As someone who has always considered herself a very intuitive person, a couple months ago I started to get concerned by the lack of energy I was experiencing brain fog which is no fun. My husband, sister, and mom attributed this to stress of having my book come out and transitioning schedules of the kids being at home for summer break. None the less I became concerned. During this time my sister had recommended I consider changing my diet and eliminating certain foods to see if my energy levels increased.
For two weeks I eliminated wheat, dairy, and sugar. Although I initially felt better, my fatigue set back in the second week. This is a primary reason I haven’t posted any new recipes because I’ve been eating whole foods by themselves, much of it in juice form, as a means to give my body a rest. I’m no stranger to doing cleanses so this seemed like a great possible solution to address my concerns.
I started eating regular meals again and my fatigue came back even stronger. I’m not sure what is happening with my body considering I’ve been eating pretty healthy and exercising regularly. I’ve decided to see a doctor this week for a complete physical and to have them run blood work.
Hopefully you’ll see more recipes here in the near future. And as a gentle reminder, don’t forget I post 1-2 times a week on PBS Parents. But for now here is a great recipe for basic granola.
This recipe comes from my good friends Matt and Emily. I usually make a huge batch of this and we use it for morning cereal, a topping for yogurt, and just eating it by the handful as a snack. Matt and Emily’s ratio is perfect. Of course you can adapt this to your liking, just keep the number of cups of add-ins the same. Dried fruits should be added to the finished granola and not baked. Enjoy!
- 8 cups oats (not instant)
- 1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1½ cups whole pecans
- 1 cup whole almonds
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup honey
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Mix all ingredients together with hands in large bowl.
- Spread ½ inch think onto 2 baking sheets (with edges) or 9 by 13 baking pan.
- Bake 45 minutes to an hour depending on how toasted you like your granola.
- During baking, use a spatula and "flip" granola or stir/rotate it to make sure all sides get toasted. Do this every 15 minutes or so.
- Remove from oven when just barely golden brown and cool on stove top.
I have learned that canola oil is a GMO product and we are trying to avoid those things. Do you think coconut oil would work for this as a substitute?
Hi Alice, this post was a while ago but I wanted to suggest seeing a Naturopath as opposed to a Doctor. There are many reasons for lacking energy and some of them are because your body doesn’t absorb certain vitamins or minerals the way that it should. You should find the reason and not just a cure. A Naturopath can do tests to see what your body is up to and then find a natural way of getting you back on track. You will be amazed by what they come up with!
Cheers!
Hi Alice,
I just stumbled onto your site today while looking for recipe inspiration. I have some food allergies to work around that my family does not share, which makes cooking meals a lot more work. Sounds like you may have some allergies/sensitivities as well… (i hope not) and/or adrenal fatigue , which I also had but have gotten better. I received help from a naturopathic doctor as well. Good luck! It will help tremendously once you know what foods to leave out or what vitamins to amp up on 🙂
Alice…have the doc check your thyroid function including your thyroid antibodies and your B12 level!! He/she probably would anyway…good luck.
Rose
Alice, also Crani0-Sacro Therapy is a fantastic alternative therapy which really might benefit you at this time. Look for someone local to your area that is certified and teaching–that is always a good indication that they are active and fresh in using the treatments. Upledger-certified is another thing to look for. I so hope you feel better soon!
Hi Alice,
Hope you are feeling better. Reading your posts hit home for me because I felt exactly the same as you a month ago (brain foggy, fatigued, worn out with exertion) and I was in the best shape of my life with eating right and exercise. Like you, my blood tests came back uneventful for the docs except for a low Ferritin level which the doc said wasn’t important. I did my own research and found that it was the cause of my probs and with a help with a specialist found my calorie intake was also too low from eating so healthy. (imagine that) Did the docs check your Ferritin levels? Feel free to email me if you have any questions. 🙂
Btw… The recipe sounds fabulous!
Wishing you the best of health.
Thanks everyone! Had some blood drawn but I’m leaning towards seeing a naturalpathic doctor. The doctor I saw yesterday didn’t seem to understand my concerns. I hate that.
Loretta, I did some research on adrenal health after you posted this. Oh my gosh, the symptoms fit me so well. Lots of stress and fatigue. The blood and saliva test are so expensive! I’m going to see a naturalpathic doctor and have them do an allergy test on me. Hopefully I’ll get some answers soon. Meanwhile I did increase my B-50 intake, and started taking calcium/magnesium supplements again. I’ve been eating tons of fruit with vitamin C to see if there is any improvement. Today was the first day I did not need to take a mid-day nap and I was able to go up and down my stairs without feeling exhausted. Thank you so much for suggesting I look into adrenal health!
I would love to take this granola on the rest of my summer hikes! It sounds absolutely scrumptious 🙂
My family won’t eat granola, but I think I just might be inspired to make it just for me!
Hi Alice: yum! have you tried making this with coconut oil instead of canola? I make a similar granola with coconut (finely grated and large flakes, toasted) and use coconut oil since it’s a healthier fat than canola and adds a nice subtle sweet aroma to the granola.
Read up on adrenal health!!!!!! You will be shocked!!!
I like to use coconut oil.. Instead of any other kind of oil..
I hope your energy returns soon, Alice, and that you start feeling well. Take good care of yourself!
Granola is one of my go-to snacks and a favorite for breakfast. I love trying different variations and look forward to trying yours.
I hope you and your doctor can figure out something to get your energy level back to normal. Cooking something from your book every week and loving it. Take care.
I too am extremely tired all the time too. Let us know what your Doc says.
Love the granola!
Hi Alice,
Gosh… I sure hope you have a clean bill of health from the visit to the doc and that the fatigue is just what is left over from all the stress from getting your great cookbook out. I love your cook book and the day it came I made the “Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos” and served it with the “Black Beans and Brown Rice”… both were a huge hit. I am going to try this granola recipe as that is what we have for breakfast every morning and I usually buy it.
Take good care
Cath
Hope the doctor can shed some light on it. Good luck.
I sure hope you feel better soon, Alice.
I absolutely LOVE your cookbook and, so far, have made the thai chicken skewer dinner, including sauce, coconut rice and asian cucumber salad, pesto pasta salad with chicken, chop chop salad and garlic cheese bread when I hosted my bunco group – and everyone loved everything! – and I just made strawberry lemonade and mango lassi popsicles for when the kids get home from day camp today. Your cookbook has quickly become my favorite – thank you! 🙂
I love granola and make it often especially when we are in the mountains. Your version sounds yummy. I will be sure to try it
I have been enjoying your cookbook so much. We just survived a kitchen remodel and I find cooking so much more fun. I hope your labwork is all okay and you are back to feeling well soon.