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.
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Looks delicious and healthier too since gluten free – a definite plus!
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There is a whole spectrum of being gluten intolerant, from the very severe Celiac or wheat allergy to mild gluten sensitivity where the symptoms are masked by something else, like migraines or weight gain. I’m on that spectrum myself, and I did a lot of alternative testing to justify it, the end result, I’ve been of gluten for several yrs and generally feel beter w/o it. Great recipe 🙂 and an incredible weight loss!
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Thanks! I am so glad that I realized how great I feel when I don’t eat gluten!
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Reblogged this on Flamidwyfe's Blog and commented:
A big thanks to The Ranting Chef for sharing my Gluten Free Banana Nut recipe! Please go check out his blog! Yesterday he had a breakfast pasta carbonara! Mmmmm!
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Reblogged this on Food Glorious Food and commented:
I have never had the need to think or cook Gluten Free food. Just recently someone asked me if i could make some gluten free sausages for their mother and if i could cook one of my lovely cakes. I simply haven’t got the time to adapt or practice but i came across ‘The Ranting Chef’ and a recipe for banana nut bread that sound delicious and i am hoping to give it a try, you might like to do the same.
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Although I am thin I have also gone gluten free due to a corn allergy. I have found that by doing both the gluten free and paying attention to what goes in my mouth with the extensive list on the corn allergy diet that my migraines have also decreased. It has been wonderful. Thank you for your recipe.
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Thanks for the inspirational story and recipie. The photos look good enough to eat,
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My sister learned just a few months ago that she is gluten intolerant. While it explained a lot of things for her, she was also quite upset, thinking about all the things she enjoys, and how hard it would be to modify them for her dietary needs. I will have to share this with her. 🙂
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I messed up mixing the wet and then the dry. This made my dry…. But they still taste good… I made them in mini pans and have 4 mini’s in a snack bag, a great take along. Enough sweet taste to fix those cravings!
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