ChocoPerfection Giveaway!
Enter to win a box of ChocoPerfection bars! All you have to do is leave a comment below that you would like to win and also include what "healthified" recipe you and your family enjoys the most. The winner will be picked on February 28th. (NOTE: this is for USA only) Good Luck!
ChocoPerfection bars uses the sweeteners oligofructose, which is derived from ground-up chicory root, and erythritol, which comes from fermented natural foods. These ingredients don't effect insulin levels (zero on the glycemic index) or have a laxative effect like malitol. Most "low carb" chocolates use malitol which does increase blood sugar and often causes intestinal discomfort. Also, chicory root is very theraputic to the gall bladder! So, here's to chocolate on a "diet!" Click HERE to find all "healthified" chocolates.
A client wanted to share this with all of you:
Dear Maria,
I wanted to write you a quick email to again thank you and to give you an update on my progress. Two different people this week have used the word "unrecognizable" to describe me. I have now lost 50 pounds by following your guidelines and amazing recipes! I am not quite to my goal of getting back in my bikini, but I have full confidence that I will get there...and soon! All of my old clothes are literally falling off of me as I have lost a shocking 8.5 inches off of my stomach, 8 off of my waist, 5 off my hips, and 5 off of each thigh! I cannot even wear old blazers and jackets since they also are giant on me now. Shopping for a new wardrobe is so exciting!
When I started learning about nutrition from you, people we questioning whether this was the right choice for me. A lot of people doubted that I would be able to stick with the plan. I am happy to report that I have successfully made a lifestyle change. Your support and information through phone and email were key pieces to my success! The scale has never gone up since I started consulting with you.
Finally, I went for my physical this week. My blood sugar was very high when I started consulting with you. In fact, I was just about to start medicine to correct it. It is now completely normal! My blood pressure had been high as well, and that has resolved. I feel great, better than I have in years and it is all due to you!
Thank You, Maria! You are a hero!
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| Tomato Tart from The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory |
Are you or someone you know part of the increasing population having gall bladder surgery? It is becoming a very common operation. Is there something changing in our current diets that is causing this?
In the past few recent decades, we have been mis-informed that fat-free diets are the healthy way to go. Even the medical profession is telling parents to have their kids drink skim milk! Don't get me wrong, there are some fat to totally avoid, such as vegetable oils and trans-fats. But going on low fat diets is more harmful than you realize. This is why I always use full fat (and tasty) foods! High protein diets alone are not the way to go. High fat is.
Galls are released by dietary fat. If you go on a little-to-no fat diet, the gall bladder starts to atrophy because it doesn't need to work; just as when you don't use your muscles, they atrophy and you are no longer as strong as you once were. Once the damage is done, and the gall bladder is removed, patients mistakenly believe that they can no longer eat fats without discomfort. This is not true, the bile to break down fat is made in the liver, then stored in the gall bladder. Even without a gall bladder, you produce bile and can (and should) consume healthy dietary fats.
After surgery (any surgery) you lose most of your beneficial bacteria; such as bifido bacteria, that keeps your intestines strong and healthy. Adding in probiotics and digestive enzymes are the first step to healing. Your body is smart, after years of low-fat dieting, it no longer produces lipase like it once did; lipase is the enzyme to break down fat (just as when a vegetarian adds in more protein after years of low protein, they feel sick... they no longer produce Protase, the enzyme to break down protein).
After a few days of increasing enzymes and good bacteria, adding in quality fats is essential for your body and cellular health; our brain and cells are composed of over 60% fat people! It is important! I suggest starting with coconut oil. Coconut oil is a medium chained triglyceride (MCT) which is an awesome fat because it doesn't require bile for digestion! I use this in place of butter for all my baked goods. It gives them an AWESOME and naturally sweet flavor.
Foods high in cholesterol are also essential! You NEED cholesterol to produce bile. Start to add in quality eggs (yes, the yolks...whites don't count, the cholesterol is in the yolks), organic cream and butter, grass-fed meats, lobster and other shellfish. I am not talking about "oxidized cholesterol"... which is damaged cholesterol found in skim milk and many processed foods; which triggers heart disease). If you keep avoiding fats and cholesterol, your body will keep on pace with no lipase excretion or bile production...causing a vicious cycle.
A low carb, high fiber diet with LOTS of liquids will help keep this painful condition away! So using coconut flour and psyllium husks, which are in tons of my recipes, will really help too! Just make sure you increase your water consumption when increasing fiber.
Also using Just Like Sugar which uses chicory root as a sweetener, helps decrease gall bladder issues. Chicory root builds your body's resistance to gallstones and liver stones by increasing the flow of bile, it assists the body in digesting foods and liquids. The extra bile also helps break down fats in the body. Chicory root has a mild laxative effect, increases bile from the gallbladder, and decreases swelling. Click HERE to find it.
With these tips, along with not eating processed foods and wheat, your body will start to heal and you will feel and enjoy foods like you once did. Happy Eating!
All of my recipes in my cookbooks are filled with coconut oil, coconut flour and coconut milk to consume for healthy Bile Production. Click HERE to find them. Thank you SO much for your support! My whole family appreciates your support!
Some Favorites are:
1. Almond Joy Ice Cream (The Art of Eating Healthy: Kids)
2. Coconut Flour Baked Goods made with Coconut Oil
3. Protein Waffles made with Coconut Oil topped with my Homemade Tropical Syrup (Art of Eating Healthy: Sweets)
4. Tomato Goat Cheese Tart (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
5. Perfect Pancakes (The Art of Eating Healthy: Sweets)
6. Grossini (Italian Bread Sticks): (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
7. Chicken Cacciatore: (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
8. Super Salad Dressing (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
9. Potted Crab (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
10. Blondie Brownies
11. Cream of "Wheat" Cereal
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