Grain-free Walnut Crackers

I was starving. My blood sugar crashes were so intense that I would binge eat whole boxes of pastries, or cookies, often.

This night in particular I wanted to side-step the processed sugar but still wanted the satisfaction of CARBS! Mary's gluten-free cracker box was staring right at me. I thought I'd only have a handful but by the time I was reaching for the last cracker in the bag, panic struck.

As much as I desperately wanted to gain control over my binge eating habits, I lacked the education and mental capacity to understand and overcome my struggle. These nights of
overeating would leave me constipated for days, lethargic and a complete emotional mess.

This was a common situation for me when I was first struggling with SIBO. I would binge eat due to malabsorption of nutrients and dysglycemia. And since we're being honest here, there were some emotional issues at play as well. The sadness and depression that haunted me as I began my healing journey would leave me desperate for relief. And since I had committed to kicking drugs and alcohol as a band-aid, food seemed to be the better choice to numb the pain.

As I worked on perfectionism, let go of shame and guilt and learned to build a relationship with the real me, I started to feel more and more empowered to heal my body and digestive system.

For many of us the two go hand-in-hand, and addressing both the emotional and physical body are integral pieces in overcoming chronic IBS and depression.

All of that in a box of Mary's crackers, eh? Yup.

Overcoming chronic emotional ups and downs is possible, as is healing SIBO and IBS. Understanding why the foods you're eating are causing symptoms like gas, bloat, constipation, loose stool and/or acne is what we're passionate about teaching! We created this academy for you: the person who needs the information, empathy and guidance from professionals who have literally been there.

I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about how our 12-Week Gut Restore Program can help you!

Until then, let's make these high protein, high (healthy) fat crackers that have only 5 ingredients and are a breeze to make. These will be sure to keep you feeling satiated for hours when combined with your favourite dip, vegan cheese, soup, or frittata recipe.

These babies are gluten-free, dairy-free, low FODMAP and perfect for both our Detox and Repair phases of our 12-week program.

How to Make Walnut Flour

Finding store bought walnut flour can be difficult and expensive, so making your own can be a great alternative. It isn't as hard as you may think! Just measure 2 cups of walnuts (or any nut) place in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is fine and just before it turns wet. The more you work it, the closer you get to nut butter vs nut flour.

Walnuts, pecans and macadamia are low FODMAP, so they're perfect for our Repair Phase of the program. Though, if you're on the Detox portion of our program, any nut flour will do, including almonds.

Grain-Free Walnut Crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of walnut flour (see above note on how to easily make your own)
• 1 1/2 tsp of dried herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme are great!)
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 1 egg
• 2 T of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet and process until well combined.
3. Using 2 pieces of parchment paper, place the dough between the paper and roll out as thin as possible. Remove the top sheet and place the bottom sheet with dough on a cookie sheet.
4. Use a knife to cut squares as large or small as you wish. If you want to long thin crackers, cut like so. If you want short squares, try that, too! If you're making these with kiddos try using cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
5. Bake crackers for 12-14 mins, checking on them around 10 mins in. You want the edges to just be turning golden brown. These stay cohesive very well and don't crumble, though I sometimes find they can be a bit soft, so keeping them in an extra minute or two can help to firm them up.

From my holistic kitchen, to yours,
Cassandra Hope, RHN