Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Amazing Choc Chip Biscuits,

3 large, organic ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/4 cup organic coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups organic rolled oats
2/3 cup organic almond meal
1/3 cup organic coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
125g organic chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.
In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil.
Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto baking paper lined baking tray. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - just shy of 15 minutes seems to be about right in my oven.
Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Amazingness cookies, no flour, no wheat, no butter,

Home Wellness Products A Healthy Sweet and Natural Alternative to Sugar


Most people suffer with cravings for sweets. Do you notice that when you have some sugar, you crave more?Did you know that even tobacco leaves are soaked in sugar? There you have a double addiction. Also, what is in most alcoholic beverages? Sugar!

I've known people who were able to give up alcohol, but became even more addicted to smoking, or coffee (with lots of sugar), or lots of sweets - donuts, candies, etc. The problem with sugar is that too much sugar (or any simple carbohydrate), creates insulin rushes that overwork the insulin receptors in the body. As time goes by the body cannot handle all the sugars (and even some grain carbohydrates). The body begins to weaken. White bread is a simple sugar. White rice is a simple sugar. White sugar is a simple sugar. Soft drinks are simple sugars. Even fruit juices are simple sugars. Each of these spikes your blood sugar high, and then drops it down low. This is very hard on the body, on the adrenal glands, and the pancreas. Artificial sweeteners can have even more devastating effects than white sugar.There is a solution, which in fact has been around for hundreds of years. The wonderful solution is the herb Stevia Rebaudiana.There are nearly 300 species of the Stevia family scattered all over the world. Of these, only one…Stevia Rebaudiana…contains the secret of steviosides, which make it the sweetest herb in the world."SunnyDew® and Sunectar® are two of my favorite products. The primary ingredient in both these dietary supplements is stevia. The natural extract from stevia leaves contains no calories and is 250-300 times sweeter than processed sugar. Stevia has been used by South Americans and Asians for centuries as a sweetener and as a dietary supplement. Stevia helps maintain normal blood sugar levels* and enhances food and beverages to help maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.Many companies are now marketing stevia products, but ours is very different. We use a special extraction and concentration process to enhance its benefits. You can also taste the difference—our SunnyDew® and Sunectar® have a unique, delicious flavor with no aftertaste." - Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, Founder and Owner of Sunrider InternationalStevia Rebaudiana is a small shrub native to China and to portions of Paraguay and Brazil. It is now being cultivated in many countries. The best grade Stevia is that from Paraguay.The Stevia herb in its natural form is approximately 20 to 30 times sweeter than common table sugar. Extracts of Stevia in the form of Steviosides can range anywhere from 100 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. And best of all, Stevia gives you a feeling of even energy, rather than the ups and downs created with white sugar.Stevia has historically been used as a safe sweetener, a medicine (as it has antibacterial agents), a cosmetic ingredient, and as a dentifrice (in toothpastes) as it inhibits the development of plaque and cavities. In Brazil it is advertised as an anti-diabetic agent.The Japanese tested stevia extract and found it without health risk. They incorporate it in numerous food products, including candies, ice cream, pickles, and soft drinks. In 1988, refined stevia extract was used in 41% of Japan’s multi-million-dollar market for high-intensity sweeteners.The FDA in the United States has approved the usage of Stevia, not as a sweetener, but as a dietary supplement that helps balance blood sugar and blood pressure! There are virtually no calories in Stevia. You can bake with Stevia since the extracts are heat stable. Here are just 2 of the benefits I have experienced with Stevia:1. Greatly reduced cravings for sugar2. Wonderful even energy all day longThere are many forms and extracts of Stevia. One must be careful to buy the best quality to ensure it has enough active ingredients.Avoid Stevia formulas that are made as follows:1. Liquid formulas with alcohol in them2. White powder (just looking at it, you know it has been processed, just like white sugar).3. Stevia formulas that are liquid but are just the white powder in liquid formIs Sugar a Drug?White sugar is so altered from its original plant form that it is actually a drug.Sugar and sweets can be as addictive as cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol. Sugar can be as difficult to give up as these health-damaging addictions.Physiologically, sugar and sweets excite the same circuits in your brain that are stimulated by pleasure-inducing drugs, giving you a mild and short-lived high.The immune system is immobilized and the body pulls nutrients to digest sugar, placing a heavy burden on the pancreas, liver, and entire body. It creates physical, mental and emotional problems. The average North American consumes 153 pounds of sugar per year.One can of soda pop contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar.Six teaspoons of sugar lowers the immune system 25% for 12 hours.Fifteen teaspoons of sugar lowers the immune system 95% for 12 hoursSugar causes the pancreas to malfunction, leading to hypoglycemia, diabetes, and mood swings.Artificial sweeteners are as dangerous as sugar.How do I know all this? Because I have lived it!Your body will thank you when you decrease or eliminate Sugar.


By Katrina Zaslavsky Katrina is a proud mum, passionate Sunrider Independent Business owner, copywriter for Eagle Vision Design and chief editor of Inspired News which is her creative outlet and culmination of her lifelong love for writing and healthy living. Katrina Zaslavsky from Inspired Wellness : http://www.inspiredwellness.com.au/ . Feel free to contact Katrina at: kat@inspireyourdreams.com .