NOT ALL HEALTHY FOODS ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T EAT FRUIT..

KNOW WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT EAT!

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Before I go into the recipe part I have a highly important tip for you. There are a lot of "healthy options" out there, but not all of us are the same, digest the same. We have different bodies and I recommend checking with an allergist what your body can and cannot digest easily. 

For the longest time I thought eating a lot of fruits and little to no sugar in other products is good for me. I really love all kinds of fruit and so I started making a lot of smoothies and for about a month drank smoothie every morning on an empty stomach. However I constantly felt bloated, swollen, unhealthy, unhappy and I didn't know why. I tried cutting calories, ate little to nothing and drank more smoothies. I felt worse, so I decided to go to the doctor, explained my symptoms and he told me to got o an allergist and do some tests. I went, did all the tests and found out that I have a hight sorbitol intolerance.

Sorbitol is a sugar substitute. It is in almost all "diet" products, wherever less sugar is used. It is even found as a natural part of a lot of fruits, such as berries, apples, pears, nectarines, plums, apricots and blackberries. I don't have a fructose intolerance so I can eat some fruits, but not all. I started checking the ingredient list of my foods to ensure they are free of sorbitol, isomalt, xylitol or mannitol. I found them to be in almost all are sugar-free ice creams, sugar-free chocolate and sugar-free chewing gums, toothpaste and mints. These ingredients can all contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms and make you feel ill when you have such intolerance. 

That basically means I'm better off eating real chocolate chip cookies, than sugar-free "healthy" labeled ones, and rather eat a slice of bread than drink a smoothie. I still have a lot of very yummy and healthy recipes, meals and snacks that are perfect for most people (sorbitol intolerance is rare) and I would love to share them with you. I hope this can also help spread awareness and encourage to check your body and learn how your body reacts to different substances. Maybe the allergist tells you to eat a cupcake once a week *praying* .. But in all seriousness this is really an important subject and should be addressed.
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HEALTHY SNACKS

CHIA PUDDING

Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for your body and brain. Chia seeds deliver a huge of nutrients with only few calories, 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains: Fiber: 11 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s), Calcium: 18% of the RDA, Manganese: 30% of the RDA, Magnesium: 30% of the RDA, Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA,  some Zinc, Vitamin B3, Potassium, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B2. Pretty impressive right? And they taste fairly neutral, which makes them a perfect ingredient to cook, bake and snack with.

CHIA GEL

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or vanilla soy milk or water

1/3 cups of gluten free oats

3 tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp sweetener (maple or agave syrup)

VEGAN CARAMEL

3  tbsp organic peanut butter

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or soy milk

1 tbsp of sweetener

TOPPING IDEAS 

1/4 cups chopped salted peanuts

A few pieces of vegan, melted dark chocolate

Method

1. Chia Gel: Stir all ingredients in a bowl and store in a fridge for at least 30 min or overnight.

2. Vegan Caramel: Mix all ingredients with a spoon, use more milk until perfectly creamy

3. Toppings: Melt dark chocolate in water bath and add some chopped peanuts

4. Finish: place your chia oats gel in a jar. Add Vegan Caramel, then top with peanuts and chocolate

5. Et voilà! Enjoy your healthy snack

BANANA ICE CREAM

Ingredients

3 bananas, sliced and frozen

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

1. Slice bananas into chunks and freeze in a sandwich bag. Once the bananas are frozen, you’re ready to make your ice cream.

2. Add frozen bananas to a food processor. Process for a few minutes.There might be some large frozen chunks that don't want to break up right away. Keep processing and you will eventually get what looks like soft serve ice cream. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and pulse until combined.

3. Place the mixture in a bowl and stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Freeze until firm, preferably over night.

You can always play around with flavors and try different ingredients. As long as you use frozen bananas as the base, you can make all kinds of healthy ice-creams.

DRAGON FRUIT 

This is a fruit is not only EYE-CANDY, looking like a beautiful piece of art and delicious as well, but it also has tons of healthy benefits. Here are a few:

Dragon fruit is extremely low is terms of cholesterol, as well as saturated and trans fats. It can help you maintain a healthy heart in the long run. Moreover, the seeds present in the fruit are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for your well-being. Dragon fruit is a good source of dietary fiber, therefore it is not only great for the heart, but also helps in maintaining blood pressure and weight. This fruit is vibrant in color, which also means that dragon fruit is filled with antioxidants. A diet rich in antioxidants is said to keep your heart healthy and the skin young.
The exotic fruit is commonly used in skin care because of its high antioxidant content as well as vitamins. The paste is believed to keep your skin young also used in treating acne and sunburn. Lastly this beautiful fruit is a good source of vitamin C, which it helps in strengthening immunity, promoting a healthy diet.

SMOOTHIE

Ingredients 

1 dragon fruit

2 fresh apricots

2 tbsp sweetener

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1/2  a cup almond milk or soy milk

Some ice cubes

Method

1. Peel and cut the dragon fruit into chunks.

2. Cut apricots in small pieces and put in a blender along with the dragon fruit.

3. Add your favorite sweetener, yogurt and your preferred milk and give it nice blend.

4. Add some ice cubes to cool it quickly.

5. Blend it well till it's and silky.

6. Fill in a nice glass. You can always add toppings if you like.

APPLE & CINNAMON

This is the easiest and quickest one to make. If you are not sorbitol intolerant this is perfect for you. I don't think you need a recipe for it, but here are some quick benefits as a reminder:

Apples: They are packed with nutrients that may help you lose weight,  regulation of blood sugar.They are low in calories with only 65 per cup and high in dietary fiber.

Cinnamon: It is becoming more and more evident that cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar levels and increases the metabolism of glucose. Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat, cinnamon helps prevent it. Cinnamon contains ingredients that help with weight loss, and can boost your metabolism.

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So hopefully by now I got you thinking about your nutrition and maybe solved your problem for your stomachaches and made you call an allergist. I hope you are not sorbitol intolerant and can enjoy these healthy yummy snacks to the fullest.

As always feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Much love & happiness,

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- Mrs.Steemit