I recently put out a request for some guest bloggers. Sandi from flamidwyfe jumped right on it. She has an amazing story about her own personal journey. Take a look below and check out her blog at flamidwyfe.wordpress.com. Sandi, tell us about yourself.
I am a retired midwife now working full-time in the health and fitness industry. I lost 111 pounds from August 2011 to May 2012 on the Dukan diet, a low carb, low fat diet. I have kept the weight off for 7 months following the Paleo diet and feel great!
Wow! Tell us about your weight loss journey.
I was living in Abu Dhabi, UAE (near Dubai) and was unhappy with my weight. My friend Lucy and I were at the bookstore and she suggested the Dukan Diet. I bought the book and put it in my luggage to read while on vacationing in Florida the following week. I was home for my 30th high school reunion. A picture of me from behind sent me reeling! I could not believe how fat I was! On the flights home to Abu Dhabi I read the book, twice. It all clicked and I started the Dukan Diet August 20th. I stuck to the diet religiously and blogged daily about it to hold me accountable. It was quite a journey! In December I was introduced to the book Wheat Belly, by Dr. W. Davis and that brought everything about my health full circle. I lost a total 111 pounds in 8 months and I’ve kept it off for the last 7 months. I FEEL FANTASTIC!!!
You mentioned you had a little help in making this recipe.
I made the banana nut bread with Fiona, my 8 year old photographer. I delivered Fiona when she was born. Her mom had a home birth and was seeing another midwife, who couldn’t attend her delivery. A midwife colleague of mine was called to assist her and brought me along. I ended up not only doing the delivery, but also delivering her sister 2 years later and we’ve remained friends. I flew over to Abaco, Bahamas to visit them this week and we’ve been eating gluten free for the past 4 days!
Why did you make this gluten free?
I’m making it gluten free because I found that after eliminating wheat from my diet in August 2011, because of the Dukan diet, not intentionally, that I didn’t have migraines, vertigo, indigestion, sore knees and many other issues I had suffered from for years. After reaching my goal weight and after dozens of hours of research, I decided to lead a gluten free life. I weigh less now than I did in my senior year of high school (I just celebrated my 49th birthday last week) and I feel better, too! I run 5K 3 times a week, I do a cross-fit type program called DIRT 2 times a week and yoga 2 times a week. I never thought I’d ever use the word runner in reference to ME!
Thanks for the opportunity to share my story and my recipe on your blog 
Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread
This recipe is gluten, grain and dairy free!
Yields: About 24 muffins
1 cup coconut flour
1cup almond flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (any nuts will do)
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbs honey
4 eggs
1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the mashed bananas,
eggs, honey, and vanilla and mix well.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
Fill greased muffin tins, baking cups, mini-loaf pans or big loaf pans about 3/4 full. Bake muffins for 23-25 minutes and loaves for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool slightly and enjoy with a pat of almond butter, coconut oil or grass-fed butter. Mmmm.
