Wellness and Food

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About my journey

My Name is Premlatha Rajkumar (Poppy)

I created this platform to share wellness stories and great healthy recipes with you.

Wellness begins from making a conscious choice to feeling our best and living our life with wholesome health. .

Early in 2019, I had developed cataract in both my eyes, my entire body was inflamed, the pain and irritation that I was going through made me depressed. Also my beloved husband had just passed away after going through a fatal illness for 6 years. I was also grieving and I had not taken care of myself properly. It was a very difficult period.

As my cataract was preventing proper vision I had to go in for surgery. It was only when they started taking tests before surgery that I found out that I had developed severe type 2 diabetes, and had to be immediately treated for it.

The doctors started me on insulin, twice a day. I started putting on weight and was not feeling my best. I was also grieving for the loss of my husband and the diabetes and its accompanying discomfort in my body was creating extreme stress both physically and emotionally. The doctors did not give me any positive idea about my condition, they said that as days go by my diabetes will become worse.

I then decided the one thing that I knew best, I started connecting with my inner being for solution. Clutter cleaning my thoughts everyday with Ho’oponopono practice as taught by Dr.Hew Len. And invested my thoughts and feelings into the idea that a grand solution is available to heal my body completely.

Through my many experiences I have come to know and understand that imagination is the magic for new creation. The reality playing outside is only a past dream.

Every one of us has access to the world of possibilities through our imagination, we can make the choice to take time to imagine and access possibilities with our feelings, and create a new reality for ourselves.

And so in July 2019 my miracle began. Information on low carb diet and intermittent fasting appeared through people, messages, videos, and books. Especially the book of Dr. Jason Fung, “The Diabetes Code” made a lot of sense to me.

I realized that type 2 Diabetes can be completely reversed as long as the kidneys have not been affected yet. Just following simple dietary rules one can help the body get back its health and vitality.

I started listening to Dr. Fung’s podcasts and videos on YouTube, read all the research and information on how to practice a low carb diet and intermittent fasting.

In August, through the strength and courage given from my inner being, I stopped taking insulin and started intermittent fasting and practiced a low carb diet. My excess weight started dropping steadily, my inflammation disappeared, I was able to walk without help, I felt healthy and young and was immensely grateful for the benevolence of life.

By October 2019 the type 2 diabetes vanished completely, nowadays my fasting sugar stays in the 90s. Recently when I had a blood test for A1c, my sugar level was only 4.9 which is excellent considering my level was a 13.5 in June 2019. It was a most miraculous healing.

Today I am able to walk, exercise, be alert, energetic, able to make good decisions, I am not in the place of fear or depression, and I am able to sleep very well.

My experiences have led me to understand that we live in a loving, benevolent Universe. It is important to know that what we perceive as reality outside is a past story. We can always invest our time to go within, rewrite with imagination and start feeling in our mind, a new wonderful reality for ourselves. The benevolent Universe matches our feelings at all times. Positive thoughts and emotions matter, positive imagination matters, our positive feelings matter, they help bring heaven on earth.

I share my stories with many of my friends and family and have seen many transform their life. So I realize that if I can do it, you can do it also. It took courage to walk the path of intermittent fasting and low carb diet. Also I explored the many ways of substituting carb and sugar and creating great nutritious and tasty recipes.

In these pages I am sharing my success stories on wellness and great healthy recipes that worked wonders to heal my body.

May you be guided and blessed to take charge and live in your best health the rest of your life!

Blessings!

Premlatha Rajkumar (Poppy)

COCONUT MACAROON -KETO

INGREDIENTS

Whites of 3 large eggs

1/3 cup sweetener (erythytol or stevia)

2 cups of grated unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet to bake the macaroons.

In a deep mixing bowl add the egg whites and beat them till they form stiff peaks.

Now add the sugar and vanilla and mix with a spatula.

Then add the grated coconut and mix till well blended with a spatula.

Using a spoon or your clean hands, make lime sized balls of the dough and place on the cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, allow the macaroons to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES – KETO

These cinnamon cookies are easy to make. It is important to bring the butter to room temperature so that the cookies will bake evenly.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick or 1/2 cup of unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1 egg

1/3 cup of sweetener (erythritol or birch xylitol or stevia)

2 cups of almond flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

A pinch of salt

Ingredients for the coating of the cookies

1/4 cup sweetener (granulated erythritol)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a deep bowl add the softened butter, vanilla extract and egg and beat well till they are smoothly combined.

Now add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, sweetener, salt and cream of tartar to the mixture and beat together with an electric whisk.

Remove the whisk and mix the dough with a spatula.

In a small bowl add the coating mixture, 1/4 cup of sweetener and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Take the dough and make into balls and roll the balls in the coating mixture and flatten the balls to cookie shape and place in the cookie sheet.

See to it that the edges of the cookies are thick. Place the cookies about an inch apart from each other.

Place the cookies to bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes.

Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool down for 30 minutes. Enjoy delicious snickerdoodle cookies with a cup of milk, tea, or coffee.

EXCELLENT CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups fresh grated cauliflower

1 large egg

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Beat the egg in a large bowl and add the cheese and mix well.

Now place the cauliflower in a dry pan on medium heat and stir it now and then, it will give out steam and loose all its water. Continue stirring till the cauliflower has dried out , be careful not to allow it to turn color. It would take 10 minutes.

Allow the cauliflower to cool, then mix it with the egg and cheese mixture till it forms a dough. Make the dough into a ball.

Now place the dough ball between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it gently to form a pizza cruse about 1/4 inch thick on all sides. Keep the edges thick by shaping it with your hand if needed, don’t let the edges get thin or they will burn and become dark.

Now place the rolled out crust with the bottom parchment paper on a cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the crust has firmed up.

Now top the crust with your favorite sauce or pesto and other pizza toppings.

Return the pizza to the preheated 400 degree oven and bake for another 10 minutes till the toppings are done.

Enjoy!

KETO PIZZA CRUST – ALMOND FLOUR

This is a very easy recipe to make a good pizza crust.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut oil

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Use clean hands to mix all the ingredients in a deep bowl.

Divide the dough in to equal balls.

Roll out each ball between two parchment papers into a 1/4 inch thick pizza crust.

Adjust the edges to be thick so that it bakes evenly without burning the edges.

Place each rolled out crust with the parchment paper in a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

You can make your own topping for the pizza crust with your favorite vegetables and cheeses. When you place the pizza crust with the topping in the 400 degree oven bake for another 10 minutes or till the cheese in the topping melts.

Enjoy!

KETO CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A PAN

I baked this delicious soft chocolate cake for my son’s birthday. It is very easy to make and has an amazing taste that satisfies the chocolate lover’s tongue.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

2 tablespoon coconut flour

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 tablespoons of sweetener (erythritol)

1 large egg

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup almond milk

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING

1/4 Cup cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 tablespoon sweetener (erythritol)

1/4 cup butter

4 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

In a small 8-9 inch frying pan melt the butter , remove from heat and mix the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, egg, heavy cream and baking soda with a spatula till well combined.

Now place the mixture on the stove and cook covered on low heat for 12 minutes.

The cake is ready.

Now transfer it to a deep dish or plate on which you would like to display the cake.

Poke holes on the cake with a toothpick and pour 1/4 cup of the almond milk on top and keep the cake in the fridge to chill and soak for 1/2 hour.

Now prepare the frosting.

Melt the butter in the pan. Keep the pan in low heat and add the cocoa powder, cream, sweetener and vanilla, and cook them for 2 minutes. Keep stirring as you cook them in the pan.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 3 minutes.

Now remove the cake from the fridge and spread the frosting mixture on top of the cake and return the cake back to the fridge. Serve delicious, soft, mouth-watering chocolate cake after an hour.

Enjoy!

KETO FROSTING – CHOCOLATE

This keto chocolate frosting is so easy to make and delicious to eat. You can make this frosting and use it on your cakes, cup cakes, brownies, or enjoy it on its own.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 – 2 teaspoons of powdered sweetener (I used erythritol )

PREPARATION

Place all the ingredients in a small blender jar and beat till well combined and stiff enough to spread on your baked treat.

Enjoy!

DELICIOUS COFFEE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

These delicious muffins are easy to make and they become a favorite anytime snack. I call the CC Muffins since they are a combination of coffee and chocolate.

They are soft and have the taste of coffee and chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

1 stick or half cup of butter melted

2 cups of almond flour

3/4 cup of zero calorie sweetener (erythritol or xylitol or stevia)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 12 tin muffin tray or a silicon muffin mold.

In a large bowl add sweetener, coffee powder, vanilla, eggs and melted butter and beat them well with an electric whisk. Now add the almond flour, baking powder and salt to the mixture and blend them together with the whisk till a smooth mixture is formed.

Now add the chocolate chips and fold into the mixture with a spatula. Keep a tablespoon of chocolate chips aside for decorating the top portion of the muffins.

Divide the mixture equally into the 12 muffin tins. Decorate on the top with the remaining chocolate chips.

Keep in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes till the top is brown and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool and enjoy with a cup of coffee or hot green tea.

CRISPY, BUTTERY KETO CRACKERS

These crispy, buttery , savory crackers are and anytime favorite.

They are zero carb and delicious for a keto diet.

They are simple and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

2 and 1/4 cup of almond flour

1 stick or 1/2 cup of unsalted butter softened

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder (optional)

1 teaspoon each of cumin and sesame seeds (optional )

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl add almond flour and salt. And if you are a fan of spices then add the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper powder to the flour and mix them well.

Now add the egg whites and the softened butter and with clean hands mix them well and make into a dough.

Take two large pieces of parchment paper and divide the dough into two halves. Roll each half by placing them between the parchment paper. Roll the dough as thinly as possible. Make it as square as possible so that it will be easier to cut them into pieces.

Now remove the top parchment paper and sprinkle the sesame and cumin seeds on top of the rolled dough. Replace the top parchment paper and gently give another roll with the rolling pin so that the seeds stick to the top of the dough.

Now remove the top parchment paper and using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into squares and place the parchment sheet on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven. The crackers on the sides may be roasted well rather the ones in the center. Allow the crackers to cool for a few minutes.

Now roll the other half of the dough in the same fashion between 2 parchment papers and cut them to square shapes and place them along with the bottom parchment paper on the cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven.

Now when the next tray of cookie is done remove from the oven and allow to cool.

The crackers on the sides are crispy but the ones in the center are crispy but if they are still soft, remove and place these cracker squares again on the cookie sheet and allow to bake for 7-8 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove and allow them to cool . They cool fast, Enjoy your crispy snack with any of your favorite dips or just as a snack on their own. You can store these in air tight container for 2 weeks.

CINNAMON ROLLS – KETO

These cinnamon rolls are sugar free, carb free and they are perfect for a keto snack at any time.

The thought of cinnamon and frosting brings great joy to many cinnamon lovers.

After starting keto diet I was searching for good keto cinnamon roll recipe. I found this excellent recipe on ‘Keto Connect’ . I slightly modified the recipe to fit my taste. If you love to cook, you will enjoy making these cinnamon rolls.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ROLLS

1 cup and 2 tablespoons of almond flour

1/3 cup of coconut flour

3 tablespoons of golden flax seed meal

1/4 cup low carb sweetener (xylitol, erythritol or stevia)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons of heavy cream

2 tablespoons of butter softened

3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of warm water

FOR THE FILLING

1/2 cup butter softened (at room temperature or softened for 15 seconds in the microwave)

6 tablespoons of granulated sweetener (erythritol)

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

FOR THE FROSTING

2 OZ cream cheese softened

2 tablespoon butter softened

2 tablespoons of powdered sweetener (erythritol)

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch round cake pan by greasing it or lining with parchment paper. To make the parchment paper stay , sprinkle it with some water and crush it and then press it to the pan and it will stay.

In a large bowl whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and sweetener (erythritol)

Now add the wet ingredients to it. Add the eggs, cream, softened butter, vanilla , vinegar and warm water and whisk with a hand mixer until they are completely combined Rest the dough for five minutes.

Now prepare the filling. Mix the ingredients for the filling together in a small bowl and keep it aside.

Now with oiled hands shape the dough into a ball and place it between two large parchment paper pieces and roll out the dough into a large rectangle.

Now spread the cinnamon filling onto the dough leaving a 1 inch margin on all sides to give room for the filling to spread and not leak out of the dough.

Using the parchment paper to push the dough to roll from one side, roll the dough gently into a tight log. And seal the edges with your oiled fingers.

Now cut the log crosswise into 8 equal pieces. Lift the rolls with your oiled hands , and arrange them in the prepared cake pan.

Now place in the oven and bake them for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20- 25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown .

Now allow the rolls to cool completely.

Make the frosting by combining with a mixer the softened butter, cream cheese, sweetener, heavy cream and vanilla until a thick , light, fluffy , spreadable frosting comes together.

Spread the frosting on each of the cooled rolls. Enjoy!

The rolls can be stored in air tight container in the fridge for a week.

JALAPENO CHEDDAR MUFFINS – KETO

These delicious keto muffins, make excellent anytime snack or even get turned into a sandwich with butter for breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 whole jalapeno

1 and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and prepare a 12 tin muffin pan

2. Prepare the jalapenos. Cut one jalapeno into 12 thin crosswise slices to arrange on top of the muffins. And finely chop the other jalapeno.

3. In a large bowl add almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder and garlic powder. Now mix in a cup of the cheddar cheese to it and add the finely chopped jalapenos to it and mix well.

4. Add the eggs, butter and almond milk to the mixture and mix them well with a spatula. Divide the mixture equally among the 12 muffin tins . Top the muffins with the remaining half cup of cheese and a slice of the jalapeno on top.

5. Bake for 35 minutes until the top are slightly brown and firm to the touch.

6. Remove from oven, cool completely and enjoy!