This post originally appeared on Bev's Eye View on May 31, 2017. 

What does it mean to be healthy?
This question seems at once difficult to answer, yet as easy as saying ‘just eat right and exercise’. Is dieting healthy? Juicing? Fasting? Working out once a week or once a day? Knowing how to measure health inside and out can be a challenge. 

People often ask us if Everyday Allergen-Free is a “healthy” site. Despite seeing recipes for banana bread and cookies, it’s still assumed that because our recipes are free from common allergens they must therefore be healthy. Our primary focus is food that is safe. Meaning it’s free from common allergens that can cause severe reactions such as anaphylaxis. Because of how we like to eat and the types of food we value, we promote real food. And of course, we would never share a recipe that we didn’t think was 100% tasty. 

To us, real foods are whole foods; fruits, veggies, proteins, grains. We shy away from packaged foods unless they are produced from whole foods. Enjoy Life Foods’ products are non-GMO and not filled with food colouring, so to us they tick off all the boxes – safe, real, tasty. Jo and I were both raised in food-centric households. Eating was never just about convenience, it was always done with intent. I grew up in a household where the end of summer meant jarring bushels of tomatoes, pickling eggplant, green tomatoes, and hot peppers for days. If I wanted a snack at my grandparents’ house they’d send me out into the back garden with a basket to pluck some sweet cherry tomatoes off the vine. 

My appreciation for food started early and is strongly reflected in how we present recipes and meal suggestions on EAF. We don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a treat every now and then, and we’re not really into getting hung up on our weight. At times my feelings of comfort with food were challenged. After having anaphylactic reactions, for example, I was often so anxious I couldn’t eat without having a panic attack and resorted to eating only greens and potatoes until I was ready, mentally, to branch out. At that point, I was walking nearly 10 km per day, but I always felt tired, sallow, and malnourished. Now I exercise way less and eat regularly throughout the day and am always full of energy. Your mental state can affect your physical health in a very real way. 

So, for us at EAF maybe being in good health means to be constantly striving for it; working to attain a balance between nourishment, activity, and satisfaction.
Here are two real food recipes for you to try at home

Chocolate Banana Shake
Ingredients
1 frozen banana, peeled
3 tbsp pure cocoa powder
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
a pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut milk

Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until creamy and smooth. Serve cold

Mango Blender Sorbet
Ingredients
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1/3 cup coconut milk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil

Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until it’s nice and thick and all the clumps have been broken up. Serve immediately for the best texture!