Avoiding New Year Bugs

Why is it that flu season hits every year around January & February?   Holistic practitioners blame sugar.  Afterall, only one teaspoon of sugar can depress your immune system for up to 8 hours, and it is consumed in mass quantities during the holidays, probably compromising our defenses for weeks at a time!  We all enter the New Year run-down and ripe for outside invaders to strike!  We've all done it-- overdone it on sugar!  

So, in an effort to stay healthy and keep your immune system strong this season, make a pre-New Year's resolution to limit your sugar intake.  Also, it wouldn't hurt to get plenty of rest and water each day-- we should drink 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water daily!  

Here are a couple of healthy, naturally sweetened recipes to get you on the right track. See "Healthy Recipes" under the Resource tab on this website for more tasty AND healthy alternatives to sugary sweets for this holiday season!

Coconut Macaroons

• 3 c. shredded coconut
• 6 T. warm water
• 3 whole eggs
• ½ c. glycerin (ZERO glycemic sweetener-- I use this brand)
  
• 1 tsp. coconut oil (for greasing the cookie sheet)

Mix warm water and glycerin together. Add the coconut flakes. Beat in the egg. Mix thoroughly. Form into balls and drop it by spoonful on the well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degree Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.  Approximate yield: 3 dozen.

Better-than-Candy Nut Crunchies

• 2 cups organic pecans & almonds
• 1 cup (or more) Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1 tablespoon (or as needed) coconut oil
• 1 - 2 tablespoons xylitol (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/2 cup (or more) shredded coconut or coconut flakes

Process sugar in a food processor until very fine.  Spread nuts in a cookie sheet and toast very lightly in a low heated oven. Place Coconut Cream Concentrate jar in hot water to soften. In a medium sized bowl, beat desired amount of Coconut Cream, your choice of sweetener (see below), coconut oil, and salt with a mixer until creamy. Make sure the sugar and salt are mixed in well. Fold the toasted nuts into the mixture and mix well with a large spoon until all nuts are well coated. Spread mixture evenly on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle the coconut shreds or flakes toasted lightly if desired over the Nut Crunchies and place cookie sheet in the refrigerator.  When cold, break apart the Nut Crunchies into bite-sized pieces and store in covered containers in the refrigerator.  Note: all measurements are approximate and can be varied to suit your taste. It is pretty hard to mess these up.

• Use any nuts you prefer, and/or use stevia instead of sugar to taste.
• Stir dried coconut toasted into the mixture before spreading out.
• Add flavoring such as a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and some lemon zest for Lemon Nut Crunchies.
• Melt some organic dark chocolate, and spread over the mixture before or instead of sprinkling on the coconut and refrigerating.
• Stir bits of dried pineapple into the mixture for Pina Colada Nut Crunchies
• Use your imagination!

Beware: They are addictive! But sooo healthy too. Enjoy!

Even traditional medicine is catching on to the woes of sugar.  See the video Sugar: The Bitter Truth.  Lower transfats and artifcial sweeteners have not translated to weight loss, but rather to higher incidences of diabetes and other sugar-related diseases... because low-fat, processed foods are high in sugar, artificial sweeteners, and carbohydrates! Eating the right balance of foods is key! Additionally, your cholesterol just might go down since sugar causes cellular inflammation which is counteracted by the production of cholesterol... no sugar, no inflammation; no inflammation, no cholesterol!  It's that simple, and you won't have to lose all of that holiday weight gain either; you will go into the New Year svelte and healthy, full of Vim & Vitality!

Still not convinced?  Take a look at these two articles by Dr. Mercola:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/01/sugar-industry.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx

L'chaim-- To Life!