Love Pumpkin, but can't tolerate dairy? Solution: Pumpkin Spice Creamer (non-dairy)

I love the fall and living in south Florida, I have had to learn to create that fall feeling through scent and sight, rather than temperature.  I have a crush on anything pumpkin and after seeing this recipe for pumpkin creamer, I had to see if I could make it, just as tasty, without the dairy!

I try to stay away from dairy because of the mucus it creates in the body that can show up as all sorts of symptoms, so I wanted to try making this pumpkin creamer with almond milk instead of milk and cream.  I also like to eat foods that are more whole and not processed, so I sweetened with agave nectar, but if you want to cut those calories down and are a spenda lover, go ahead and use that to taste, instead.  

This blog normally does not post recipes, but rather ideas on how to overcome irrational food cravings.  After I made this non-dairy creamer however, I figured it was totally blog worthy. I hope you enjoy... and happy fall!  

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer 

(Non-Dairy and Natural)

2 cups Almond Milk (vanilla sweetened)

4 tablespoons organic pumpkin puree 

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Allspice

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

3 tablespoons Maple Syrup 

Whisk almond milk, pumpkin, agave nectar, syrup, and spices together over medium heat.  When it gets steamy remove from heat. Use a strainer to transfer the cream into a mason jar.  Let it cool down and chill it the refrigerator. 

Weight Watchers points: 

2 points per 1/3 cup

Staying Balanced on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, a day of family, food, football, gratitude, and an abundance of calories! The average Thanksgiving meal can add up to 3-4,000 calories, in one sitting. This means a 160 lb. person would have to run at a moderate pace for 4 hours, swim for 5 hours, or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal. 

Is the availability of the food, the higher-calorie and fattening food at meals, desserts, chocolates, sweets, anything pumpkin, pies, cookies, etc., a challenge for you?  If so, you are not alone.  Here are some simple tips to help you create a day you would like to remember. 

PRE-THANKSGIVING PREP (morning of) 

• Get your Body ready: commit to move your body for at least 30 minutes that morning.
• Get your Emotions ready:  before you get going, open up your journal and write about what you are feeling/ or thinking about.  Next, answer the question what would your ideal Thanksgiving look and/or feel like? 
• Get your Mind ready: simple. Set your thinking onto WHAT YOU WANT.
• Get your Spirit ready: sit with yourself in silence and take 10 deep breaths; breathing in positive energy and exhaling anything you don't want. 

CALORIC EDUCATION ON THE THANKSGIVING MEAL

Food	Serving Size	Actual Size	Calories	Fat	Weight Watchers Points
Turkey	6 ounces	Size & thickness of your hand	250	6	5
Mashed Potatoes	1 cup	Your fist	400	20	10
Candied Sweet Potatoes	1 cup	Your fist	300	9	11
Stuffing	1 cup	Your fist	400	14	10
Green Bean Casserole	1 cup	Your fist	300	15	6
Cranbury Sauce	½ cup	½ your fist	190	1	6
Cream Gravy	¼ cup	3 second pour	50	4	4
Pie (pumpkin)	1/8 of pie	Of a 9 inch diameter pie	315	14	11
TOTAL=			2,205	83	63

-being a little more conscious with your meal can save you thousands of calories

DURING THANKSGIVING 

• Glance at all the appetizers before you choose anything to eat, be mindful, present, and scan all the foods 
• Choose to only eat the foods you LOVE. 
• If applicable: bring a veggie tray 
• Pick one appetizer, have one serving, put it on a plate and sit down to enjoy it. 
• Sit down to eat everything! 
• Chew every bite, at least, 20 times, and really taste it! 
• Bring a water bottle and try to drink water to stay hydrated 
• Look at your plate as having three sections, one for meat (no larger than your hand), one for a carbohydrate (no larger than your fist), and the rest is for veggies. 
• Serve yourself proportionally and say “NO” to seconds! 
• Select one dessert to eat, chew slowly, and enjoy every bite! 
• If you try something you don’t LOVE—don’t eat the rest. 
• Stick to a 2-3 alcoholic drink maximum. 
• Choose low calorie drinks.
• Choose veggies over crackers.
• Socialize away from the food.

 Remember, Thanksgiving can be more than the food.  Think about your intentions for the day, detach from the food so you can actually enjoy it, and spend your time thinking about all you have to be grateful this year!  Happy Thanksgiving from LSS Harmony. 

Gummy Cravings

Gummy Bears and sushi don’t typically fall into the same category. But when it comes to cravings, they do. From the holistic perspective, sticky, gummy, and chewy foods can show us that we may be feeling a inner lack of self-security.  Being secure within is one of the most fulfilling feelings humans can have and when this inner place is in a state of lack, it makes sense that we would try to fill it up with food. 

GUMMY CRAVINGS 

Craving sort of gummy and sticky foods possibly means you feel insecure and apprehensive. It’s a sign that you need to recognize you are unique and have a distinctive purpose in life that only you can fulfill.  You and I and every person here came to this earth with a purpose and our stay will only be for a short time.  When you narrow it all down, you are unique, all you have to do is allow this to register.  There is no one like you here right now.  Notice all the ways you are unique and allow them out.  Stop trying to fit into an outer society and instead make the choice to fit into your unique and wonderful self. 

All these textures are not concrete answers, but rather a guide that can point you in a direction that you may not have seen before.  It is still up to you to do the work and find your inner truth. Take a deeper look, if it is gummy candy that you are craving, or sushi, look at what the food represents to you and try to find more abstract answers.  Go with your first thought, it is probably the best. 

Other Textures:

SWEET CRAVINGS

Sweet cravings, like the desire for chocolate or donuts could be an indication that you are feeling insecure or tired. Yes, the sugar can make you temporarily feel good, but the crash that follows shows it’s not a satisfying fix. In this instance you may truly need to be nurtured and get true rest. An example of feeling nurtured could be: cuddling up with a blanket, turning on some soft music and reading a book. Or a rejuvenating solution to achieve true rest could be meditating or taking a nap. The the goal is to begin practicing those new things when the craving surfaces instead of just impulsively acting on the craving. 

SALTY CRAVINGS

Salty cravings like chips or pretzels may be a sign that you feel tension and anxiety. When you're in an anxious--negative emotional, mental and spiritual state you are probably going to experience a disconnection from feeling good. It is not necessarily a physiological “lack of salt” but rather a craving for salty foods to subdue the tense and anxious feelings. While the salty snack may seem satisfying at the moment, you’ll never truly be satisfied because the basic need may be to truly relax & feel satisfaction. 

CRUNCHY CRAVINGS

Crunchy cravings like having a biscotti or overeating on nuts can hint to an inner frustration & irritation. Crunchy foods help you act out your temporary emotional and mental release of frustration. The act of chewing and cracking the food in your mouth can momentarily release the feeling of frustration, but the problem is that the second that the crunching stops—the frustration returns, which is why people go back to eat more and more. Instead, crunchy cravings can be information that you are looking for self-fulfillment, approval, and pleasure. Self-fulfillment could be anything that individually fills you up, I have heard people say painting a picture, doing their nails, or walking on the beach is fulfilling. The goal is to find what fulfills you and then practice that instead of running to food. 

CREAMY CRAVINGS

Creamy cravings like ice cream, puddings, custards, or even mashed potatoes have something in common besides milk. Creamy foods are comforting because it returns us to our primal action of sucking and that makes us feel comforted and soothed. Craving these foods could possibly point to an inner discomfort with uncomfortable feelings & worrisome thoughts, which is the inner disruption going on inside (discomfort and/or worry) but not the need. The need is to comfort and sooth those thoughts and feelings by finding what soothes you. Some examples might be to take a bath, give yourself a foot massage, or wear comfortable soft cozy clothing.

LIQUID CRAVINGS

Liquid cravings, like coffee and soda, are filled with caffeine and sugar, or even artificially sweetened, and could actually be a signal that you may feel discouraged, tired, or dissatisfied with your job. This points to the inner lack we may feel that these beverages are drowning, but what we need is to find inspiration, take time to truly rest, hydrate with plenty of water, and rejuvenate yourself by connecting to your purpose.

GREASY CRAVINGS

A person who is craving greasy foods could be in a space of lacking self-certainty and needs something to fulfill them.  The solution is to connect with your spiritual self and find something that brings personal fulfillment. Filling up on the inside is a very unique experience, but if you look back to your childhood you will find answers.  What did you do for fun as a child: draw, climb trees, sports?  No, I’m not saying climb a tree now, (you can if you’d like) but look back and see what you loved about climbing the tree, was it being up high and hearing the wind blow—voila—there is your answer!  Find a safe place high up, where you can “be” and hear the wind blow.  

MOIST CRAVINGS
Moist cravings, like pasta and cake, could be a clue that you  are experiencing subconscious self-doubt, feel drained in your life, and need to let loose and have fun.  Instead of running to the olive garden or cheesecake factory, try to connect to something that makes you feel confident in your life; whether that is painting, hiking, or holding a baby.  Next, do an inventory of how much fun you are currently having and double your engagement in fun activities.  Clear your schedule and go to the beach/ lake/ mountain with yourself or friends and explore,  don’t bring a watch, don’t be on a schedule, just get into the day and allow your inner self to tell you where and when you are ready to go.  

 If you need help finding these deeper answers, contact Sophie at LSS Harmony for a free thirty minute phone session!  info@lssharmony.com

Moist Cravings

As we go into more depth about the textures of food cravings you can begin to get a more detailed look at what might be going on behind your food cravings.  For instance, if you are craving pasta, like fettuccini alfredo: the texture is moist, salty, and creamy, therefore you can look at all these different meanings and see if there is a combination of feelings going on inside of you. 

All these textures are not concrete answers, but rather a guide that can point you in a direction that you may not have seen before.  It is still up to you to do the work and find your inner truth. Take a deeper look, if it is moist cake that you are craving, look at what cake represents and the association you make with cake.  It is usually eaten at a celebration and when you have too much going on in your life, the second that celebration starts you may not want it to end, so you overeat. Or moist pasta, take a look at the association you make with this food.  Was it a family tradition to have pasta on Sundays which has become a ritual or think about what pasta makes you think or feel?   Try to engage yourself and begin asking different questions. 

MOIST CRAVINGS

Moist cravings, like pasta and cake, could be a clue that you  are experiencing subconscious self-doubt, feel drained in your life, and need to let loose and have fun.  Instead of running to the olive garden or cheesecake factory, try to connect to something that makes you feel confident in your life; whether that is painting, hiking, or holding a baby.  Next, do an inventory of how much fun you are currently having and double your engagement in fun activities.  Clear your schedule and go to the beach/ lake/ mountain with yourself or friends and explore,  don’t bring a watch, don’t be on a schedule, just get into the day and allow your inner self to tell you where and when you are ready to go.  

Life is all about living and when the demands of life become more than the energy we have we will feel a lack.  Put your life into perspective.  If you are having overwhelming food cravings it is probably an indication that you are imbalanced  overworked, under recognized, and quite simply just need a break.  Instead of making food the reason to take a break, honor yourself by recognizing what the lack is, and then fulfilling the lack with an applicable action.  

Other Textures:

SWEET CRAVINGS

Sweet cravings, like the desire for chocolate or donuts could be an indication that you are feeling insecure or tired. Yes, the sugar can make you temporarily feel good, but the crash that follows shows it’s not a satisfying fix. In this instance you may truly need to be nurtured and get true rest. An example of feeling nurtured could be: cuddling up with a blanket, turning on some soft music and reading a book. Or a rejuvenating solution to achieve true rest could be meditating or taking a nap. The the goal is to begin practicing those new things when the craving surfaces instead of just impulsively acting on the craving. 

SALTY CRAVINGS

Salty cravings like chips or pretzels may be a sign that you feel tension and anxiety. When you're in an anxious--negative emotional, mental and spiritual state you are probably going to experience a disconnection from feeling good. It is not necessarily a physiological “lack of salt” but rather a craving for salty foods to subdue the tense and anxious feelings. While the salty snack may seem satisfying at the moment, you’ll never truly be satisfied because the basic need may be to truly relax & feel satisfaction. 

CRUNCHY CRAVINGS

Crunchy cravings like having a biscotti or overeating on nuts can hint to an inner frustration & irritation. Crunchy foods help you act out your temporary emotional and mental release of frustration. The act of chewing and cracking the food in your mouth can momentarily release the feeling of frustration, but the problem is that the second that the crunching stops—the frustration returns, which is why people go back to eat more and more. Instead, crunchy cravings can be information that you are looking for self-fulfillment, approval, and pleasure. Self-fulfillment could be anything that individually fills you up, I have heard people say painting a picture, doing their nails, or walking on the beach is fulfilling. The goal is to find what fulfills you and then practice that instead of running to food. 

CREAMY CRAVINGS

Creamy cravings like ice cream, puddings, custards, or even mashed potatoes have something in common besides milk. Creamy foods are comforting because it returns us to our primal action of sucking and that makes us feel comforted and soothed. Craving these foods could possibly point to an inner discomfort with uncomfortable feelings & worrisome thoughts, which is the inner disruption going on inside (discomfort and/or worry) but not the need. The need is to comfort and sooth those thoughts and feelings by finding what soothes you. Some examples might be to take a bath, give yourself a foot massage, or wear comfortable soft cozy clothing.

LIQUID CRAVINGS

Liquid cravings, like coffee and soda, are filled with caffeine and sugar, or even artificially sweetened, and could actually be a signal that you may feel discouraged, tired, or dissatisfied with your job. This points to the inner lack we may feel that these beverages are drowning, but what we need is to find inspiration, take time to truly rest, hydrate with plenty of water, and rejuvenate yourself by connecting to your purpose.

GREASY CRAVINGS

A person who is craving greasy foods could be in a space of lacking self-certainty and needs something to fulfill them.  The solution is to connect with your spiritual self and find something that brings personal fulfillment. Filling up on the inside is a very unique experience, but if you look back to your childhood you will find answers.  What did you do for fun as a child: draw, climb trees, sports?  No, I’m not saying climb a tree now, (you can if you’d like) but look back and see what you loved about climbing the tree, was it being up high and hearing the wind blow—voila—there is your answer!  Find a safe place high up, where you can “be” and hear the wind blow.  

 If you need help finding these deeper answers, contact Sophie at LSS Harmony for a free thirty minute phone session!  info@lssharmony.com

Greasy Cravings

We have inner needs that are not being addressed due to busy lives, over stimulation, lack of self-development knowledge, and so many daily responsibilities, problems, conflicts,  and tasks coming at us. When we look at food cravings from the holistic perspective, we can find answers that can help us get more in touch and aware of what is going on within.  When we check in on the inside of our body, emotions, mind and spirit, we can get great information on what our inner needs are truly craving and then stop the reaction of overeating. Food cravings are not the problem, but rather a doorbell inviting you to open up to new information.  Next time you have a GREASY food craving, stop and take a deeper look for what you really may desire. 

GREASY CRAVINGS

If you find yourself ordering a burger and fries way too often, you could be feeling empty inside – and we are not talking about your belly. A person who is craving greasy foods could be in a space of lacking self-certainty and needs something to fulfill them.  The solution is to connect with your spiritual self and find something that brings personal fulfillment. 

Filling up on the inside is a very unique experience, but if you look back to your childhood you will find answers.  What did you do for fun as a child: draw, climb trees, sports?  No, I’m not saying climb a tree now, (you can if you’d like) but look back and see what you loved about climbing the tree, was it being up high and hearing the wind blow—voila—there is your answer!  Find a safe place high up, where you can “be” and hear the wind blow.  Just begin to look a little deeper into what is truly missing and then give that to yourself. If you need help finding these deeper answers, contact Sophie at LSS Harmony for a free thirty minute phone session!  info@lssharmony.com

When you become aware of what is happening on the inside, like feeling empty, you can tell what you are truly "craving" and then do something about it that will actually address the problem.   

Other Textures:

SWEET CRAVINGS

Sweet cravings, like the desire for chocolate or donuts could be an indication that you are feeling insecure or tired. Yes, the sugar can make you temporarily feel good, but the crash that follows shows it’s not a satisfying fix. In this instance you may truly need to be nurtured and get true rest. An example of feeling nurtured could be: cuddling up with a blanket, turning on some soft music and reading a book. Or a rejuvenating solution to achieve true rest could be meditating or taking a nap. The the goal is to begin practicing those new things when the craving surfaces instead of just impulsively acting on the craving. 

SALTY CRAVINGS

Salty cravings like chips or pretzels may be a sign that you feel tension and anxiety. When you're in an anxious--negative emotional, mental and spiritual state you are probably going to experience a disconnection from feeling good. It is not necessarily a physiological “lack of salt” but rather a craving for salty foods to subdue the tense and anxious feelings. While the salty snack may seem satisfying at the moment, you’ll never truly be satisfied because the basic need may be to truly relax & feel satisfaction. 

CRUNCHY CRAVINGS

Crunchy cravings like having a biscotti or overeating on nuts can hint to an inner frustration & irritation. Crunchy foods help you act out your temporary emotional and mental release of frustration. The act of chewing and cracking the food in your mouth can momentarily release the feeling of frustration, but the problem is that the second that the crunching stops—the frustration returns, which is why people go back to eat more and more. Instead, crunchy cravings can be information that you are looking for self-fulfillment, approval, and pleasure. Self-fulfillment could be anything that individually fills you up, I have heard people say painting a picture, doing their nails, or walking on the beach is fulfilling. The goal is to find what fulfills you and then practice that instead of running to food. 

CREAMY CRAVINGS

Creamy cravings like ice cream, puddings, custards, or even mashed potatoes have something in common besides milk. Creamy foods are comforting because it returns us to our primal action of sucking and that makes us feel comforted and soothed. Craving these foods could possibly point to an inner discomfort with uncomfortable feelings & worrisome thoughts, which is the inner disruption going on inside (discomfort and/or worry) but not the need. The need is to comfort and sooth those thoughts and feelings by finding what soothes you. Some examples might be to take a bath, give yourself a foot massage, or wear comfortable soft cozy clothing.

LIQUID CRAVINGS

Liquid cravings, like coffee and soda, are filled with caffeine and sugar, or even artificially sweetened, and could actually be a signal that you may feel discouraged, tired, or dissatisfied with your job. This points to the inner lack we may feel that these beverages are drowning, but what we need is to find inspiration, take time to truly rest, hydrate with plenty of water, and rejuvenate yourself by connecting to your purpose.

Liquid Cravings

Have you ever been going about your day and all of the sudden you need an immediate pick me up to get through the rest of  your day.  In most cases, this can be an innocent caffeine craving, simply to get more energy.  But how about those times where you NEED it, the "it" is so specific, you have to have it now, and cannot function without it. Food or drink is not the problem,  and most compulsive food cravings can be an indication that something within you is out of balance. Rather than acting on the cravings you can look into a different direction and see what your LIQUID food cravings could be trying to tell you. 

LIQUID CRAVINGS

Liquid cravings, like coffee and soda, are filled with caffeine and sugar, or even artificially sweetened,  and could actually be a signal that you may feel discouraged, tired, or dissatisfied with your job.  This points to the inner lack we may feel that these beverages are drowning, but what we need is to find inspiration, take time to truly rest, hydrate with plenty of water, and rejuvenate yourself by connecting to your purpose.  

I had a client that lost her daughter and subsequently developed an addiction to Coca-Cola in the can (yes, that specific), after much inner healing we discovered that Coca-Cola reminded her of her daughter: the can was little, red and tasted sweet, which is what she felt when she was around her daughter.  Now that she was gone she unconsciously craved that feeling, therefore she drank a coke (repeatedly). Once we began to look into her association with how coca-cola made her feel, we began to see the huge (physical, mental, spiritual and emotional) gap that she had in her life. After much grieving and processing, she was  then ready for something new in her life that Coca-Cola couldn't fulfill.  So she began her conquest of figuring out this next stage of her life with herself.  She looked for things that inspired her, took relaxation courses, drank plenty of water and started to ask:  how can I give back, while I am still here?  She found her way and consequently found a more fulfilling life. 

Your purpose has to do with beginning an inner quest of connecting spiritually within. I can’t tell you what your purpose is, no one can.  It’s a complicated journey that only you have the power to fulfill.  Begin asking that question and getting quiet enough to hear the answer.  Begin to work with a Life Coach or mentor who can help you discover your purpose.   On the other hand, if you are thirsty—drink water, not caffeinated dark colored beverages. If that is what you are grabbing for to quench a thirst, that’s an indication that you need to retrain yourself to drink more water, half your body weight in ounces.  

Other Textures:

SWEET CRAVINGS

Sweet cravings, like the desire for chocolate or donuts could be an indication that you are feeling insecure or tired.  Yes, the sugar can make you temporarily feel good, but the crash that follows shows it’s not a satisfying fix.  In this instance you may truly need to be nurtured and get true rest.  An example of feeling nurtured could be: cuddling up with a blanket, turning on some soft music and reading a book.  Or a rejuvenating solution to achieve true rest could be meditating or taking a nap.  The the goal is to begin practicing those new things when the craving surfaces instead of just impulsively acting on the craving. 

SALTY CRAVINGS

Salty cravings like chips or pretzels may be a sign that you feel tension and anxiety.  When you're in an anxious--negative emotional, mental and spiritual state you are probably going to experience a disconnection from feeling good.  It is not necessarily a physiological “lack of salt” but rather a craving for salty foods to subdue the tense and anxious feelings.  While the salty snack may seem satisfying at the moment, you’ll never truly be satisfied because the basic need may be to truly relax & feel satisfaction.  

CRUNCHY CRAVINGS

Crunchy cravings like having a biscotti or overeating on nuts can hint to an inner frustration & irritation.  Crunchy foods help you act out your temporary emotional and mental release of frustration.  The act of chewing and cracking the food in your mouth can momentarily release the feeling of frustration, but the problem is that the second that the crunching stops—the frustration returns, which is why people go back to eat more and more.  Instead, crunchy cravings can be information that you are looking for self-fulfillment, approval, and pleasure.  Self-fulfillment could be anything that individually fills you up, I have heard people say painting a picture, doing their nails, or walking on the beach is fulfilling.  The goal is to find what fulfills you and then practice that instead of running to food. 

CREAMY CRAVINGS

Creamy cravings like ice cream, puddings, custards, or even mashed potatoes have something in common besides milk.  Creamy foods are comforting because it returns us to our primal action of sucking and that makes us feel comforted and soothed. Craving these foods could possibly point to an inner discomfort with uncomfortable feelings & worrisome thoughts, which is the inner disruption going on inside (discomfort and/or worry) but not the need. The need is to comfort and sooth those thoughts and feelings by finding what soothes you.  Some examples might be to take a bath, give yourself a foot massage, or wear comfortable soft cozy clothing.