Peanut Butter Donuts and Chocolate Sauce

Tomorrow is National Sugar Awareness Day. For those of you trying to get your kids off sugar, here is a sugar free treat!

What peanut butter do you use? I hope not Jiff "Omega 3!"

Ingredients: PEANUT BUTTER [ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT], ANCHOVY* AND SARDINE OIL*,TILAPIA GELATIN, TOCOPHEROLS AND CITRIC ACID (ANTIOXIDANTS). *A TASTELESS, ODORLESS SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 DHA AND EPA.

The word hydrogenated oils = TRANS-FAT. There are many reasons why this word is so terrible for us!

1. DEPRESSION: Trans fats can lead to chronic inflammation which blocks the body’s ability to produce mood-building neurotransmitter serotonin. I was on Jimmy Moore's podcast discussing how we produce and diminish our neurotransmitters (click HERE to listen).

2. INCREASED APPETITE: Trans fats can lead to chronic inflammation which inhibits the body’s ability to create appetite-controlling neurotransmitter dopamine and serotonin. Read more in Secrets to Controlling Your Weight Cravings and Mood.

3. WEIGHT GAIN: Trans fat slows the ability of muscle cells to use glucose as an energy source. When muscle cells can’t use glucose, it stays in the blood and insulin levels severely increase. Excess insulin = fat storage.

4. ALZHEIMER'S: Patient's with Alzheimer's have brain cells that can no longer use glucose for energy (which is why I have my patients use coconut oil/ketones for a brain boosting energy source). One reason that this occurs is over time trans-fats inhibit the brain cells to metabolize glucose.

5. DECREASE IMMUNE SYSTEM and INCREASE CANCER: Trans-fats weaken the immune system by reducing the body’s ability to fight viruses.

6. HEART DISEASE: Unlike healthy saturated fats that make up 50% of the cell membranes which create our cells necessary stiffness and integrity, trans-fats increase risks of heart disease. These factory-made trans fats are toxins to the body, but sadly our digestive system does not identify them as such. Instead of being eliminated, trans fats are included into cells as if they were natural fats and our cells become partially hydrogenated! It takes 9 months to detox trans-fats from our body.

7. OMEGA 6 OVERLOAD: Altered partially hydrogenated fats actually block use of essential fatty acids, causing many harmful effects including cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, immune system dysfunction, birth defects, decreased visual acuity, sterility, low-birth-weight babies, and hardships with lactation.

So when you make these tasty treats, always use natural peanut butter with the ingredients: Peanuts and Salt!

NOTE: If there is severe yeast overgrowth (candida), killing the yeast is essential to help restore good bacteria and therefore staying away from peanuts would be important at that time.

DONUTS:
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup Just Like Sugar (or erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups peanut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sweetener. Beat eggs in well. Mix in peanut butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Combine peanut flour, baking powder, soda and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Spoon mixture into greased mini donut pan (click HERE to find). Place in oven for 10-12 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Makes 42 mini donuts, 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 TBS butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup Just Like Sugar (or *powdered erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite

Place the erythritol in a coffee grinder and blend into a smooth powdered sugar texture (this is optional, but provides a smooth chocolate). Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), once the mixture has cooled quite a bit, add in the almond milk and sweetener (if you add it too soon, the chocolate will separate). Stir until smooth and thick. Serve with donuts. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Donuts = 396 calories, 23g fat, 7g protein, 49.5 carbs, 2.5g fiber
“Healthified” Donuts = 256 calories, 21.9g fat, 11g protein, 12 carbs, 6.9g fiber

Click HERE to find the mini jars I store my sauces in.

Chili Cheese Fries: Low Carb = HIGH ENERGY!

I get a lot of questions on how much fat is in my recipes. Why don't I label it? Well, because fat is my source of energy. I even run marathons with this diet and I never 'hit the wall.'

People often complain of low energy when they first start a low carb diet because they are "sugar-burners." This is not only inefficient, but very detrimental to our health. For one reason, cancer LOVES sugar! This is why cancer patients drink a huge glass of glucose to see where the caner is in their body. Cancer feeds on sugar, if you eat more sugar, the more the cancer grows.

Energy actually comes from a chemical we produce in our body called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We can produce energy 2 ways: anaerobic and aerobic.
1. Anaerobic ('without oxygen') bacteria break down glucose to produce energy. Our cells can use this method.
2. Aerobic ('with oxygen'). All human and animal life requires oxygen to function.

As we breathe in oxygen, we carry it through the hemoglobin to the mitochondria (the powerhouse of our cells) where we burn fat and produce energy. The more mitochondria the more energy and fat burning going on. AND the more healthy fats = more mitochondria. You can also increase the amount of mitochondria with certain supplements which I discuss in my book Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. One supplement I take everyday for this is CoQ10 (click HERE to find).

*Please note that if you have a food allergy, you can't absorb iron properly which will inhibit you from carrying oxygen to the mitochondria. This will cause exhaustion due to low ATP production along with other problems.

Energy Can Come From:
1. Glucose: created with carbohydrates and protein
2. Fats, both from the diet and from stored body fats
3. Ketones which are derived from the metabolism of fats

GLUCOSE and ENERGY = EAT PROTEIN
Some cells, such as the kidneys have very little mitochondria so they don't use fat for energy, so this is why eating protein for glucose is important. If we go too long without eating, we maintain glucose levels by breaking down glycogen in muscle proteins with a process called gluconeogenesis. BUT this is not healthy. There is a detrimental phenomena called SARCOPENIA where we lose 1% of our muscle every year starting at age 25, which is terrible because 1 pound of muscle burns 50 calories and 1 pound of fat burns only 2...even when we sleep!

So we don't want to be cannibals to our muscles. Eating adequate amounts of protein will produce glucose (healthy carbs such as non-starchy veggies and almond/coconut flour will too). Our cells need a steady supply of protein to sustain a healthy structure. Any protein over and above 1 to 1.5 grams/kilogram of lean body weight/day can be used as a source of glucose. Anything less will cause you to start eating healthy muscle tissue. When you eat protein, you convert about 58% to glucose. So 100g of protein will produce 58 grams of glucose.

KETONES and ENERGY = EAT HEALTHY FATS
So if you want to stop being a "sugar burner" you must derive energy from another source. Enter fat. When we start eating a healthy low carb diet, our bodies slowly switch from burning sugar to burning fat. This is where eating becomes an "art." Energy must be derived from healthy fatty acids and ketones produced from foods such as coconut oil. At first the body will feel lethargic due to the mechanisms switching over; burning sugar is easy, burning fat takes a few days to adapt.

The brain prefers to use ketones instead of glucose for energy (in Alzheimer's the brain can no longer convert glucose for energy, coconut oil is VERY healthy for these patients!).

Eating a very low carbohydrate diet stimulates the production of ketones from body fat; which is why people lose so much weight on this diet. Cutting out carbs and reducing protein also leads to a lower insulin level in the blood. A normal blood sugar is 1 TEASPOON of sugar in you blood. Many Americans consume over 63 teaspoons a day! If you can conquer a normal blood sugar, it reduces the problems associated with high insulin levels; insulin resistance, leptin resistance, high blood pressure, Metabolic Syndrome, weight gain, sleep issues...

To produce ketones, focus on carbs being only 10% of your total intake. For diabetics, the level may need to be lower to counteract insulin resistance. Typical levels of carb intake for a type-2 diabetic are around 50 grams per day; the level should be lower still at about 30 grams a day for a type-1 diabetic. Here is a good ratio to follow for calories/macro-nutrient consumption:

10-15% carbs
20-39% protein
60-70% fat

So, please listen: don't eat just lean proteins! It is not tolerated well in our body. It leads to nausea in as little as three days. A high healthy fat diet, however, is the traditional diet to sustain for a lifetime. Eating only lean protein causes excess intake of nitrogen, which leads to hyperammonaemia, which is a build up of ammonia in the bloodstream and is toxic to the brain. Many traditional societies survived on a purely animal product diet, which was naturally high in fat...they didn't have George Foreman Grills.

Our paleo ancestors actually consumed more fat than protein; with a ratio of about 80% calories from fat and 20% from protein. During prolonged periods of starvation or something such as marathon running, fatty acids are converted into ketones, the preferred energy source for highly active tissues like those found in the heart and muscles. Ketones provide a long lasting energy to all cells with mitochondria. Ketones are used to generate ATP. If you use glucose for energy, it needs the intervention of bacteria, ketones can be used directly.

*Note: Using a quality REAL salt is also essential for electrolyte balance. We start skipping the salt and we get low energy. I'm not talking about pre-packaged and fast food junk salt. A Celtic Sea Salt filled with minerals will help with energy.

My favorite electrolyte product for athletes is ENDUROLYTES FIZZ. Click HERE to find.

The healthiest more energizing fats come from animal sources. Quality animal sources like free-range egg yolks and grass fed beef!

"Healthifed" Chili Cheese Fries
CHILI:
2 pounds grass fed ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 green chilies chopped
4 pieces bacon (fried, drained and chopped)
1 cup beef broth
¼ cup chili powder
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Celtic salt and pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp stevia glycerite
FRIES:
2 heads of cauliflower stems
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
OPTIONAL: Top with "Healthified" CHEESE SAUCE OR 1 (8 oz.) block Cheddar cheese, shredded

CHILI: Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chili peppers, bacon, and beef broth. Season with chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and stevia. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day. Makes 12 servings.

FRIES: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the stem out of the cauliflower (you can also use the whole cauliflower if you want, but it won't look like "french fries"). Cut the stem into french fry shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Spray the 'fries' with coconut oil spray and sprinkle with chili powder and salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Spoon chili over fries and top with cheese.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Chili Fries = 409 calories, 28 carbs, 6 g fiber (22 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Chili Fries = 396 calories, 12 carbs, 4 g fiber (8 effective carbs)

VARIATION: You can also use my other "French Fry" ideas, such as Eggplant Fries found in my cookbook: Nutritious and Delicious

To read more check out: Fat is the most valuable food known to Man
PROFESSOR JOHN YUDKIN

Coconut-Lime Fried "Rice" & Macadamia Nuts

When you hear the words "butter" or "coconut oil" you have been trained to think "heart disease!" Well, I am here to tell you we have been replacing these natural good-mood fats with rancid vegetable oils (corn/canola/soybean) overloaded with omega 6 fats. Butter and coconut oil, actually protect the omega-3s in our brain. Outside of mother's milk, coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium chain triglycerides (MCT); they are extraordinary fats because they are not processed by your body in the same manner as long chain triglycerides.

Coconut oil increases thermogenesis, which increases metabolism and produces energy. The medium chain fats in coconut oil goes directly to the liver and are immediately converted to energy, we call these KETONES. It also increases metabolism because it is easily absorbed and produces organelles in our cells.

We have studied cows and other animals with different fats:
Feed animals vegetable oils = put on weight and produce fatty meat
If you feed them coconut oil = very lean

Normal fat metabolism depends on bile salts that have been released from your gallbladder before broken down in your digestive system. Coconut oil bypass bile metabolism and go directly to your liver where they are converted into ketones.
The liver immediately releases KETONES into the bloodstream transported to the brain to be used as fuel.

BENEFITS OF KETONES:
Ketones = stable source of energy for the brain during periods of low blood sugar without the harmful neurological side effects associated with high blood sugar.

Ketones = preferred source of brain food in people affected by diabetes or any neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's, & Multiple Sclerosis. In these conditions, the brain can no longer use glucose for fuel so we need to use an alternative source...ketones!

Ketones = help heart patients recover from a heart attack and they can dramatically shrink cancerous tumors.



So let's use some flavorful coconut oil to help our brain and body!

SAUCE
1/4 cup lime juice
2 TBS organic Tamari (soy sauce)
1/2 tsp stevia glycerite (or 2 TBS Swerve)
1 TBS grated lime peel
"RICE"
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 TBS coconut oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
4 cups cauliflower "rice"
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

SAUCE: Combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

"RICE": Place the cauliflower heads into a food processor (click HERE to find the one I use), pulse until small pieces of 'rice.' Set aside.

Add 1 TBS of the oil to skillet; stir-fry eggs over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until scrambled but still moist. Remove eggs.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ginger to skillet; stir-fry 40 to 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add zucchini and cauliflower "rice". Increase heat to medium-high; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in sauce until combined. Stir in egg, cilantro, half of the nuts and half of the coconut. Serve topped with remaining nuts and coconut. Makes 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARRISON (per serving)
Traditional Fried Rice = 510 calories, 59 carbs, 5 g fiber
"Healthified" Fried Rice = 204 calories, 9 carbs, 3.8 g fiber (5.2 effective carbs)

100 Grand Candy Bar and ALZHEIMER'S

So, what is wrong with grabbing a "treat" once in a while??? Well, first off, 'once in a while triggers a snowball effect of cravings. Once you throw off your brain chemistry with high blood sugar levels the roller-coaster of brain imbalances begin. That is why I don't want anyone to think that they don't have the will-power for eating the "healthified" way! It isn't your fault that cravings happen! You can correct this with specific supplements and eating patterns to control insulin levels. Insulin is a powerful hormone that controls everything from cravings to brain chemistry and wrinkles!

One of the causes of brain aging is the decreased ability to metabolize glucose for brain conversion; to put it simpler...our cells can’t process as many sugars and carbohydrates (this includes complex carbs, whole grains, and natural sweeteners like honey).

In the past a candy bar was a rare treat, but now, we start the day with a bowl of cereal (Grapenuts = 23 tsp of sugar), which sets us up for sugar cravings at 3pm...hence the candy bar cravings! The daily blood sugar fluctuations cause impairment of glucose metabolism and combined with cell damage leads to dementia.

If you grew up on cereal for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and butter noodles for dinner, this creates an adulthood of insulin sensitivity that can lead to carbohydrate sensitivity and early biological aging. High carbohydrate foods literally age brains at early ages. This is because carbs and sugar increase inflammation and damage cells occur on the inside of the body and brain. Okay, maybe you can't relate to brain issues yet, so here... this inflammation decreases our skin's elasticity and collagen production which increases aging skin and premature wrinkles. (Above chart is from Here)


NESTLE 100 Grand Ingredients = Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin-an Artificial Flavor)Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Crisped Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar, Salt, Barley, Malt, traces of Wheat Gluten)Coconut Oil, Butter, Mono- and Diglycerides, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Artificial and Natural Flavor.



So let's enjoy a treat like this to satisfy those sweet tastes-buds!

*Please click on ingredients to discover where to find them.

Caramel Layer:
1 cup xylitol
6 TBS grass fed butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Crisp Layer:
2 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup erythritol (or xylitol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite (omit if using xylitol)
1/4 cup vanilla Jay Robb whey protein (or egg white)
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Whey Crisps

Caramel Layer: Before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. If you don't work fast, the xylitol will burn. You may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. Heat xylitol on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As it begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as it comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. As soon as all of the xylitol crystals have melted (the liquid should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Place 2 TBS of caramel in each slot of an ice cube tray (lined with foil or plastic wrap so you can remove it easily) and freeze.

Chocolate Crisp Layer: Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water...see photo). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, sweetener and whey protein. Stir until smooth and thick. Then add the whey crisps.

Remove the caramels from the ice cube trays (twist the tray as if you had ice cubes in it). Dip each caramel into the chocolate to coat completely and then place on waxed paper. Cool until firm in the refrigerator, 1 to 2 hours. Makes 16 mini candybars.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1 mini candy bar)
Nestle 100 Grand = 180 calories, 29 carbs, 0 fiber, 1 g protein
"Healthified" 100 Grand = 165 calories, 3.6 effective carbs, 0 fiber, 6.3 g protein

Chocolate Nutella Cream Puffs and CHOLINE

Do you know anyone suffering from Alzheimer's? How is your memory? Do you only eat egg whites? If you are, you are skimping on an essential mineral called CHOLINE! Egg yolks are filled with this vital mineral. Choline is a chemical similar to the B-vitamins and serves many functions in our bodies:

1. Composes the structure of cell membranes, the flexibility and integrity depend on adequate supplies of choline.
2. Protects our livers from accumulating fat. 77% of men, 80% of postmenopausal women, and 44% of premenopausal women developed fatty liver when they ate a diet deprived of choline. (Premenopausal women were not as affected because choline can be made by our bodies from the synthesis of phosphatidyl-choline, which is regulated by estrogen from our ovaries).
3. It is the precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which I write a whole chapter on in Secrets to Controlling Your Weight Cravings and Mood. This is a neurotransmitter that carries messages from and to nerves, acetylcholine is the body's primary chemical means of sending messages between nerves and muscles.
4. Because of rapid development in fetuses and infants, we have a great need for choline in our early lives. Human milk has high levels of choline. Studies prove that mothers who don't consume enough choline have babies with less brain development and poorer memories after birth.

I know, I know, you are asking, "Well, how many eggs can I have in a day? What about the cholesterol in the yolks?" When most people hear "cholesterol" they think "bad." Like most things in life, the reality is more complex. First off, I am talking about using farm-fresh, free-range, omega-3 filled eggs. Yes, they cost more, but I don't need to buy Choline or Omega 3 supplements...I just spend my money on quality food!:)

Cholesterol is more of our "fire-fighters" that come in to put out the inflammation going on in our body. If your cholesterol numbers are high, you have inflammation going on. What can cause inflammation?
1. Too many Omega 6 fatty acids (omega 3 imbalance)
2. Low fat dairy products (oxidized milk solids added to skim/1%/2% milk)
3. Processed-prepackaged foods
4. Food Allergies/Sensitivities
5. Alcohol consumption
6. Too much fructose in the diet (Agave, HFCS, JUICE (even 100% natural juice)

So instead of forcefully pushing cholesterol down with statin drugs, focus on what is causing the inflammation. People whose diets supplied the highest average intake of choline (egg yolks), have levels of inflammatory markers at least 20% lower than people with the lowest intakes, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Detopoulou P, Panagiotakos DB, et al.) Chronic inflammation has been linked to a wide range of conditions including cognitive decline and Alzheimer's, heart disease, osteoporosis, and type-2 diabetes.

So, here is a recipe for our brain!

PUFFS:
3 eggs, separated
3 oz cream cheese or coconut cream (if dairy allergy)
1/2 cup chocolate whey protein (vanilla works too)
4 TBS cocoa powder
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp stevia glycerite

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until peaks are very stiff (about 5 minutes, see photo). Slowly mix in whey protein and cocoa powder. In separate bowl, blend cream cheese, yolks and stevia. Slowly add the cream cheese mixture into the stiff egg whites. Grease a cookie sheet or a medium size muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes (or until golden brown). Remove pans from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Once cool, use a knife to cut a small hole in the puffs to insert the cream filling.

FILLING:
2 cups raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup erythritol
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
3 TBS hazelnut oil (could use other oil like coconut or macademia nut)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts evenly over a cookie sheet and roast until they darken and become aromatic, about 10 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a damp towel and rub to remove the skins.

Pulsing the Erythritol in a coffee blender and blending it until a fine powder is an optional step, but it makes a really smooth nutella.

In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter, scraping the sides as needed so they process evenly, about 5 minutes.

Add the cocoa, sweetener, vanilla, salt and oil to the food processor and continue to process until well blended, about 1 minute. The finished spread should have the consistency of creamy peanut butter; if it is too dry, process in a little extra hazelnut oil until the desired consistency is achieved. Remove to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow the spread to come to room temperature before using, as it thickens considerably when refrigerated. It will keep for at least a week.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON:
Traditional Nutella = 200 calories, 23 carbs, 2 fiber
“Healthified” Nutella = 110 calories, 3.4 carbs, 2 fiber

Twice-Baked Cauliflower

I hate going to a restaurant where all they serve is Bacon Bits at the salad bar. Reasons why they are so bad?

McCormick Bacon Bits Ingredients = Textured Soy Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Corn Gluten and Wheat Protein, FD&C Red 3 and Autolyzed Yeast.

1. Soy Protein: inhibits absorption of zinc and iodine for proper thyroid function, it has toxic chemicals (unless fermented), soy blocks the absorption of l-tyrosine from the intestines (essential for thyroid function), soy contains enzymes inhibitors that reduce protein digestion and processed soy protein contains carcinogens such as nitrates.
2. Hydrogenated Oils: Rancid oils are free radicals, single atoms with an unpaired electron. These free-radicals are very chemically reactive. They attack cell membranes and cause damage in our DNA, causing alterations in tissue, blood vessels and skin. Free radical damage to the tissues and organs causes tumor growths, free radical damage to the skin causes wrinkles, and free radical damage in the blood vessels promotes the buildup of plaque. New evidence finds links to free radicals with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease and cataracts.
3. Caramel Coloring: Banned in all other countries due to the link to cancer.
4. Corn Starch and Corn Gluten: We feed corn to cows to fatten them up in 6 months vs 2-3 years for a pasture fed cow...why don't we associate that to our increase in weight?
6. Food Dye: One of the most common ingredients in the food we eat isn't even a food. It's food dye. Food dyes are synthetic chemicals; which causes hyperactivity, restlessness, and attention problems. The Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the FDA to ban 8 of the most common artificial dyes, instead, they put a warning… "Warning: The artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavioral problems”
7. Yeast: Candida!

Let's stick to real bacon!


1 large head cauliflower
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T butter
1/4 cup minced scallions or green onions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
6 slices nitrate free bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (Never pre-shredded cheese)
Sour Cream (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in large pot of boiling water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, butter, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the bacon.

Spread evenly in an 8 X 8 inch glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
Twice Baked Potato = 28 Carbs, 2 sugar, 4 fiber, 116 Calories
Twice Baked Cauliflower = 243 calories, 19g fat, 12.5g protein, 6 carbs, 2.6g fiber

*If you really want to fool your family, pipe this into a hollowed out potato shell!
Recipe adapted from The Low Carb Gourmet