(Tiny) Chocolate Orange Thyroid Tarts

Everyone needs a great Brazil nut based recipe in their holiday treat repertoire. Brazil nuts are an incredible source of dietary selenium [3 – 4 nuts = around 250mcg] to keep your thyroid functioning optimally while otherwise over indulging in Christmas cookies and cocktails. Selenium has been shown to increase conversion of thyroid precursor hormone T4 to the more metabolically active form T3 which improves metabolism and energy levels through this busy time of year.

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Chocolate Orange Thyroid Tarts

Two of these little Brazil nut-based tarts gives you your daily dose of thyroid-loving selenium. They're also low in sugar & high in healthy fats so they make a wonderful blood-sugar balancing breakfast or mid afternoon snack. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Brazil nuts, soaked & drained
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• Juice + zest from 1/2 a large organic orange (critical to choose organic when using the rind of a fruit)
• 8 dates, soaked in hot water, & pitted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp flakey sea salt
• 1 bar of high quality dark chocolate 
• optional toppings: coconut, candied ginger or orange slices, pumpkin seeds, chili 

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except the chocolate, salt and toppings to a food processor & pulse until mixed well. Take 1 tbs of the mixture and press into the bottom of mini muffin tins. Melt dark chocolate (I like to throw a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water to melt) and spread 1 tbs onto the top of your tart crusts. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and other optional toppings of choice and let set in the freezer for 1 hour before serving or storing the fridge (1 week) or freezer (2 months).

If you’ve been diagnosed with thyroid disease and are struggling to feel your best I encourage you to check out my other articles on natural thyroid health. If you’re not quite sure if your low mood, weight gain & energy issues are due to thyroid disease you should definitely start here:

• Thyroid disruptors hiding in your home 
• How the birth control pill messes with your thyroid health 
• Beyond the Thyroid Panel: the essential thyroid tests that your doctor won’t routinely order (you NEED to advocate for yourself in this current health care model or you won’t receive the best care)
• The Thyroid Diet Protocol: the best + worst food for hypothyroidism
• If you’ve already been diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism but you’re still feeling awful then this article is a must read: Why Conventional Thyroid Treatment Isn’t Always Your Best Option: Studies confirm that thyroid symptoms persist despite conventional medical treatments.

References:

• Wilson, et al. ‘Evidence-Based Approach to Restoring Thyroid Health’ April 2014.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29569622
• Kachouei, et al. ‘The Effect of Levothyroxine and Selenium versus Levothyroxine Alone on Reducing the Level of Anti-thyroid Peroxidase Antibody in Autoimmune Hypothyroid Patients.’ Adv Biomed Res. 2018 Jan 22;7:1