Many of you have written in with your thanks and excitement for our products. And many more have asked for RECIPES, RECIPES, RECIPES! Well, we listened.

Introducing your complete guide to low glycemic baking: Guilt-Free Desserts

Not only will you enjoy 50 amazingly sweet desserts like Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake with Walnut Crust, Grand Marnier Soufflés, Coconut Macaroons and more, but you’ll also learn how to use the same low-glycemic sweeteners we use at Wellness Bakeries.

You’ll also enjoy our FREE bonus – Healthy Holiday Hors d’Oeuvres – featuring 15 low-glycemic appetizers (like Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, Roasted Beet, Orange & Goat Cheese Stacks with Hazelnuts, Stuffed Grape Leaves and Baked Coconut Shrimp) plus 5 “lesser-evil” cocktails perfect for your holiday gatherings.

But that’s not all! You’ll also get - Better Breads – featuring a dozen easy and delicious gluten free, low glycemic breads, biscuits, crusts and crepes.

Don’t resist your urge to splurge… ORDER TODAY!

Click here NOW to invest in your copy of Guilt-Free Desserts: 50 All-Natural, Fail-Proof, Low-Glycemic Desserts for just $24.95

Ingredients

• 7 Tbsp. Spectrum Organic Shortening
• 5 Tbsp. organic erythritol, powdered
• 6 Tbsp. organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. organic coconut milk
• 1 tsp. organic  vanilla extract
• 1 pinch sea salt
• ¼ tsp. stevia extract (to taste)

Preparation

1. Cream the shortening in a small bowl until fluffy.
2. Add powdered erythritol into shortening and beat until smooth.
3. Slowly add the cocoa powder vanilla, and salt.
4. Beat in the coconut milk.
5. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon and increasing to achieve desired sweetness.
6. Chill and spread on cake or cupcakes.

You read that right. Beans are one of the “secret” ingredients you’ll find in many of our dessert recipes here at Guilt Free Desserts.  Used properly, they provide light, springy structure, moisture and tenderness to baked goods. One word of caution: Baked goods made with beans can have a slight “beany” flavor for up to 12 hours after baking. This flavor will dissipate, so be patient. It’s worth the wait.

When using canned beans, opt for Eden Organic. In addition to being grown without the use of pesticides, Eden also packs their beans in BPA-free cans.

Along with canned beans, bean flours are another good option to have on hand. Bob’s Red Mill is a great brand, found at most food retailers across the U.S.

Because bean flours are dense, try adding bean flour for up to 25% of your gluten free flour mix.  Here are the most popular bean flours and how to use them:

• Garbanzo Bean Flour: Use 7/8 cup to replace 1 cup of wheat flour in baked goods.
• Black Bean Flour: Use as part of your baking mix for chocolate cakes and brownies.
• White Bean Flour or Fava Bean Flour: Mild in taste, white bean flour or fava bean flour are suitable for use in most recipes calling for white flour. Substitute 1/4 of the white flour for bean flour.

To learn more healthy baking secrets and enjoy 40 kitchen-tested, gluten free, low glycemic recipes, pick up a copy of Guilt Free Desserts today!

Food manufacturers and diet gurus are boasting about it in their products, TV commercials exposing taut tummies urge you to get more by whirling it into juice or water, and a recent book suggests that 35 grams a day is the key to losing weight and staying healthy for life.

What is this miracle substance?

Fiber!

Although devoid of calories, this “non-nutritional vital nutrient”, is anything but lacking when it comes to your health. And new research shows yet another way that roughage (as Mom calls it) can help prevent inflammation – one of the major causes of chronic disease.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the relationship between fiber and C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is the best clinical marker for inflammation in your body. And it is a powerful predictor of future heart disease and diabetes. The study evaluated the body composition, CRP levels, diet and physical activity of 524 people and found that CRP levels were inversely associated with the total fiber in the diet.

The message is clear. Fiber up to keep inflammation down.  For maximum benefit, you should eat a variety of plant-based foods that provide both soluble and insoluble fiber. Here are some of the wholesome, fiber-full ingredients you’ll find in Guilt Free Desserts:

• Coconut Flour
• Organic Cocoa Powder
• Cacao Nibs
• Pumpkin
• Raspberries
• Flaxseed

References

1. Ma Y, Griffith JA, Chasan-Taber L, Olendzki BC, Jackson E, Stanek EJ 3rd, Li W, Pagoto SL, Hafner AR, Ockene IS. Association between dietary fiber and serum C-reactive protein.Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;83(4):760-6

New research shows that adding almonds to your diet may not only aid in your weight-loss efforts, but also reduce your body fat and cinch your midsection significantly.

The 24 week study, published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, included 65 adults who were either overweight or obese. Half of the participants in the study ate a low calorie diet plus three ounces of almonds per day… or a low calorie diet plus their choice of complex carbohydrates. Both groups consumed the same amount of calories and protein.

At the end of the study, the almond-eaters enjoyed a 62% greater reduction in weight, 50% greater reduction in waist circumference and 56% greater reduction in fat mass compared with the group consuming the complex carbohydrates.

To target your tummy and boost your weight-loss efforts, trade in your sugar-laden desserts and “energy” bars for wholesome, gluten free, sugar free desserts!

Reference

1. Wien MA, Sabate JM, Ikle DN, Cole SE, Kandeel FR. Almonds vs complex carbohydrates in a weight reduction program. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Nov;27(11):1365-72

Most of those in the health food store use natural, organic ingredients, but they still use SUGAR in one form or another. Then there are the so-called “diet” desserts and “sugar-free” mixes. While these desserts bag the sugar, the CHEMICAL sweeteners they replace it with taste awful… and they are even WORSE for your health!

Now it’s time to try something better. Healing Gourmet’s Guilt Free Desserts will show you how to make delicious desserts made with ALL-NATURAL, low-glycemic sweeteners. Better yet, most are gluten free too!

Get started baking healthier treats for you and your family today!

One of the most important things you can do for your digestive system (and therefore your immune system!) is to feed it the right fuel. By doing this, you create an environment where beneficial bacteria can thrive… and harmful bacteria die off.

And here’s where coconut can help…

• Coconut flour contains the highest amount of fiber of any flour. And fiber is absolutely critical for a healthy GI tract. The good bacteria need a substrate to live on. And fiber makes these friendly flora flourish.
• Coconut flour and coconut oil also provide medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). These unique fatty acids (which include lauric acid) kill a myriad of bacteria, protozoa and fungus, including Candida albicans – the fungus responsible for yeast infections.

While coconut is potent and stealthy, it is also selective. It only kills the bad bacteria, and leaves the friendly intestinal bacteria your body needs for a healthy digestive tract.

To get the greatest digestive benefits from our Guilt Free Desserts, we recommend you use organic extra virgin coconut oil as your oil of choice.

And the best measure of a food’s antioxidant power is called the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Foods with a higher ORAC score have a greater ability to protect against disease and slow the aging process.

Researchers at the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory measured the ORAC of various foods. Raw broccoli, for example, has an ORAC score of 1,362. That’s pretty good, but not nearly as high as blueberries. With a score of 6,552, blueberries rank near the top of all fruits and vegetables.

But even blueberries can’t hold a candle to cocoa. With an ORAC score of 80,933 the antioxidant power of raw cocoa powder is simply off the charts!

“This finding […] identifies a single natural chemical with memory-enhancing effects, suggesting that it may be possible to optimize brain function by combining exercise and dietary supplementation,” says Mark Mattson, PhD, at the National Institute on Aging.

The compound, epicatechin, is from a group of compounds known as flavonols. It has been shown previously to improve cardiovascular function and increase blood flow in the brain.

The findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that a diet rich in flavonols may help reduce the incidence and severity of neurodegenerative disease and cognitive disorders related to aging.

In the study, researchers compared mice fed a typical diet with those fed a diet supplemented with epicatechin. The mice with the supplemental diet had greater blood vessel growth in the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning and developed more mature nerve cells. This suggests an enhanced ability of these cells to communicate.

After further analysis, the researchers found that epicatechin had a beneficial effect on the expression of genes important for learning and memory, and decreased the activity of genes playing a role in inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Organic cocoa is one of the world’s richest sources of flavonols. In fact, naturally processed cocoa is so rich in these compounds that it has an antioxidant value 12 times higher than blueberries! Try Guilt Free Desserts for rich and delicious chocolate desserts like:

• Chocolate Rum Balls
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
• Flourless Sunbutter Brownies
• Chocolate Coconut Truffles
• Espresso Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate Fondue with Fresh Berries
• and many more!

Reference

1. Journal of Neuroscience (Society for Neuroscience), May 30 2007, Volume 27, Issue 22. “Plant-Derived Flavanol Epicatechin Enhances Angiogenesis and Retention of Spatial Memory in Mice” Authors: H van Praag, MJ Lucero, GW Yeo, K Stecker, N Heivand, C Zhao, E Yip, M Afanador, H Schroeter, J Hammerstone, and FH Gage.

Well, you can! Certain foods ratchet your metabolism into high gear, helping you burn more calories and increase your level of energy.

The best known of these thermogenic (or fat burning) foods is protein. That’s the reason why high-protein diets promote weight loss (and why Guilt Free Desserts packs our goodies with protein).

But there’s another food with similar calorie-torching power – and that’s coconut oil. This healthy tropical oil is filled with medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). These unique fats are easily absorbed and rapidly burned as energy, helping to stoke your metabolism. What’s more, coconut fats help your body blaze through slower-burning long chain triglyerides (LCTs) as well.

Dr. Julian Whitaker notes that “LCTs are like heavy wet logs that you put on a small campfire. Keep adding the logs, and soon you have more logs than fire. MCTs are like rolled up newspaper soaked in gasoline. They not only burn brightly, but will burn up the wet logs as well.”

In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the thermogenic (fat burning) effect of a high-calorie diet containing 40 percent medium chain fatty acids was compared to one containing 40 percent long chain fatty acids. The researchers found that the thermogenic effect of the MCFAs were almost twice as high as the LCFAs. They were so astounded, they conducted a follow-up study and discovered that MCFAs given over a six-day period can increase diet-induced fat burning by 50 percent!

Enjoy a one-two metabolism punch of coconut with our recipes in Guilt Free Desserts. Use high protein coconut flour, then just blend in organic extra virgin coconut oil and the remaining ingredients for a meltingly delicious metabolism booster.

References:

1. Baba, N. 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium chain triglyceride. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 35:678-82
2. Murray, M.T. 1996. American Journal of Natural Medicine 3(3):7
   Hill, J.O., et. al. Thermogenesis in man during overfeeding with medium chain triglycerides. Metabolism 38:641-8
3. Seaton, T.B., et al. 1986. Thermic effect of medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides in man. Am. J. of Clin. Nutr. 44:630