Tag: gluten-free

Make Yummy, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Sorbet, Thanks to the Dessert Bullet

Do you you crave ice cream or sorbet but are frustrated because you just can’t find any frozen desserts that are s healthy — I mean, really healthy as in organic, no sugar, no dairy, no gluten, no agave, no added sugars and no artificial sweeteners?
Wouldn’t it be nice to easily, quickly get delectable, healthy frozen dessert that’s:organic, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low in calories and carbs and containing no artificial sweeteners, honey or other sweeteners?
I know that’s a pretty tall order, but you can actually quickly make this delicious dessert all by yourself, thanks to the amazing new contraption, the Dessert Bullet.
For instance, to your left is a photo I took of last night’s after-dinner dessert, Organic, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Raspberry Sorbet. (I added some unsweetened shredded coconut. Oh, and I placed the dessert on top of my wonderful Zeolite Earth Energy Plate from VibesUp )
I just love my new culinary gadget. Yesterday, I went to a local Bed Bath and Beyond to get my Dessert Bullet. (I didn’t want to wait it to arrive via mail even though it comes with a cookbook.)
Photos – 1-14-14 002Now, you can see today’s Frozen Blueberry Dessert, which I enjoyed for a late afternoon snack after having an organic hard-boiled egg. All I used to make this dessert were frozen blueberries (1 cup). Then I topped the dessert with some cinnamon, shredded coconut and some cacao nibs.
I love this invention! It’s great for those of us, who seek to eat healthily but are frustrated, because we can’t ever have sorbet or ice cream when dining out.
Wow, I can even make chocolate ice cream with this recipe! (I would divide it up into three portions so as not to take in too many carbs at once.)
Full Disclosure: I’m NOT being paid by the Dessert Bullet to mention this product, which I purchased last night at Bed Bath and Beyond in my area. I just like to share great products from time to time with readers. Learn about another great find, too, the NoOodle and The Miracle Noodle.
Join the Conversation: If you buy this incredible gizmo, what will you make first?

Rubbed Kale with Butternut Squash (Sugar-Free Recipe)

Since December is Winter Squash & Tomato Month, I’m pleased to present you a Tasty Sugar-Free Recipe for Rubbed Kale with Butternut Squash from the San Francisco-based Paulding & Co.
Please note that Sugar-Free Recipes will now be a regular feature on this Sugar Shock Blog, because readers and many health-conscious people often want wonderful recipes for sugar-free dishes that contain NO added sugars, NO agave, NO evaporated cane juice, NO maple syrup, NO honey, etc.
Winter Squash Month Recipe
Rubbed Kale with Butternut Squash
Yield: 12-15 servings
1 butternut squash, about 3 lbs. (also great with Red Kuri squash if you can find it, or kabocha squash, neither of which have to be peeled)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 bunch very fresh kale
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oi
Sauce:
1/8 cup coarsely chopped fresh ciilantro
/8 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 large garlic clove (minced)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350°F. Top and tail the squash, halve it crosswise, put each piece flat-side down on the cutting board, and peel with a sharp chef’s knife.
Remove the seeds with a spoon, and cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and season lightly with salt & freshly ground pepper.
Spread on a parchment-paper covered sheet pan. Roast 20-25 minutes, until the squash is tender and starting to brown. While the squash roasts, strip the kale from it’s ribs (easy to do by just running your fingers along the rib on both sides, bottom to top), wash it well, and cut into fine ribbons.
Mix with the olive oil in a large bowl, and rub and massage the kale until it softens, about 2 minutes.
Make the sauce by combining the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse to puree to a sauce consistency.
Combine sauce with the softened kale. Toss the hot squash with the sauce and kale, and serve.
Paulding lotoThis recipe is shared with you, courtesy of Paulding & Co. Founded by the mother-daughter duo Terry and Tracy Paulding, this San Francisco-based company specializes in creating innovative event ideas for families and corporate entities through public cooking classes and exercises.
Connie’s Disclosure: Please note that I have not yet tried this recipe although it sounds fabulous, and I am not getting any compensation for posting this recipe. I urge you to share it with friends.
FYI, what’s wonderful about this dish is that you can serve it warm or cold. This means you can cook more than you’ll need and have a tasty dish for a couple of days afterwards.
Playwork (my wrord for homework): Try this recipe, and please let Sugar Shock Blog readers about your experience. How did it taste? What was it like to cook it? How did it taste? What did your loved ones think?
Wnat to contribute a healthy, wholesome Sugar-Free Recipe?
Please note that all Sugar-Free Recipes posted on this Sugar Shock Blog contain NO gluten, NO added sugars — that means NO agave, NO honey, NO maple syrup, NO other added sweeteners, etc. All recipes will only contain naturally occurring sugars. The recipes also will NOT contain dairy. To create these dishes, youi’re urged to use organic foods (preferably from your local farmer’s market, Whole Foods or another health food store). Got a tasty Sugar-Free Recipe? Contact us now. We’d love to feature your contribution.

How to Skip Overeating This Thanksgiving: 3 Simple Tips for a Sweeter, Slimming Holiday

Every Thanksgiving, being grateful often takes a back seat to over-indulging at family gatherings.
Gulping down fast-acting, processed carbohydrates, sugar-loaded desserts, and gluten-rich foods is far more common than pleasurably savoring the various culinary concoctions.
20101117-stuffingFor many, Thanksgiving means they’ll go into Sugar Shock and Carb Shock (as I dub it), and develop “Grain Brain,” as Dr. David Perlmutter puts it in his book of the same name.
In fact, I predict that on Thanksgiving, most Americans will overeat, especially those culplrit carbs.
It’s simply a given that you’ll over-indulge on this holiday. One gym even suggested that you “work out before you pig out.” Aargh!
It’s time to ignore the insidious programming that drives you to overeat on Thanksgiving.
Even if you’ve stuffed yourself at previous holiday feasts, instead this Thanksgiving you can achieve Sweet Freedom.
To begin the Sweet Freedom Thanksgiving Funcise (Fun Exercise), think ahead to the day after Thanksgiving,
Choose now not to get an upset stomach. Plan now not to pig out. Select the smarter choice — to savor the sweet holiday experience.
This Thanksgiving, you can easily shift your attention away from those cunning carbs and desserts, which most Americans over-consume and which ample research shows can contribute to more than 100-plus diseases and ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and even an early death.
It’s time to take back your Sugar Power and Carb Control. This Thanksgiving, you can avoid being overly tempted by:
Cranberries, a super-healthy food that’s generally downgraded by adding gobs of sugar.
Yams or sweet potatoes, whose inherent nutrient-goodness is often destroyed on Thanksgiving by adding unnecessary brown sugar and marshmallows.
Stuffing, which generally contains gluten galore. (Use Dr. Sarah Gottlieb’s awesome gluten-free, sugar-free recipe instead.)
Pumpkin pie, which is a far cry from the delectable, nutritious, fiber-rich vegetable and weight-loss ally, as Dr. Jonny Bowden points out. The dessert you usually get a Thankisviing is weighed down by sugary, fatty ingredients; features a gluten-rich crust; and is slathered by whipped cream.
Gravy-sodden turkey.
Here’s a three-part simple way to skip over-indulging this Thanksgiving and take leisurely, sociable tastes instead. (I recommend you take two to four small bites maximium of each dish.)
But before you dig into those tantalizing carb creations, just ask yourself these three simple questions:
Would I rather overeat [fill in name of food(s)] tonight and feel sluggish, fuzzy-headed, and cranky tomorrow (for up to three days afterwards)? OR would I rather have a slim, healthy body and mind? (If you have weight to lose, this thought can stop you from over-indulging.)
Would I rather overeat those carbs or sweets or enjoy the good company of family and friends on this special day?
Wouldn’t I rather feel better about myself by shifting my focus from the carb-food to gratitude, which, of course, is supposed to be the whole point of this celebration? Remind yourself that night of list of “5 Things for Which I’m Most Grateful.”
This simple, three-part mental exercise can take your attention away from those potentially harmful carb substasnces and instead put you on the path toward feeling good and enjoying your life -– not just on this holiday but during the whole holiday season ahead.
Have a sweet, joyous and healthy Thanksgiving.
New to this Sugar Shock Blog? Connie Bennett is a former lethargic, dejected sugar-addicted journalist, who reluctantly quit sugar on doctor’s orders in 1998 after being pummeled by 44 strange ailments (brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings, etc.). Now, 15 years later, the energetic, uplifting Connie spreads the word that Life is Sweeter When Sugar Doesn’t Seduce You™. She is recognized as the Sweet Freedom Coach, and she is a life coach, health coach, blogger, and motivational speaker, who has helped thousands of sugar and carb addicts worldwide. Connie is author of two bestselling books, Sugar Shock and Beyond Sugar Shock, which have been praised by many acclaimed health gurus and celebrities, including America’s Favorite Doctor, Dr. Mehmet Oz, as well as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Daniel Amen, Brian Tracy, Bernie Siegel, Mark Sisson, Marci Shimoff, John Assaraff, JJ Virgin, Katie Dolgin (“High Voltage”), and Jimmy Moore.
Subscribe to this Sugar Shock Blog and like Connie on her Facebook fan page.

Beyond Sugar Shock: Why I’ve Been Away a Lot — Coming Soon

You may have noticed that I haven’t been super active on this Sugar Shock Blog during the past few months.
That’s because I’ve been quite busy writing, rewriting, and wrapping up work for my next book Beyond Sugar Shock.
The subtitle is: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter.
This book is the follow up to my first book, Sugar Shock! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life– and How You Can Get Back on Track.
Earlier, I announced Beyond Sugar Shock here and also here. And here is my my recent post about it.
Hay HouseBeyond Sugar Shock, marks the culmination of more than 13 years of researching and helping sugar addicts. (Of course, I also learned a lot by quitting sugar myself in 1998, on doctor’s orders.)
Beyond Sugar Shock is coming to you, thanks to my publisher, Hay House, which is the international leader in self-help and transformational publishing.
This book is designed to help you if you’re a sugar addict of any size or shape — overweight, obese, or even slim.
It’s also for you if you’ve been plagued by headaches, anxiety, crazy cravings, brain fog, fatigue, low libido, severe PMS, or other unexplained symptoms.
Beyond Sugar Shock will provide you with a simple six-week program, which allows you to release your sugar addiction easily and effortlessly.
For instance, in Beyond Sugar Shock:
You’ll get simple, fun Mind-Body-Spirit techniques to break free of your sugar addiction.
You’ll undertake simple, interactive adventurcises™ (my word for adventurous exercises), which will drive you to important self-discoveries.
You’ll get several dozen ways to stomp out your sugar cravings.
You’ll discover your sugar color code. (Yes, we’re all different in our relationship with sweets, and this knowledge will empower you to make the right choices for you.)
You’ll detox gradually so that your body, mind and spirit won’t go into shock as you move beyond your sugar obsessions and towards a better life.
You’ll get healthy meal plans and tasty recipes from a nutritionist and exercise physiologist.
And much more.
Hay House is releasing Beyond Sugar Shock on May 1, but in the meantime, you can sign up for a pre-recorded Sugar Freedom Now Course, in which you’ll get to learn some amazingly simple techniques to help you break free.
In addition, stay tuned for some special programs.
Stay tuned for a sneak peek at the gorgeous cover! And I invite you to get excited and spread the word to friends.

Connie’s Super Cacao-Chia-Moringa Shake to Begin the Day

Lately, Facebook friends and other fans have been intrigued when I said I start my day with a Super Cacao-Chia-Moringa Shake.
For the past week or so, I’ve been creating and revising this tasty concoction, adding or subtracting ingredients. Now, people have been repeatedly nudging me to share my recipe.
First a bit of background. Recently, I’ve been recovering from adrenal fatigue (worked too hard and didn’t play enough!), and I’m now doing all I can to boost my energy, concentrate better, improve my stamina, be in my best shape ever, and write a fabulous book (my next book, The Sugar Shock Diet) to help many.
To that end, I’m now on Day 24 of detoxing, thanks to the program outlined in Dr. Jeffrey Morrison’s exciting new book, Cleanse Your Body, Clear Your Mind. (He recently appeared on my Gab with the Gurus Show. I’ll be reposting as soon as I hit Day 30.)
6-24-11 283Anyhow, these days, my goal is to cram lots of superfoods and healthy ingredients into my first meal of the day.
My breakfast helps me remember that we eat to live and to thrive, remember?
So here’s the healthy way I now start the day. Usually, I’ll work out right afterwards, too, and it’s easy to prepare this Super Cacao-Chia-Moringa Shake.
It fills you up, too, and doesn’t send your blood sugar bouncing all over the place.
Here are the items that go into my breakfast shake:
— 2 T. The Ultimate Life, Ultimate Meal. What’s really wonderful about this powder is that it contains no gluten, no soy protein or fiber, no whey, no nuts, no MSG, no corn, no yeast, no dairy, no maltodextrin, sugar, honey or fructose, no colors, no preservatives, no fillers, and no animal products. (This is very hard to find in protein and health powders.)
– 2 T. organic cacao nibs. Adding these gives your shake a chocolate burst–plus you get the superfood benefits. Love these nibs!
– 1 tsp. Ribose (Just started to add this today to use before an intense workout – the one I use is Ribose from Jarrow. (As the description indicates, “Ribose is one of the necessary building blocks for the formation of ATP; the `universal’ energy molecule in the body.* Physical stress can deplete ATP stores in cardiac and skeletal muscles.* As the rate-limiting substrate in the synthesis of nucleotides; including ATP; ribose plays a vital role in replenishing ATP; thus; enhancing energy production; improving muscle recovery;and thus Muscle Edge.
I also add to the shake:
– 1 tsp. Psyllium Husks Powder (I’m using this because I’m now detoxing. I use the one from Yerba Prima)
– 1 T. ground Nutiva organic chia seeds (or whatever brand you can find.)
– 1 T. ground plain organic flax seeds (I like the Spectrum that you can find at Whole Foods.)
1 tsp. Glutamine Plus from Daily Benefit
1 tsp. It’s Moringa powder (*The Moringa plant has been called “The Miracle Tree.” I just started taking this today and am noticing a difference. Believe it or not, but I started adding this today, because my intuition told me to include this superfood, which I learned about months ago. See info below to learn more about this amazing product of nature.)
A big dash of Simply Organic cinnamon
Some clove powder if I’m in the mood for that
About 10 frozen organic strawberries from my friends at Vital Choice. (Or, I may use a combo of strawberries and blueberries that I’ve bought fresh and frozen.)
Sometimes I’ll add a tiny pinch of green powdered stevia from Navitas Natural . (Sometimes no sweetener at all. I never use the white powder though. It always has to be naturally sweet.)
About 8 ounces Water (after my Brita water filter has purified it)
Coconut milk (about 1/3 cup/Soy Free/Dairy Free/Unsweetened from SoDelicious. (I may also or instead of the milk take a tiny taste, about 1/4 tsp., of refrigerated Organic Coconut oil.)
(At the beginning of the day, I also take two or more Ogganic Royal Maca but do NOT put this in the shake because I don’t want it to ruin the taste.)
Blend until all ingredients are ground up and your shake is thick and creamy. Then enjoy!
FYI, I also save about a third of it in the fridge to finish when I get back from working out.
Let me know what you think of this recipe. What other great super ingredients would you add?
Moringa-Oleifera Now, let here’s more info about Moringa oleifera, which has been hailed as the most nutritious leafy green in the planet today.
As I mentioned, I began adding it to my shake today. It did not make it taste extra green-y, which was nice.
* Please bear in mind that these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.
According to my new friend, Jude Ken-Kwofie, founder of It’s Moringa, “just one scoop of our moringa dried leaf powder in your favorite meal or beverage helps you achieve your recommended 5 to 9 daily servings of vegetables.”
Moringa can be used by people in average or poor health, Jude says. Some reported health benefits of Moringa include:
Increases and sustains energy naturally
Gives a feeling of general wellness
Nourishes that body’s immune system
Promotes healthy circulatory system
Increases the natural defenses of the body
Heightens mental clarity
Provides nourishment to the eyes and the brain
Promotes metabolism with bio-available ingredients
Promotes natural serum cholesterol
Known to enhance weight loss
Promotes healthy digestion
Acts as an antioxidant
High alkalinity helps balance your body’s pH level
Has natural anti-aging benefits
Anti-inflammatory support
Supports the normal sugar levels of the body
Jude tells me that It’s Moringa products contain a high concentration of chlorophyll, which is also known as the “blood of the plant” and gives plants their green color. Chlorophyll, which is rich in magnesium, is also known to fight infection, cleanse the body of unwanted toxins, promote the healing of wounds, improve the body’s circulatory, immune, digestive, and detoxification systems. Due to its similarity to hemoglobin, chlorophyll is easily absorbed into human blood, which transports nutrients effectively and efficiently to every cell of the body. Incorporating chlorophyll into one’s diet, Jude says, is equivalent to consuming the energy of life. It’s Moringa products reportedly contain 4 times (4X) the chlorophyll content of wheatgrass.
What appeals to me about It’s Moringa and why I chose to become an affiliate even though other companies also sell this superfood is that this particular company donates 10 percent of its sales to support malnutrition around the world. In fact, did you now that one third of all childhood deaths are caused by under-nutrition? Sad to think about that given our country’s obesity problem.
Anyhow, to fight malnutrition, It’s Moringa has partnered with Vitamin Angels or www.vitaminangels.org and Nourish America or www.nourishamerica.org..
So, what do you think of my Super Cacao-Chia-Moringa Shake? Let me know know what you think aftter you try it out.
Is there anything else I should add?