanse. A cleansing diet works quickly. This type only lasts for a week or so, it is not a lifestyle change. Although participating in a cleansing diet several times a year is very beneficial to your digestive tract. You will notice that bloating is significantly reduced.

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This article is by Sanjeev Kapoor(Very Famous Indian Chef). Im his fan and liked his tips on eating healthy.

There are many ways to enjoy some light Indian food. If you have roti and sabzi make sure that the roti is not laden with ghee and the sabzi is smartly made in a non stick pan with use of minimal oil. In fact, go ahead and have a bowl of skim milk yogurt, some dal and a bowl of brown rice. What about the salad – have it with a dash of lemon! So you can judge for yourself that is easy to have a balanced meal of light Indian food.

In case you are looking at skimming off calories through the day here are some tips:

Replace one cup of full cream milk with either half a cup or better still replace with same quantity or lesser of low-fat (skimmed) milk.

• Snack on an orange and a banana instead of something fried
• Have steamed vegetables once in a while instead of sautéed ones.
• If you are about to reach for a handful of caramel chocolates, look at dried fruit instead. When making a sandwich, use two slices of whole wheat bread instead of two slices of white bread.
• The nightcap of whole milk hot chocolate can be replaced with skimmed milk flavoured with a dash of elaichi.
• Cut back on sampling during cooking. All "tastes" have calories!
• Snack on a papaya instead of a packet of biscuits.
• On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of cola.
• Use one cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
• Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
• A good sandwich spread is made with mustard paste or green coriander chutney. So why use mayonnaise or butter?
• Once in a while one can have fried foods but there are possibilities of creating tastier versions using the grill, microwave or methods of steaming or baking.
• In case of cutlets and croquettes, which are deep-fried, ensure to drain them well and then keep on absorbent kitchen paper. This helps in removing the top oil.
• The list of wafers, chocolates, cakes, pastries and biscuits as snacks can be replaced. I suggest that once in a while you also try out fresh fruit, dry fruits, breadsticks or vegetable sticks whenever hunger pangs strike you in between meals.

By: www.sanjeevkapoor.com

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