Welcome to the very first Press Pause, my name is Shirin and I hope this newsletter will motivate you to press pause and find joy amid the chaos.
If you wish to share what inspired you to take a break and how you pressed pause with our growing community (I am stoked that so many of you have already signed up, thank you from the bottom of my heart), please get in touch!
On the ??? day of q********e —I refuse to type the q-word or the l-word because today I am taking a break— I said I would bake the keto chocolate cookies (myself).
You may ask, why keto cookies instead of traditional ones? Well, the onset of the current global crisis is closely tied to my own incursion into the ketogenic lifestyle. By mid-February, you could find me holding Dr. Josh Axe’s book* in one hand and frantically googling abstruse medical terminology with the other. I now see that the rapidly deteriorating circumstances that led to the present situation hardly registered with me back then. I baked cookies and cooked large bowls of cauliflower purée in blissful tranquillity.
Some of the symptoms I was experiencing at the time alleviated, so I intensified my yoga practice, kept up with long walks and lived my best ketogenic life. My hopes for the keto to fix at least partially my broken body were high. I measured ketones on ketostix and counted macros, just like any cool L.A. gal would do. I imagined the glorious Malibu breeze caressing my skin and savoured the salty taste of freedom.
Right before my short-lived keto phase, I had consulted with a new health practitioner and for the very first time in years I knew with every bone in my body that I would fully heal. Once I lowered my carbohydrates intake and the ketosis began, the dense fog of sadness and frustration which had cast a long shadow on my winter lifted. See, after you’ve been sick for some time, it is easy to forget how the body feels in absence of pain.
A month into producing ketones, my body called a strike (as it so often does) and forced me to recalibrate once again. Although the keto diet did not work for me, I cherish all I’ve learnt and the numerous recipes I decided to hold on to because I particularly enjoyed preparing and eating them. As you probably know, the human brain operates in fascinating and unique ways: sounds, smells and taste have the power to conjure specific memories and emotions. I keep baking these cookies — unfortunately not as often as I’d like— because they remind me of how tasty hope and joy can be.
Here’s the recipe. you can stick to it or opt for a more traditional one or bake a cake instead. It doesn't matter. What’s important is that you make time to do something nice for yourself, something that perhaps can take you back to a time when you felt hopeful, happy even. and press pause.
Ketogenic Chocolate Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 egg white
30g peanut butter
20g almond flour (or can substitute up to 10g with coconut flour)
10g raw cacao
2g cream of tartar
10g dark chocolate
erythritol** (or sugar)
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 180C. Mix the egg white with the erythritol in a bowl. Add all other ingredients except for the dark chocolate to the mix. Leave dough to rest in fridge for 5 minutes. Place evenly spaced spoonfuls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut bits of dark chocolate and fold them through the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool and enjoy cold.
*I highly recommend reading it if you’re interested in learning about the keto diet or nutrition in general. The book is well researched (the bibliography includes plenty of academic papers) and is very nicely written.
**Erythritol is a low-calorie sweetener. It is an excellent alternative to sugar, especially for diabetic people as it does not raise blood sugar levels. I have not included a set amount as it depends on your personal taste. I’ve used about 20g of erythritol, but it would be ok for you to add up to 40g to the mix.
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I really enjoyed it was great and useful i try to bake and taste it