Ingredients

1 cup of peanut butter (best with no preservatives or sugar in it)

½ cup sugar (or less)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet (no need to butter).  Bake 10 to 12 minutes. 

Recipe does not make many, so you may want to double, especially when you taste them. I got 28 bite size cookies from this batch.  I don’t normally like peanut butter and I really like these.  Delicious!

Try different types of nut butters as well.  Almond butter is very good.  Once I get homemade raw almond butter down pat, I will put that recipe up as well.

You could even have these as a breakfast food – high in protein.  Better than many of the breakfast bars out there especially with less sugar.  Many of the recipes that I found out there had a cup of sugar.  Hubby who loves his sugar, said and I quote:  “You could put less sugar in as it is still pretty sweet.”  And then he added “I can’t believe I said that.”  It goes to show how quickly we can get use to more sugar or less sugar.

I am always interested in other ways to change these cookies, etc so I would love to hear your ideas.  What would you do?

 JOIN US FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE 

WITH DR. JAY P. VANDEN HEUVEL

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BEGINNING IN NANAIMO, BC

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012 

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Dr.JayPosterNSP

It is wrong on some many levels because there are so many reasons why you cannot lose weight which need to be considered. Over the next little while I will talk about some of them. I would love your input as well.

So, you want to lose weight? And you think you should starve yourself! (Personally, I call it depriving or being mean or disrespectful to self!)

Do you think you will be able to starve yourself for long?

I know I would not! Soon I would be looking in the cupboards for that chocolate bar, or that junk food, or whatever else I could get my hands on. Not to mention, I would be ready to bite someone’s head off, usually my partner or my son.

How about you? Is this you? Feeling depressed, not enjoying your food?

Or this? Longing for the meat, flavor, fat, yet knowing you need to lose weight and the best way is to eat salad?

Or this? I can’t take it anymore, I have to have that donut/those fries, then feeling quilty?

Or maybe this? Don’t come any closer, I will bite your head off or throw flames at you?

Is that fair to yourself? Is it fair to others that live with you? Are you doing yourself a favor?

No!

Because who is their right mind wants to feel deprived or starved? Not me! How about you?

And one more issue about starving yourself? If your body thinks it is being starved, it goes into protection mode. What is that you ask? It literally slows down how much food it will use and begins to store it as fat – meaning – it becomes very hard to lose weight!

Look familiar? Do I have your attention? Let’s go on a journey together – a lifestyle journey! One that you will be on for the rest of your life: that will give you health, energy, great moods, a love of life – if you want it?  

Are you in?

I would love to hear your thoughts…..

Nanaimo Foodshare

Both events happen on October 29 @ Bowen Park Auditorium.

To find out more about it , click here

Why not come out and have some fun!  Bring your sweetie and have a night out with great local food incorporated into fine dining and dancing.  Or get a group of friends together just because.

I orginially found this made with just 3 ingredients.  But me being me, I  always have to experience with the recipes to see what I can do to get a variety of different tastes.

How about you?  Do you like to see what else you can make from another recipe?  I would love to hear what else you do to these.  But remember – keep them healthy and tasty!

These are relatively healthy, but remember moderation is always the key if you have health issues, such as diabetes, or are trying to lose weight.  Although dates are healthy, have lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, they also contain natural occuring sugar – which if you over eat may spike your sugar levels – so keep an eye on your sugar levels to see how your body response. (Every body responds a bit different)

Quality of ingredients is crucial. The nuts and dates should be fresh (nuts can go rancid after a period of time if not refrigerated or frozen – I always have mine in the freezer).

Orinigal Ingredients from www.foodsensitivityjournal.com :
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup fresh medjool dates, pits removed
3 tbsp raw cacao powder

Directions:

Process cashews in a food processor into a fine meal, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add cacao powder and process until mixed. Add dates and process until dates are finely chopped. Form into walnut size balls with your hand, or using a melon baller. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Makes about 12.

My changes:

First of all, I make a double batch so I can grab a couple as I run out the door, or take for a snack or work, etc.  Especially since I do not have time to make these whenever I want to.  I keep them in the fridge until I am want them.  You might be able to freeze them as well.  If you do, let me know the results as I have not tried that yet.

You can also make these in a blender, but it takes longer to mix than a food processor.

Instead of sticking with just the cashews, I  use a variety of different nuts and seeds, such as almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.  Whatever I have on hand at the time.  Let your imagination take over.  I also soak and dry my nuts for better absorption.  That is not a requirement, but if you have digestion issues, it will help.

Of the 2 cups of nuts/seed, I use a 1/2 cup of chia seeds.  They have the good fats as well as protein and I love the look of the seeds speckled around the outside of the balls.

I also make my balls a lot smaller so I get more than 24 balls.  I find that I am satisified with 2 or 3 and I think I am getting a lot.  Got a love it!

Invite your friends and family to learn what Norwex is all about, and how we can all help to make a difference for the environment. Best of all, you can receive some of your favourite products for FREE!

Every month, we offer a special package of hostess gifts. Eligibility for these gifts is based on at least $325 in show sales plus 1 party booking.

July Hostess Specials

$325 in customer sales and 1 booking
A)1 Telescopic Handle
B)1 Small Mop Base
C)1 Small Dry Mop Pad
D)1 Small Wet Mop Pad (antibac) ($89.99)

A value of $89.99 in free product before the booking gift and gifts based on the number of buying guests, plus a percentage of the sales in free product

$500 in customer sales and 1 booking
A)1 Telescopic Handle
E)1 Large Mop Base
F)1 Large Dry Mop Pad
G)1 Large Wet Mop Pad (antibac) ($99.99)
H)1 Rubber Brush ($15.99)

A value of $115.98 in free product before the booking gift and gifts based on the number of buying guests, plus a percentage of the sales in free product

$750.00 in customer sales and 1 booking
A)1 Telescopic Handle
E)1 Large Mop Base
F)1 Large Dry Mop Pad
G)1 Large Wet Mop Pad (antibac) ($99.99)
H)1 Rubber Brush ($15.99)
I)1 Large Enviro Cloth ($28.99)

A value of $144.97 in free product before the booking gift and gifts based on the number of buying guests, plus a percentage of the sales in free product

$1000.00 in customer sales and 1 booking
A)1 Telescopic Handle
E)1 Large Mop Base
F)1 Large Dry Mop Pad
G)1 Large Wet Mop Pad (antibac) ($99.99)
H)1 Rubber Brush ($15.99)
I)1 Large Enviro Cloth ($28.99)
J)1 Day Cream ($38.99)
K)1 Night Cream ($38.99)

A value of $222.95 in free product before the booking gift and gifts based on the number of buying guests, plus a percentage of the sales in free product

In addition, we offer the following incentives:

FREE Gifts Based on Number of Buying Guests at your Party!!
5 buying guests – 1 antibac enviro cloth $16.99
8 buying guests – 1 antibac enviro cloth, 1 body pack $39.98
10 buying guests – 1 antibac enviro cloth, 1 body pack, 1 car cloth $68.97
13 buying guests – 1 antibac enviro cloth, 1 body pack, 1 car cloth, 1 microfiber mitt $85.96
15 buying guests – 1 antibac enviro cloth, 1 body pack, 1 car cloth, 1 microfiber mitt, 1 kitchen scrub cloth $101.95

Percentage of Sales to Purchase Norwex Products of your Choice!
8% of total customer sales, with sales up to $249.99
10% of total customer sales, with sales of $250.00-$749.99
12% of total customer sales, with sales of $750.00 and above.

Receive a FREE Window Cloth for each party booking from your show.
Bookings must be held within 45 days of the Party date to qualify for the hostess gifts.

Contact Robin Reid (Your independent Norwex consultant) at:
250-754-9250
robin@bluerosehealth.com

Ingredients

For the filling:

- 2 ½ to 3 cups pitted dates (use a good quality date like Medjool for best tasting date square)
- 1 to 1½ cups of water

- For variance

o Add in a small orange or
o Some spice like cinnamon

For the crumb mixture:

- equal parts of flour and rolled oatmeal

o about 1½ cup of each
o can use different types of flour which will give you a different flavor

- ¼ cup of brown sugar (dates are sweet so you do not really need a lot of sugar)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (spices add different flavors)
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup butter, cold

Directions

For the filling:
Combine dates (no you do not have to chop them), water, and orange and spices (if using) in a saucepan. The amount of water used will depend on how soft you want your dates for the filling (the longer you cook them, the softer and more paste like they become). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and then turn down. Cook until you get the desired texture you would like (anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes).

For the crumb mixture:
While waiting for the dates to cook, place flour, oatmeal, sugar, and spices in a bowl. Mix. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly.

Putting together:
Pat ½ the crumb mixture into a lightly buttered 9-inch-square baking pan. Cover with date mixture, spreading evenly. Top with remaining crumb mixture as evenly as possible. (If you like more topping use a bit more flour and oatmeal and possibly butter when making the mixture). Press down lightly.

Baking:
If want to keep you oven clean, put the pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden brown about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.

For alternatives for sweeteners try raw cane sugar or Stevia (the green kind – and remember you do not have to use very much)

Enjoy!

Did you know indoor air is 3- 5 times more polluted than the outside air?  Or than the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution?

Pursue the catalogue for ways to save time and money while improving your health.

My windows and oven have never been cleaner with no harsh chemicals, fuzz, muss, or smell. I was astonished!

How ? 

I used the Norwex Enviro cloth (pg and the Norwex Window cloth (p 9).  I wet the Enviro Cloth with water and then wiped the windows with it.  Then I used the Window Cloth to wipe everything dry.  No streaks!  No real effort!  And they are staying clean.  Even the sliding glass door that Max (our cat) loves to let us know that he wants in with his wet or muddy paws.

Do Norwex cloths do what we say they do? And how do they work?

Not only do the Norwex cloths leave your surfaces beautifully clean, the Norwex microfibers REMOVE 99.94% of germs rather than chemically killing the germs on the surface.  Including many strains of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and viruses, such as:

• E. Coli
• Klebsiella peneumoniae
• Salmonella typhi
• Staphylococcus aureus
• MRSA
• SARS coronavirus
• and many more

The microscopic fibers mechanically clean, rather than chemically clean. (By the way, have you ever read your chemical cleaner bottle to see how long you need to leave that cleaner on a surface in order to leave a sanitary surface?)

Go for it! I think you’ll be surprised. (Very few of us have the time to let the chemical set that long before wiping it off!) Norwex cloths immediately mechanically REMOVE the bacteria, leaving a CLEAN (no chemical residue!) surface!  And you need to dust less often.  (Can the chemical cleaner say the say thing?)

The Norwex fibers are microscopically small, and reach into the tiniest, microscopic crevices, where microscopic germs like to hang out! Thus the Norwex cloths actually clean MORE effectively and thoroughly (I also have to say it is fun, quicker & safer, too) than chemical cleaners! (I know – you must think I am wacked saying it is fun – but it is now)

It makes no difference how much you spray or wipe, even with the strongest chemical cleaning agent, you can not reach all the pores to remove all the hidden bacteria with traditional chemical cleaning methods & cloths! Then the Norwex microfiber traps and holds on to the dirt, grease, and bacteria, until you wash out the cloth. Using JUST WATER and a Norwex cloth, you can clean ALL areas of your home using only water.

And the naturally antibacterial silver agent embedded into the fibers of our antibac cloths is just one more reason our cloths are a class above other microfiber cloths! Once the germs are picked up into the cloth, they cannot survive in contact with the silver– so essentially, they “self-sanitize”!

I invite you to try Norwex for yourself!

Remember: Norwex stands behind their incredible products with a 60 day satisfaction guarantee! That’s how much they know you will love these products and that they WILL improve your quality of life!

Order your own set of Norwex cleaning cloths today! You’ll be so glad you did!

I strive to provide excellent customer service and I’m happy to answer questions that you may have about our Norwex products. Don’t hesitate to call: 250-754-9250.

You’re welcome to place your order by email as well or contact me via email and I will get back to you.

We ship anywhere in the USA or Canada for just $4.95!!

Thanks for reading! Happy Green & Safe Cleaning!

chemical free cleaning products

Or maybe instead you are finding that you might be feeling a bit depressed? Or just a bit more irritable or maybe a lot?  Or how about having more muscle spasms, aches and pains? Or worse yet you are gaining weight?

If you are finding that switching to diet foods and drinks has made your health worse, stick around and hear some of my thoughts on the subject and see if it is applicable. Better yet, share with me and my readers some of your experiences….

This was one of the topics at our weight management and lifestyle class.

Many people that I know drink diet pop or eat diet foods that contain artificial sweeteners in them in the hopes of losing some weight while enjoying some of their favourite foods.
Unfortunately they are not losing weight.  Are you one of those people?

And worse, they are becoming sick or getting sicker.  Are you?

Why do you suppose that is?

Well there is no easy way of saying it, so here goes…

Those foods are not real foods….They do not contain the real vitamins and minerals and other phytonutrients that come from food that is grown with love in soil that has been taken care of.  Nutrients that our bodies need to keep us healthy including strong bones. Who do you know that has crooked teeth, osteoporosis, or some other bone issue?

Worse many of these foods have artificial sweeteners in them that have been promoted to be just like sugar without the effects of sugar. (See my article on sugar)

They put strain on the body including the liver.  As you will read, that will cause you to store them as fat.

Word is getting out that that may not be the case. Would you agree? Or disagree?  Do you have any thoughts that you would like to share on this topic?

Let’s talk about some of the issues around some of these artificial sweeteners.

The first one we talked about was Aspartame.  To find out what was covered, click here.

Let’s take a look at another artificial sweetener – Splenda.

How about Saccharin?

Artificial sweeteners are not the only things we need to think about when wanting to lose weight.  Some of the sweeteners used today could be causing weight gain or other health issues as well.

Let’s look at some of them.

One of the most common one now is High Fructose Corn Syrup.  It is being promoted as sugar, yet is it?  Click here to find out…

Another sweetener is Agave Nectar/Syrup.

“What are my options then?”, you may be asking.

Here are some suggestions. You will have to decide which ones if any work for you. I know what I am going to doing.

First, eat whole foods. That includes fresh vegetables and fruit. How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat?  Do you know how many servings you should be eating? (look for my article on carbohydrates that is coming soon to find out)

Get them from the farmer if you can. If not, as fresh as you can  Become aware of which foods are sprayed and which are not.  It does not necessarily have to be organic which I can talk about at a later date.

Why do I suggest whole fresh foods rather than packaged?

Eating fresh foods in their natural state creates a taste for natural sugars while giving you fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for the body to run optimally. This helps you get away from the process sugars in packaged foods that are overly sweet and set up cravings partly because they are lacking in certain nutrients.

Then season your foods with different types of herbs and spices.

Why use herbs and spices?

Not only do the herbs and spices create different tastes that can enhance the flavor of foods, they also can be very helpful with health issues.  Like ginger  or mint for digestion. Oregano helps build the immune and respiratory system.  Garlic for colds, infections, and even the heart.

Next when you do bake, or add sugar to beverages, start decreasing the amount of sugar that you use.  Many times, I find recipes add sugar where it is not even needed. Like date squares. The dates are naturally sweet on their own. You do not need to add a lot of sugar.

Make your own ice or sun teas from herbs or regular tea using less and less sugar. Add in lemon and other spices to sweeten (like cinnamon) or spice it up (ginger) or for relaxation and stress (lemon balm or licorice are all examples).

Here are some sweeteners that you can use instead of the artificial or man made ones, but remember moderation is still the best idea.  Whole cane sugar without the water removed, raw honey, and stevia (green is better) as sweeteners.  Xylitol, which is derived from birch tree pulp is suppose to be good too.

While you are making those changes, give you body some help with supplements that help to bring you the nutrients your body needs to:

• Chromium helps control blood sugar.
• Chinese Mineral Chi Tonic or Essential Minerals to replace all the minerals that the sugar pulls out of the body.
• Chlorophyll helps water taste better and does a gentle detox for the liver
• Zambroza high in antioxidants helps the body rebuild.
• Probiotic 11 helps balance the bacteria in your bowels which helps the bowels move better to clean out toxins and helps the body digest food better
• Omega 3 for better thinking and dealing with many of the aches and pains brought on by too much sugar.

Start your journey to better health.  If you would like to get these and other healthy supplements, click on my store to purchase or contact me.  Until next time!

.

Trying to lose weight by eating healthier?  Think you are eating healthier?  Is Agave part of your healthy food?

Agave is, or maybe already has, becoming very popular as a sweetener. Maybe because of the taste. It is milder tasting than many of the honeys out there and it sweetens without leaving an bitter aftertaste that many artificial sweeteners leave.

Or maybe it is because it is coming from a whole plant so it seems natural. Do you know what it looks like? Well here is a picture below. Gotten from singersquilters who has some interesting articles on traveling and quilting.  Looks like a pineapple, wouldn’t you agree?

Looks and sounds pretty good, right?  So what is the issue?

Agave as a Nectar contains an unusually high amount of fructose (90% in some varieties). No where in nature does this high ratio of fructose occur naturally.

But, fructose has been recommended to Diabetics because it is low on the glycemic index thus no real increase in insulin levels which is what you want for diabetics.  True!

Again so what is the problem?

Well, there is another side to the equation which many people are not aware of.  Do you know what it is?

Fructose radically increase insulin resistance. That is MUCH more dangerous!

Fructose can make you fat! (more weight gain).

What?  How can that be?

The reason – fructose, unlike glucose, is metabolized by the liver it can be converted to fat more easily than any other sugar.

Many people’s livers are already overworked due to processed and fast foods (less vitamins and minerals); chemicals in processed foods; hormones, pesticides, and fertilizers used in growing our food; the air we breathe; the water we drink; and the stress we are under and so on.  High fructose foods make the liver work even harder.

And if the liver is spending more time cleaning out the toxins from your liver rather than focusing on fat burning, guess what happens?

Weight gain? Health issues?

That can‘t be true! Why haven‘t we heard anything about it before?

Just like anything in life, you are only as smart as what you know.  And we are always learning.

Increase insulin resistance is one of the greatest causes of diabetes and most of us are not aware of that.

We are taught to be concerned about the insulin levels rising after we eat, but that is normal.

The problem occurs when the insulin levels remain elevated. That is when the cells are becoming or are resistant to insulin. When that occurs then glucose can not enter the cells to be used for energy.

What happens then?

If your body does not or can not use glucose, it gets stored. Where do you think that it gets stored?

You got it! On you!

Any part including the bugle around the middle….. It is also one of the reason you may not be losing excess fat from the body.

This can also elevate your triglycerides. More bad news for your health.

There is another concern about Agave Nectar.  Do you know what that is?

It is the processing of the fruit Agave to the Nectar.  What do they do to make the fruit into a nectar?

Anytime we make something into something else, it is changed nutritional. Would you agree?

For instance when you make something into a juice or syrup what is taken out?

If you guess fiber among other things you got it.  And what does fiber do for us?

For one thing when fiber is in a fruit, it slows down how quickly a food is absorbed.  So?

That allows the release of sugars from fruits so do not get the spike in blood sugar and have the cells scrambling to use it up.  The cells have a more steady stream of energy allowing you to feel full for longer periods of time with more energy.

Without fiber, it will have a different effect on our bodies no matter how raw it is advertised to be.  The sugars will be absorbed very quickly causing many issues starting with blood sugar and insulin spikes or resistance.  For more information on fiber watch for an article coming soon.

So that is one issue of processing.  There is a least one other.  Can you think what that might be?

The labeling may not contain everything that is in the bottle.  Even if you check the labels it may not be actuate. Some retailers are mixing agave nectar with other sweeteners, such as High Fructose Corn Syrup, without noting it on their packages. So use caution.

So that is one of the concerns of Agave in general and fructose in particular.    Even the fruit has fiber and other nutrients to slow down the absorption of it’s sugar.

Remember we talked about High Fructose Corn Syrup which is fructose again. Read it again if you can’t remember. I know the more I read about these things the more it starts to sinks in.  How about you?

One of the keys to weight loss and avoiding diabetes, is to keep your blood sugar levels even and avoiding high levels of insulin for extended periods of time.  Would you agree?

If you are consuming highly concentrated amounts of fructose and you are having a time controlling insulin and glucose levels, you might want to stay away from anything that will cause that (like Agave and High Fructose Corn Syrup).

Even if you don’t have issues, consider staying away from these types of food. It is much better prevent health issues than have to try and heal your body from the results of too much fructose.

Research is suggesting that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose.

Why? Just to recap – Two reasons for that.

One: fructose creating insulin resistance that leads to diabetes which can cause a variety of health issues.

The second is that glucose, the energy our cells know how to use, is metabolized by all the cells in the body while fructose must be metabolized by the liver. Tests show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrhosis of the liver, similar to the livers of alcoholics.

So consider other ways to sweeten your foods.  Check out alternatives in my article coming out on artificial sweeteners.