I personally prefer to avoid gluten in the
foods that I eat...

I don't HAVE to, like people who Celiac disease or gluten
intolerance. I just find that I feel better when I don't have it.

So in that vein, if you ARE gluten-free or prefer to avoid
gluten, I've got a great recipe here for you from my friend
Elena Georgiana (she's a physique competitor in Ontario,
Canada).

And yeah, I know, a little late for Sunday morning pancakes
but I guess you'll just have to take Monday off from work
to enjoy these... ;).

---

Wild Blueberry Gluten-Free/Sugar-Free Pancakes
Recipe and Write-Up by Elena Georgiana

I always tell my friends and co-workers that healthy eating
doesn't have to be boring, plain, or flavourless, as most
people assume it would be. Just by looking at the ingredients
list you can tell that this recipe is far from being boring or
plain, and these cute pancakes look anything but boring!

The only thing with healthy eating is that you have to go
the extra mile to stock up your kitchen with the right stuff.
The good thing is, after you do it once, it's going to be easy
from there!

I like experimenting with food ideas, and I decided to create
a healthy version of your typical GMO/gluten/sugar-loaded
pancakes you buy at the store or that you're served at the
restaurant for breakfast. (I don't eat GMO or sugar with
some exceptions limited to cheat meals).

This is my perfect lunch idea, however, you might find it
more appealing as a breakfast option, or perhaps a
snack. These pancakes are tasty and filling at any time of
the day you choose to enjoy them, plus they are not that
hard to make if you have the right ingredients handy.

If you are a healthy eater or trying to change
your lifestyle, this recipe is for you!

When I was creating this recipe, my goal was to have a good
combination of quality protein, slow-digesting carbs, healthy
fats, and a good dose of fiber - all the major nutrients in one.
Because I'm a natural bodybuilder and overall very health
conscious, I always have both health and muscle in mind
when I cook.

I made a few modifications to a regular pancake recipe by
lowering the overall carbs while increasing the healthy fats
along with fiber. When you put all these three together, we
have low glycemic response pancakes. I've replaced
GMO wheat flour with 3 kinds of healthy ones: garbanzo &
fava flour (beans variety), quinoa flour, and coconut flour.

You can certainly use just one kind of flour if this combination
is not a practical option for you. The reason I like combining
different ingredients in my recipe is to diversify the nutrient
profile so it offers more variety of vitamins, minerals, and fatty
acids.

(By the way Nick also loves gluten-free pancakes. His wife
makes them often, and Nick said they're better than the
regular ones by a mile.)

Ingredients

Jam:

1. ¼ cup frozen wild organic blueberries (you can use any berries)
2. 2 tsp erythritol *
3. 1-2 tbsp water
4. Cinnamon to taste

Put all the ingredients into a small pan or pot, boil for
approximately 5 min (low-medium heat), and let it cool.

Note: if you like sweets, then you can experiment with the
amount of erythritol you put. You can also use stevia.


Pancakes:

1. 2 tbsp garbanzo & fava flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
2. 2 tbsp quinoa flour
3. 1 tbsp organic coconut flour
4. 1 scoop of protein powder, any flavor you prefer
(I used natural unflavoured protein, as I don't have a sweet tooth)
5. 1 tsp. ground flax seeds (or you could use chia or combination of these two)
6. 1 heaping tbsp. psyllium husk
7. 1/3 tsp of baking powder or soda (I use aluminum-free)
8. ½ tsp cinnamon (I use Saigon Cassia)
9. A pinch of natural unprocessed sea salt
10. ¼ cap of egg-whites
11. ¼ cup of plain yogurt (I used organic kefir, as it is thinner than other yogurts)
12. ¼ cup of water

Note: I didn't use any erythritol in the batter, as I don't need it
to be sweet; however, feel free to add erythritol, xylitol, or
stevia to your taste.

Directions:

- Mix all the ingredients together. Ensure that there are no clumps.
You could use a hand mixer or any other blender of your choice.
The mixture should not be thick...you should be able to actually
pour it easily, however, it should not be as thin as milk either.

- In a non-stick frying pan melt a bit of organic virgin coconut oil
over medium heat.

- With a big spoon or a scoop pour the pancake mixture onto
the frying pan and cook your pancake till it's golden, and then
flip it on the other side. I cover the pan with a lid. It makes 6
regular size pancakes.

- Put fat-free Greek yogurt on top of your pancakes, pure
fresh blueberry jam on top, and enjoy!


Notes:

(1) If you are on a low-carb diet (such as Phase 1 of Nick's
"Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss" program), replace both
garbanzo & fava and quinoa flours with coconut and almond
flour (or any other nut flour of your choice). Even though
blueberries have carbs, a quarter cup of them won't
have a big impact, as they are very low-glycemic.

(2) If you doing a very low-fat diet (such as Phase 3 of Nick's
"Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss" program), replace coconut
flour with the other two. You should also skip the flax seeds, as
they contain fats. Also when you are going to cook the pancakes,
limit the amount of coconut oil you would use. If you have a good
quality non-stick frying pan, you really don't need a lot of oil;
just grease the frying pan evenly with a very thin layer of it.

* Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. It is almost as sweet as sugar
(70%), and it has no usable calories, so there is NO effect on blood
sugar level. However, the non-GMO kind is very hard to find. I'm
using NOW brand, and they guarantee that their erythritol is
non-GMO (at least it is stated so on their website). Natural non-
blend stevia (with no fillers) would be an excellent choice if
you can't find erythritol.

---

Enjoy the pancakes and definitely let me know if you like getting
these recipes! Elena's sent me more that I think you'll like, too.

And yeah, don't mind the shameless plugs for my Metabolic Surge
program ;). Elena's been through that program a number of times
and loves it...she uses it for getting ready for contests, for getting
lean while holding onto her hard-earned muscle mass.

She wanted me to make sure you knew that this recipe fits right into it!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"



P.S. If you know anybody else who might benefit from this
information, feel free to forward this email to them!