Sugar Kicker #5: Apple Crisp

This stuff was so good I ate the whole bleep bleep pan before I could take a picture of it. but you know what apple crisp looks like.... like this:

                      +  





            = 

Or something.

Try it. It's delicious:

BOWL #1
- 4 cups apples, cut up into wedges (I mixed Jonagold, Honeycrisp, and Zestar) Skinned if you prefer.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- a few drops of pure almond extract
- 1 cup chopped up dates

BOWL #2
Mix in a separate bowl
- 1/8 cup quinoa flour
- 1/8 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup sucanat -- this stuff is pricey, but has the best flavor of the "low glycemic sugar substitutes" that I've tried. I'ts basically raw maple sugar, and has a nice nutty flavor I like, similar to maple syrup. You could also try maple syrup, but the liquid factor might make your crisp a little gummy. Sucanat is a powdery granule substance like sugar.
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces.

Use your hands and mix all of bowl #2 together, crushing the butter into the mixture till its crumbly.

Grease a 9 x 9 pan
Throw the apple (bowl #1) in the bottom.
Sprinkle bowl #2 on top.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

Let stand, serve with any goddamned thing you want, its delicious with anything.

#YogaWithCalley at Yoga Garden Minneapolis:

  

Sundays @ 10:30am - 90 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa

Mondays @ 5:15pm - 60 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa
1229 Tyler Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Yoga Garden is cash / check only. 

Please note the doors to the FROST building lock 15 minutes after the start of each class.

Sugar Kicker #4: Read Your Labels

Alright friends -

It's been two weeks since I posted - If you're itchy to get to the part about the sugar, scroll down.

I've been reflecting on change a lot this past week, as I had a death in the family. We lost my 94-yr-old grandmother. As to be expected, there's been all kinds of photos and stories coming out about my very creative, very progressive-for-her-time grandma, and I'm very much feeling the winds of change this week, as one chapter closes, and I have begun two new ones -  I'm working with Laurel Van Matre to plan her first 200-hr teacher training track through yoga alliance this coming winter at Yoga Garden (!!!), and I've started my first round of voice lessons out of my brand new Entertainment Jill Studio for this fall in NE Minneapolis. (!!!!)

It's the season for change - the cold weather came blasting in this week in Minneapolis, and my students seemed to be feeling the slow down that is inevitable with this process. Leaves are turning, temperatures are dropping, animals are stockpiling or leaving in preparation for the winter, for hibernating. It's appropriate that we would also be feeling the effects of these changes, and so you can expect some extra time in lengthy floor poses, stretching out, and really taking the time to sink into some deeper versions of poses. It's also a perfect time to prep your system for the cold, and kick a sugar habit.

So here's my #4 trick for kicking sugar: read your labels. You've been good to not drink soda, and not eat dessert. Here's the next step where things can reeeeally start to feel different.
But a forewarning, this is an under-taking. If you have never been a label-reader, you might get a little overwhelmed. May I attempt to ease your mind, and remind you to take things one step at a time. Change one food per week, or per shopping trip.

Sugar has been snuck into just about any pre-packaged food you can find these days. (Unless of course, the product is jumping on the sugar free bandwagon.) Bread. Crackers. Sauces. Dried Fruit. Bottled juices and smoothies. Yogurt. Soup, for crying out loud. Why is this? Well, I'll bring up my favorite article from WebMD about how addictive sugar is. Those food companies are a business, and when you buy more, they win. So putting a slightly addictive substance in their product is more likely to get you to eat it more often. It's a primal response to a substance our brains are wired to like a whole whole lot. It also does just make things taste better.

Now, I'm not saying all food companies are evil. (Ok, if you talk to me, I'll say some of them are evil, alas I digress from a rant.) But I am saying that eating sugar in small amounts of ALL food ALL day long.... well, it doesn't take a food scientist to know that it's not good for you.

So one way to help boost your energy level - and I mean a LOT - is to start buying foods that don't add sugar to your day-to-day meals and snacks. That way when you want dessert, you JUST have dessert, and your body doesn't just become a sugar-processing factory.

Aaaaaaaaaaand end soap box.  Happy label reading!!

P.S. tip #4.5 - this is why I shop at co-ops. There are many more brand options that subscribe to a "no added sugar" ideal when making their products.

P.S. tip #4.75 - changing your taste habits takes as much effort and will as not eating dessert, or any other change. Give yourself time. Try for brands you actually like eating. Allow change to happen slowly, and go for one item at a time.

#YogaWithCalley at Yoga Garden Minneapolis:

 

Sundays @ 10:30am - 90 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa

Mondays @ 5:15pm - 60 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa
1229 Tyler Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Yoga Garden is cash / check only. 

Please note the doors to the FROST building lock 15 minutes after the start of each class.

Sugar Kicker #3: "Caramel" Sauce

Ok, I went ahead and put "caramel" in quotations because this really isn't caramel. It's like vegan "sausage..." it's NOT sausage.

That said, whatever you want to call this, it is DELICIOUS, and is rich and sweet and creamy like caramel sauce. Right down to the ooey-gooey- texture we love about caramel.

Go nuts and put this on ice cream, apples for fall, as a lovely dairy-free frosting for a spice cake... or you know... spoon & jar.

NOT-CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients:
½ cup coconut oil
1/3 cup almond butter
½ cup maple syrup
seeds from ½ a vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla
up to ¼ teaspoon salt (start with a pinch)


Preparation:
Blend all ingredients, starting with a ¼ teaspoon of the salt, in a food processor or very strong blender.  Pulse until well combined, then let it process for several minutes. Taste to check salt level and add more if desired.  The mixture will warm slightly in the processor and the textures will meld, eventually forming a gooey, delicious caramel.

When you're done, it looks like this:


Aaaaaaand, if you want to watch a rather humorous video with a couple of women who show you how its done, and who really enjoy this stuff, CLICK HERE.


I had a student tell me today that she lost 10 lbs in the month of September, just from keeping sugar out of her diet.

Now again, I feel the need to disclaimer - I'm not a doctor, or a licensed food or health coach, and the whole point of what we do in yoga is to familiarize yourself with YOUR body and they way it reacts to things. Your age, stress level, the rest of your diet, activity level, genetics... they all play a part, and everyone is different. But in my corner of the world people have been telling me they have more energy and have been surprised at the difference, and I hope you're all experiencing some change in energy or feeling of well-being as well.

Hope to see you in class this week!

#YogaWithCalley at Yoga Garden Minneapolis:

Sundays @ 10:30am - 90 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa

Mondays @ 5:15pm - 60 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa
1229 Tyler Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Yoga Garden is cash / check only. 

Please note the doors to the FROST building lock 15 minutes after the start of each class.

Sugar Kicker #2: Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ok guys - The Banana ice cream was more of a "one-size-fits-all dessert, because who doesn't like Bananas?

This one might be more for the adventurous of you.... or those who really like avocados, like me. I've been told by some that this is a delicious alternative to other creamy, sugary treats. Aaaaaaaand I've been told that my taste buds are warped. There are a few *key* things that make this recipe work in my opinion, of which these items have been starred:

Avocado Pudding:

- 2 *chilled* ripe avocados (The ones on the left are perfect - the one on the right is a little over-ripe for my taste.) Scoop em out, and throw them in your food processor, VitaMix, or any *high-powered* blender.

- 1/4 cup *good* unsweetened cocoa powder. Ain't no Hershey's gonna cut it here, if you want it to taste like something you want to eat.

- *1 TB coconut oil.* Makes it smooth and creamy, and adds a little rich sweetness.

- 1/4 - 1/2 cup honey. Depending on your taste and how sweet you like it. Careful, a little goes a long way, so start with less, and add more if you want.

- 1 tsp. *real* vanilla extract. 

- 1 ice cube. For some reason, this recipe tastes sooooo much better cold.



Throw all this in your food processor, VitaMix, or any *high-powered* blender, and blend it till its smooth and creamy. If it tastes chalky, add a little more honey and vanilla. If its too sweet, add a little vanilla and a pinch of salt.  It'll look something like this:

#YogaWithCalley at Yoga Garden Minneapolis:

Sundays @ 10:30am - 90 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa

Mondays @ 5:15pm - 60 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa
1229 Tyler Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Yoga Garden is cash / check only. 

Please note the doors to the FROST building lock 15 minutes after the start of each class.

Sugar-Kicker #1: Banana Ice Cream

All it is is frozen bananas, ripened to your liking, blended in a food processor or blender.

That's literally it. And it tastes delicious.



If you want a little more for flavor like me, add some unsweetened cocoa powder (2-3 Tablespoons), and a teaspoon of vanilla. Or really, any other flavor you like: hazelnut extract, cinnamon, penut butter, vanilla extract by itself....

If you reeeeeeally need to see a whole step-by-step recipe, click here.


Happy no sugar-ing! Hope to see you in class this week!!

#YogaWithCalley at Yoga Garden Minneapolis:

Sundays @ 10:30am - 90 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa

Mondays @ 5:15pm - 60 min - Mixed Level Vinyasa
1229 Tyler Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Yoga Garden is cash / check only. 

Please note the doors to the FROST building lock 15 minutes after the start of each class.

No Sugar for 53 Days!

So today marks day one of fifty-three without refined sugar, and if you're with me on this little challenge, hip hip hooray! Let me preface by saying that, kinda like my motto with all things in yoga, health, and general life: a little is better than none at all. If you decide to make this challenge about lessening your refined sugar intake, and beginning to educate yourself and learn more about alternative ways to get a sweet fix, POWER YOU YOU MY BOTHERS AND SISTERS! The idea for this challenge came up in one of my classes about a month ago during a conversation about the addictive quality of sugar... as I joke, I have a few "reverse gateway" recipes that helped me kick a bad habit with sugar a few years ago, but in the beginning it was tough! And as it turns out, there's a reason for that: Sugar is a highly addictive substance. As in, it lights up the same part of your brain as cocaine. Eeesh. See what WebMD has to say about it. 

SO! I hope a few of you are still with me in this little no-sugar quest. First tasks?
Arm yourself from cravings by shopping for some good cheater substitutes, and be willing to read the labels of any packaged food that you buy. Sugar gets added to a LOT of foods because our brains and tastebuds are wired to like things like sugar and fat. Back when we used to have to hunt and gather for survival, these tastes were indicators of high-calorie foods. This primal instinct is no longer necessary in our modern world, but our bodies have yet to catch up to that notion, and food companies got smart that if they add sugar, you're more likely to like their product and buy it again.

These first few days are likely to be the hardest, and in keeping with my practical approach to improving health, its a good idea to find cheater substitutes that you actually like, and therefor are most likely to use. Keep in mind: Start by adding foods you like which don't have sugar to your day, instead of focusing on cutting out the sugary foods you crave.

Buuuuuut, you're likely to hit a craving or two, so here's a few cheater foods / ingredients to arm yourself with:

*Dates (pitted, un-pitted, cut up whole.... you pick which you like. I usually go for whole un-pitted because I don't have to spend time pitting, but they stay moist as whole dates.)
*Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
*Real Vanilla Extract
*Coconut Oil
*Dried **unsweetened** Coconut (read the label!)
*Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Ginger spices
*Oranges, Magoes, Bananas, Pineapple
*Avocados
*Maple Syrup
*Honey

In the coming days and weeks, I'll be sharing some recipes that you can try at home for those moments when your cravings are owning you.


My sister-the-doc would also tell you that getting refined sugar out of your diet IS important, but equally important is understanding that this effort should be made with full understanding that just replacing sugar with equal substitutes of maple syrup and honey is not really hitting the point. The point is to re-wire your brain to enjoy a diet with less sugar, which can only happen if you're willing and ready to make a change, knowing that the process to getting there will be challenging, and may include some withdrawal. 

So making this effort for change as a group, and telling people around you who can help you stick to your goal are helpful tools! Tell your partner, spouse, best friend, boss.... whomever you trust to help you stick to your guns! Or email me :) calley@calleybliss.com

FIFTY - THREE DAYS TO GO!