Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Jell-O and Why Gelatin

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
I had to share my favorite email this week!

"Hi Maria, I just want to touch base with you again and say THANK YOU for all you do, you're such a wonderful person. Here's my update, this year my husband Jeff, went for his check up finely and had a mole remove to find out it was skin cancer, so we had a rough patch to deal with there for a while, but doc's got it all, thank god and you because I cut the sugar out without telling of course, heehee but he was not ready to try things our way. Since this scare all lab work went nuts his fastening were 140 so, I put the Bible on the table and told him, he had a choice, he could let the devil win or he could do it are way so, I put your book on top of the Bible ( Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism ) He has read it cover to cover and now calls it my Bible. Now his sugar reading are 94 and lost 17 lbs and lots of walking 4 miles everyday and also I've lost 140 lbs. Do you know what the best part is, we're together on this now, I only make one meal instead of his and hers, that is soooo nice and today is our 24th Anniversary. I just want to say Thank You from the bottom of our hearts. LOVE The Dassow's"

JELL-O FACTS


There are a few reasons to toss Sugar Free Jell-O out of your pantry!

Ingredients in Jell-O gelatin strawberry flavor = gelatin, adipic acid, disodium phosphate, maltodextrin from corn, fumaric acid, aspartame, less than 2 percent artificial flavor, acesulfame potassium, salt, blue 1 dye and red 40 dye.

1. FOOD DYE: There’s good reason to cut the artificial food coloring. They’re in almost all processed foods and even some fresh whole foods; fruit growers are now allowed to dip oranges in a carcinogenic red food dye to make them more appealing. We have a natural instinct linking color to freshness, and to entice kids to eat junk. It’s not just the hot pink cherries in the Captain Crunch that have these detrimental dyes; cheese, vegetable juice, and yogurt contain food coloring. Did you know cheese should be white?

Synthetic dyes cause hyperactivity because it is an excitotoxin, where it over stimulates our dopamine production, but then we don’t produce enough; which causes a deficiency. ADD is a symptom of a dopamine deficiency.

Becoming quickly bored with the routine and having a hard time focusing are classic symptoms. People with dopamine deficiencies tend to start a lot of things yet don’t finish them. They work on a lot of different things at once. In an ADHD child, low levels of dopamine don’t allow the child to focus or attend to anything in the environment, looking very physically hyperactive due to their lack of focus.

As dopamine levels in the brain begin to rise, we become excited and energized. If it gets too high, which usually happens with stimulations like MSG, food dyes and drugs, then the body becomes hyper stimulated by our environment, becoming guarded and suspicious. With low levels of dopamine, we can’t focus while with high levels of dopamine our focus becomes intense to the point of focusing on everything as though it were directly related to our situation. Steering clear of these exitotoxins are your best defense for your family!

Kraft, Coca-Cola and other manufacturers already removed artificial dyes from the products they distribute in other countries, but not in America. Nutri-Grain bars in American include Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1, but in Europe, they use beetroot red, annato and paprika for color.


2. We also need to cut the Aspartame! Aspartame has been found to “eat” tiny holes in our cellular membrane. When this happens, things like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), cancer, mood disorders and many other serious issues will show up.

One client in particular LOVED her diet Coke. She drank 6 cans a day. As an adult, she developed MS; which became so severe she was bound to a wheelchair. After doing some research on aspartame, she decided to kick her addiction to soda. Guess what? Her body started to heal. She is no longer in a wheelchair. She still has symptoms, but her diagnosis went from “extreme MS” to “moderate!”

Most people I meet say, “I don’t have depression, but I do feel lousy, crabby, and “fly-off the handle” over no reason lately.” My first suggestion is to kick the aspartame from our lips, which can be very difficult, but in the end, they become a happier person. Same with your children!

3. Another issue is the maltodexterin...the danger is that maltodextrin is very high on the glycemic index: 105. This is 5 points higher than glucose which is 100. And, it is almost double that of table sugar which is around 59.

To learn more on specific foods and how it effects our mood and our children, I have a very shocking class called Food Mood Energy and Weight Loss for only $25 and I also have a Healthy Kids Class. Just pay here to get the slides and video! :)

Healthy Family Class


"HEALTHIFIED" JELL-O
1 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
3 tea bags (chai, lemon, pomegranate or other)
2 TBS Swerve (or stevia glycerite to desired sweetness)

NOTE:  I don't use regular store brand gelatin.  I use Great Lakes Gelatin.  It is made from pastured cows in Argentina that have not been treated with antibiotics or hormones.  I bought a HUGE amount (gelatin doesn’t spoil!) 
Soften gelatin by soaking in 1 cup of the cold water for a few minutes. Boil water and add 3 tea bags to 1 cup boiling water and steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea bags (squeeze out water from the bags) and add the cold water to the hot tea. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly blended. Pour into an 8×8 baking pan. Refrigerate until set. Cut into desired shapes.


NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1/2 cup serving)
Traditional Jell-O = 70 calories, 0g fat, 1g protein, 17g carbs, 0g fiber (17 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Jell-O = trace calories, 0g fat, 0g protein, 0g carbs (0 effective carbs)

According to Nourishing Traditions and the Weston A. Price foundation, there are various health benefits to Gelatin, including:

1. Can improve digestion since it naturally binds to water and helps food move more easily though the digestive track.
2. Good for joints and can decrease pain associated with arthritis.
3. Can help tighten loose skin. I get questions all the time on how to do this! Here is one trick!
4. Supports skin, hair and nail growth.
5. Great source of dietary collagen, therefore it helps reduce cellulite! (BEAUTY TIP: do not waste your money on topical creams that claim to reduce cellulite. Collagen is too large to be absorbed by the skin, so those skin creams are a waste of money. Consume it internally and use almond or coconut oil for lotion).
6. Speeds wound healing: Gelatin is mainly composed of the amino acids glycine and proline, which many people don’t consume in adequate amounts as they are found in the bones, fibrous tissues and organs of animals and as a population, we don’t consume these parts as much anymore. These amino acids are needed not only for proper skin, hair and nail growth, but for a healthy immune function and weight regulation! Glycine, which makes up about 1/3 of the amino acids in gelatin powder is anti-inflammatory and evidence is finding that it can help speed wound healing.
7. Helps with sleep: Glycine in gelatin can also help improve quality of sleep. 
8. Balances hormones: We are living in a "Sea of Estrogen" (yes, even men!), which can be caused by consuming alcohol, excess carbohydrates, hormones in food, phytoestrogens in soy, xenoestrogens found in plastics, heating food in plastic, even soap is estrogenic. This hormonal imbalance causes aging, inflammation, and infertility. Gelatin has anti-estrogenic effects which can help offset the effects of excess estrogen in the body.
9. Weight Loss: It boosts Human Growth Hormone production and boost metabolism. The largest surge of Human Growth Hormone is 30-70 minutes before bed (I write all about the Human Growth Hormone in my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism). To help with weight loss, do not eat 3 hours before bed to let the natural rise of Human Growth Hormone happen (or insulin will stop the natural rise) and consume at least 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder before bed. You can eat it plain, but I recommend mixing in to a cup of 'sleepy time' tea by dissolving at least 1 TBS in about 1/3 cup cold water and then adding 2/3 cup of the steeped tea.

So Gelatin is a super supplement! 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Amazing Bread

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Slow Cooker Cookbook Review

I just noticed this review from someone on my new Slow Cooker Cookbook Here.  Love it!  Thank you!

"I own all of Maria's wonderful books and bought this one as soon as it became available. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a hardcover, but it is a really nice book, easily lies flat for reference while cooking.


The book is beautifully laid out, carefully edited, has photos of every recipe, and has an easy to read nutrition chart for each recipe, including comparison of usual recipes for a dish to her "healthified" version. She also tucks in numerous brief discussions on health and diet topics, including benefits of her ingredients vs. less healthy alternatives, as well as various health concerns such as Alzheimer's and gout. But none of this gets in the way of the huge number of recipes. Maria is a genius when it comes to providing alternatives to well-loved favorites. Those of us who want to restrict gluten and carbs but miss old favorites only need to find Maria's version.


I made her tortillas yesterday (part of the recipe for fajitas in this book) and filled them with seasoned meat and her "healthified" refried "beans" -- actually made with eggplant (from another of her books) -- and had a burrito that was nearly indistinguishable from the starchy old favorite. Maria knows her nutrition science, but also knows how to make delicious healthy recipes! I can't wait to try many more new recipes from this book."

Library Tip

When Craig lost his job, the library became our sanctuary! I couldn't believe all of the money we saved by taking advantage of this wondrous place filled with entertainment... FREE entertainment! Books, movies, games... We still rent our movies from the library and we have saved a ton of money that way. I know that times are tight for some of you and buying books isn't on the budget, so one suggestion, that would help you as well as me, is to call or email  your local library to carry my books. Then you can rent them out for free! Yahoo! Thank you all for your help!

Email your library this link to get them stocked with my books!

Client Testimony

Just after 1 month of consulting, Laura emailed me this: 

Dearest Maria, I have to say that I absolutely feel wonderful!!! I love eating and not having an upset stomach. I love feeling full. I love knowing what I put in my body is not full of preservatives and stuff I don't really know what it is. I love not having to eat every 2-3 hrs b/c my blood sugar is dropping, and I have a headache. I actually feel like I have MORE choices of what to eat. I'm not interested in going out to restaurants b/c I think what I'm making is more flavorful and has yummy, good fats. 

I did my half marathon about 3 weeks into switching over to a more healthified way of eating and I did what your recent blog post said -- went all in... no carbs loading, no gel packs, no Gatorade or sports drinks. I had my best time of the four races I've done OR any training days. I had one rough long run during training, but by the time of the race I felt awesome and had no problems with my energy level. There was a really big hill about mile 8 in the race, and I was passing people going UPHILL! BoooYahh! I'm a little lost workout-wise without being signed up for a race, but my next goal is to figure out a good weight training schedule, and continue to be a fat-burner. 

The only hard part has been finding a good rhythm and time to cooking/baking for my family. There's so many things to try! My 6 year old has been great at tasting everything, but he's pretty smart and has declared sometimes "he doesn't like what I make" and "why is everything so healthy?" I tried to slip things in, but I think I would do better just being upfront about ingredients and sugar and well, the "crap" that's in all the boxed food. He even noticed that there was a slight coconut flavor to the almond joy muffin/donuts, lol.  (might make a good blog or facebook post, in regards to asking how people handle changing what they feed their kids -- hide it or tell them? I guess it probably depends on the age, but maybe people have tips or tricks for what worked). 

Anyway, sorry for the long response without any questions b/c I'm sure you're busy, but I figured it is nice to get positive feedback from clients. I'm very, very thankful for your knowledge and accessibility to your services. Oh, and it was so nice last night b/c I'm almost out of protein powder, so I just popped on your astore and added some Jay Robb to my cart. I signed up for prime, so there was no shipping and the whole thing took barely 5 mins. So easy! 

Off to make a Shamrock shake!! 
Thanks again, Laura"


I get the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of people in different areas of the food industry. I love hearing stories about how our "food" has changed over the years. I specifically remember a particular story about bread. A manager at a local grocery store started his job 9 years ago. At that time he had 5 days to get the packaged breads off the shelf. Guess what it is now... 14 days! You know things have changed when bread can withstand mold for weeks!

If you look at a bread label, one of my new interesting additive to teach you about is called azodicarbonamide. It is mainly used as a "dough conditioner" and a manufacturing aid for machines to make a product that has a good "mouth feel." Doesn't sound too bad until you hear that it's main use is to form plastic. YES, plastic. Would you want to chew on your yoga mat? No lie, this same chemical is also found in your yoga mat.

Just how bad is azodicarbonamide? I just listened to a food podcast on my morning jog and one of the stories was about a tanker truck that was carrying azodicarbonamide which overturned in Chicago on the Dan Ryan Expressway. This accident was so serious that the Chicago fire officials had to issue their highest hazmat alert and evacuate everyone up to a half mile downwind because of this chemical spill. So why are we adding this to something we put into our body!? Seriously!?

Instead, try this bread with nothing but pure ingredients. And remember to store it in your fridge or freezer... it WILL get moldy fast! You will not believe this is gluten/dairy/soy/grain free bread!  It is so soft with a such a lovely crust. Yum!!

Amazing Bread

3 cup blanched almond flour (10 oz) (or 1 cup coconut flour or 5 oz)
10 TBS psyllium husk powder (no substitutes) (90 grams) (must be a fine powder, measure weight to be sure)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
5 TBS apple cider vinegar (2 oz)
6 egg whites (16 egg whites if using coconut flour)
1 1/2 cup BOILING water (12 oz)

OPTION:  Use 4 whole eggs (Almond flour version) or 8 whole eggs (coconut flour version).  If you are having trouble with it rising using whole eggs you can try egg whites.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, psyllium powder (no substitutes: flaxseed meal won't work), baking powder and salt. Mix until dry ingredients are well combined.  Add in the eggs and vinegar and mix until a thick dough. Add boiling water or marinara into the bowl. Mix until well combined and dough firms up.

Form into a loaf and place into a greased bread pan (I used an 8X4 inch pan). Bake for 60-75 minutes. It should be somewhat firm to the touch and have a nice brown crust.  Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely.

Makes 10 servings (2 slices per serving)

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Sub Bread = 200 calories, 3g fat, 10g protein, 40g carbs, 8g fiber (32g effective carbs)
Almond Flour Sub (egg whites) = 261 calories, 16g fat, 9.4g protein, 21.9g carb, 17.1g fiber (4.8g effective carbs)
Coconut Flour Sub (egg whites) = 139 calories, 1.7g fat, 8.2g protein, 21.3g carb, 17.5g fiber (3.8g effective carbs)

Here is a video of me making this amazing bread!


Use to make French Toast! Find my caramel recipe in The Art of Healthy Eating Sweets.

Here are three versions of the bread (from left to right) with 14 ounces water, 12 ounces water and 11 ounces of water.
Here is a comment from Facebook about this bread.
I'm always getting on here asking you questions but this time I just wanted to let you know that I made the sub bread into slices for the first time and made the french toast...and dang near cried!! SOOOOOOOOOO good!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and making this process so much easier. What pleases me the most is that my 6 and 2 year olds even ate it. My 6 year old asked if it was "healthy" as he has been doing with every thing I make these days and I when I tell him "yes its healthy" I get a massive groooooooan. But today when he ate it he actually LOVED IT! And so did my 2 year old! They ate seconds and thirds. I used the Natures Hollow syrup and added butter and cinnamon to it and warmed it up, it tasted gourmet! THANK YOU THANK YOU! ~Brianna

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Athletes and Low Carb

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The Gift that keeps on Giving!

Are you looking for a unique Graduation gift? How about a slow cooker cookbook and my favorite slow cooker? What busy student wouldn't love a way to make awesome healthy meals quick and easy in their dorm or apartment?

The Slow cooker is on sale now! Click HERE to find it.

Click HERE to find the cookbook.

Thank you all for your love and support!



As I work with clients, I meet people with a variety of lifestyles. Some clients prefer not to exercise, which is just fine and they do wonderful on the diet (proof that weight loss is 80% diet). Then there is the other extreme, where I get clients who are training for a marathon and are wanting to increase carbs now because they need to "carb load." I often get asked "My high school son is in football and if you don't recommend Gatorade, what should he drink?" Um, how about water?  There is a much better way to fuel our bodies for performance than carbs.

Any person training for a marathon or endurance race MUST read the book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance. But if the idea of running until your big toe nail falls off (which mine did on my first marathon) doesn't appeal to you, check out Volek's other book: The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living which is for everyone, not just athletes.

It is especially interesting when Dr. Volek points out that he thought with all the data in the studies they conducted (him and Dr. Phinney have over 60 years of research combined) and low carb approaches, he thought they would change the world of performance.  Yet, we have been so brain-washed that these studies came out with a "thud." (not to mention our government driven high carb industry that doesn't want you to know this). The idea that you can run marathons on coconut oil (which is what I do) is still considered crazy! It does take a few weeks to become "keto-adapted" with a very low carbohydrate approach, but if you give it time, I promise you, your energy will be "through the roof!"

So, if you are like me and it took about 6 months to sit and read a book cover to cover because cute little toddlers are demanding your attention instead, here are some awesome things that I highlighted in the book:

Myth: You need carbohydrates for fuel

Facts:
1. Our bodies store over 40,000 calories as fat, but we can only store 2,000 calories of carbs, which when "carb-burning" is why marathoners "hit-the-wall" and constantly need Gel Packs and Gatorade, yet still are low in performance at the end of races due to the depletion of carbs in their muscles/liver.
2. Carb-fueling tactics and sugar-based fuel sources create a body that fuels on carbs while simultaneously inhibiting fat burning. "This suppression of fat burning lasts for DAYS after carbs are consumed, not just the few hours following their digestion." (pg. 7)
3. Even in athletes who have very little body fat are able to work out 20 times longer at their max level. Vigorous exercise fueled on carbs depletes the athlete in a few hours, but burning fat for fuel you can exercise for days. (pg. 10)


I love this chart; fat release plummets with a moderate increase in insulin; this is why I am so extreme... even a banana will cause fat burning to stop and you are no longer "keto-adapted." Is a banana the "devil?" No, but for what we want to accomplish, it is going to stop your efforts.





The chart below demonstrates why I LOVE weight lifting, not only for myself, but for my clients. For example, one man who was training for a triathlon started a very low carb diet. He was 57 years old, 180 pounds with a BMI of 25. After the first 2 weeks (which his training intensity was decreased) he had the best training and energy of his life! In only 12 weeks, he lost 23 pounds of FAT and gained 6 pounds of muscle!


BENEFITS OF KETO-ADAPTATION (LOW CARB/HIGH FAT DIET)
1. It improves insulin sensitivity and speeds recovery time in-between training sessions. Low carb diets are anti-inflammatory. This produces less oxidative stress while exercising, which speeds recovery time in between exercise sessions. This is why I was able to run every day while training for my marathons.

2. It spares protein from being oxidized, which preserves muscle. Branch chain amino acids are considered essential, because your body can't make them, so you need to consume them for proper muscle building and repair (as well replenishing red blood cells). What I found so interesting is that BCAA oxidation rates usually rise with exercise, which means you need more if you are an athlete. BUT in keto-adapted athletes, ketones are burned in place of BCAA. Critics of low carb diets, claim that you NEED insulin to grow muscles; however, a well-designed low carb/high fat diet there is less protein oxidation and double the amount of fat oxidation, which leaves your muscles in place while all you burn is fat!

3. It decreases the build up of lactate, which helps control pH and respiratory function. A myth of low carb diets is that it puts you in a state of acidosis.
"This stems from the unfortunate fact that many doctors confuse nutritional ketosis (blood ketones at 1-3 millimolar) with keto-acidosis (blood ketones greater than 20 millimolar). In nutritional ketosis, blood pH at rest stays normal, plus sharp drops in pH due to CO2 and lactate buildup during exercise are restrained. By contrast, in keto-acidosis, blood pH is driven abnormally low by the 10-fold greater buildup of ketones. Suggesting these 2 states are similar is like equating a gentle rain with a flood because they both involve water." (pg 35).

4. It improves cognition. Ketones aren't just fuel for our body, but they are also great for our brain. They provide substrates to help repair damaged neurons and membranes. This is why I really push a high fat/low carb diet for clients who suffer from Alzheimer's (type 3 diabetes) and seizures.

5. It doesn't damage our immune system and less free radical damage in our cells. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules produced in the mitochondria that damage protein tissues and membranes of the cells. Free radicals happen as we exercise. But ketones are a 'clean-burning fuel.' When ketones are the fuel source, ROS (oxygen free radicals) is drastically reduced. Intense exercise on a high-carb diet overwhelms the antioxidant defenses and cell membranes which explains why extreme athletes have impaired immune systems and decreased gut (intestinal) health. A well-designed ketogenic diet, not only fights off these aging antioxidants, it also reduces inflammation of the gut and immune systems are stronger than ever. After reading this, I am no longer concerned about taking all the anti-oxidant supplements that I do! I also don't worry about getting as many anti-oxidants in my food like with veggies and definitely not with fruit!

What to Eat?

So what does the suggested diet look like? This isn't a high protein diet! Too much protein has anti-ketogenic effects because too much protein turns into sugar in the blood (this has been demonstrated to me with my extremely diabetic clients who eat too much protein even though they are staying under 10g carbs a day and it causes blood sugar issues). The diet consists of 1.75g/kg protein (or 0.5 to 1.0 grams protein per pound of lean body mass), less than 10g carbs, over 80% of calories as fat and then supplemented with minerals such as sodium (bone broth is my favorite way to add sodium; it is FILLED with minerals!). When your body switches over to ketosis, the liver releases a lot of sodium (and the water associated with it) so you actually need more salt in your diet when in a ketogenic state. Even the very lean subjects had double the fat oxidation rates on low carb versus when they did the same exercise on their typical high carb diet. (see chart below). To demonstrate just how high in fat this is, whenever I eat my "healthified" nut butters (macadamia nut butter is my favorite!), I always add melted coconut oil/butter into the nut butters. Nuts are a carbohydrate, so to lower the carbs and increase the fat, I stir in extra oil (I prefer that taste too), even if I buy almond butter, I stir in more fat.


I want to also emphasis that the faster you switch your diet, the faster you will become keto-adapted. I use to think that in order to succeed, you should do "baby steps". I know that if you do something 16 times in a row it becomes a habit. Habits are hard to break in the first place, so changing a habit of eating oatmeal and bananas at breakfast is hard enough. In the past, I would have clients aim for 3 things to change a week, once you have those habits in place, add in and focus on 3 new goals to change. BUT after reading this book, I think you need to "pull off the band-aid" and go all in! The faster you do this, the faster you will stop being a sugar-burner and become a "fat-burner". It will still take a few weeks to become a significant fat burner, this is referred to keto-adaptation. There are some supplements that also help anyone who wants to burn fat for energy (or weight loss), which are discussed in this book as well as my book Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. The best one would be l-carnitine. I take this in a capsule form before my runs in the morning, but you could also get the powder form and add it to the "gel pack" recipe below.
I get all my fat burning supplements HERE. If you find yourself also needing more electrolytes, this is the only supplement drink I found that is lowest in sugar: click HERE to find Hammer Fizz.


Gel frozen in mini ice cube trays.  Easy to grab one before a run!
"HEALTHIFIED" GEL PACK"
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 TBS Swerve (or a drop of stevia glycerite)
1 tsp strawberry extract (or extract of your choice)

OPTIONAL additions:
3 tsp l-glutamine powder (helps repair muscles faster)
3 tsp l-carnitine powder (increases body's ability to become keto-adapted)
3 tsp green tea extract (decreases inflammation)
3 tsp fish oil (decreases inflammation)

Melt the coconut oil in a small bowl. Mix in additional ingredients. Pour the coconut oil mixture into gel pack (which I found HERE) or ice cube trays (preferably metal trays... you don't want to put hot stuff in plastic).  This recipe also works great as "Magic Shell" over my "healthified" ice cream (which I also eat almost every day!).

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1.3 oz serving)
Honey Stinger Gel = 120 calories, 0g protein, 0g fat, 29g carbs, 0g fiber (29g effective carbs)
"Heahlthified" Gel = 288 calories, 0g protein, 33.6g fat, 0g carbs, 0g fiber (0g effective carbs)

SALE

Tropical traditions has 2 1-gallon coconut oils for $99! You can get this great deal by clicking HERE.

We always use coconut oil whenever possible! It gives baked goods a naturally sweet flavor. Coconut oil serves several purposes. Its butyric acid is known to increase T3 uptake by glial cells. It has a general pro-thyroid action, for example by diluting and displacing antithyroid unsaturated oils, its short-and medium-chain fatty acids sustain blood sugar and have anti-allergic actions, and it protects mitochondria against stress injury.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

New Slow Cooker Cookbook!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

My New Slow Cooker Cookbook is Here!


We put a lot of time and effort into this one and we are really proud of it.  It is our first Hardcover!  This is the kind of book you can hand down to your kids.  There are tasty recipes for everything from drinks to desserts.  Here is a sampling of the recipes:
 
BBQ Pheasant 127
BBQ Shrimp 66
Beef Stroganoff 99
Beefy “Noodles” 103
Blue Cheese Steak Roll-Ups 102
Coconut Kefir 164
Coffee Cake 26
Cookie Dough Cupcakes 190
Coq Au-No Vin 145
Cordon Bleu Soup 89
Cornish Game Hens 121
Crab Dip 55
Crab Rangoon Dip 56
Crab Stuffed Avocado 48
Sloppy Joes 98
“Smoked” Beef Brisket 108
Smoky Baby Back Ribs 105
Smoky Tomatillo Chicken 73
Spicy Beef Stew 87
Spinach Artichoke Dip 54
Stuffed Cabbage 116
Stuffed Tenderloin 109

If you are familiar with the "The Art of Healthy Eating" series of cookbooks, this is not only our first hardcover but there are 198 recipes on over 200 pages!  And we are doing all for only $25.99!

Summertime is a great time to break out your slow cooker.  It saves time and you don't have to heat up your whole house on those warm summer days!  Thank you all for your support!



Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Buffalo Cauliflower

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Inflammation

Cauliflower is such a versatile veggie! You can use it for so many things! Inflammation is the stem of all diseases. One question or complaint is why can't I eat "normal?" Sure, there are people who can eat potatoes and rice and pasta and not be over weight, BUT this doesn't mean they are healthy. I have had a handful of clients who were female, 115 pounds and had very high blood sugar levels and had to be put on insulin. Not only should diabetics and people who want to lose weight limit carbohydrate intake, everyone should. We are all, in an evolutionary sense, predisposed to becoming diabetic. So I want to step you through how fat is stored, but more importantly this is how we become at risk for diabetes and heart disease: 

1) After you eat excess carbohydrates, blood glucose stays higher longer because the glucose can’t make it into the cells of the muscles. This toxic level of glucose is like tar in the bloodstream clogging arteries, binding with proteins to form damaging AGEs (Advanced Glycated End-products) and causing inflammation. This high level of glucose causes triglycerides to go up, increasing your risk for heart disease.

2) Starch and sugar gets stored as fat (remember starch is just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain; the digestive track breaks it down into glucose... so a sugary and a starch diet are the same thing!). Since the muscle cells aren't getting glycogen (because they basically have a crust over the cells and are considered "resistant"), and since insulin stops the production of the fat-burning enzyme lipase, now you can’t even burn STORED fat! So workout all you want, if you continue to eat oatmeal before your workouts, you will never be a fat-burner, you will remain a sugar-burner and you continue to get fatter until eventually those fat cells become resistant too.

3) If that isn't bad enough, I have more bad news...Insulin levels continue to stay high longer because the pancreas mistakenly believes “if a little is not working, more is better.” NOT GOOD. Insulin is very toxic at high levels, causing cellular damage, cancers, plaque build-up in the arteries (which is why diabetics have so much heart disease) as well as many other inflammation issues such as nerve damage and pain in the extremities. Starch and sugar destroys nerve tissue, causing tingling and retinopathy, which causes you to lose your eyesight.

4) Sorry, but I have more bad news...Our cells become so damaged after a life of cereal and skim milk for breakfast that not only does insulin resistance block glucose from entering muscle cells; the crust we have formed over our cells also blocks amino acids from entering. Amino acids are the building blocks for our muscles that are found in protein. So now you can’t even maintain your muscles. And if that isn't bad enough, our muscles become cannibals
 because your body think there’s not enough stored sugar in the cells, so they send signals to start to consume valuable muscles to make more glucose (sugar)! You get fatter and you lose muscle. 

5) Instead of feeling energetic after you eat, you are tired, and you crave more carbohydrates and since you have less muscle, exercise is getting too darn difficult, and the sad cycle continues.

6) But there is even more bad news... thyroid disorders also happen too. When your liver becomes insulin resistant, it can’t convert thyroid hormone T4 into the T3, so you get those unexplained “thyroid problems”, which continue to lower your energy and metabolism.

If you don't want this to happen, there is good news! Here are some ways to avoid all of this:
1) Lower your carbohydrates. Not only for you, but your kids too! So they don't end up so insulin sensitive like we are!

2) Exercise! Even walking after meals. Moving has a major impact on improving insulin sensitivity since muscles burn your stored glycogen as fuel during and after your workout. 

Here is a partial sample of my charts in my books and cookbooks.


Potato Substitutions (Per Cup)
FOOD
Rate
Carbs
Sugars
Fiber
Calories
Potato
Bad
28
2
4
116
Sweet Potato
Bad
27
6
4
114
Cauliflower
Best
3
1
1
28



Rice Substitutions (Per Cup)
FOOD
Rate
Carbs
Sugars
Fiber
Calories
White Rice
Bad
53
0
0
242
Brown Rice
Bad
46
0
4
218
Quinoa
Bad
39
0
5
222
Wild Rice
Bad
35
1.2
3
166
Cauliflower Rice
Best
3
1
1
28




In this series of photos:
1. Cauliflower noodle lasagna: Low Carbing Among Friends Vol. 2
2. Cheezy Grits: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
3. Meatloaf "Cupcakes": The Art of Eating Healthy: Kids
4. "Faux"tatoes: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
5. Chicken Asperagus Roll Ups: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
6. Fish Stew: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
7. Sesame Veggies: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
8. African "nut" stew:  The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker







1. Cauliflower soup with Crispy Capers: The Art of Eating Healthy: Slow Cooker
2. Sushi: The Art of Healthy Eating: Savory
3. Southwestern "Tabbouleh": The Art of Healthy Eating: Savory
4. Chili Cheese "Fries": The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory
5. Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl: The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory
6. Calzones: The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory
7. Paella: The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory
8. Cheezy Grits: The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory


"HEALTHIFIED" BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch chucks
3/4 cup organic broth (veggie or chicken)
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
OPTIONAL:
1/4 cup buffalo sauce
2 TBS melted butter or coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Clean and cut up the cauliflower and set aside. Place the broth, buffalo sauce, coconut flour and salt into a large Ziplock and shake very well until you get a smooth (thin) paste. Place the cauliflower into the bag and shake until the cauliflower is coated.

Put the cauliflower onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked to desired liking. I like mine a little 'charred.' If desired, mix the additional buffalo sauce and melted butter in a bowl. Brush the baked cauliflower with additional buffalo sauce. Place back into the oven for another 5-7 minutes. Makes 4 servings. OPTION: Fry these tasty bites in coconut oil instead of baking them.

Serve with my "healthified" blue cheese dressing.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Wings = 251 calories, 9g fat, 34.2g protein, 5g carbs, 2g fiber (3 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Cauliflower "Wings" = 52 calories, 0.7g fat, 2.7g protein, 7g carbs, 4g fiber (3 effective carbs)

Blue Cheese Dressing:
2 1/2 ounces blue cheese
3 TBS beef broth
3 TBS sour cream
2 TBS Organic Spectrum Mayo
2 tsp coconut vinegar OR white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and broth together with a fork until mixture resembles a broth large-curd cottage cheese. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

 NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving of dressing)
Traditional Blue Cheese Dressing = 241 calories, 1.2 carbs
“Healthified” Blue Cheese Dressing = 104 calories, 1.1 carbs