Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!

Now I want you to know something…

You can absolutely, positively still enjoy classic holiday dishes without the guilt (or the inflammation).

This was actually a big worry that my client, Janelle, had when she started in The Clear Skin Solution. It was the holiday season and she was super worried she wouldn’t be able to eat all the delicious foods.

I calmed her nerves quickly and assured her, eating health through the holidays is totally possible. I referred her to some of the recipes below and to her surprised not only did she love them but her family did, too. That was a huge win for her because it showed them (and her) that choosing healthier options was actually enjoyable.

She was able to indulge over the holidays without worrying about how her skin would look the following day.

For Janelle, I explained to her one of the big reasons why we want to avoid traditional ingredients like gluten, dairy and sugar when dealing with acne is because of inflammation. Which are all key components to pecan pie ( or any pie for that matter).

Inflammation Causes Acne

Inflammation is a natural response in the body to an injury or infection. This call acute inflammation and it’s a good thing.

The bad kind of inflammation is one that occurs chronically. When chronic inflammation pops up, that immune system of yours goes into overdrive. It super sensitive and reacts to everything as the end of the world — even if it’s not a true threat (like specific foods).

Another thing it overreacts to is…acne. It responds to the acne infection as if it were a life or death situation. Red, angry and inflamed pimples pop up in response.

Inflammation is a result of foods that are inflammatory to the body — like the gluten, dairy, sugar and corn syrup traditionally used in pecan pie. Another contributor to inflammation is poor gut health.

When your gut lining gets damaged by those same inflammatory foods (as well as stress and prescriptions), it starts to “leak” undigested food into the body and causes your body to…wait for it…responds like it was an intruder and triggers inflammation. 

That’s why I have Janelle (and all my other acne clients), remove inflammatory foods while we’re working therapeutically to get rid of their acne.

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

I made this paleo pecan pie free of gluten, grains, dairy, refined sugar and corn syrup. In place of those ingredients, I used coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar (not the same as white sugar), and pure Canadian maple syrup.

And if you’re looking for other recipes free from those same foods (that’s still super delicious), I’ve pulled together a few around the KSW blog.

• Classic Grain-Free Stuffing
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts
• Herbed Low Carb Bread
• Easy Butternut Squash Soup
• Turkey Gravy
• Homemade Bone Broth (to make with leftover turkey bones)
• Hot Holiday Punch
• Easy Paleo Pumpkin Pie (made with the same crust as the pecan)
• Cinnamon-Baked Apples

Paleo Pecan Pie

Healthy version of a classic pecan pie.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 pie

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1/8 tsp unrefined salt
• For the filling:
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
• 3 eggs whisked
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecan pieces

Instructions

For the crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Grease an 8” pie plate with coconut oil.
• Combine all the ingredients with a pastry blender (or just use your hands).
• Press the dough down into the pie plate.
• Pierce the flattened dough with a fork several times to prevent bubbling.
• Pre-bake uncovered in the oven for 5 minutes.

For the filling:

• Combine the coconut sugar, maple syrup and eggs together.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
• Pour into partially baked pie crust.
• Bake covered with aluminum foil for 35 minutes or until filling has cooked through. If you’d like golden brown crusts, remove foil for last 2-5 minutes of cooking.
• Serve.