Tag: keto

Keto Gingerbread Pound Cake

Keto Gingerbread Pound Cake

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: easy
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Mouthwatering taste of Fall


Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup Swerve brown sweetener
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1-1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • powdered Swerve
  • or Sugar Free Caramel Sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 10 to 12 cup capacity bundt pan very well. (I used an angel food cake pan since I couldn’t find my bundt pan. LOL)
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Beat in a the brown “sugar” sweetener until lightened and fluffier, about 3 minutes
  3. Add the eggs one at a tme, beating after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the almond flour, spices, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt all at once and beat in until well combined. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and firm to the touch.
  5. Remove and let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before flipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sweetener and/or drizzle with homemade sugar-free caramel sauce.

Recipe Courtesy of All Day I Dream About Food

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More Efficient Energy Source?

“Ketones are a cleaner, more efficient energy source.” Dr. Angela Poff

Dr. Angela is a Research Associate in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Her research focuses on the development and characterization of metabolic-based, non-toxic therapies for cancer and neurological disorders.

She is part of a team of scientists that study how exogenous ketones affect the brain, cancer, etc.

I personally have taken Pruvit Exogenous Ketones for the last 3 years now. I initially did it to lose weight. I lost 27 lbs in 3 months. I slowly incorporated a Keto diet into the mix and have maintained my weight for the last 3 years by living a keto lifestyle.

Scientists like Dr. Poff continue to study the affects of ketones on our bodies especially our brains. They have shown that exogenous ketones feed the brain when the brain can no longer take in glucose. There are many studies out there showing how they work.

As we move into the new year of 2020 – I ask that you might think about what you want? Do you want to feel better? Do you want more energy? Do you want to sleep better at night? Do you need more mental focus during the day? Do you want to especially lose weight?

I invite you to come along with me on a “10 Day Drink Ketones Challenge” It is designed to get you into burning fat for fuel in the most expeditious way possible. This is also the easiest thing I have ever done. As we age, these ketones help me keep my energy up so that most days I feel like I’m 30 instead of 60. I sleep like a baby at night and my brain doesn’t have near as many issues as it did before with remembering the things I need to remember. Also don’t forget the fat loss!!!

Just hit the “10 Day Drink Ketones Challenge” above and it will link you to the site to join me on this run for 2020. What better way to start to get healthy. There is coaching, a Facebook group and support all along the 10 day journey. Come join me.

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Baked! Keto Apple Cider Donuts

Baked! Keto Apple Cider Donuts

  • Difficulty: easy
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Unbelievably soft and just 2g net carbs, these baked keto apple cider donuts will give you true fall flavors.


Ingredients

  • 1-1//3 cup almond flour
  • 6 Tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
  • 2 Tablespoons psyllium husk powder
  • 2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or 4 teaspoons gold flaxseed meal
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup swerve or erythritol granular
  • 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (I used Grandmas molasses) or you could use a brown sugar replacement
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sugar free apple sauce (or you could use 2 teaspoons apple extract)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted grass-fed butter melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • For the Cinnamon Sugar coating
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted grass-fed butter melted
  • 1/3 cup swerve – granulated
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I use 1 tsp)
    • Special equipment
  • donut pan or small muffin pan (think donut holes)
  • pastry bag or plastic bag

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (with coconut flour) a donut or muffin pan. (Mine has a non-stick surface so I didn’t have to do this step.
  2. Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, set aside.
  3. Add sweetener, molasses and eggs to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until airy, thicker and lighter in color. With the mixer on, add in the applesauce, apple cider vinegar and butter.
  4. Add in the dry flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the sour cream. Continue to mix for a minute or two until fully incorporated and elastic (the batter will thicken as you mix).
  5. Transfer the batter into a piping bag or plastic bag (no tip needed). Cut out bottom of piping bag roughly 1 inch wide. Pipe out dough onto donut pan, wet your finger tip and smooth out where the ends meet (for a more even rise).
  6. Bake for 23-27 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Watch out after minute 15, and tent with aluminum foil if they begin to overbrown. The donuts will collapse a tad post bake, but don’t sweat it.
  7. Allow to rest in pan for 10 minutes before removing. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar coating.
  8. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days or put in the freezer.
Recipe modified from original from gnom-gnom.com

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Is it our Genes?

“Our genes only determine 25% of our health outcomes, 75% by our choices.” Dr. Andi Campitelli

Dr. Andi is a leading North American Naturopathic Dr, media expert and educator. She believes that education is the key to empowering individuals to take an active role in our own health and well-being. I firmly believe that we can do this at any time in our lives. I’d love for all of you to not wait til you’re almost 60 before you take control of your health.

Are you one of those that has always said “I come from big stock” or “My whole family is large, it must be in my genes”. Let’s think about this for a minute. According to Dr. Andi that is a big excuse and a lack of education to realize that all of our lives we have choices. The only time we probably don’t have a choice is when we are little and we eat what our mothers put in front of us or we eat junk food instead of what our mothers or fathers prepare for us.

Let’s think about what we need to do. We need to make a conscious effort to set a goal and write it down. Figure out what kind of plan you are going to do – low carb or Keto, and let’s get started.

Moving into the New Year I hope to have a 10 day meal plan and we will always have a 10 day Drink Ketone Challenge going on.

So as we get ready to move into the New Year – let’s see how easy we can make this choice. I want to see all of you successful as we move into 2020. Let’s decide today as Dr. Andi tells us “Stop blaming what’s wrong with you on your genes”. Science backs this and we need to just make choices to be BETTER and to have BETTER HEALTH.

So I challenge you to think about this through the holidays and come join me on this journey to continued BETTER HEALTH.

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Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Addictive to your taste buds


Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 (15oz) can corn, drained – optional – I can’t eat corn so I leave this out
  • 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup cooked, chopped bacon (I used hormel that is in the salad dressing aisle)
  • 2 Tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Original seasoning and salad dressing mix (or 1-1oz packet)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Place chicken at bottom of slow cooker
  2. Add corn, black beans, diced tomatoes and green chilies, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, ranch seasoning and bacon. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top of chicken.
  3. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
  4. Remove chicken from cooker and shred it with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker and stir in the cheddar cheese.

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Goals?!?!?!

We have talked in past weeks about goals. We have discussed the importance of setting goals so we can visually see in our mind where we want to get to.

This week we are going to talk about setting those long term goals and then making short term goals as well.

First thing is to pull out a piece of paper and a pen and start writing things that you would like on your bucket list. Things you want to do in the future. So part of my bucket list when I set my goals was to – go to Greece, lose 25 lbs, put in 10k steps every day, go to Ireland and Scotland, own my own business and lots more. I wrote down 20-25 things that I want to do before I die.

Then I put an order of priority on each of those items. A 1 represented something that I wanted to happen in the next 1 year and a 2 represented anything I wanted before I die. Like on mine it was lose 25lbs. and keep it off was the number one thing and some of the 2 items were Go to Greece and go to Ireland and Scotland.

Once you have that list divided into #1 items and #2 items – you have now created short term goals and long term goals. #1 items being short term and of course #2 items being long term.

Let’s now look at the #1 items on the list and I want you to figure out what is the easiest way to accomplish an item that has a 1 beside it. In my case lose 25lbs and keep it off, so I literally did some homework and found that my cousin was having huge success on a keto diet and drinking exogenous ketones. I decided to give it a shot. In 3 months I lost 27 lbs and for 2 years I have kept it off. Short term goal accomplished.

Long term goals then move up on the list. One of my long term goals was to be able to see my son at least twice a year – since he lives clear across the country. In May I got to spend a week with him at my place and now for Thanksgiving I get to go see him. Sometimes it is the little things in life that help to keep us moving forward and so for this year I am accomplishing one of my long term goals with doing this every year.

Goals are an important part of my life. I was talking to a co-worker the other day about focus and we have days in our lives where our focus is just off. Not sure why, not sure what to do about it, maybe our brain is just fried from working so hard or thinking so hard. So goals help to give us some focus when our brain says “‘I’ve had enough”.

Next step is to write down those goals – both short term and long term and read them every day. That is the focus part of goal setting. Reminding yourself what you want. Some people will actually take lipstick and write them on the bathroom mirror so that they are reminded every day of what they want in life. When they have accomplished an item they take it off the list and add something else to it. Because as you grow and accomplish goals in your life, those goals keep changing. If you still have the same goals today that you had 20 years ago, then you are stagnant and not moving forward in life.

So let’s get going with setting some short term and long term goals. I’d love it if you would share some of those with us in the comments.

Til next week – have a fabulous week!

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