Banana Chia Seed Pancake

If you are trying to be healthy and change your lifestyle, you need to start with a healthy and highly nutritious breakfast. However, breakfast can be one of the hardest meals to nail.

Since the 1950’s, Americans have been on a heavy dose of sugary and highly processed breakfasts. Whether it is Aunt Jemima's pancake mix, pop tarts or a myriad of other sugary breakfast cereals, Americans have been poisoning themselves for decades with what we are choosing to put in our bodies, especially during the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast is the foundation in which we take back our health.

Most people do not want to drink a shake, a healthy smoothie, or something bland and boring for breakfast. Most people I speak with think that when you when you need to go on a diet and eat healthy, you have to suffer with what you eat. People know, or they think they know, that being healthy is an uphill battle, but I am here to teach you that it is not hard at all, it is actually easy, and empowering to fuel your body with highly nutritious, and delicious food.

This Banana, Chia Seed Pancake recipe is so easy, and so delicious that you will be in disbelief that you did not learn to make this magnificent dish years earlier. If you like pancakes, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients

¼ cup of Chia Seeds

1 organic Banana

2 large organic free range eggs

Coconut Butter/Ghee or Grass fed butter

For Toppings:

Almond Butter

Assorted berries

Maple Syrup (optional)

Organic chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, cut up banana with a knife or a fork and mash each piece of the banana with the back of your fork until you make a pile of mushed bananas.

Once banana is in a mushed form, add ¼ cup of chia seeds to bowl.

Add 2 eggs to chia and banana mix, and whisk with a fork or a handheld whisk. (You can always put this mix in the blender, but it is nice to have chunks of banana and whole chia seeds in the pancake mix)

Once ingredients are mixed together, get a nonstick frying pan hot (cook on medium-high heat) and put either coconut oil, grass fed butter or ghee in the pan to grease it.

Pour mix into pan and wait 45 seconds then flip pancake.

Once pancake is flipped, wait another 30 seconds and then slide your masterpiece onto your plate.

What you will need:

*Yields two pancakes

1.  ¼ cup of Chia Seeds
2.  1 organic Banana
3.  2 large organic free range eggs
4.  Coconut Butter/Ghee or Grass fed butter

For Toppings:

1. Almond Butter
2. Assorted berries
3. Maple Syrup (optional)
4. Organic chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)

Why is this a good breakfast?

Why are Eggs healthy:

In the recent past, eggs used to have a bad rap. "Health experts" vilified eggs, citing they were high in cholesterol and if consumed on a regular basis, they believed it would lead to heart disease and strokes.

Since we have debunked many of the food myths that we once adhered to as doctrine, we have now learned that eggs are in fact a superfood and one of the healthiest foods we can eat. Eggs contain a good source of healthy fats and they are loaded with high quality proteins. Eggs have HDL, the healthy and "good" source of cholesterol and they have all 9 of the essential amino acids that our bodies need.

Eggs are a powerful source of energy and nutrition, and served alone, eggs make a wonderful breakfast.

More information on what eggs contain:

• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): 9% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 15% of the RDA.
• Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 7% of the RDA.
• Selenium: 22% of the RDA.
• Eggs also contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the human body… including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, Vitamin E, Folate and many more.
• A large egg contains 77 calories, with 6 grams of quality protein, 5 grams of fat and trace amounts of carbohydrates.
• It’s very important to realize that almost all the nutrients are contained in the yolk, the white contains only protein.

Why are Bananas healthy:

Bananas are a superfood. 

Everyone knows that bananas are high in potassium and magnesium, which are great for dealing with and preventing muscle cramps, which make bananas a vital part of any athlete's diet. 

Bananas have a pectin, which is a highly soluble dietary fiber and a natural detoxifying agent. Pectin also contains probiotics which are great for your digestive health and it is also fantastic for your gut flora, the bacteria in your gut.

More information on what bananas contain:

• Potassium: 9% of the RDI.
• Vitamin B6: 33% of the RDI.
• Vitamin C: 11% of the RDI.
• Magnesium: 8% of the RDI.
• Copper: 10% of the RDI.
• Manganese: 14% of the RDI.
• Net carbs: 24 grams.
• Fiber: 3.1 grams.
• Protein: 1.3 grams.
• Fat: 0.4 grams.

Why are Chia Seeds healthy:

I think everyone who is reading this right now knows that chia seeds are, also, a superfood.

Chia seeds are one of my favorite superfoods. They are amazing in almost anything. They are tasteless, and their texture is quite pleasant if you like a little crunch in your food.

Chia seeds are great for your digestion. They have a large amount of fiber, 11.2 grams per serving, and they are also high in fat at 8.4 grams per serving.

Chia seeds are great for dealing with diabetes and heart disease. "Based on a review of findings from several large studies, The National Institute of Medicine found that diets with 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories were associated with significant reductions in the risk of both coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes."

Chia seeds have a high amount of omega-3's which lower blood pressure as well as decrease LDL, which is the "bad" cholesterol. 

Overall, Chia seeds are nature's gift to our health. I recommend eating chia seeds with your meals every day, if not at every meal.

More information on what chia seeds contain:

• Fat: 8.4 grams 
• Carbohydrate: 13.07 grams 
• Fiber: 11.2 grams 
• Protein: 5.6 grams 
• No sugar

If you do not try these chia seed banana pancakes after I have broken down how healthy they are for you, then I cannot help you.

Let me teach you how to be healthy, eat healthy, while enjoying the food and have fun doing it.

It is that simple...

The Perfect Filet Mignon

What if I told you that I could teach you to cook the most unbelievable, tender, mouth-watering steak that you have ever had in your life?

What if I told you that you could make a steak that would cost $48 or more at a restaurant for approximately $12 to $15 whilst in the comfort of your own home?

Do you think this this something that you might be interested in?

I will assume your answer will be an affirmative. Terrific. Now let me amaze you!

The element of creating this dish that is going to blow your mind is the fact that this recipe is going to take you less than 15 minutes to prepare.

You are going to pay a fraction of what it would cost to order this at a restaurant. You are going to be able to show off to your loved one and to all of your friends that you can cook just like any top restaurant chef around. After you eat this steak, I promise you every steak you order out will fail in comparison to this masterpiece.

Ingredients

1 piece of grass fed beef tenderloin

Himalayan sea salt (I personally use truffle salt)

Ground black pepper

Olive oil

Grass fed butter

Fresh herbs (your choice, you can get creative)

Directions

Preheat oven to 410 degrees.

Liberally coat the beef with salt and pepper, on all sides.

Use either a cast iron pan or you can use any pan without a rubber handle.

Get pan hot (cook on high) and when you see it smoke, liberally add olive oil to the pan.

Once you see the olive oil begin to form small bubbles, place the steak in the pan and it will make a sizzling noise - cook for 4 minutes.

Turn the steak over and put directly in the oven for an additional 4 minutes.

After roasting in the oven for 4 minutes at 410 degrees, take out and let the steak rest for the last 4 minutes. (Remember, the rule is 4, 4, 4,)

While the steak is resting, put a tablespoon of grass fed butter (or ghee) on top of the meat and let the butter melt through. On top of the butter, place your choice of assorted herbs.

Once the steak has rested for 4 minutes, serve immediately as the steak will cook on standing.

*If you want the steak medium, leave the steak in the oven for an additional 3 minutes.

*If you want the steak well done, leave in the oven for a total of 8 minutes, with no resting time.

Why is steak (grass fed beef) good for you?

Not all steak is created equal. It is important to be mindful and conscious when buying beef, chicken and fish. There are many toxins in the food we eat, including what we feed our livestock. When choosing red meat, it is important to get grass fed, but more specifically grass finished beef. Preferably, I like to eat bison, or wild buffalo, because they are always grass fed. In my opinion, bison is even tastier, and it is not gamey and chewy as the critics proclaim.

Most of the meat that we find in our local supermarkets happen to be farm raised and fed a diet of grains, sugar, and even a mass amount of skittles. The meat is filled with hormones and antibiotics. When you buy most store bought meat, you are essentially eating poison.

That is one reasons why people say eating hamburgers is so terrible and bad for you. It is not that eating meat is bad for you, it is that eating meat poisoned with toxins and antibiotics is what actually is harming you.

Roughly 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States go to livestock, such as cows, so there is a reason to have a major concern with antibiotics being in the meat. Cows that aren’t grass-fed live on diets of grain and are typically given hormones to artificially increase their weight and hence yield more meat. With grass-fed cows, weight gain is not as high because they eat a healthier, lower-calorie diet. 

An animal’s diet has a profound influence on the nutrient content and the genetic makeup of its products.

When a cow is fed a grass fed, and especially a grass finished diet, beef actually becomes a superfood. With less grains and sugars in their diet, the cows are much leaner, which gives them a lower caloric value, it has many more omega-3’s, which reduces your risk of cancer and it reduces your risk of heart disease, it has a much higher value of vitamin E and it contains the super fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

CLA has 11 terrific health benefits:

1. CLA helps with weight-loss and fat-burning.
   • According to a 2009 report published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, it’s believed that CLA reduces adiposity (fat) because of its impact on:
     • Energy metabolism
     • Abiogenesis
     • Inflammation
     • Lipid metabolism
     • Apoptosis
2. Regulates blood sugar and helps improve insulin function
3. Improves immune function and helps fight cancer
4. Helps build muscle and strength
5. It has bone building benefits
6. Improves digestion
7. Reduces food sensitivities and asthma
8. Treats rheumatoid arthritis
9. Reverses atherosclerosis
10. It has bone building benefits
11. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer

Do I need to twist your arm any further? Is my case settled that grass fed beef is, in fact, good for you?

If your answer is yes, then go to the store and buy a nice piece of meat and spoil yourself and a loved one with this recipe (Trader Joe’s has a package of 2 filet mignons for around $13 dollars).

Eating healthy is not boring or lame. If you do it right, the process is actually exciting and your taste buds will be forever grateful.

Side dishes in photo:

• Pan seared fiddleheads with grass fed butter, a whole lemon, and 4 cloves of garlic.

• Cauliflower puree with grass fed butter, garlic and basil.

• White sweet potato with ghee and Himalayan salt.

• Mexican avocado with olive oil and truffle salt.