Chocolate PB Swirl Ice Cream

Are you grabbing Weight Watcher's Ice Cream off the shelf while trying to lose weight? THINK AGAIN!

Ingredients = Milk Fat and Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Fudge Revel (Maltitol Syrup, Water, Maltitol, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Butter, Nonfat Dry Milk, contains 2% or Less of: Pectin, Salt, Potassium Sorbate as Preservative, Sucralose)Peanut Butter Base (Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides)Peanut Brittle (Peanuts, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Molasses, Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Salt, Vanilla)Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, Cellulose Gel, Mono & Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Polysorbate 80, Vitamin A Palmitate.

You may think the key to weight loss is "Calories In, Calories Out"...It is WAY more complicated than that. If you want to lose weight one main ingredient to steer clear of is trans-fats. As you look through the ingredients, you may think, "Maria, there are no hydrogenated oils in the list." BUT manufacturers have become aware that people know "hydrogenated oils" are a bad word so the FDA allows them to call it something different now! Manufacturers are now using mono- and di-glycerides--which are also hydrogenated oil products.

Once you become a savvy consumer, you will be amazed at the number of places that this detrimental little plastic molecule shows up.

WHY TRANS-FATS ARE SO BAD? Well, for MANY reasons, but one thing is that it slows metabolism. The oils are most likely a partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy blocks the absorption of zinc and iodine from the thyroid, which depresses the thyroid. A snowball effect happens: this will lower your energy levels, you don't feel like exercising, and your body can't process the food as efficiently and eventually makes you fatter! To read more on which foods enhance our thyroid go to the HORMONE chapter in my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.


Making low sugar ice cream is tricky. If you use an erythritol-based sweetener (like Organic Zero, Truvia or ZSweet), it hardens to a ROCK! BUT if you use Chicory Root (AKA "Swerve": click HERE to find), it stays nice and creamy! Another trick is to always add a pinch of salt to the mixture.



VANILLA ICE CREAM:
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup Swerve (or Just Like Sugar)
1/4 cup erythritol (or Swerve)
1 tsp stevia glycerite (omit if using Swerve)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup unsweetnened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp Celtic sea salt

In a medium saucepan place the egg yolks and sweeteners in to mix on high with a hand mixer (TIP: Since the Just Like Sugar is all a fiber, it will "gum" up if you don't constantly stir while adding it to the yolks). Whip yolks until light in color and double in size. Stir in the whipping cream. Place the saucepan onto medium heat on the stove and cook, stirring constantly (I used my hand mixer, see photo). Stir until thickened into a custard. Remove from heat and stir in the almond milk and salt. Let cool completely (I cooled overnight...it was hard to wait!). Place into your ice cream machine (click HERE to find the one I love AND it is 1/2 off the original price!!!) and watch the magic happen within 45 or according to your ice cream maker's directions. Freeze until set for vanilla ice cream or stir in your favorite swirl flavor to mix it up. Makes 5 servings.

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup erythritol (or Swerve)
1/2 tsp stevia glycerite
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
CHOCOLATE SWIRL:
2 TBS butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup Confectioners Swerve (or erythritol ground in a coffee grinder)
1 tsp stevia glycerite

CHOCOLATE SWIRL: 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!), add in the cream and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Swirl into finished ice cream.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1/2 cup serving)
Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream = 230 calories, 23 carbs, 0 fiber, 4 g protein
"Healthified" Vanilla Ice Cream = 137 calories, 1.3 carbs, 0 fiber, 3.4 g protein

Ben & Jerry's PB Ice Cream = 360 calories, 27 carbs, 1 fiber, 6 g protein (26 effective carbs)
"Healthified" PB Ice Cream = 338 calories, 5.4 carbs, 1.6 g fiber, 7 g protein (3.8 effective carbs)

"Juice" and HYDRATION Facts

Drink till you float. Water that is, NOT Juice!

Fructose = fatty liver deposits, the same way alcohol does. Fruit juices contain massive amounts of fructose. Most juices also and contain nasty stuff like molds and pesticides. Experts even say any fruit juice is as damaging as commercial soda beverages because of the way it affects the body.

FYI: Welch’s 100% "No Sugar Added" Grape Juice has MORE sugar (fructose) than a 12 ounce can of soda! Not to mention that grapes are one of the most pesticide-filled fruits.

Fructose is very damaging to growing children and it interferes with the formation of collagen.

Sally Fallon NOURISHING TRADITIONS: “There is as much sugar in a small glass of orange juice as there is in a candy bar – and most of it fructose, which is more harmful than the sucrose of sugar. Consumption of apple juice has been linked to failure to thrive in infants. Excessive consumption of fruit juice upsets the acid-alkaline balance of the body. Even consumption of veggie juice can cause this imbalance. Even over consumption of fruit can cause severe mineral deficiencies.”
Fruit should be consumed in moderation. The earlier you introduce fruit to children, the earlier a sweet tooth develops.


WHY WATER:
1. When you burn fat for fuel in the absence of excess carbs, you produce ketones. Far from being harmful, ketones are the natural by-product of fat breakdown. Your body can and WILL use them for energy. This is a healthy energy source that is longer lasting than glucose (marathon runner's know they "hit the wall" when they use carbs for energy). If you don't believe me think about migratory whales...they use 100% fat to make their journey.

If there are too many ketones, it will dispose them in your breath or pass them through your stool/urine. ENTER the importance of water: the more water... the more urine... the more ketones will pass through urine.

2. It helps break down fat. Whenever you are dehydrated, the liver can't do its main job of breaking down fat. The liver has to go help out the kidneys. To learn more on the importance of the liver, read the chapter called The Tired Toxic Liver in Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.

I like to add a little flavor to my water so I often use tea bags. I found this one: Mango Coconut Oolong Tea. (OR other, like Apple)

1 gallon water
15 tea bags
Stevia glycerite (or Organic Zero) to taste

Put water in large pot, and heat on high until boiling. Add teabags and let steep until desired strength is acquired. Stir in sweetener if desired. Once cool, place in cool bottles to store in the fridge.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Apple Juice = 110 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein, 29g carbs, 27g sugar
"Healthified" Juice = 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein, 0 carbs, 0 sugar

Click HERE for cut jars to store the tea in.

Zatar Rolls

Zatar is an amazingly versatile Spice mix ,that tastes tangy ,nutty and herby ,making it one of the favorite condiments in Arab cuisine.
The spice mix includes dried thyme, marjoram, oregano, sesame, salt and sumac. The aroma of zatar on fresh baked bread is simply indescribable. To get the best taste ,many in middle east make this spice from scratch. For those of us who can't find the individual ingredients to make the mix ,the middle eastern stores are usually well stocked to purchase this spice mix.

These zesty zatar rolls are perfect for brunch or an evening snack. I adapted the following recipe from Zainab's recipe ,which uses multigrains for a more hearty texture and also has feta cheese sprinkle along with the zatar. I made her recipe simpler by using single whole grain and just zatar stuffing.

Recipe : Zatar Rolls adapted from Arabic Bites
Makes about 6-8 medium rolls
Ingredients
3 cups Whole wheat flour(Fine ground) or Whole wheat pastry flour
1 active dry yeast pack,about 1 1/2 teaspoon
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 cup warm water
3/4 teaspoon Salt

Method
Prepare the dough
Dissolve the yeast in warm water, stir in the sugar and allow the yeast to get frothy, about 10 minutes.In a large bowl combine the flour with the yeast mixture and olive oil and knead until well combined.Apply some more oil on the sides of the bowl cover and allow to rise until double it size about 3-4 hours
Preheat oven to 350F.
Shape the dough in to a rectangle and sprinkle the Zatar mixture all over ,roll and cut in about 2 inches portion,lay on baking sheet. Keep distance between the rolls,cover and let rise for another 45minutes .
Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm with any dip. Here I prepared a simple avocado and sour cream dip.

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

Crab Cakes and ALOPECIA PROOF

Do you or someone you know suffer from an auto immune disease? My client, who suffers from alopecia (auto immune disease where you lose all your hair) had no hair when I first met her. Well, she showed up today with a surprise! She took her hat off for me and "TADA!"

She thought I was crazy when I told her that she had a food allergy causing her to lose her hair. She is a total believer now! She was so excited that she had her first hair cut in over 10 years!

Here is a great dish that Kiki could enjoy. I adapted this recipe from the BBC.


CRAB CAKES
1 pound crabmeat
2 TBS diced green bell pepper
1 TBS Spectrum organic mayonnaise
2 TBS coconut flour
2 eggs
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
2 tsp seafood seasoning
1 tsp fish sauce (Optional: umami flavor)
2 TBS macadamia nut or coconut oil
EGGS:
4 eggs
GREENS:
1 TBS coconut oil or butter
14 oz fresh spinach
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg

CRAB CAKES: In a medium-large bowl, mix all ingredients except oil until blended. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With a spoon, place 2 TBS of the crab mixture into the pan for mini-cakes. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, and then flip and cook another minute.

EGGS: Heat pan to medium high heat. Place 1/4 cup water in the pan. Crack in the egg, cover the pan so it traps any air (see photo: an easy way to 'poach' an egg). Cook the egg just until the white are cooked, but the yolk is still soft and runny.

GREENS: Heat the coconut oil or butter in a frying pan over a low to medium heat. When it has melted, add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until wilted. Add the spices to desired taste.

Spoon the cooked greens into the center of a plate. Place 2-3 crab cakes on top of each portion, and top with an egg. Then watch the yolk pour all over the delicious crab cake as you break it open with a fork! Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Crab Cake = 368 calories, 10 carbs, 0.8 g fiber
"Healthified" Crab Cake = 248 calories, 0.4 carbs, trace fiber

Snicker's Ice Cream Bar

I asked my husband if he missed any ice cream treats with our "healthified" lifestyle, and he mentioned Snicker's Ice Cream Bars...yum! I remember those:) We always had those in the freezer! But after seeing all the gross ingredients in those things, I have no problems saying NO. Knowledge is power, and knowing what these chemicals do to your body helps with temptation. I know a lot of people who would rather not listen and enjoy their chemicals in a bag. I am proud of you for taking a stand against the typical American diet!

FYI: Is your sex drive not what it used to be? I was reminded of this fun fact while reading Half-Assed on vacation this past weekend: Our fat cells are very powerful in our body, they increase the hormone sex hormone binding globulin, which attaches to testosterone killing libido. Just another reason why NOT to eat packaged sugar-filled junk!

It may seem like a lot of steps, but it really isn't very hard.



ICE CREAM LAYER:
1 cup whipping cream
1 8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt (helps from hardening too much)
NUGGET LAYER:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/4 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanuts or almonds, chopped
CHOCOLATE LAYER:
2 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners Swerve (or powdered erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite


ICE CREAM LAYER: In a stand mixer or a large bowl, whip the cream. Add in the sweetener and softened cream cheese and salt until well combined. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups and place about 3-4 TBS into each liner. Chill in freezer while making Nugget Layer.

NUGGET LAYER: In a saucepan boil 1/4 cup of butter, sweetener, and 1/4 cup whey protein together for about 5 minutes. Take off stove and add 1 cup cream cheese, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups salted and chopped peanuts. Pour over first layer that was chilling then place back in freezer.

CHOCOLATE LAYER: 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!), add in the cream and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Smooth over each ice cream bar. Place back in freezer to set.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per bar)
Traditional Snicker's Ice Cream Bar = 240 calories, 24 carbs, 1g fiber, 4 protein
"Healthified" Bar = 250 calories, 3.7 carbs, 1.1g fiber, 8 g protein

Strawberry "Pudding"

Oh my! I never thought that pudding would have trans-fat, but it has nothing but junk! This pudding is a nutritional chemistry experiment! There aren't even strawberries in it, the pink color comes from food dye, which is proven to aggravate our brain increasing ADHD and headaches!

Ingredients: Nonfat Milk, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Disodium Phosphate, Color Added (including FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 6, FD&C Blue 1)

My husband, Craig, has a strawberry patch in our garden. He remembers his grandpa growing strawberries when he was a little boy. Have you ever noticed the size difference of strawberries in the wild vs strawberries in the grocery store??? This is exactly what Gary Taubes writes about in his book: Why We Get Fat. In our paleo days, fruit was a rare treat...strawberries were only available for about 2-3 weeks out of the year and the certainly don't resemble the giant strawberries found in the grocery store. The taste is also different, strawberries from our garden are a bit tart, where the store bought ones are so sweet. Not to mention that berries should also be organic since they are filled with pesticides. There is no protective skin so they suck up all the toxins sprayed on them.

As for avocado, it is nature's first baby-food. I can't wait to serve this to baby Kai and Micah! Avocado is something you don't have to buy organic since it has a thick protective layer.

STRAWBERRY "PUDDING"
1 cup avocado (cottage cheese OR coconut cream)
1 cup organic strawberries
Stevia glycerite to taste (if desired)
A pinch of Celtic sea salt

In a powerful blender, I used a Blendtec WildSide Blender (click HERE to find it). It purees like NO other blender, place all the ingredients and blend on high until the mixture is very smooth and add sweetener if desired. Makes 2 servings (one for Micah and one for Kai!:)

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per cup)
Store Bought Strawberry Pudding = 140 calories, 26 carbs, trace fiber, 1 g protein and 2 grams of BRAIN-DAMAGING fats!
"Healthified" Avocado Pudding = 140 calories, 11 carbs, 6.3 g fiber, (4.7 effective carbs) 1.9 g protein, 10 g BRAIN-BUILDING fat
"Healthified" Cottage Cheese Pudding = 125 calories, 9.6 carbs, 1.4 g fiber, (8.2 effective carbs), 16 g protein, 2.4 g fat

If you are looking for more healthy kid snacks, check out my cookbook Nutritious and Delicious. I have a chapter called Kids Snacks:)