The holidays are approaching and it seems the whole world is feasting on cookies, fancy chocolates, luscious cheeses, eggnog and of course wine & spirits. If you have any “Lymie” friends (people fighting off persistent Lyme disease) you will quickly learn they are no fun at parties since they can’t eat or drink anything you had on your menu that contains gluten, dairy, sugar or alcohol which pretty much eliminates everything except for the veggie platter with hummus. (Now doesn’t that just shout fun party food!)

lemon macaroons (my first attempt)

As a result I have been trying out some recipes of some things that I CAN eat such as macaroons and a gluten, dairy free version of pumpkin pie.  I taste tested these Raw Lemon Macaroons on some “normal” dietary subjects (ok it was a health & wellness meeting so they might not be completely “normal”) but they all ate them and said they were delicious, even the person who had one before she knew they were healthy! Try these out and you will have a yummy treat that your diabetic or gluten-free guests will enjoy.

Yummy Raw Lemon Coconut Macaroons

• Finely grate pith of 1 lemon
• Juice from 1 lemon
• ¼ c coconut oil
• 1T agave
• 1 medjool date
• 1 c almond meal
• 1c shredded unsweetened coconut
• pinch sea salt
  

  Cutting lemon coconut macaroons

I mixed the ingredients in my food processor on low. I then formed the dough into a log and sliced it into cookies shaping them as I went. As an alternative you can roll them into 1 inch balls and press down. I then chilled them in the refrigerator for several hours (uncovered) and then transferred them into a container.

If you can eat more sugar than I can, you might want to try this recipe which I modified to create this one. Though I find I enjoy the wonderful fresh lemon flavor in this version where the lemon is not overpowered by too much sweetness.

Some interesting food facts from The Lyme Diet by Dr. Nicola McFadzean.

• Coconut oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also stimulates metabolism, supports thyroid function and helps to burn fat. (I do all my stir-frying, breakfast eggs, etc. in coconut oil and it makes very tasty stove-top popcorn too!)
• Sugar suppresses the immune system by up to 40%.
• Gluten fuels inflammation.
• Lemon-water helps detox the liver.

So enjoy a lemon macaroon with a tall glass of water and your body will thank you.