coconut lemon bars...with a story...

Coconut Lemon Bars

Dairy free, Gluten Free, Nut free

I've been slowly adjusting to an anti inflammatory diet the past month.  After my rheumatologist basically told me I was a totally insane person for trusting in anything natural, I was even more determined to walk further down the natural path....take that rheumy! Lol.

Its funny, I began with psoriatic arthritis at 19, other auto immune problems at 14, and I've been told by so many well meaning people along the way, to change my diet, add coconut oil, loose the dairy and wheat...I think I'd been disillusioned so many times by wacky and expensive cures, I started ignoring...plus, what would I eat to comfort myself during pain and illness? And, I was really ill wasn't I, blood tests positive, worried doctors, serious medications, surely people this diet worked for weren't really sick like me....  I sure wish I'd listened earlier...so much of what we are told by doctors we take as truth huh.... Amazingly, I don't need the comfort food, I'm busier doing things, learning, and feeling empowered.  I feel more satisfied with food that is healing me instead of adding to my inflammatory immune response...

So, my synovial swelling has been intense, present and progressing and damaging joints for three years now since stopping the chemo cocktails. I will never go back to that way of life, they may have kept damage at bay, but made my life an all round hellish experience, and ironically, my entire pain levels more extreme, so, having accepted the lesser of two evils, sigh, willingly, I never said I'd lost my fight:-) Anti inflammatory diet....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/inflammatory-foods-worst-inflammation_n_2838643.html

Within a month, my swelling has halved....I'm in tears of joy seeing creases in my fingers again, my stomach feels so good, its like I've unbloated and didn't know I was bloated, I'm not talking weight, even though I have lost weight, I'm talking inner slim, I can't help patting my stomach area it feels different, and like I'm standing taller or something too...my face is less puffy...

Energy, I have so much more!!!  Its incredible!  I have so much healing to do, a lot of years have gone in to the damage done, but I honestly didn't expect this sort of result...  Anyone who knows me, knows I'm about the full mind body spirit connection, its a lot of work, any of this sort of thing is, taking charge, responsibility for your own health, seems like a lot at first, but trust me, you feel so good, its worth every second, and you have more time to do more things, you aren't wasting time looking after yourself, its worth it, I realised I was worth it and you who are reading this, are worth it too :-)

So, after a month, I'm feeling a bit like something sweet!  I made this up today....its super yum!  I dare you to stop at a slice:-)

Ingredients for crust
2 1/2 TBS coconut oil
1 1/2 TBS rice malt syrup
1/2 cup gluten free flour, mine consists of maize, tapioca, and rice flours.
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 egg white
Pinch salt

Melt coconut oil over low heat in the stove.
Add rest of ingredients, except egg white, and mix well remove from heat.
Add egg white, stir well.
Press into a 9×9 inch baking pan lined with baking paper and give several stabs with a fork.
Bake at 180 C for 10 mins or until you see it browning a little, remove from oven.

Ingredients for filling
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2 TBS rice malt syrup
2 TBS honey
2 TBS Stevia granules
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 TBS lemon zest
3 TBS dessicated coconut
1 TBS gluten free flour

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and yolks until frothy, add rest of ingredients and whisk for another 2 or more minutes, you will need to use a spatula to help mix the sticky sugars from the base of the bowl.
Pour over crust base.
Bake at 180C for 15-20 mins, you will see it firm up and the sides begin to brown, its done:-)  My middle raised and cracked a bit, but the rest was smooth and lovely.

Let it cool....you won't though, so make sure you have another piece when its cool:-)

I had high doubts when putting this together, I'm really pleasantly surprised :-)  its not overpoweringly sweet and since I'm a type 1 diabetic, it doesn't make my blood sugar rise drastically, so doesn't make me feel tired and gross like other sweets do. There is no dairy, or wheat, or gluten, and only complex sugars.  Wonderful!

Credit.....
These are the recipes I adjusted mine from :-) thank you ladies :-)

http://flaxandhoney.com/2013/02/25/lemon-bars-grain-gluten-dairy-sugar-free-paleo/

http://www.againstallgrain.com/2013/05/10/luscious-lemon-bars-nut-free/