Omega Boost Grain-Free Muffins

Vegetarian & Vegan Versions – Paleo-Friendly

I don’t eat as much much raw food as I did back when I was healing from my auto-immune disorder, but I have been paying a lot of attention lately to my digestion, which frankly needs some adjusting.  Something that I have definitely pinpointed is that grains aggravate symptoms of IBS.  I’ve also been looking for sensible replacements for sugar cravings and conventional baked goods for my family.  These have been gobbled up quickly!  My goddaughter’s boyfriend suggested that I package and sell them, which is always a good endorsement.

The other area I’ve been honing in on in my ever-evolving quest for better nutrition and well-being is balancing out my omega fatty acids.  Ideally we should be consuming 1:1, meaning as many Omega 3’s as Omega 6’s.  Since so many of our processed foods are high in the 6’s the ratio is often closer to 1:30 in the standard American diet.  Omega 6 fatty acids, when unbalanced by the proper ratio of 3’s signals the body to produce more leukocytes, monocytes and macrophages in the bloodstream, which become markers for inflammation.

These simple-to-make Omega Boost Grain-Free Muffins are made with coconut flour (much lower in Omega 6 than almond flour) organic free range eggs (twice the Omega 3’s than conventional eggs) and walnuts (high in Omega 3’s).  For a vegan version, use an egg replacer but add a tablespoon of avocado oil, which has a similar nutritional profile as olive oil, but without the smoky oxidizing factor.

The main sweetener comes from bananas – you can add some maple syrup or coconut nectar if you want them sweeter.  I literally created this recipe the first time without measurements, so I think it has a lot of leeway for experimentation.

While I have always preferred my bananas to be pristine, without a single bruise, what I learned from doing a banana series for eHow a few years ago, the riper the banana, the more the starch turns into a much more digestible sugar.  Ripe bananas are also an excellent prebiotic source – the food that nourishes the good bacteria (probiotics) in our gut.  Watch the video to learn more.

I go back and forth with consuming eggs; By tracking my energy levels and well-being I seem to do better when I am having eggs once or twice a week.  While Dr. Mercola recommends using only the yolks (where the highest concentration of nutrients can be found.)  I have not been able to stomach raw eggs yet — mainly poaching and soft boiled.  These are baked, which does eliminate some of the “good stuff” but they are a useful substitute for sugar cravings and conventional baked goods.

Organic eggs have twice the omega 3’s and beneficial nutrients than conventional eggs.  Dr. Mercola does not recommend buying the eggs touted to be high in Omega 3, but instead recommends sourcing them from local farms.  Those “specialized” eggs are fed very poor quality feed and most of the fats have already been oxidized.  He recommends sourcing your eggs from local farms that allow the chickens to roam outside (aka “free range).   If consumed within a few days, eggs can be left unrefrigerated for 5-7 days.

Omega Boost Grain-Free Muffins

Ingredients: (Vegetarian Version)

3 large bananas
3 organic free-range eggs
1.5 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract
¾ cup coconut flour
1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cardamom
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I used combination pecans & walnuts)

1 TB. coconut oil (for oiling the muffin tin) – I used this even though I have a non-stick muffin pan
Optional:  1-2 TB. maple syrup or coconut nectar

Vegan version:  Use replacement recommended amount for 3 eggs + 1 TB. avocado oil

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   In food processor with “S” blade process the bananas and vanilla for a minute, add the eggs and process until smooth.  Add the coconut flour, spices and baking powder and process until well-blended and smooth.  Grease the muffin cups with coconut oil.

Spoon in the banana mixture 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up, dividing equally among the cups.  Sprinkle nuts on top.  Bake for about 25 minutes – test at 20 minutes with knife blade or toothpick (which should come out clean.)  Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then gently loosen each muffin with blade but continue letting cool for another 10 minutes before removing to a plate.  These store well in fridge for up to a week.