Dessert, Healthifyed!

I have a confession. I've got a thing for sugar.

                                                                                               ("Old School Candy, forbes.com)

As a kid, I had no shame. My friends and I would make a weekly trek to the gas station up the road to refill our waning sugar supply. Pixie Sticks, Bubble Tape, Lik-m-Aid, Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Pops, I loved them all. Over the years I've moved away from the pure sugar, insta-cavity candy of my youth, to more mature sugar, you know, like Ben and Jerry's l Ice-cream, and Ghirardelli brownies.  

Most of my life, I've found it pretty easy to justify eating copious amounts of treats.  "Sugar is good for me...emotionally", or "I'll just eat one cookie. Okay, just one more. It's a small one."

As much as I try to eat a pretty clean, healthy diet in general, I never could find the motivation to cut back on sweets.  Strangely enough, neither knowing that sugar was bad for me, or my desire to be healthy, were strong enough motivators for me to change my sugar-heavy habits.  In the end, the only thing that could convince me to rethink my sugar consumption was the discovery that I was allergic to chocolate.  It turns out that most of the sweet treats that I loved contained chocolate. Once I gave up chocolate, my sugar consumption went way down. 

Then, my friends, the unthinkable happened. (Pay attention, this is a life-changing secret!)

Once I stopped eating sugar everyday, my desire for sugar diminished significantly.

This is the secret!  If you can make it through the initial few days of going without sugar, suddenly, your body stops craving it.  The more sugar you eat, the more you want. 

Why is this?

Here's the thing. The reason we reach for another Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie, isn't because they are just so darn irresistible, (let's be honest here), it's because sugar is addicting. 

"The average American consumes anywhere from a quarter to a half pound of sugar a day," says a New York Times article called, Sugar Season. It's Everywhere, and Addictive. (NY Times, December 22, 2014)

The article continues,

"Sugar stimulates brain pathways just as an opioid would, and sugar has been found to be habit-forming in people. Cravings induced by sugar are comparable to those induced by addictive drugs like cocaine and nicotine. And although other food components may also be pleasurable, sugar may be uniquely addictive in the food world."

We all know that eating sugary treats is unhealthy, and we know that we just might be addicted to the stuff, so what now?
 
Well, you could give up cookies and muffins and doughnuts forever, and try to convince yourself that another serving of broccoli is dessert enough, or, you could learn to HEALTHIFY!

"Healthify", is the word I've dubbed for taking a typical unhealthy, sugary, totally tempting treat, and increasing the nutrition without messing with the taste.

In an effort to keep the treats that I love, without sacrificing my health, I've learned to make the same yummy treats I've always loved, with a few simple, healthy substitutions.

That's all it takes to enjoy cookies and cake and muffins again, without the guilt, and without compromising your health.

My Fool-Proof List Of Baking Substitutions That Will Bring
                        Back Dessert And Save Your Health

Sugar Substitutes - There are so many amazing sugar substitutes, readily available, that we really don't have a good excuse for baking with sugar.  Pure Maple syrup, honey, Agave Nectar, and Coconut sugar are my very favorites.  Brown rice syrup and Stevia are also great sugar alternatives.
For the most part, I use these sweeteners straight across, (1 for 1, for sugar), and they do a fabulous job.  Honey, however, is so naturally sweet, that you only need to use 1/2 the amount of honey as sugar.

Sugar is no doubt my biggest concern with eating sweets, but while we're focusing on whipping up a healthy treat, why not take it to the next level and healthify the whole recipe?

Milk Substitutes - Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk, or Soy Milk, all substitute beautifully for milk in any recipe, and do away with the cholesterol and fat found in cow's milk.

Eggs - Flax seed is my favorite healthy baking secret ingredient.  A Tablespoon of ground Flax Seed and 3 Tablespoons of water, per egg, makes a perfect healthy substitute for eggs.  I add flax to muffins and pancakes regularly, and my kids don't even know that they are getting a belly full of fiber and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Butter and Oils - I grant you, it's tough to find a substitute to match butter.  Taste wise, it's kind of irreplaceable, but it's also extremely high in fat and cholesterol.  My favorite butter substitute, hands down, is Coconut Oil. I love the taste of baked goods made with coconut oil, and the health benefits are incredible.  MDhealth.com reports that,

"Coconut oil has high amounts of lauric acid that have strong antibacterial properties. It is also believed that coconut oil helps with weight loss because it is composed of short and medium chain fatty acids. Consuming coconut oil can also help you manage digestive distress, regulating the blood sugar, strengthening the teeth and bones, and strengthening your immune system."

Cookies that are GOOD for you?!  Yes, please!

Applesauce or a mashed banana also make great oil substitutes.

Flour - I've had several failed attempts trying to use whole wheat flour in dessert.  Often the cookies or cakes baked up dry and dense, and the texture was all wrong.  I had almost given up on baking with whole wheat flour, until years ago, I discovered White Wheat Flour.  (Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard white wheat berry, as opposed to traditional Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard red wheat berry).  This healthy flour acts exactly like white flour in baking, and bad texture is no longer an issue.

Bring back dessert, my friends!  Life can be sweet again!

Try these substitutions, and see for yourself how easy and delicious it is to healthify.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara