Archive for Sugar

Teeth, Chemo, Cutting Sugar, and Keto

Oh My!

 

This past week I went to the dentist, the hubs goes tomorrow, and our bright eyed 4 year old went today. She LOVED it!

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Keep smiling sister!

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I was a bit anxious it has been a good while since I was in ‘the chair’ and really I was a bit anxious.  The longer you put off the dentist the odds of serious scraping and further discomforts only increase. But the reality is, life happens. Back I went through my chemo lesson (this is when you are sat down and given a large booklet before round #1) there is a list of to-do’s and and definite to-don’ts. Right up there with no crowd events, wear mask while flying, wash hands often, don’t get pregnant, was NO DENTIST.

 

Seriously. Not during treatment.

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The nurse told me if I needed to go I would HAVE to clear it with them. And likely that answer would be no. We all have heard how dirty people’s mouths are and oncologist don’t want to add mouth infection on to a patient’s chart as well.

 

I’m a good student; so of course I listened. But then after chemo was surgery then expanders followed by a finish up surgery make things “normal-ish.” Again, the fear of infection pushes lesser pressing things, like going to the dentist, down the taking care of yourself totem pole.

 

But get this, last week I was told, “No cavities.” NOT. ONE.

 

This is kinda a big deal for me. For a few years(before my little dentist hiatus) it was a given, would go in for a cleaning and would be walk out with a follow up filling appointment OR maybe 2. I had come to believe that I just had wimpy teeth.

 

The reality is my teeth are great-Strong like Bull. But the sugar in my diet was even stronger.

Make that Grass Fed Bull (Guess where he is now…)

 

Even though I was bushing and floss like a normal and maybe even not so normal(for years I have kept floss in my purse and car at all times.) I was still getting cavities, it was not until I changed my diet and really cut out sugar, the obvious and the not so obvious, did my dental reality change.

 

Chemo can cause major side effects on your entire body and but your mouth can really be one of the hardest hit. The effects of the drugs can cause serious dry mouth, mouth pain, bleeding gums, infection, etcetera. Fun Stuff.

 

It was not until I changed my intake of SUGAR that my dental issues subsided. I have not wavered on my dedication to this way of life, but getting the all clear from the man holding the tooth drill gave me another reason to fall in love with our lifestyle all over again.
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What to Do About Those Little Ghosts and Goblins?

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Happy almost Halloween!  I have to admit, this is not my favorite occasion.  For obvious reasons, the sugar aspect causes issues in our family, but the doorbell that makes the dog go crazy, kids out in the dark, and then the after effect for the next two days isn’t so much fun either.  I LOVE fall, but I am always happy when the 31st of October has come and gone, and there is an official start to the holiday season that awaits around the corner.

The holidays are a whole other ball game, but let’s get through Halloween first.  Erin posted earlier in the week about how she handles Halloween for her daughter.  We do things slightly differently, mainly because we have older children.  The age/s of the child/ren in your household can make a big difference.  My children are 10, 8 and 5 if that helps at all.  They range from being all about Halloween and the candy, to really  just wanting to be with their friends.

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We are extremely fortunate to be invited to the same party with the same people every year.  This helps me because I don’t have to have my internal struggle about handing out candy at my house.  I have a voice in me that screams, “How can you hand out candy when you preach about sugar?”  Luckily, I get to turn that recording OFF!  The kids (and adults) are fortunate because we are all with friends and the focus turns to playing and visiting instead of tracking down the best candy in the neighborhood.  Don’t get me wrong, I let the kids trick-or-treat, but that is not our sole focus of the evening.  This helps a TON!

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I do have  a few ideas for your weekend:

  1. Watch the forbidden food syndrome.  Unless sugar is going to have severe health consequences on your child (sort term), let them partake in trick-or-treating.  These years fly by, and if they enjoy it, it is one night out of 365.
  2. Give them a time period that candy will be allowed in the house.  I tell my kids (you are not going to believe this one), “Eat what you want on Halloween, pick out a few for tomorrow, and on the third day it will magically disappear.”
  3. Find a place to donate the candy.  Yes, I know it is bad for everyone, but there ARE people that deserve a treat every once in while like our troops overseas.  There are places around that will take donations (Schools, banks, etc.).  They collect unwanted Halloween candy and ship it to the troops.
  4. My friend, Mona, recently told me about the Switch Witch.  You can give your kids a choice (or not) to leave their pumpkin full of candy on the front porch on Halloween night, and the Switch Witch will take the candy and exchange it for (you fill in the blank – some toy they want, baseball or football cards, dark chocolate, an iTunes gift card just to give examples).  Start planning now if you want to use this idea.
  5. Divy out a certain number of pieces for each day – and specify the number of days.  Then stick to it!
  6. Use the candy for teaching any number of things.  For younger children, it is great for sorting, patterns, and counting.  It is always fascinating to people how much sugar is in those little pieces of candy.  This is a great time for the older children to understand conversions.  Read the labels.  Remember, for every 4 grams of sugar or carbs, that equals 1 teaspoon of sugar.  This is a great multiplication and division activity for the older ones.  You can even make up word problems about the candy.  Tina, that one was for you!

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No matter what you decide to do with your candy, you, just like I, will get through this day.  It is one of my most dreaded, but we always power through.  Your kids will be on a sugar high, but then we will be there to catch them on the way down to lift them back up with healthy foods.  The best thing you can do is to have a plan in place.  Figure out how and when you are going to dispose of that white powdery substance disguised as candy and follow through.  Then life returns to normal.

Have a very safe and memory filled Halloween!

God Bless!

A Trick for Trick or Treating

I have been talking a bunch about how October is Breast Cancer awareness month, and I realize I need to address the elephant of the month. H A L L O W E E N.

So what on earth does a person who cuts out all added and almost all natural sugar do on the holiday known for candy begging?

 

I pony it up and go with it. The reality is, my daughter is going to have enough stories for her future therapist, and I don’t really want to add, “And my mother never let me Trick or Treat.”

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My Favorite Doctor Halloween 2013

All kidding aside, Halloween is for kids. It’s super fun to dress up and knock on your neighbors’ door, shout Trick or Treat (and hopefully thank you!), and at the end of the evening gorge on your goodies.

 

Here’s where I change things up a bit though; my plan is to give my now 4 year old her choice of three treats the night of Halloween. The rest is going to magically disappear-she is still young enough that I can hopefully get away with this. We often give to little girls that don’t have anything, (Goodwill) and she is good with that. Hopefully this will go somewhat similar.

 

I am also going to purchase some dark chocolate, so if she would rather have that as a trade, or perhaps a homemade sugar-free mini cheesecakes with whipped cream. So be it.

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While it may be hard to believe that she would pass up a fun size Snickers or little M&M baggie, she does not get candy often, and actually really likes the dark chocolate due to that being the rare treat in the fridge that mommy shares. The less you have, the less you want.  Starting super young doesn’t hurt either!

 

As for me, as crazy as it may sound, I have ZERO desire for such junk at this point. I even remember thinking back when I was the one doing the Trick or Treating how some of the stuff was just plain not good. That junk would likely still be eaten just after all the good candy was gone. Really? Does anyone like WarHeads or banana flavored Now and Laters? Likely not.

Who actually likes black licorice?

If I’m going to eat something that is not keto-friendly, you can bet I have decided that it is going to be worth it. And the second after I put a small bite in my mouth, I will decide again if it’s truly is worth it. Honestly, I have decided on more than one occasion that the one tiny bite was plenty.  For me, there will be nothing in that orange plastic pumpkin that will be worth it.

 

 

Spreading the Word!

Erin and I are super passionate about health and healthy eating!  We have both struggled with sugar addiction and were able to kick the habit.

We love sharing our stories and are super excited about our “Sweet Surprise” discussion tomorrow at Fit Fusion Studio.

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Please join us Thursday, August 27th at 9:00 AM!

Cindy will be sharing both stories about how sugar wreaked havoc in both lives, and how changing your eating habits can change your life for the better!

 

Send your friends, your parents, your kids and your siblings!  It is FREE!

Camp Time!

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Last Sunday I sent my two oldest children off to camp in another state.  They were super excited about their time at camp except for one thing…the food!

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It is kind of funny that this was somewhat upsetting to them considering other children look forward to the pancakes at breakfast, chicken fried steak, and the candy store.  Other children that go to this camp rave about the food, but mine, of course, were anxious.  I have to admit, it makes me a little anxious too, but so proud of them at the same time for knowing that they understand the foods that fuel their bodies best.  If you read my post recently about my children refusing the almond flour muffins it makes sense.

My oldest is definitely Keto-adapted.  The other two have a way to go, but my middle child would be closer if not given outside choices.  As parents, it is virtually impossible to keep our children healthy at all times.  Erin and I have a 90/10 rule.  If you are sugar-free and Keto-adapted 90% of the time, forgive yourself for the other 10%.  Many times it can’t be helped if you are away from home also.  If my children are 75%/25%, I am happy.  I can’t control everything that happens at birthday parties, grandparent’s homes, and eating out with friends, nor do I try.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a bit of a control freak, but I know a bad ending when I see it coming!  The last thing we want to create is the forbidden fruit syndrome.  They need to experience the difference in how food makes them feel to make them WANT to eat healthy.  This takes time, just as it does for us. My goodness, it took me over 35 years to figure it out!  Hopefully with our guidance it won’t take our children as long.

Once they figure out that carbs and sugar make them feel badly, it becomes much easier.    That is, until camp time; or really anytime they are away from home for a prolonged period of time!  I tried to counsel them about food choices before they left.  I thought about requesting no sugar from the camp, but my husband talked me out of it saying this is their time to be kids.  Again, the 75/25 for them, and he was right.  My prayer is that they always make good choices, and just like most other bad choices, they will feel the consequences of them quickly if they decide to buy three candy bars and a gatorade at the camp store for snack.  I have to admit, I am really curious to see how it goes.  This is a lot of freedom for them.

The best advice I could give them was to remember the foods we eat at home and try to mimic them.  If everything is fried or brown, go for the salad bar option and pile on the proteins and full-fat salad dressings to make sure you are energized.  Instead of the cinnamon rolls and waffles at breakfast, remember how much better and energized you feel when you choose eggs and bacon for breakfast.  They can skip the extra bread, have two patties instead of a bun, and go for extra veggies instead of the mashed potatoes.  Pick the bag of nuts or sunflower seeds in the camp store instead of a candy bar or crackers.  They know how food makes them feel now, so now is the time to put that into play.  I think we all realize there will be days when there may not be a better choice, but that is okay too.

As many of us send our kids off for a few weeks, we pray for their safety, lasting friendships, spiritual growth, and growth as individuals.  Encourage them to make good choices in all aspects of life including nutrition.  Know, however, that if they can’t always make good healthy eating decisions, it is okay.  The most important thing that you can do as a parent in teaching them, as in so many other aspects of life, is modeling.  If you are making good eating choices in front of them, and cooking good healthy, low-sugar meals for them when they are sitting at YOUR table, you are making a world of difference in their futures.  They will have those memories of dinnertime rituals at your table forever and carry those on to future generations.  So set those examples at home, and with a little hope and a lot of prayer, let’s look forward to a future generation of very healthy eaters that can make great decisions on their own.

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Happy summer!

But it said, “Sugar Free”!?!?

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For the most part, I think most would agree that sugar is bad, very bad!  It causes a copious amount of diseases, is almost entirely responsible for the obesity epidemic in our country, and is 8 times more addictive than cocaine.  Yes 8 TIMES more addictive than COCAINE!

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So what about all those “sugar free” choices out there?  Well, this is the definition by the FDA of “sugar free” : “Sugar Free”: Less than 0.5 g sugars per RACC and per labeled serving (or for meals and main dishes, less than 0.5 g per labeled serving) (c)(1)
Contains no ingredient that is a sugar or generally understood to contain sugars except as noted below (*)  You can read their definitions on the FDA website here.  The problem with this definition is the fact that there are a lot of ingredients these days that are hidden in our foods that will spike your insulin levels faster than cane sugar and are not identified as so called “sugar”.  Many of these are sneaky ingredients in foods you would never guess like salad dressings, spices and seasonings, and marinated products.  These are foods that you may still be eating because I know you are not eating those awful processed foods anymore, right?

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You need to know that just because you don’t see “sugar” or dare I say, “high fructose corn syrup” on the label does not mean you are home free.

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Here is a list taken from JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet book:

The Many Names for Sugar

Barley Malt

Beet Sugar

Brown Sugar

Buttered Syrup

Cane Juice Crystals

Cane Sugar

Caramel

Carob Syrup

Castor Sugar

Confectioners’ Sugar

Corn Syrup

Corn Syrup Solids

Date Sugar

Demerara Sugar

Dextran

Dextrose

Diastatic Malt

Diatase

Ethyl Maltol

Fructose

Fruit Juice

Fruit Juice Concentrate

Galactose

Glucose

Glucose Solids

Golden Sugar

Golden Syrup

Grape Syrup

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Honey

Icing Sugar

Invert Sugar

Lactose

Malt Syrup

Maltodextrin (This is a BIG one!)

Maltose

Maple Syrup

Molasses

Muscovado Sugar

Panocha

Raw Sugar

Refiner’s Syrup

Rice Syrup

Sorbitol

Sorghum Syrup

Sucrose

Treacle

Turbinado Sugar

Yellow Sugar

And don’t forget the sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium

Alitame

Aspartame

Aspartame-acesulfame salt

Cyclamate

Isomalt

Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone

Nutrasweet

Saccharin

Spenda

Sucralose

If you see any of these ingredients – Stay away – far, far away.  If you are still drinking diet drinks – wean yourself, by drinking sparking water, La Croix, fresh brewed tea, or water!  It does the body good!

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The sneakiest one on the list for me has been the Maltodextrin!  It is in more than you could imagine.  I have found it in sauces, and especially seasoning mixes.  For instance, I used to love dumping a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix into 16 ounces of sour cream for a yummy veggie dip.  Then, I actually took a minute to look at the ingredients, and there it was, in black and white – #3 on the ingredient list – Maltodextrin.  That was a huge wake up call for me when I thought I was doing it all right!  I cannot say it enough, “READ YOUR LABELS!”  A really good rule of thumb to follow is this:  If it has more than 5 ingredients, you probably shouldn’t eat it, but if it has ingredients you cannot pronounce, you definitely should not eat it!  I guarantee that if you saw the manufacturing and chemical processing of these products you wouldn’t want them in your body.  Best to choose foods grown from the earth or raised grazing the green grass.  These are your REAL FOODS!

The other mention on this subject is the Glycemic Index.  There is more study needed on this index, but it is a good resource going back to ingredients like Maltodextrin.  The Glycemic Index measures how much the food you eat affects your blood sugar levels.  The higher the rating, the greater the effect the food will have on your blood sugar.  The scale ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest (well-used to be the highest).  A 100 rating will shoot your blood sugar through the roof!  Here are some examples:

Remember that Maltodextrin? Well, it measured higher than pure Glucose which used to top the scale:

Maltodextrin – 110

Pure Glucose – 100

Splenda – 80

Sucrose (Table Sugar) – 65

Maple Syrup – 54

Honey – 50

Lactose – 45

Coconut Palm Sugar – 35

Maltitol – 35

Agave – 15

I like this website published by the University of Sydney, that allows you to enter in foods to calculate the impact it has on your body.  This website published by Harvard is also an eye-opening chart that lists common foods with their Glycemic Index as well as the Glycemic Load which takes into account the serving size, or “dose” of sugar.  The difference between the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load is the serving size.  The “Index” measures the sugar impact on the same amount of food, not a typical serving size.  The “Load” uses the Glycemic Index as its foundation but takes serving size into account.

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Watch out for those hidden sugars.  “No Sugar Added” always mean sugar!  Food labels are tricky.  I really like the way JJ Virgin writes in her book, “Let’s be honest.  You get excited when you see that sparkly starburst on the box telling you there’s been no sugar added to those fruit roll-ups.  Well, I’ll be delicate here.  They’re taking some poetic license – with you health.  Manufacturers give you some credit, and they know that if you saw a box that read “21 teaspoons of added sugar for your metabolic upheaval!” you might think twice.  So they’ve spent a lot of time and money testing ways to get around your sensible objections so they can manipulate you into buying as much of what they’re selling as possible, guilt and worry free.  They’ve made all your favorite treats “without added sugar,” so you could have your cake and eat it, too….And just because a manufacturer labels a food or drink “no added sugar,” that in no way means that it doesn’t contain sugar.  No added sugar does not mean sugar-free.  It can also mean they’ve used fruit juice concentrate as their sweetener.  That’s essentially fructose without the fiber. (Fructose goes straight to your liver!)  And remember that white flour will end up as sugar anyway, so many of the ingredients in your no-sugar added cookie will turn into sugar as soon as you start munching.  Labels can be misleading.”  JJ Virgin – Sugar Impact Diet.

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In a nutshell, read your labels – the ones on the back, buy “Real Food”, and know your sugars and their impact.  And remember:

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The Finishing Touch

A great Bar-B-Que Brisket or Ribs is perfectly Keto, and one of our very favorite weekend or holiday treats.  The question becomes, how do you finish those beauties off?  That wonderful tangy sauce out of a bottle is gone for more reasons than one, but the main problem is all those added sugars in the bottle.  Oh, and don’t forget the hidden sugars.

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I am putting it lightly when I say, my hubby is a sauce fanatic!  He concocts all types of sauces, and combines things I would never think of placing in the same bowl.  Some are good, and some not so much.

He left it to me to find a good recipe for a Bar-B-Que sauce though.  The best one, meaning lowest in carbs, out of a bottle, we could find was Stubbs Original with 5 Carbs and 4 grams of sugar.  The serving size is 2 Tbsp.  Let’s be honest – who just eats 2 tablespoons of Bar-B Que sauce?  Here are some of the ingredients:o-STUBBS-BBQ-facebook

Sugar, Molasses, Tapioca Dextrin, Brown Sugar, Corn Starch, and Corn Syrup!  And this was the best we could find!!!!  Let’s see…sugar, sugar, carb/sugar, sugar, carb/sugar, and oh, sugar!

There is a reason we always say to read labels, and we don’t just mean nutrition labels.  You HAVE to read those ingredients too.  It sends my blood sugar soaring just reading them!

So this is the REAL food ingredient list for my new Bar-B-Que sauce:

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3/4 cup White Vinegar

2 Cans (30 oz) of Organic Tomato Sauce

5 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tbsp Yellow Mustard

1 Tbsp Tabasco or other hot sauce (I used 2 Tbsp and it was SPICY so do to taste)

1 Tbsp Pink Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke (The one pictured is made in the great state of TEXAS)

1/2 Large Lemon (4 tsp squeezed)

1/2 tsp Trader Joe’s Pure Stevia

Directions:

Combine your tomato sauce and vinegar.  Bring to a simmer.

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Add your Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and Liquid Smoke.  Combine.  Add all remaining ingredients except the yellow mustard.

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You need to temper your mustard like you would an egg.  Place your mustard in a heat safe bowl.  Add a few spoonfuls of your hot tomato mixture and stir well.

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Once mixed, add back to your sauce.

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Whisk until you have a smooth sauce.  Use immediately or store in a mason jar.  This will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

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Enjoy with that yummy broccoli slaw!

 

Sweeteners; How to Choose the Right One

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We know sugar is BAD!  The sad truth is that many “No Calorie Sweeteners” are also bad. The choices are plentiful!  The health consequences of these are also plentiful!

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My first choice of sweetener when we decided to go Keto was Splenda (Larger name is Sucralose.) because that was my husband’s sweetener of choice, and you could bake with it in equal amounts.  Then…I heard the story about how Sucralose was invented.  It was invented by a group of chemists looking for a new formula for pesticide.  Yes, I said pesticide!  When you eat Splenda or other versions of Sucralose you are eating the mistake of chemists looking for a new improved pesticide.  When Chemist A said to Chemist B, “Have you tested it?”, Chemist B responded, “It tastes sweet!” Obviously mishearing, taste for test, Chemist A was horrified that B actually put this poison in his mouth.  But, the formula for a new product began at this point.  Let’s see when you put that stuff to your lips again.

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There are many other choices…We are all familiar with the blue stuff, the pink stuff, and the list goes on.  Then you have honey, agave, and maple syrup.  Granted, these are natural sweeteners, but have an effect on blood sugar.  Honey, agave and maple syrup can all have a dramatic effect on your blood sugar, and leave you craving for more.  Honey?  I know, but just like everything else, it has become highly processed, and basically “all the good stuff” has been removed.  The only exception I would find, would be a good local source that you know has quality honey from the area in which you live.  I still would not eat it, but I would use it to sweeten things such as grass-fed plain yogurt and other quality foods for my children.  If you can find good LOCAL honey, it is great for allergy resistance for your children in very small amounts – I emphasize SMALL.  Please use with caution because it still will spike blood sugar.  If you are trying to lose weight or have insulin resistance at all (which over 70% of our adult population does) stay away and stick to the others mentioned next.  To read more about the worst and best sweetener, check out this article, The 4 Best and 3 Worst Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen, written by Dr. Mercola.

Natural sweeteners that do not have an impact on blood sugar are Swerve, Stevia, and Chicory Root, and every once in a while, Xylitol for certain foods (be careful with Xylitol – toxic for pets).  These are the ones that we choose to use.  You can purchase Swerve at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or in our Amazon store, here.  There are many different forms of Stevia on the market.  Be careful, and READ your labels.  I have found all sorts of added ingredients.  This is the Chicory Root powder sold by Chocoperfection:

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This is granular swerve, good used on anything that is NOT cold, such as coffee or baked goods.  Choose the purple confectioners for cold items, such as puddings or custards.

 

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We do all need to try to be as sugar free as possible for so many health reasons.  The problem is, any time there is a good thing, the food industry can take it and make it BAD!  Take for instance, Stevia.  Stevia is a great product, used for centuries in South America.  It is all natural, has a low glycemic index, and a little goes a long way. The food industry in America saw that this was an up and coming sweetener, and has come along and ruined it in many ways.  For example, Pure Stevia used to be the only thing you could buy.  Now you have huge food and beverage companies coming into the market, and adding other ingredients, such as sugar (yes, sugar) maltodextrin, and a variety of other ingredients we do not want inside our bodies.  My point of this post is to tell you to be careful when choosing sweeteners and reading labels.  We need to cut down on the “sweet” period!  That is, teach our tongues not to crave the sweet.  If you do need a little sweet every once in a while, choose carefully by doing your research, and reading your labels.  Do not go by what you see on the front of a box!  At the moment, I buy the Sweet Leaf packets:

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And Stevia Drops which come in a variety of flavors and you can purchase at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or our Amazon store here:

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Sometimes as a treat, I use these drops to sweeten plain unsweetened almond milk for the children.  When I use the chocolate drops, it magically turns into a chocolate milkshake!

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Stevia measures VERY VERY differently than any of these other sweeteners which more or less can be measured cup for cup just like sugar.  This website is a great resource for conversions if you have any questions.  Just click here for a conversion chart!  This works for PURE Stevia only.

I ordered a “Pure Stevia” off of Amazon last week, and was livid when I received it to find that the “other ingredient” was Malodextrin which has one of the highest glycemic index values out there.  It is BAD stuff! Needless to say, it is going back, and I will continue to do my research to find an actual PURE stevia with no other added ingredients.  It is becoming harder and harder to do this.  The one place I have been able to find actual pure, organic, non-GMO stevia for baking is Trader Joe’s.  While there, pick up some coconut cream, ghee, nuts of many varieties, and some Creme Fraiche!  Yum!!!

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So the take away of this article is to READ, READ, READ you labels!  There are new brands of Stevia, especially, coming to the market daily because it is a HOT item.  To make them better, companies are making these sweeteners worse for us.  Take care and sweeten carefully!

A Little Summer Treat!

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We all need a little treat every once in a while!  Even on Keto, you can make treats that will actually help with weight loss and your desire to stay in Ketosis.  We all usually need to up our fat intake.  Some recipes are easy, and some require effort.  Today’s post is super simple, and was my go-to when I first started on the Ketogenic diet and just needed that little “something”.  It is loaded with saturated animal fat (this is good), smooth, creamy, and has just the right amount of sweetness to end a busy day.  And…it is so filling – you just need a tad, and you won’t have the urge to eat another thing!  The kids beg for it after dinner, and I usually oblige, sometimes selfishly, so I can have a bite too.

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The Keto part of this is simple…Heavy Whipping Cream!  I will say that this is where a KitchenAid Stand mixer comes in very handy.  Check out the one I have here.  It is a nice gift to yourself if you don’t already have one, and makes life faster and easier in the kitchen.  I usually get my cream going while I am washing dinner dishes, and we have a fresh dessert in no time.

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On a Ketogenic diet, we recommend staying away from many fruits. This is due to the natural fructose in fruit that makes a b-line for your liver.  It is especially bad for Cancer patients and those with insulin resistance…Read more in this great article!  However, there are some fruits that are better than others.  My favorite fruits have always been berries!  Thank goodness, because they also contain lower amounts of fructose which can spike your blood sugar.  I know there is a lot of controversy on this subject, but I have seen it first hand with blood glucose monitoring, so I am on the no/low fruit bandwagon for myself.  I do allow my children to have organic berries, and on occasion, I do too in small quantities.  The trick for doing this is to make sure you eat your berries with plenty of fat to counteract the fructose in the fruit.  Hence, the whipping cream.

What is better in whipped cream than berries.  Yum!  Now, don’t go crazy!  You just need a small handful to do the job.  Summer and berries have always gone hand in hand, so this is the perfect season to make yourself a Keto friendly dessert!

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It is probably the easiest thing I have posted…

I used:

1 Quart of Promised Land Heavy Whipping Cream (Any will work)

1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla

1/4 – 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners (Granular is very grainy in this one.)

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Start by beating your cream until it begins to thicken.  Add your Swerve, starting with 1/4 cup.  Our taste has changed quite a bit, so that we do not prefer things super sweet anymore, but feel free to add more to your desired taste.  Then add your vanilla.  Beat until it is very thick, but careful not to beat too much or you will have butter!  It is okay to stop and start (tasting as you go).  This is a preference treat, so keep an eye on it, and stop beating when it’s to your liking.

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Top with a small amount of berries or eat it plain.  It is delicious both ways!  Enjoy!

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This one was for the kiddos.  When I have mine, I go with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries with a ratio or 2:1, cream to berries.  I skip the strawberries generally.  Let the cream work to your benefit!

 

 

 

 

Refreshing Summer Limealicious Dessert

Going Keto means no sugar, but it doesn’t mean no desserts!

Every once in a while, I like to experiment with sweet recipes.  Sometimes it is as easy as taking an old recipe and just replacing the sugar with Swerve or Stevia.  Sometimes it takes a little more creativity, and other times, I can find new Keto recipes online and adjust to our taste.

I was a legitimate sugaraholic before I started Keto.  I was one that had to have desserts after every meal.  Once I started on something sweet, I had to finish it, even if I was completely full!  Keto has helped with this sugar addiction tremendously.  I still like sweet, but I don’t crave it like I did.  We also keep sweets to a minimum so that the kids don’t expect something sweet after every meal.  It is always a special treat!

When I say addiction, sugar is a real addiction!  Did you know that sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine?  In fact, sugar has almost the same molecular structure as cocaine.  That is a pretty scary statistic knowing all the diseases that sugar causes and progresses.  We will talk about this more, but sugar is BAD!!!!

I will no longer eat anything with sugar, but have substituted it with Swerve and Stevia.  I am also going to try chicory root in the near future too!  The following recipe uses Swerve.  Some, like my family, love Swerve and cannot tell the difference.  I have heard others say they experience an aftertaste.  I do sometimes taste sweet on my tongue when I drink water after eating something that was made with this substitute.  Overall, I think it is a great sweetener with no glycemic effect, no GMOs, and no digestive effects like Xylitol can have on some individuals.  It is all natural made with Erythritol, and is diabetes friendly and gluten free.  Another great component is that it measures just like sugar so you can use it in your old recipes when sugar is the only substitution needed.  It is great for us Ketoers.

We will do a post soon on all sweeteners, but Swerve is my primary go-to.  It can be purchased at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other health food stores, or online.  Even Amazon has it, and we have it in our Amazon store here.  There are two different kinds.   One is granular like white sugar (orange package), and the other is Confectioners Style (purple package) which is more like powdered sugar.  I use Confectioners in this one.

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The Granular is great for anything baked, but can get grainy when refrigerated.

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That being said, any time I make something cold, I use the Confectioners Style.

Without further ado, here is a scrumptious recipe for you to try that is perfect for summer!

 

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 cup Honeyville almond flour

1/2 cup Swerve (Granular)

6 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:

3 1/2 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve (Confectioners)

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 cup Key Lime juice (Yes, it makes a difference – this part is time consuming so take that into account)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9×13 pyrex baking dish with butter or coconut oil.  Grease well!

Combine your almond flour, 1/2 cup of Swerve granular, cinnamon and melted butter.  I use my hands to really combine well because it is a thick crust-like consistency.IMG_0754

 

Press all the crust evenly into your baking dish or use a mini muffin pan with liners to make mini cheesecakes.

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Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes.

For the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat your room temperature cream cheese until soft and fluffy.

Add your cup of Swerve confectioners, and vanilla.  Continue to beat until well combined.  Add your eggs, one at a time, beating in between each.  Add your lime juice slowly, while beating constantly.  It should be fairly runny and smooth.

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Pour the mixture over your baked crust.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until firm.  (About 15-20 minutes for mini-muffins, but check because sizes can differ.) Cool completely, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

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Cut and enjoy.  Serve with Keto whipped cream if you desire for a super rich dessert.

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Note: This crust is delicious, but can be crumbly so use a very sharp knife and a spatula to remove from dish.

 

 

 

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