Let’s welcome the new year with cashew and goji berry superfood energy bites for glowing skin!

I realize we’re three weeks into 2019 now, but in my books, it’s definitely still ‘new year’ territory. Still plenty of time to settle into 2019 and get a feel for what kind of year it will be. The new year is an exciting time. It often has a unique energy. You might be spending time in contemplation (pondering, for example, about how you want to feel in the year ahead or what power word you’d like to guide you through the year), or you might be jumping in to your new year with your goals and ambitions already clear.

I have lots of exciting things planned for Eat Well, Live Vibrantly in 2019. You can look forward to more blog posts on achieving clear, glowing skin (like this one!) as well as posts on PMS, balancing hormones, healthy libido, eating for introverts (yes, I’m excited about that one!), and mental wellness.  As always, the information here will be rooted in holistic nutrition and living principles: nutrient-dense, whole foods, healthy movement, and attending to mind and spirit. And of course, it will continue to incorporate MY principles too – natural beauty, increasing pleasure in life, focusing on joy, appreciating nature and poetry and the delights of our animal companions, enjoying the journey to good health, and eating chocolate. That’s what vibrant living is all about.

But for now, let’s start the new year with some easy, joyful eating in the form of cashew and goji berry energy bites for glowing skin. These energy bites have lots of protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants/vitamin A/glow power from the goji berries. They are a lovely way to start incorporating nutrient-dense foods into your daily routine, or to mix it up a bit if you’re feeling like you need a fresh recipe.

Goji berries are a kind of wonder. They are from the nightshade family, so if you have arthritis or other inflammatory joint condition, they might not be for you. Otherwise, goji berries are rich in Vitamin A (hence the bright red colour!) and antioxidants, high in iron, not overly sweet like some dried fruit, and great for your skin (on the outside) and mucous membranes (on the inside). We like our mucous membranes. We forget about them all the time, but it’s in our best interests to keep them happy.

Cashews add protein to these energy bites, and balance out the unique flavour of the goji berries. They also offer healthy fats, along with the chia seeds, shredded coconut, and coconut oil – and healthy fats are so important not just for skin health, but for a healthy glow. The almond butter adds Vitamin E, a skin-protective antioxidant. Together, the combination of fats, protein, and fibre helps stabilize blood sugar (blood sugar imbalances are a contributing factor to acne struggles) and reduce inflammation (whole, plant-based foods are important for this).

All in all, this recipe offers an interesting little snack combination full of nutrient-dense foods to support your mood, hormones, and yes, help with glowing, healthy skin.

Cashew and Goji Berry Superfood Energy Bites for Glowing Skin

• Author: Eat Well, Live Vibrantly
• Recipes Notes: plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, naturally-sweetened, source of protein, fibre, and healthy fats

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut butter) – drippy is helpful here
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (but not hot)
• 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• 1/3 cup dark mini chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup goji berries

Instructions:

1. Under a broiler, lightly toast coconut and cashews, watching closely to make sure the coconut doesn’t burn (because it will in like, 2 minutes. Just saying). If the coconut is toasted faster than the cashews, no worries. It will all still taste good.
2. In a food processor, whir together the cashews and coconut until finely ground. Add dates and whir again, so the dates start blending in.
3. Then, add nut butter, melted coconut oil, ground chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Whir that together until it’s resembling wet sand and starting to look like it will clump together.
4. At this point, you can either A) add the chocolate chips and goji berries and whir again (if you don’t mind them getting chopped up into smaller bits), or, B) stir them in by hand if you want them to remain whole.
5. Roll the mix into 1-inch or so balls, and store in the fridge. They will get harder because of the coconut oil, so I say store in the fridge but eat at room temperature.

Enjoy the glow!

© Emily Joldersma, R.H.N. Eat Well, Live Vibrantly

Looking for more ways to get clear glowing skin and lots of energy? Grab a free copy of my e-book here. It’s all about easy daily actions for clear skin, balanced hormones, and vibrant living.