Heyoooo,
Been a little while since my last recipe blog. Life has been HECTIC! Small people have been sick, we have had old people sick (by old I mean me) Uni restarting, and a bunch of getting out and about in this beautiful sunshine we have had! So I do apologise that we have been slightly MIA!
On a brighter note, we have created a new Facebook Group for people following a Paleo Ketogenic Diet, or for those of you that have heard a bit about the term 'Keto Diet' lately but really aren't sure about it and would like some information. So feel free to join the facebook group if you would like any questions you have, answered, or would like some recipes, or to share your meals and journey in return. You can access the group HERE and request to join.
So if you are a keto veteran, you will know how important it is to maintain electrolytes while in Ketosis, however if you are new to Keto, you might not really understand why, and being without adequate electrolytes can be really dangerous as well as make you feel like shit.
When the body runs on Carbohydrates, the body stores carbohydrate sugar in your cells as glycogen, and it stores the glycogen with water. The water, holds magnesium, potassium and sodium. When you are in Ketosis, or following a ketogenic diet where the fuel source is Fat and protein, not carbs, your cells do not have glycogen stores, which also means no water stores. This means that you need to up your intake of electrolytes (supplemented daily) to make sure you are getting adequate electrolytes for organ function as you urinate out your electrolyte stores rather quickly.
For some, this is easy. Downing a big old glass of salt water 2-3 times a day is no biggy and generally speaking, we get enough potassium through the vegetables we eat in our carbohydrate allowance. Then all thats left is to take a bioavailable magnesium Supplement 2-3 times a day. For others though - the thought of downing salt water is gut wrenching, and lets be honest and say that not all humans have a palate that loves all the green leafies that we need to get our potassium in.
This is why I decided to put on my thinking cap and make something that contains electrolytes. By electrolytes, I mean Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium but the trick was trying to make it into a recipe that most people find inviting. And this is when the Electrolyte Brownie was born.
I think we all agree that Nutella is a bloody win. It tastes amazing, it smells amazing, and is just all around, amazing. I'm pretty sure 80% of us would be happy to bathe in it, but we hold that dream in our heads and hearts. Well I do, some of you may have made that a reality, and for that, I don my cap to you good sir. Furthermore, the Nutella that we are all so addicted to is filled with refined sugars and vegetable fats which make it a heart attack waiting to happen as well as spiking our blood sugars which send us on an eventual downward spiral into fatigue and mood swings. So - you will be super excited to learn that this brownie... this, electrolyte, gut loving, good for you brownie, tastes like NUTELLA! A Nutella that you can feel completely Guilt Free about, and that you can eat as much of as you want, provided it fits your macros.
The recommended potassium intake for the ketogenic diet is 1,000-3,500mg daily. Hazelnuts are beautifully high in wonderful micronutrients, but the most relevant to this recipe is that they are high in Potassium. Generally speaking, the potassium content in 100g Hazelnuts is around 755 - 658 mg. Now while you're probably not going to sit down and have at 100g of hazelnuts, you will get an amazing dose if you manage to find a hazelnut spread, or you can just choose to swap in another nut butter and then crush a decent amount of hazelnuts and mix them through. All nuts contain potassium to some degree, but hazelnuts are quite high in comparison.. and hey they make Nutella so they gotta be good right?
Using Pure Cocoa powder, Raw Cacao and Avocado as the base for this brownie recipe is really what renders this brownie 'electrolyte' filled. Cocoa and Avocado are an amazing source of potassium as well as the hazelnuts, and Cacao is a wonderful source of Magnesium. In Addition, if you have food grade Magnesium Flakes, you can add them to the mix. They will dissolve and increase the magnesium content of the brownies again. For food grade magnesium flakes, I use Elektra. You can buy these flakes HERE. I also consume a half teaspoon of elektra flakes with a half teaspoon of Himalayan Salt three times a day to boost my magnesium intake as well as taking a Magnesium Glycinate supplement.
Sodium intake in a ketogenic diet is also extremely important. To keep these these brownies palatable and not savoury, we haven't added much sodium, so admittedly that's the most limited of the electrolytes in this recipe. But sodium is more easily available and easy to consume on your other foods, so it isn't too much of an issue.
Please remember that these aren't proper brownies, so don't be expecting miracles. They taste nice enough to eat, but you need to go into these brownies with an open mind. Sounds weird I know, but you will only be disappointed if you expect them to be like normal brownies. They serve a purpose, and while they're pleasant to eat, please remember that their purpose is built before the flavour.
So lets kick off the recipe. As per usual, if you give the recipe a try, let me know how you go. Always interested to hear your thoughts!
Recipe
Serves - 4 - 5 -
Time - 15 m - 30 m Baking -
Ingredients:
(For the Brownie)
2 Avocados
4 Tablespoons Pure Organic Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Raw Organic Cacao
2 Tablespoons Hazelnut Nut Butter ( Or Nut Butter of Choice )
100g Hazelnuts chopped (if you don't use Hazelnut Butter)
1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour
3 Tablespoons Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil ( Melted or room Temp )
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Vanilla Pod
1 Teaspoon Xylitol
4 Organic Free Range Eggs
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
(For the Icing)
2 Tablespoons Hazelnut Butter or nut butter of Choice
1 Tablespoon Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil ( Melted or Room Temp )
1 Tablespoon of Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tablespoons Organic Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Organic Raw Cacao
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Elektra Magnesium Flakes
1 Teaspoon Xylitol
Pinch of Salt
What to do:
In a high powered processor ( I used the food processor attachment on my Nutri ninja ), place all the wet ingredients and blitz until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain in the avocado. You may need to use a spatula to wipe down the side of the bowl and repeat the process to make sure it is thoroughly combined.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease any type of tray. I used a round tray with a removable bottom.
Place all dry ingredients in the processor and blitz again until thoroughly combined.
Pour into the greased tray, and place it into the preheated oven for around 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
While Baking, clean the processor and place all ingredients for the Icing in and blitz until thoroughly combined. You need to make sure the Magnesium Flakes are dissolved so it helps to Blitz the mixture once, then wait five minutes and blitz it again to make sure it is thoroughly dissolved and combined.
When the Brownies are finished baking, remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the tray.
Once slightly cooled, remove from the tray and cut them. Place them on a plate and drizzle with the icing. The brownies should still be a little warm so the icing should melt over.
Place in the fridge to go gooey and a little chewy.
Serve your way - with whipped coconut cream is lovely!
