Detoxing & A Good Coconut Oil Granola Recipe

As some of you might already know, I lost 35 lbs a year from this past August.  Well, I have managed to gain back 10 lbs.  I haven't had to buy any bigger clothes and I am not going to allow the need for bigger clothes.  I got rid of all the clothes that were too big after losing weight the first time and I am determined to not find myself back in the store buying the next size up.  I have had a hard time buckling down and making myself work on eating healthier again and getting back in to exercising.  Mostly, eating in moderation, which now that we are past Christmas, I really have no excuse to sit here and add on top of the 10 lbs I have already gained.  Instead, I should work on losing whatever amount of that makes me feel better and give me more energy.  I have no plans to be stepping on the scales except for once every couple of weeks to see if it is budging.

Last night I did a detox I found online.  It was all things I have at home already, so this didn't cost me any extra money.  I don't know anything about Dr. Axe, but I did get the recipe from his website for the detox.  He had a video explaining the detox a little bit and all the ingredients are ones I have used before, just not all combined together as a drink for a detox.  He calls it his Secret Detox.  It doesn't seem so secret if he is sharing it, but I was willing to try it.  I needed something to help me get myself started in the right direction.  I feel it has done just that.  I woke up this morning feeling very full, but also it cleaned me out, so to speak (sorry if that is TMI).  I did very good with my eating all day long as I felt full, but also felt the need to drink tons of water and of course I know a cleanse is all about cleansing, and that of course indeed did happen.  I will for sure be doing this again!

Secret Detox
12-16 oz glass of water
2 TBS Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Lemon Juice
1 tsp cinnamon
a dash of cayenne pepper
1 packet of Stevia ( I didn't have Stevia, I have Agave, so I used a splash of that instead)

It actually tasted pretty good and it can be done quite often.  I feel like this really helped me today!  I am glad I tried it.  It didn't cost me anything but a trip to my cupboard.

Because of finally feeling like I am heading back on track, I decided to also make homemade granola again.  The first time I made it was about a year ago.  I have made it several different ways and I have learned a few things about myself in the process.  1) I love food and homemade granola is really good, you can't mess it up as far as taste.  2) I need to keep it basic.  The first time I made it, I followed a recipe that had all kinds of yummy stuff in it ( chocolate chips, brown sugar, butter, etc).  The second time I made it, I decided to go for a healthier route.  I will tell you why.  If I make it with all of the super yummy stuff, then I end up eating it like candy :)  This is not a good thing when trying to eat in moderation and trying to make something that is supposed to be healthy and good for me.  Really, granola should be a sprinkled topping on yogurt or a small snack, not a whole entire bowl full of yumminess.  You can and will gain weight from super yummy granola made with all the extras, trust me, I know this first hand!  Granola is super yummy when it is homemade even when it is basic.  You can add something in to small portions to change it up some if you wish.  Maybe you have better will power than I do, but this is what has worked for me.

Here is my basic recipe.  It has coconut oil in it which is really healthy.  Keep in mind that the granola will feel oily, but this is a healthy oil , not a fattening oil.

Coconut Oil Granola
3 cups rolled oats  ( I use Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey ( local honey if you can)
1 TBS cinnamon
2/3 cup sliced raw almonds ( you can use any nuts you want, this is what I like)

Place the 3 cups of rolled oats in a medium sized bowl.  Melt the coconut oil and the honey in the microwave.  Stir all ingredients together in the bowl.  Spread out on a baking sheet (no need to spray the baking sheet - it won't stick with the coconut oil).  Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.  Stir the granola and cook for another 10 minutes.  Even if it seems like soft granola, take it out of the oven.  Cooking it longer will over cook it.

Yummm!  Enjoy!  This was a small yummy snack this afternoon!