How long will the sugar fast go on?

Have you done a "sugar fast" before? How long did you go without sugar? What did you notice? Did you go right back to eating like you did before when you broke your sugar fast?

These are all questions I'm really interested in so please comment if you've gone off processed sugar before. For us, I'm not sure how long we will eliminate all processed sugars. We are now at 267 days. I can't foresee us adding it back in anytime soon. Why you may ask. One reason is because I know I'm an addict. Do you suggest to an alcoholic to just have one drink? You don't if you are their friend. The second reason is my kids. See, now that I've educated them about sugar, they don't want it. They don't want it if they are really really hungry either. In fact, they are the ones saying they never want to eat sugar again. Yes, I've created somewhat of a monster. A good monster really because they are a big part of me not eating it. Their dad has already partaken of the addictive white powder, yeah I'm still talking about sugar, since we "detoxed" early this year. He admits he likes to stay at day zero. I must say he only has it maybe once a month or so, if the opportunity arises, and in our house it doesn't arise much. It will be interesting to see what happens when there are more opportunities for sugar intake as it gets closer to the holidays. He still has those nights where he wants "something sweet". I have no sympathy for him though. LOL. Although I do try to give him something to appease him because that may be the only way to keep him on the "straight and narrow". He know he will hear it from the kids if he eats it in front of them.

So really, to answer the initial question of how long will this sugar fast will go on? I'm not sure, exactly. I think we'll take it as far as we can go. Maybe at some day in the near or distant future I won't feel like I'm addicted to it anymore. I don't know. How does an addict know for sure if they will be susceptible to the properties of an addictive substance, even one so commonplace as sugar?

I'd love to hear what YOU think and if you've done a sugar fast before. If not, maybe you should try it!

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Last week I went to a cooking class at a local restaurant where they taught us how to make Thai Pumpkin Curry. The Thai pumpkin is called kabocha. You can also use butternut squash. At the restaurant they use a little bit of oil at the beginning of their cooking process and they also include sugar, but because I don't cook with either, this recipe won't include those. I really think you don't need either. It tastes really good without it. 

Here's what you will need. 

About 1 1/2 cups of previously cubed & cooked butternut squash or kabocha
1 can of 19 oz can Mae Ploy coconut cream (do not shake it, and refrigerate slightly)
1 can of Maesri Red Curry Paste (this one doesn't have shrimp paste or oil)
Tofu (optional but really good without it)
1/4 - 1/2 of a red bell pepper cut to desired length and width
1/4 - 1/2 of a green bell pepper cut to desired length and width
1 large carrot sliced to your desired thickness
Leaves from one 6" sprig of basil, preferably Thai Basil

Open the can of coconut cream carefully not to shake it. Basically you want to get the separated water from the cream and spoon it out into a medium sized pot, on medium heat. Bring to a low boil. Add about a tsp of the Maesri Red Curry Paste. Stir in completely and let to low boil for a few minutes.

You can add more red curry paste if you like spicy and you can add less if you don't like much spice at all. But start with 1 tsp and then after you stir it in and it cooks a little try it. If its good then add a little more because you'll want to add about 1/4-1/2 more than what you start out with because you are going to eventually add all the cream from the can so it will dilute your base spiciness. But first get to a point that you like it. Knowing how much you added to get to a good spice level, then add 1/4-1/2 of that amount more.

Then add your sliced carrots. You should have enough cream at this point to cover most of your carrots. If not, you can add some cream. Cook your carrots to just a little less that the desired softness. They will stay on the heat for a little while longer. Once your carrots are ready then add the rest of the cream from the can.

Check your desired spiciness. If it needs more paste now is the time to add it.

If you have tofu you can add it. I like it better without tofu. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add your cooked butternut squash or kabocha. If your butternut squash was cooked a previous day let to cook a little longer so they get hot. If they are still warm from cooking right before starting your curry then you don't need to cook much. Next add your bell pepper. If you like your bell peppers cooked a little more than add and leave to cook for 1 minute. If you like them crunchy then add, stir and turn off the stove. Add the basil. Stir and remove from heat.

Enjoy over rice. This serves about 4 people.

*Note: The coconut cream and the red curry paste you should be able to get at a local Chinese market. If not you can substitute. Also the red curry paste DOES have sugar. Its only 2g for the 4oz can. My kids have decided they are ok with that because we aren't really adding it, its such a specialty item, and its such a small amount. But if you don't want it then use the Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste. It doesn't have sugar in it. You might have to use more of the Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste to get the same flavor.

Massaman Curry

We have discovered a new love of Massaman Curry when we visited Thailand. Not Thailand the country, Thailand the restaurant. With my love of Thai food, why oh why did I not know about Massaman Curry??? With this new love, I had to try and make it at home. I found a recipe online but dramatically changed it. This is what I included and although it may not knock your socks off like at the restaurant, its a close second and my family loves it.

Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:

1/2 cup loaded sliced onion (any color)
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth

2 tsp minced ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
4 medium potatoes cubed (add more or less to your liking)
green beans (optional)
2 carrots sliced
2 Tbl red curry paste (thai kitchen)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp crushed fennel seeds (or use ground star anise)
1/8 tsp cloves
3 Tbl peanut butter or almond butter
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate (optional)
1 cup coconut milk (or you can add more to your liking)
3/4 cup water

In a large pan heat the water or vegetable broth and add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, bell pepper, beans, carrots, potatoes. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the curry paste spices and mix and cook for 2 minutes to roast the spices and paste. Add peanut/almond butter, tamarind, coconut milk and water. Mix well.

Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the curry thickens a bit and the veggies are tender to preference. Taste and adjust spices if necessary. Serve over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Vegan Sushi

One day I came home and didn't have time to cook before I had to leave again and I was hungry but not hungry for some of the usual things. Some of the only things I had in the fridge were soy wraps, rice, avocado, salsa, black beans and spicy avocado hummus. I thought, well, I could make vegan sushi! The rice was not made like I would have normally made sushi rice. It was just plain brown rice. I warmed it up and then squished it onto the soy paper in a thin layer.

Then in the first third section of the soy paper put your center items. I used avocado, black beans, salsa and spicy avocado hummus. But you can use whatever you like.

After you layer it you want to take it and fold it over and squeeze. Then roll it and each turn of the roll you squeeze a little till it's all rolled up. Then cut to your desired size, eat and enjoy!

No Sugar Jam

There is a recipe out there for refrigerator jam with no sugar! I had to try!

2 cups fresh or thawed fruit
3 T chia seeds

Blend in high powered blender until smooth. Put in a glass jar and put in the fridge. It should be ready to spread the next day.

Yes, it is this easy.

No, its not like traditional jam texture. It's all blended so it's smooth but I must tell you, my kids said they liked it better than the store bought stuff. Why do you think they like it better? Because #1 they know its healthier and so that makes everything taste better to them.

I only make this in small batches because I know it won't last forever in the fridge. I've read you can freeze it but I always get nervous about putting glass to freeze.

Here is the link I've found that talks about No Sugar Refrigerator Jam.

Whipped Pineapple Pops

I'm just letting you know you really need to try these Whipped Pineapple Pops.  They are sooooo easy. I must recommend actually getting a large amount of popsicle molds. I just happened to have 4 but now I'm going to need to go and purchase more. These were a huge hit with the boys and my husband. We all loved them! The rest of the mixture that didn't go into the popsicle molds, I just froze in a container. If you can get it before it gets completely frozen you can scoop it out and eat it like ice cream! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!

It also made quite a bit so I would suggest cutting the recipe in half if you don't have that many people or molds. The other thing I didn't do was the amount of lime juice. I had some lime juice (not fresh squeezed) and added about 1-2 tablespoons.

You're welcome :)

Chocolate Birthday Cake

It was my birthday this weekend and if I wanted a cake I was going to have to make it myself. Any other cake made or purchased would have added processed sugar and I wasn't going to ruin my 84 day streak!

So I went on a search for a no oil, no sugar chocolate cake. As you can see from my last post I discovered Chocolate Covered Katie and also found a chocolate cake on her site, 100 Calorie Chocolate Cake. However, I didn't have all of the ingredients, so this is the version I made. 

• 1 cup spelt flour or white flour
• 6 tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tbl stevia syrup or 1/4 tsp stevia powder
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tbl apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup plant based milk
• 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl and wet ingredients in larger bowl. Then combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients with a whisk. Be sure not to over mix. I sprayed my 9" pan with some Pam with flour. There is no need to spray too far up the pan because it won't rise that much. Pour your batter into the pan and try to level the batter as much as possible with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes. (I did not preheat my oven but actually put it in my NuWave oven for 25 minutes)

When I saw it didn't rise all that much and actually made a small cake, I then started to make another batch. So I then had two layers.

Let your cake cool. Katie does say in her recipe that its better if you let it sit and don't eat it right away. I agree with her. Also, do not overcook it. Just bake it 25 minutes and take it out. If you decide to test it with a toothpick or knife, it might come out looking like it needs more time, but I doubt it does. The crust looked a little hard on the outside and I was worried it might not be that great, but I just let it sit.

I let the two cakes cool on a wire rack and then several hours later made my icing. As the cakes were cooling though you'll want to get your cashews for the icing and the dates and let them soak in hot water.

• 1 cup cashews (whole or pieces)
• 4 medjool dates, pitted and cut into pieces

In a small bowl put the cashews and dates together and add hot water, just enough to barely cover. Let sit for one hour.

• 1 ounce cocoa powder
• 1-2 tbl coconut butter (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla

When ready to make your icing, use a slotted spoon to spoon cashews and dates into your blender, keeping the water they soaked in. Then add your cocoa, coconut butter and vanilla to the blender. Add 1/4 to 1/2 of the water from the cashews and dates. Blend. If you need more water, add more of the water you reserved. It's better to add a little at a time then to add too much. I ended up adding all the date water to the blender. Finish blending till it because very smooth.

This icing was just enough for the two layers but my husband would have liked to have a little more icing so you might want to half the above recipe and make more. It's up to you depending on how much icing you like. 

I did not refrigerate the cake until after it was eaten a couple hours later. I thought it did fine sitting for a couple hours. When we finally cut the cake it was moist and delicious!

Enjoy!!

Thank you, Katie!!

A couple days ago my 7 year old son tells me that they are going to have treats this Friday (today) in class. He asked his teacher if he could bring something non sugary for his treat. Now I'm expected to whip something up late on a Thursday night because that's the only time I'm home is after 8:00 pm. Thank goodness for Chocolate Covered Katie! This recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge was so easy and so good. It only made about 3 1/2 little servings so I would suggest you double up if you want more, but my husband tasted it and said, "wow, its sooo rich". He only had half of a "serving".

I put them in these little silicone cupcake liners that we use for their lunches sometimes and then tossed them in the freezer overnight.

The next day you literally peal the silicone inside out and out pops your little goodie. So, no they didn't look all pretty like Katie's picture, but who really cares because the people eating them will be ooing and awwwing. :)  And best of all, no added sugar!

Cauliflower Curry Chowder

This is my favorite soup!

I made an even bigger pot this last weekend. It is also very easy to tweek if you don't like an ingredient or want to add something extra.

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
4 medium potatoes cubed to bite size pieces
2 carrots, finely chopped or sliced in food processor
2 celery stalks, finely chopped or sliced in food processor
1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 qt. Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock or Broth (4 cups)
1 tsp curry powder (see picture)
1 cup or the whole can of coconut milk. The more coconut you use the more sweet it will taste

Instructions

1. Saute onion in just enough water to cover the bottom of your pot for 7-8 minutes in a large pot on medium heat. Stir occasionally.

2. Add potatoes and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

3. Add carrot and celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the cauliflower and bay leaf. Continue to saute for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add peas and corn

6. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes.

7. Add the stock, scraping the bottom of the pot. 

8. Add the curry powder.

9. Simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes, or until desired vegetable softness.

10. When vegetables are softened to your liking, add the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes.

11. Optional: add one teaspoon of salt at a time and taste. Salt levels will vary depending on the type of stock you used.

I found this at an Asian market. 

  

Yummy Mung Beans

I work with a guy who is from India and since eating whole food plant based he's been sharing some recipes with me since he's a vegetarian. He gave me one for Green Moong Dal Makhani. Don't ask me what any of that means. All I know is that I really love mung beans! I get them in the bulk section of whole foods.

I have adapted this recipe for the spice pansies that live in my house. I then adapted it for use in my new Instant Pot! If you like it more spicy you can double the spices. (I halved them from the original recipe.)

Stove Top Recipe:

1 cup raw, dry mung beans
an inch piece of ginger, grated or sliced
1 14 oz can of diced tomato
1 4 oz can of green chilies
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 can coconut milk

Rinse and soak raw, dry mung beans in 3 cups of water.  Let soak for at least 8 hrs or overnight. I've even let them soak for 24 hours. I also soak them in a colander. It makes them easy to remove and rinse from the soaking water. After soaking I like to rinse them again and put them in enough water to boil them. Boil until soft and mushy.

Heat a skillet pan and cover the bottom of the pan with just enough water to use for sauteing the ginger. You can also use oil if you prefer. After sauteing for a few minutes add the tomatoes, green chilies, and spices, let simmer for 7-10 minutes and then add in the cooked Mung Beans and coconut milk. If you like more coconut milk you can use a full can. Its totally up to you. Let cook another 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice or a baked potato.

Instant Pot Recipe:

1 14 oz can of diced tomato
1 4 oz can of green chilies
1 cup raw, dry mung beans
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 to 3/4 can coconut milk
1 cup water

Rinse and soak raw, dry mung beans in 3 cups of water.  Let soak for at least 8 hrs or overnight. I've even let them soak for 24 hours. I also soak them in a colander. It makes them easy to remove and rinse from the soaking water. After soaking I like to rinse them again.

Add ingredients in the order above to your instant pot. Select the beans or manual setting for 20 minutes. Cook and leave to warm 7-10 minutes. Let it release the steam on its own or release it gradually. Serve over brown rice or a baked potato.

How To Deal With Cravings

Everyone has their own idea of how to deal with cravings. One person will tell you to chew gum, the other person will tell you to do breathing exercises. Another person will tell you that if you are craving it, it means your body needs it.

When dealing with sugar I don't agree on any of those, especially the last one!

Gum - All gums have some sort of sweetener and most of them are bad. This is NOT going to help you. This will only further the problem. I gave all the gum away in my drawer to a friend who chews it for other reasons. I also gave her the box they were in that I've had for years just because I knew if I saw it I would crave that juicy sweet gum. The cravings for gum have slowly faded and I'm at 66 days with no processed sugar.

The best way I've found to curb all of my cravings is water. Yep, its that easy. It doesn't matter what I'm craving, if I drink water I feel better. I don't have to drink a ton, but usually I am either thirsty or hungry. If the water doesn't do it, have something healthy. Have some broccoli or a salad or a baby carrots or even an apple or banana! Just don't give into your cravings for processed sugar or unhealthy snacks!! YOU have control over your hands and your mouth. If you give into your cravings you will just be disappointed with yourself and that doesn't easily pass like those cravings will if you douse them with water. Just think of the cravings as a fire you need to put out so they don't destroy your body.

How do you deal with cravings?

Crispy Oven Baked Fries

Don't let the "V" word scare you. Yes, I basically cook Vegan even though I don't consider myself a vegan. Some vegans eat a lot of fake food like cheeses and meats that are processed. That's one reason I like to say Whole Foods Plant Based. Then there are those that are vegan just because of animal rights. They don't wear leather either. If you consider yourself vegan that's ok (no judgement here). But for you guys who eat meat, yes, I remember when I did too, the vegan word meant their food was not good, it was weird. They have to do all these things to make their food taste like our food. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. These people are some of the most creative food combining people EVER.

Check out these Crispy Oven Baked Fries!!! These are soooooo good and soooooo easy. I know this post has nothing to do with sugar and all that but we seriously loved these fries so much I had to share! I also keep losing the link and if I put it here, then I will never have to search for it again.

These fries are truly guiltless! You know you enjoy guiltless way more than when something is fatty and greasy. You can even replace the flour with something like corn meal if you don't want to add flour. Last night I made them with gluten free oats and flax seeds ground in my magic bullet plus all the spices. You could even just use the spices and see how they turn out. I would suggest using at LEAST one big potato per person. They will go fast! Mix it with some other veggies and tell your kids they have to eat a broccoli tree and then a fry and then a broccoli tree and then a fry. What a healthy snack/meal!

Did you know, one large baked potato with the skin and without salt has 7g of protein, 7g of fiber and 0 grams of fat! Not only that but they have vitamin C, Iron, calcium and Vitamin A.

I also improvised on the fry sauce. I looked at the organic ketchup we had in the fridge and it had added sugar so I didn't use that. But I had some cheesy sauce from this Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe leftover and I mixed it in my magic bullet with salsa. It made for a pretty yummy dip. You could even mix it with tomato paste. Or you can just use ketchup, but here in Utah, fry sauce is a must. If you don't know what fry sauce is, its basically a combination of ketchup and mayo. I have Veganaise which I liked even when I ate meat but I'm trying to cut my oil intake and processed foods.

Whole Food Plant Based

In the midst of doing the 10-Day Detox I started really educating myself more on nutrition. Now that I had gone cold turkey with my sugar addiction and had already quit caffeine my head was more clear. I had SO much more energy every day. I began emerging myself with information about nutrition. It's hard to explain but I remember just wanting to know more. It all started with The Secrets of Sugar and then I saw that Fat Sick & Nearly Dead was available on Netflix. Yeah, not the best film title if you're trying to avoid confronting any bad food habits. But it was such a great film. It was inspiring! I almost went out and bought a juicer. I'm glad I didn't but we did buy a Blendtec a couple of weeks later. The Blendtec is amazing and that is a purchase I don't regret. It's worth every penny. Yes, Kerry HK if you are reading, you were right... again!

Then I saw another documentary on Netflix called Forks Over Knives. I had no idea what this was about but a friend had actually told me in passing that I would like it. My life was forever changed after this documentary!! Wow! What an eye opener. And for me, it was the right information at the right time. I recommend this movie to everyone! Even my kids have watched it (on their own). 

After watching Forks Over Knives I quickly went to the library and reserved the audio books of The China Study and Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition (Whole is very scientific and can lose you in a few spots). So I didn't actually read them, I listened to them because it's easier to listen while I work then to read since I don't have much free time to sit and focus on reading a book. But with audio books I can do two things at once! I also convinced my husband to get on board and at least listen.

If you haven't heard of any of these documentaries or books the premise is that a Whole Food Plant Based diet can and will reverse and prevent diseases, i.e. heart disease and diabetes, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and help you lose weight. Not only all of this but it is more sustainable than eating animal products. If you want to know more I suggest watching Forks Over Knives or reading The China Study.

After watching Forks Over Knives it seemed so clear the right thing for me to do was to change to a Whole Food Plant Based diet. And if I did it why shouldn't my kids. Why would I not do the healthiest thing I know for them?

The kids and I have currently been following a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet for about 6 weeks. My husband is mostly following but he still eats a few animal products now and again.

A Few Benefits We've Seen From Moving To a Whole Food Plant Based Diet

1. More energy!
2. Less greasy hair.
3. Softer, shinier hair.
4. Better digestion and elimination. One of my kids used to need Miralax or magnesium supplements almost every day. Once we moved to a WFPB diet he became regular every day!
5. Weight loss for my husband and I.
6. Reduced body odor.
7. Reduction in Eczema, practically eliminated.

So, my recipes will not only be processed sugar free but also free of animal products. You can always choose to use animal milk instead of plant milk.

Better Than Ice Cream Butternut Squash Soup

I LOVE butternut squash! I have cooked it many different ways but I've found the easiest way to prepare it is to peel it first. And then steam it in Ziplock Steamer bags. If you don't like microwaving it, that's ok, you can spend 45 minutes waiting for this deliciousness to cook in the oven. Sorry, but I can't wait that long. Once I peel it I cut it in half lengthwise and take the seeds out. The ball or bowl part (bottom) of the squash where the seeds are always has stringy stuff in it after you take the seeds out. It is edible so I hate just throwing that part away or spending time trying to cut it out. So I cut the part where the seeds were away from the long straight part. My son wanted some in his lunch today so I figured last night I would save the long straight part for him. I would just use the other part for soup. Sorry, I didn't take pictures of this but I put one straight part and one of the bowl parts in the steamer bag with 2 tablespoons of water and steam it in the microwave for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Your time may vary. I usually get the butternut squash that are medium size. I don't like the big huge ones cause when they are cut this way they don't fit in the steamer bag. Why go to the expense of cutting them into more pieces than you really need. Plus I'm not the greatest with knives. If they are too big then they are harder for me to cut in half in the first place.
     

After the first round of steaming I take those out and put my other two pieces in and add 1 tablespoon of water since there is some leftover from the previous steam. While these are cooking I can lay the hot pieces on a plate to cool. I do cut these parts into smaller pieces because that allows them to cool faster. Last night I immediately put the cubes from the straight stalk part of the squash in a bowl for the fridge since they would be going into my son's lunch the next morning. Also, you can reuse your steamer bags till you feel that they need to be tossed. I just wash with a drop of dish washing soap, rinse thoroughly and then leave to air dry.

After the second round cooled I put the stringy bowl parts that were cut into smaller pieces in the blender.

I ran across some of this at the store last night and had read somewhere that someone preferred this brand for cooking because they felt it just made for better results. It was on sale for $1.99 so I picked one up. I like the fact that it has a cap and is easy to poor. It is very smooth without a lot of added ingredients. Some coconut milks in the can add a lot of stuff I don't know what for, but I try to avoid these.



I added about a 1/2 tsp of turmeric (why? I don't know my sister told me that's how she did it...LOL) and a 1/4 cup of the lite culinary coconut milk and 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I blended it together in my Blendtec and then added hot water for a the consistency I wanted.

This was by far the best butternut squash soup I have ever made! You can fiddle with the amounts or with the milks you use, if any. Always start out with less liquid and then add more, depending on how much squash you have and how thick you want the soup.

Why I shared with my husband is beyond me, but I gave him a little because it was filling up my soup bowl and looked like too much for me to eat. He said it tasted more like a dessert than a soup.

I could seriously have this every night! It's sooooooo good and sooooooo easy! And, no added sugar, salt or oil! It can't get much better than that.



Better Than Ice Cream Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 of a whole butternut squash, peeled and cooked then cut into cubes and slightly cooled
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup or less SO Delicious Culinary Lite Coconut Milk
1/4 cup or less Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Blend
Add hot water to the consistency of your liking

Serve hot/warm and enjoy slowly because its gone before you know it :)

2 Reasons to Keep On This Journey

Yesterday at the end of the night before going to brush his teeth, Elijah (my 5 year old) stopped me and said, "Thank you, Mom for feeding us so healthy these last 50 days."  Ahhhh, that's all I need to keep going. He is one reason why I do this.

Overnight Muesli

One of the first naturally sweetened recipes we tried after finishing Mark Hyman's 10-Day Detox was Chef AJ's Overnight Muesli. (page 3 on that link) I cannot even begin to tell you how good this is. First of all, after you've gone without processed or added sugar for 10 days and really hardly anything sweet (minus some berries in the AM blended in a shake) an apple alone will taste like HEAVEN! It will almost taste too sweet. Your taste buds, the sweet receptors in your mouth, actually change and revert to "normal" when you stop eating processed sugar. With that said, when we first made this I thought it was too sweet. This was too good for the kids. I really wondered if giving this to them would make them crave more sweets and send them in the wrong direction but it didn't. It was good because it gave them something they could enjoy and feel good about eating. They absolutely love this and ask for it all the time. It's also great if you don't have a lot of time in the morning. One kid likes it warmed and the other likes it cold. One likes milk added and the other one likes it plain. Either way its already made and ready to eat in the morning, just put it in bowls and add milk and warm up if that's what you like.

We usually make a double batch and shred only one apple. This will usually be enough to feed the 2 boys and my husband. Then we add one 4 oz. cup of, no sugar added, applesauce. (My brother usually stocks us with several years worth of applesauce from his yearly canning and juicing of apples, but we must have done something wrong because we are completely out ;) Hint hint if you're reading Todd. So we've had to buy our applesauce from Costco. It isn't as good as his but we get by.) We've only ever used cinnamon in the muesli just because I haven't had any apple pie spice to add, but this weekend I finally got around to making some apple pie spice. I'm sure it will make it even better. Feel free to play around with the recipe and find what works for you and your family.

I've also made these into cookies like it talks about at the end of the recipe. They aren't the best cookies ever, but are actually pretty good and the kids love them in their lunch. I feel great giving them to the kids in their lunch because I know they will not spike their blood sugar and insulin levels like processed sugar does. They will be able to focus better in class. When I make them into cookies I use the silicone baking mats we got at Costco, aka silpat mats. I really have grown to love these silicone baking mats. They are so easy to clean and you don't need any cooking spray.

Today is our 50th day of no added/processed sugar!

The Secrets Of Sugar

It all started after I read the book "The 10-Day Detox" by Mark Hyman. I would need to eliminate sugar from my diet and the plan was to start on January 5, 2015. I was already sick with sugary treats from the holidays and ready to quit my addiction. I asked my husband if he wanted to do the 10 day detox with me and he said, "well, I don't need to lose weight" to which I replied, "no, but you are addicted to sugar" to which he agreed. I have always been able to tell when this man has eaten sugar. It has actually been some really quite pleasurable times for me to watch and be a part of because he gets really funny and fun after he eats the white stuff. Sometimes I would get him to eat it just for my pleasure. Ha!

Ok, so he was on board to do no sugar for 10 days, even though I knew I wanted to do it longer. Now I just had to get the kids on board, not that they really had a choice but its always better if they want to do it anyway. Our kids rarely if ever ate suckers or candy because I already thought these were not healthy. With my husband being from Eastern Europe, chocolate was a big part of our sugar addiction. However, overall the kids were pretty ok with being more healthy.

I explained a lot of things from this great video from the Fifth Estate called The Secrets of Sugar. I would recommend this video to EVERYONE. My kids even watched about half of it.

The most important things is to teach your kids. We sat down as a family (before we told them what our plan was) and talked about what healthy meant and what being healthy does for our bodies...ie makes them stronger, easier to fight sickness, etc. And then said this year we want to be more healthy. I asked them if that's what they want. They said yes. Of course, kids don't really want to damage their bodies, they just aren't taught.

Then we said we are first going to start with sugar because this is what sugar does to our bodies and too much sugar is even worse. We explained the difference between processed sugar and sugar in fruits. We also explained how bad high fructose corn syrup was and WHAT it was. We explained all the bad things that can happen if they have too much sugar.

Next is to actually implement the no added sugar. It's hard to throw away things, especially if you were taught to not be wasteful. But you have to clean out all the cupboards, pantry, fridge and freezer. Everything with high fructose corn syrup must be thrown out. But I didn't throw away my organic sugar from Costco. I wasn't sure if I would use it in the future for baking. But I did put it off the counter. I put it in the very back of the pantry. As they say, out of sight, out of mind.

Let the kids help! That gets them involved with the process. Look at all your labels and if it lists sugar, toss it. Show them where to find this on the ingredients and under the chart. I only tossed it if it was added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. For example our applesauce has sugar but its natural, not added.

Then go through instances at school where they might come across sugar laden stuff and teach them how to say no. I sent an email to all their teachers.

Dear Teachers,

Our family is trying to eliminate as much sugar from our diets as possible. For the rest of the school year, please do not give Elijah or Nicolae candy as treats/rewards. If you'd like something else to give them I can bring in pencils or something else. If everyone is having something, please ask them if they would like it, don't just give to them. We've had discussions and if they choose to make that decision then that's their choice, but its easier to say no when you are asked if you'd like some, versus just handing it out.

I know you have a lot of students so if you forget, don't worry, I understand. Its not the end of the world, just please do your best and try and limit the sugar my kids receive from you at school. 

Thank you so much for everything you do for our kids!

Parent rules: The most important thing is that you don't cheat. Cause if you do they will know. I made sure to tell them if they accidentally ate some it wouldn't kill them and I wouldn't be mad.

The first week is the hardest. Take them shopping at the store and help them find stuff for you and let them see that you are checking labels and if it has added sugar then they see you not buy it. There is always another way to make something without using processed sugar!!

Check with them every day and ask them how they did at school, were they tempted by something and high five them when they resisted temptation and ask them how that made them feel when they made the healthy decision. If they recognize that good feeling they had that will help the next time be easier.

Currently we are at 48 days without any added or processed sugar!