Monday, June 3, 2013

Anti-Candida Continues; ZERO Sugar Treats

This has been quite the journey.  With as many times as I've experimented with my diet through cleanses and different dietary protocols, this has been the most successful BY FAR in so many ways.  It's been 2 weeks, and my goal is to complete 3 weeks before beginning a very slow add-in process of a little fruit and sweet potato.  Just in time for summer fruit season! 

Day 3, and day 11 were rough.  Day 3 dealing with headaches, irritability; low blood sugar; fatigue.  Day 11 dealing with "the die-off" where cravings for sugar are high.  This was actually the day I found myself craving a full on meat lovers pizza!  Yeah, pepperoni, sausage, cheese, olive, GREASE & SALT, that's what I wanted.  So I had sauerkraut and 2 slices of bacon...it worked alright as a substitute.  I also started finding homemade chocolate & ice cream recipes that were "allowed".  They are actually pretty awesome, and I have a chunk of chocolate almost every day.  This is not your typical chocolate, mind you, it is bitter...but it totally does the trick.


Homemade Chocolate
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 drops vanilla stevia (i used Sweet Leaf)
optional: sea salt, shredded coconut, chopped mint

In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil and vanilla, stir in cocoa powder (I use a spatula), and then add stevia to taste.  Add too much and it just gets more bitter, fresh stevia leaf would probably be better.  Find something to use for a chocolate mold, I had a little sushi plate that's rectangular; cover it with saran wrap and pour chocolate in the mold.  My favorite is to add in rock sea salt and shredded coconut (sprinkled in the mold).  Place in freezer and store there to enjoy whenever you need/want it!  Easy.

Sesame Bars
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup white sesame seeds
5 drops liquid stevia
Optional: Sea salt

Melt the coconut oil & butter in small saucepan, stirring constantly.  Mix in vanilla, stevia and sesame seeds.  Use your chocolate mold idea, covering your mold with saran wrap and pouring mixture into it.  I added salt to mine once poured.  Freeze and store; and break off pieces as needed.

Homemade Coconut Mint Ice Cream
Makes 2—2½ pints
4 cups organic regular coconut milk

2 mint tea bags

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon unrefined sea salt

1 small avocado

8 large fresh mint leaves

Liquid stevia to taste (5-10 drops is plenty for me)
1. Place the coconut milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot and simmering. Add tea bags, turn heat to low and steep tea for 3 minutes.
2. Remove tea sachets and stir in stevia, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Pour tea milk into a heat proof container and chill for several hours or overnight.
3. Once done chilling take tea milk from refrigerator, place in a blender and add avocado meat, mint leaves, and blend until smooth.
4. Place ice cream in chilled ice cream container and freeze according to ice cream manufacturer’s directions. Once ice cream is done enjoy immediately.
5. This ice cream will last for 2-3 weeks stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Once you freeze the ice cream in your freezer, you need to let it sit out for around 20 minutes to get soft before serving.
I actually bought an ice cream maker just for this recipe!  A cheapy; Target for $20.  Wasn't exactly what I was hoping for in a creamy smooth soft serve consistency that the package suggested...but it worked just fine for me.  Satisfied!