It’s that time of the year again to indulge in pie, cookies, cakes and anything else you can manage to bake.
This time of the year should be fun, festive and stress-free. A time to share wonderful decadent treats with your family and loved ones. Not a time to worry over calories and ways to cut calories short in your baking process.
For some of us it can be challenging to keep our weight down and be healthy at the same time. Especially, when our society is overburdened by ad campaigns promoting sugar free and low fat products as the solution to obesity and diabetes.
What are these products anyway? They are chemicals that replace the sugars and fats in food. Studies have shown that this can cause the food to become toxic and carcinogenic and can also lead to health problems such as tumors, cancer, seizures and severe headaches. Research has also shown that using these types of products can actually contribute to a person gaining body weight. How is this when they produce a lower calorie food? Shouldn’t this aid in weight loss? Not necessarily, the body and mind are not fooled. When you consume excessive amounts of these empty calories the metabolism slows down and will begin to store incoming calories as fat. As if that’s not enough these types of foods do not leave you with a feeling of satiety, or fullness, so more then likely you will over eat.
In addition to macronutrients & calories, there is a concern also regarding micronutrient deficiencies, or deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals provided in the diet. When you start replacing macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins, & Fats) like complex sugars and heart healthy fats with these artificial calories you are potentially limiting the vitamins and minerals that are provided in the meals.
We need sugar to fuel our brain and store glycogen in our muscles for energy. We need healthy fats for proper hormone function, to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D, to keep our cells healthy, to protect our heart and to maintain healthy hair and skin. These are just a few of the amazing benefits that these macronutrients give us.
So, this holiday season why not enjoy a delicious whole food pumpkin pie, carrot cake or oatmeal cookie. Below is a list of my favorite whole food baking ingredients that can be found at most all local grocery stores, whole food markets and on-line.
Healthy sugar substitutes
Coconut sugar
Coconut sap
Date paste
Brown rice syrup
Raw organic turbinado sugar
Molasses
Agave Nectar
Stevia
Raw honey
Yacon syrup
Xylitol
Healthy Fat substitutes
1. Coconut oil 2. Coconut butter 3. Hemp butter 4. Spectrum non hydrogenated shortening 5. Coconut cream 6. Cashew cream 7. Raw milk 8. Nut milks 9. Grape seed oil 10. A mixture of olive oil, flax oil and hemp seed (makes a nice fatty acid profile)
I hope you use and enjoy these baking recommendations. Please take the time to notice and embrace the harmony, peace and joy you will feel when you serve your new, healthy culinary creations to your family and friends.
Jess I do use coconut oil, cashew oils...and for sugars its always Stevia in the raw. I enjoyed the information preview and I feel that your page will help many on their way to a better life
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Clint Pressley
12/02/2011 10:31am
Jessica, I been working out for years & always had a problem watching my waist size around holidays! This was a very helpful & knowledgeable article! I will DEF. use your advice the rest of the holliday season and year round! I agree with Larry this article will help a lot of people!
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Author
Jessica Kerley is a former National Physique Figure Competitor, certified Holistic Health Coach Practitioner, Certified Raw Food Chef, NESTA certified sports nutrition specialist and personal trainer. She enjoys coaching and training her clients using a unique bio-individuality approach and believes that peak health is achievable only when one has healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity,a spiritual practice and a diet abundant in raw organic fruits and vegetables.
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