Testimonies of the Day
“I bought your meal plan the big one 🙂 Really enjoying it. I actually lost 14lbs the first 12 days. Wow! Never lost that even in 1 month before.” Mary
Accelerated Meal Plan Testimony: “On day 8 of the 30 day Accelerated plan right now, dropped 9 pounds (from original 123 lbs)!”  Teri
Photo Testimony: “Maria, I just have to give you a BIG BIG thank you! I just started your 30 day meal plan and in 2 weeks, I’ve dropped 11 pounds total. I can definitely tell and it’s making me super excited to keep going. I am NOT hungry ever and I love how easy it is to follow. It takes all the pain and thinking out of the planning. It’s so, so simple and fail proof. I am learning how to eat proper proportions and and what to eat and when. I hate calorie counting and never wanted to do that. This was definitely the best thing I’ve ever done. Thank you girl. You are a huge inspiration.” -Rebecca
If you want to get started like Mary, Teri and Rebecca, click HERE to get you on the right path!  You deserve it!
Cholesterol Facts
Did you know that cholesterol levels are a very poor predictor of future heart attacks? The risk of future heart attacks has everything to do with excess levels of insulin. This is why diabetics are known to be at a high risk of heart disease. Dropping Your Cholesterol Levels Will NOT Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease, Attack, Or Strokes! Dr. Lundell
People with high cholesterol live the longest! This statement seems so incredible that it takes a long time to clear one’s brainwashed mind to fully understand its importance. Yet the fact that people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers. ~ Uffe Ravnvskov, MD, PhD
Scientists used to think we had to worry only about our total cholesterol level, but then researchers found this wasn’t a very strong predictor of heart disease. Next came the realization that there was both “good” (HDL) and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. This launched a war against “bad” cholesterol, which is predominantly elevated by saturated fat.
We now know that there are 2 types of LDL cholesterol:
1. Large, fluffy LDL particles that appear to have no potential to cause atherosclerosis or the development of plaques on the large or medium-sized arteries.
2. Small, dense LDL particles that are strongly associated with arterial plaques and this can increase the risk of heart disease.
To determine which type of LDL = find your ratio of triglycerides to HDL
-If ratio is less than 2, you have fluffy LDL particles that are not going to do you much harm.
-If ratio is greater than 4, you have small-dense LDL particles that increase the development of atherosclerotic plaques – regardless of your total cholesterol levels.Harvard Medical School has confirmed the importance of this ratio; the higher your TG/HDL ratio, the more likely you would be to have a heart attack. In some cases 16 times more likely!
Cholesterol statins are also powerful anti-inflammatory agents, but not without consequences. They do lower C-reactive proteins; they worked like aspirin to reduce inflammation and therefore reduce heart attacks. Only statins cost a lot more and are less effective. The statins also include some serious side effects:
1. Muscle wasting = slower metabolism = higher triglycerides = snowball effect
2. Decrease cholesterol-production in brain = decreased production of new synaptic connections and loss of memory.
Improve your TG/HDL ratio by lower your insulin levels. Excess insulin = increase triglyceride levels. Eat the “healthified” low carb way!
Recipes and fun facts like this can be found in THE ART OF EATING HEALTHY!
“HEALTHIFIED” BLONDIES
5 oz cream cheese, softened (or coconut cream if dairy allergy)
3/4 cup coconut oil or organic butter, softened
1 TBS vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup Swerve
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1/2 tsp Real salt
1/4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
OPTIONAL GLAZE: Click HERE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush both sides of an 8″ by 8″ pan with coconut oil, or spray with coconut oil cooking spray. Place a cut square of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.
Beat softened cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in butter, vanilla, and sweetener. Whisk together dry ingredients. Add eggs one at a time to cream cheese mixture, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and almond milk. Fold in nuts. Pour mixture into prepared pan, and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top feels firm to the touch. When done, place pan on wire rack and cool completely. Cool pan of brownies overnight in the refrigerator. Add glaze if desired. Slice and serve. Makes 16 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Blondie = 325 calories, 35 carbs, 1.2 g fiber (33.8g effective carbs)
“Healthified” Blondie = 164 calories, 1.9 g carbs, 0.8 g fiber (1.1g effective carbs)
Maria, will these work with just stevia, no erythritol? It gives me a stomach ache.
Hmmm, it wouldn’t give it a proper texture. You could try Just Like Sugar.
Click here to find more info: http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/2011/04/chicory-root-sweetener.html
Just made this last night for a girls night tonight. Excited to try them!
Thanks Tiffany! Let me know what you all think!;)
Hm,It looks like you have done some good research here.Keep going.I like your blog.I will be back here for sure.
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I was wondering if you could replace the cream cheese with sour cream?
Yes, I am pretty sure sour cream would work great!
Thanks for your interest Erin!
Oh thank you for this post! So timely and reassuring. My toddler’s ped says my girl has high total cholesterol, but her ratios are actually beautiful. They fit exactly what you posted, HDL/Tri ratio less than 2, in reality,less than 1!
Do you have a link for the Harvard info on this? I want to give it to the ped who is going to start pushing stupid dietary measures (low fat and eat pretzels for snacks argh!) and if the number goes up, drugs (no way, no how).
She _is_ genetically predisposed to high cholesterol (1/2 Slovak) and is a chunk-o-love** despite our low carb cuisine, which makes her even more of a target for the ped.
(**due to developmental delay which is being addressed in PT/OT, and/or I passed on my insulin resistance to her in utero.)
Anyway, a link to the paper would be a huge help in managing the ped’s perceptions and care plan.
Thanks
M
PS. How much fish oil do you suggest at each meal? I take 3g at night all at once, is that ineffective?
M
A 1997 Harvard study conducted by Dr. J.M. Gaziano demonstrated the predictive significance of the TG:HDL ratio. The participants were divided into four quartiles. The researchers found that the quartile with the highest TG and lowest HDL had 16 times the risk of heart attack compared to the quartile with the lowest TG and highest HDL.12 In his clinical practice, the late Dr. Robert Atkins stressed how a 4:1 ratio of TG to HDL represents serious increased risk of heart disease; a 2:1 ratio is borderline; a 1:1 ratio is associated with protection from heart disease.13 Unfortunately, however, when looking over a lipid profile, most doctors zero in on LDL or total cholesterol, which have little, if any, predictive significance for heart disease.
Published in the American Heart Journal in 2009, a nationwide study conducted by the UCLA School of Medicine provides more proof that lowering cholesterol will not protect you from a heart attack. The researchers found that 75 percent of patients hospitalized for a heart attack had LDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dl – the target “safe” range. More astounding was that 50 percent of patients had LDL less than 100 mg/dl!14 The UCLA study used a comprehensive database created by the AHA’s “Get with the Guidelines Program.” (The database includes information on 136,905 heart attack patients in 541 hospitals whose lipid levels upon hospital admission were fully documented between the years 2000 and 2006.)
This well-funded, comprehensive study did not reveal an association between elevated LDL and heart attacks. On the contrary, the deadly association was between heart attacks and low LDL! This should have been the nail in the coffin for the still unproven hypothesis that cholesterol is the cause of heart disease. But, of course, it wasn’t. As English cardiologist Malcolm Kendrick wrote:
“I have come to realize that there is, literally, no evidence that can dent the cholesterol hypothesis… The effect of this study on the cardiovascular research community was…as you would expect… nothing at all, a deafening silence.”15
I recommend AT LEAST 1000mg (1 g) at every meal. At least 3 times a day.
The amount of fish oil should not be focused on the total amount of fish oil in mg, rather it should be SOLELY determined by the amount of FATTY ACID in EACH fish oil pill. It is the fatty acid content that will actually make the difference. There are many 1000mg fish oil tabs on the market that have only 360mg of fatty acid which is TOO LOW! You want a fish oil tablet that has at least 850 of Fatty Acids per tab (this is EPA/DHA). There are several brands that offer this on the market but you have to look for them and read the labels. There are more of the fish oil tabs that have too little fatty acid. Fish oil is starting to get a bad wrap in the media lately because people are not taking enough and therefore are not getting the effect they should be getting. This is misleading and very bogus but that is another topic 🙂 So, you need 3-4 tabs of fish oil per day with at least 850mg of FATTY ACIDS per tablet. 4 of these per day would be ideal.
Thank you! I’m going to copy/paste this for the ped. Some of the generic medical advice on the internet suggests nutritional counseling for kids with high cholesterol. I can’t picture me sitting with a nutritionist who is much more likely to believe in low fat high carb than have read Gary Taubes’ work. I don’t think it would end well.
Also, what is the benefit of taking the fish oil with food? That is a new one for me.
M
That is a great idea! Dr.s should read this!
Taking fish oil during meals helps reduce fish burps;)
Adding fat to meals also helps lower the insulin response.
If you want to avoid stevia, can you use all “Just Like Sugar” or does it need a little erythritol? And if you use JLS and erythritol combo (no stevia) what would you recommend for proportions? Thank you – just got one of your books for Christmas.
Sorry, to write again, but we made it with all Just Like Sugar. My son loved it, my daughter thought it had a strange taste. We took the blondies and made them brownies and topped with your chocolate frosting. Do you think the JLS and erythritol blend would taste better to all? Thank you.
Have you ever tried xylitol? Most kids can’t tell the difference!
Otherwise I would try 1/2 JLS and 1/2 erythritol.
Happy eating!
Maria – I have tried xylitol and like it, but I need to experiment further because either the xylitol or the stevia is causing electric current symptoms in my right hand. So, steering clear of both. Have you heard of such a thing? I’ll try the blend.
A lot of studies against stevia are biased and done by sugar companies!!! Be ware
I made these for Easter. They were so yummy and didn’t taste “healthy”! 🙂 ~Tina
Glad you liked them! I never tell anyone they are “Healthy”. Just let their taste buds do the judging. 🙂
Where is the amount of white chocolate mentioned? or cocoa butter? The way I read the recipe, its missing any mention of an amount of chocolate – no mention of chocolate at all except in the instructions.
That was a typo, they are blondies and don’t have any cocoa. 🙂
thanks!
Printed the recipe and am taking it on mt Wed. shopping trip. Can’t wait to give it a try. Where can i find Erythritol or Swerve? Hubby and I have lost 20 lbs. each on low carb – this recipe sounds so good!
Way to go! You can get them both here! 🙂 http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=13
These were absolutely incredible!!! Omg….it’s all I can do not to eat an entire pan at a time! Lol!
And fyi, I’ve been promoting your blog on fb every chance I get. I have believed this for years and tried to tell people, but you do it in a much better way. Thank you and keep up the wonderful work.
Thank you so much for the support! You made my day. 🙂
Hi Maria, I am addicted to this site!:) I am over whelmed with your knowledge. We are a family of 7 and trying to convert over to eating healthified:) Would it be necessary to take the krill oil you recommend in your astore if we are taking 1 Tbl. of spectrum organic flax seed oil in our jay robb whey/almond milk twice a day. Please forgive my ignorance and thank you for your patience.
Wendy
Thank you! I would recommend the Krill oil over the flax oil. Not everyone can absorb the DHA and EPA in flax oil, so the Krill oil is a much better source. 🙂
Just made these last night! They are SO nice!!! So glad they only have 1.1 g carb per portion!! I used coconut milk because that’s what I had on hand, and it worked very well. I’ll definitely be making those again!!
Thanks France! Glad you liked them. 🙂
I just made these for Thanksgiving. We sampled. Yum, Yum, Yum. I only have used JLS White and Brown so far. They are worth the money.
My husband is curious how JLS does not raise the blood sugar?
Thank you! JLS is made from chicory root. Here is some info on it. 🙂 http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/2011/04/chicory-root-sweetener.html
I just made these today and accidentally used 1 cup of coconut flour and 1 cup of erythritol. Oops! I also added chopped walnuts and about 1/4 cup of dark chocolate mini chips. They were AMAZING, even with my mistakes! I have 3 of your books and really intend to stick to a grain-free way of life this year. With treats like this, it should be a lot easier. I feel so much better when I eliminate all grains from my diet. It’s as if a fog is lifting off of my brain and body. Why are we taught that these “foods” are necessary in order to be healthy? It’s very frustrating to constantly be bombarded with harmful information! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and blog posts. My 13 year-old son and husband are also on board (we were already “gluten-free” but, as you know, that certainly doesn’t equal “healthy.”) Happy New Year! 🙂
Awesome! Thanks you and happy new your to you too! 🙂
Can I use almond flour instead of coconut?
It isn’t a one to one replacement. Typically it is 4 times the amount of almond flour and 1/2 the eggs. Then adjust based on consistency of the batter. 🙂
Made this yesterday with the coconut cream option instead of cream cheese and coconut oil instead of butter. Used for the first time erythritol since the JLS was giving me bad headaches. I used glass baking dish with the parchment paper on the bottom and they were still jiggling at 45 minutes so cooked 15 minutes longer. They came out very wet, but hubby wanted to eat them anyways. Of course, I had to try one too and they taste amazing! I put my piece on paper towel to soak up some of the dripping liquid/oil. What kind of pan did you use, would glass make a difference? The batter when put in the baking dish was very firm and not runny at all.
Not all brands of coconut flour is equal. Some absorb more moisture than others. If you batter seem too wet, you can add a little coconut flour. 🙂
Thanks very much. I’m not sure of my brand name, bought in bulk at WinCo Foods. For lunch treat I did eat a piece from the fridge and they taste even better really cold!
I absolutely LOVE these. Wanted to share that I also add a big handful of organic raw cocao nibs to the batter while mixing it up. The nibs are only 1 net carb per 1 oz. so it doesn’t add too much more carb and gives just a hint of chocolate flavor, much like chocolate chips would. Plus, they are full of antioxidants and add some additional protein too! 🙂
First, let me say I am becoming a huge fan! I am learning so much from your site and books! I do have a question about baking with coconut oil. I find it goes really hard when I mix it, should I be melting it first?
Thanks! It depends on what you mix it with. It hardens at about 78 degrees. So if mixing with something cold, it will harden. You can warm it a little if that helps. 🙂
I just made these and they are cooling on the counter – they look and smell delicious. I noticed in the photo on the website and in your book it looks like you put a topping of some sort on them. I couldn’t find any mention of it in your cookbook. What is the topping? Thanks very much, Liz
Just chopped pecans. 🙂
Now that is easy! These are absolutely scrumptious. You have low carb baking down to a T! Thanks for all these lovely treats. L
Thanks!
Hi, replacing cream cheese with the coconut cream..I buy the little cans of coconut cream at the store and they are the consistency of whipping cream before whipping, so would you be talking about a different type of coconut cream as this wouldn’t be the same thickness as cream cheese? Thanks!
You can put those can in the fridge and then open and carefully skim the cream off the top. It is even thicker then. 🙂
Hi Maria,
These are wonderful! I’m on a ketogenic diet, eating about 20-30g carbs per day. I am wondering if I should count the carbs from swerve in my daily carb count. I don’t usually take the “net carb” approach, yet I saw data on Swerve’s website that shows it does not spike your glucose or cause an insulin response. I would love to hear your opinion on this. thanks!
The carbs in Swerve are from sugar alcohols (Erythrtiol) which are non-digestible (and why it has 0 calories). So I don’t count them, no. 🙂
Some people say they are taking fish oil as a supplement. I would like to warn those who may get a skin reaction to it. Some people may develop acne/rash/pimples from taking fish oil. I certainly did – all over my back. I had no idea what it was from until I quit taking fish oil. So, if your skin starts to get worse and you just started taking fish oil, you know what’s going on.
I completely overlooked adding any kind of oil….I had a child helping me and they still turned out delicious! I only had 6 T of coconut flour, so I added 2 T whole psyllium husk to make up the difference. I used 2 packets of Truvia and 1 T Xylitol-perfect sweetness since I added semi sweet chocolate chips in place of the pecans. Thanks you for the recipe!!!!
Thanks!
Hi Maria, I would love to try this recipe out but I get sick whenever I have coconut flour. Have you heard of that before? Also, do you know of any substitutes I could try?
Hmm, I haven’t. Is it a GI type sickness? I know too much fiber can cause GI issues. You can sub almond flour but the ratio is different. Here is a chart to help convert.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/chai-tea-glazed-twinkies-and-donuts/
I made these last night and they were AMAZING!!! I chopped up part of an 86% cocoa chocolate bar and added it to the batter and it was just like chocolate chip cookies bars~ Thank you so much Maria!
Thanks!
Hi Maria! Made these a couple of days ago. They turned out beyond wonderful! I was wondering what the protein and fat content for one serving would be? I keep a strict log of my macros so it’d be really helpful if I could have that info. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Thank you! 🙂