If you are someone who follows an AIP diet (autoimmune protocol), nightshades are one of the categories of food that are removed during elimination, and not everyone is able to reintroduce them successfully. What are nightshades? Nightshades are a family of plants that contain alkaloids—compounds that can trigger inflammation 🔥 in sensitive people, especially those with autoimmune conditions. Common nightshade foods: - Tomatoes (and tomato products) - Bell peppers & chili peppers - White potatoes (not sweet potatoes) - Eggplant - Goji berries - Ashwagandha (herb) Why skip them? For some people—especially those managing autoimmune conditions—nightshades can increase inflammation and trigger symptoms. This AIP marinara gives you all the delicious tomato-sauce flavor WITHOUT the nightshade inflammation. In this pic, I added homemade meatballs to the sauce and served it over zucchini noodles - and it was delicious! My friend was convinced it had tomatoes in it, even thought it has none. 😁 Want the recipe for my AIP Marinara?

Yes, I know it is summer, BUT we are still getting some chilly days here in Colorado (we just had a hail storm yesterday). So I am sharing my recipe for Beef Stew! 😁 Instant Pot Beef Stew - can also be done in a slow cooker with more time Ingredients: - 2 pounds beef chuck roast - 1 large onion sliced - 4 celery stalks cut in large chunks - 6 carrots cut into large chunks (I try to keep the carrots, celery, and beef cut into similar size pieces) - 1 cup tomato juice  - 2 teaspoons salt (but add to taste) - 1 teaspoon ground pepper - 1 teaspoon of dried thyme Steps - Prep the beef: Trim fat from 2 pounds beef chuck roast and cut into 1-2 inch chunks. - Prep the vegetables. - Add everything to Instant Pot: Place beef chunks first and then all the veggies on top, then spices, then tomato juice. Give it a gentle stir to combine. - Pressure cook: Secure the lid and set valve to sealing. Select the Stew/Meat setting (or Manual/Pressure Cook on high) for 35 minutes. - Natural release: When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure. Serve: You could serve it at this point, but I like to put it in an oven-safe dish on 320 degrees for 1 to 3 hours in the oven to really bring it together. Tips: If it needs to be thickened a little, you can use 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/8 cup water (add after cooking). You can also add more tomato juice when you put it in the oven if you like it soupier. If you try this out, let me know!

I get a lot of questions about sweets, and we also have a lot of people we work with who have autoimmune conditions, so they are in the therapeutic AIP phase (autoimmune protocol). What this means is that chocolate is off the table (at least for a while), and I myself was in this phase for a few months several years ago. And so I did a lot of experimenting, including figuring out how to make a good chocolate I could enjoy. I came up with a recipe using carob. Carob powder is a sweet, naturally caffeine-free powder made from the dried and roasted pods of the carob tree (a Mediterranean legume). It is widely used as a healthy substitute for cocoa powder, and it mimics the color and texture of chocolate, but offers a distinct, subtly malt-like, earthy flavor. You will need: - 1/3 Cup of Carob Powder (You can always increase the carob powder the next time if you like, so play with it.) - 1 Cup Coconut Butter - 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil - 1 tsp Cinnamon - Optional – 1 – 2 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup (if you have reintroduced natural sweeteners, but this can certainly be left out) - ½ tsp Sea Salt Over low heat in a saucepan, melt the coconut oil and coconut butter. Then whisk in the cinnamon and carob powder, as well as the maple or honey, if so desired. I encourage creativity here – you could also add a little turmeric, or other flavors that interest you. Have fun with it! If the consistency is too thick to whisk, add a little more oil until the consistency thins out. Next you will pour the mixture onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan, and this is the point where you can swirl in other ingredients. I tried Almond Butter (this is a reintroduction item for AIP), AIP Gummy Bears (I created a recipe for these too), and Sea Salt. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes, and then your chocolate is ready! FEW THOUGHTS: - This is very high in fat, but a good fat, so this is not something you want to sit down and binge on. I eat a little bit here and there to satisfy my craving. My daughter, who eats keto for epilepsy LOVES it, and it makes me happy that she can have a treat! - Keep this in the fridge so it stays hard. But if you want to spread it on something or dip something in it, just leave the portion you are eating out at room temperature for about 20 minutes. - This can make really tasty chocolate dipped strawberries, or other fruit as well. Just keep them refrigerated until serving.

A member asked about how to satisfy a sweet tooth without going off plan. One of the things we all love in this family is ice cream 🍨, and with summer around the corner, I foresee us making this more often. 😁 The great part is that this can be whipped up pretty quickly in a blender. This is what you will throw in the blender (modify as needed): - Frozen Berries - our go to is strawberries 🍓 and we use frozen because that is part of why this is quick! - Heavy Cream - cream has no carbs, so this is also keto-friendly for our daughter. You can also use unsweetened almond milk (or a mix of both). I sometimes even mix in a little whole milk. - 1 tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract - Allulose for a sweetener (although you may find the fruit is enough) - allulose is the ONLY naturally derived alternative sweetener that has zero impact on blood sugar - A dash of cinnamon Quantities depend on how much you are making, but I basically fill the blender with fruit and than add about a cup of cream/almond milk. After you blend everything together, it should already be the consistency of soft serve, because of the frozen fruit, but you can always stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. We have also made this same dessert with mango or other berries mixed in with the strawberries, as long as the fruit is frozen. This is a quick dessert and always a hit! 🙌

I would imagine I am not the only lover of Mexican food here. 😁 And I am always looking for new ways to enjoy those flavors at home in a way that is healthier and supportive. This weekend, I made shredded chicken in my Instant Pot for the 1st time, and it was SO easy. 2.5 lbs of raw chicken breast 1 cup of chicken bone broth (can also use water) 2 packets of Siete mild taco seasoning (GF) A little sea salt I threw the ingredients in the Instant pot, stirred, and sealed the lid, cooking on manual (pressure cook) for 10 minutes and then 10 more minutes of natural release before opening the valve. The chicken came out so tender! Then I used this awesome shredding tool someone gifted to me last year, and the meat was shredded in a couple minutes. I poured some of the seasoned broth over the chicken before serving. This chicken goes great on a taco salad, but today I wanted actual tacos. BUT these are not flour tortillas - even though they look like it. These are Egg Life Wraps made with egg whites, and I cooked them for a couple minutes on the flat top. They make a great tortilla substitute. 😁 Use whatever filings you like - I went with romaine, a little cheddar, tomato, onion, black olives, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. YUM!! 🌮 Eating in a way that supports your health can still be packed with flavor. And we can help with ideas anytime. If you have some restrictions (such as an AIP protocol), ask us for modification ideas - I personally followed a strict elimination AIP for a while and then took my time reintroducing foods, so I get it!