Testimonies of the Day
Pain Testimony: “I lost 8# in the first two weeks and am down a total of 36# now (10# more to go to goal!). Prior to your diet, my knees were so bad that, at the end of the day, I would go upstairs and not be able to go down again until morning. I knew I would eventually have to have something done, but was holding off. After 1 1/2 months I no longer had ANY pain in my knees. I can now actually jog up and down the stairs.
Previously I suffered from constant gas/bloating and I could never add salt or eat salty foods as my face/hands would swell and I would have trouble breathing. Those problems no longer exist. I can now eat sausage and bacon and flavor my foods with celtic salt. I truly love all the healthy foods I can now eat. And I look and feel remarkable at 58 yrs young. Oh yeah, I also treat myself to desserts every day now and do not stress that I will gain back my weight. Is that amazing! -Deb
HAQ Testimony: “”Hi Maria, I too have had great relief from PCOS by adhering to the Maria Way. I have also been taking the suggested supplements and was AMAZED at how quickly it leveled out my hormones and allowed my body to have a period. I have struggled to regulate my periods for YEARS….and was always uneasy when the only solution the doctor had was going on birth control, which NEVER regulated my body! So thank you for all you do, you are truly life changing!” – Andrea
30 Day Meal Plan Testimony: “Good morning, I just wanted to share with you, today is day 13 of your advanced healing plan. Yesterday and today I have woken up feeling like a new person. I am only 34 but have felt much older for the past few years (and now that I feel this good think it has been most of my life). My GI issues that have gone on for 2.5 years are slightly improved but the main changes surround my attitude, energy, and skin. The past 2 mornings I have woken up in such a positive mood I have been excited to exercise and to have a good day. I have had so much energy I almost feel like Tigger! Almost, ha ha!
My skin has also clearing up, which is something I have battled since my teen years. I have lost about 7 pounds but the most exciting part is how I feel. When I woke up yesterday I felt astonished at how miserable I have felt for many years. I have always been someone who needed 12 hours of sleep but when I started having kids 8 years ago, that really took a toll on me to the point that after reading your information, I am pretty sure I have burnt my adrenal system out and compounded the issues with poor food choices that enhanced inflammation. I suffered weight gain and depression along with anxiety. I would just feel unhappy and spent more energy than I had to get through the day. It is such a cycle and for the first time in my life I feel like I have some control over it. I no longer feel trapped in my dysfunctional body!! Thank you! I want to sing your praises.
You have answered my few emails with straightforward and caring replies. You have a personal touch which sets you apart. I have already sent my integrative doctor a message because I know he will want to know more about your plans. Have a great weekend, I know I will!” – Llisa
Click HERE to get your 30 day meal plans and start your transformation!
Keto Kayaking
I am blessed to live very close to a special river. If you know where I live you probably know which one I am talking about, but in order to keep my sanctuary quiet, I’m not going to say which one (please don’t be mad, I was the ONLY kayak on the river the day I took these photos!) A few years back on July 19th, it was Micah’s 2nd birthday. I had the opportunity to meet him in Ethiopia that May but the US Embassy wouldn’t let us bring him home. They told us it would only be 4 weeks until we could go back to Ethiopia to bring him and Kai back to the US, but it ended up being 6 months. During this waiting period, I grieved and worried about them daily. Missing Micah’s birthday was extremely hard to I decided to kayak the quiet river by myself and take a “personal day.”
Well, Mother Nature was not my friend that day and I should have listened to her when she spoke to me as I started my trek. As I put my boat in the water, her clouds “thundered” at me, but I’m German… yep, stubborn. I had a plan and I was sticking to it! Besides, I already had my bike at the end of the river so I could paddle to the end, leave my boat at the end of my trip, bike back to my car, put my bike on my car, drive to get the boat, then drive home… yes, it is a hard process to paddle by yourself! But I LOVE IT!
About 2 miles down the river I had some massive lightning strike and a downpour came. I tipped my kayak over which I have never done and lost my paddle down stream. What really was a hardship is my phone was soaked and no longer worked. So I decided to do what I had to do. I got on shore with my boat and walked through the woods in my bathing suit (I lost my cooler with my food and clothes). I didn’t really know anyone in the town I was close to except Lori, who owns a beautiful day spa. That meant a long trek through town in my bathing suit and a heavy kayak in the pouring rain!
I finally made it to Lori’s Spa… where everyone looked beautiful with their hair and makeup done while I walked in soaking wet covered in mosquito bites and cut up by buck-thorn. I didn’t really care at that point, I just wanted to get home:) Lori helped me out by getting her husband’s truck so she could help me get my kayak home too. But the fiasco didn’t stop there. The rain was fiercely coming down and as Lori turned on the windshield wipers, they DIDN’T WORK! Oh boy! I live way out in the country so we drove slow and used our hands to help her see. When we pulled into the driveway I was filled with relief! I will never forget Micah’s 2nd birthday adventure. The craziness sure helped me keep my mind off of my sadness! What a “personal day!”
I decided to go home and celebrate Micah’s birthday with a big slice of Boston Cream Cheesecake!
For Crust:
3/4 stick butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
3/4 cups Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups sour cream
Filling:
3 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup, plus 2 TBS Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
CHOCOLATE ICING:
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
3 TBS unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 TBS unsalted butter or coconut oil
1 tsp stevia glycerite (or sweetener to taste) OR EASY ICING:
4 TBS unsweetened almond milk
Make cake: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan. Sift together almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.In another bowl, beat together butter and sweetener with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Spoon batter into 9 inch pan, smoothing top. Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan on racks. Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert rack over pan and reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely.
Cheesecake Layer: Beat cream cheese, sweetener and 1 tsp of the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Blend in sour cream; pour over cake layer. Bake at 325°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (Bake at 300°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
Topping: Place chocolate and milk in medium bowl. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted (don’t burn the chocolate!). Add sweetener and remaining 1 tsp vanilla; mix well. Spread over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Makes 12 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Boston Cheesecake = 563 calories, 59 carbs, 1.1 fiber
“Healthified” Boston Cheesecake = 461 calories, 8 carbs, 2.2 fiber
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Happy Birthday to your husband and Merry Christmas!
This looks delicious. I think I’ll make this for our desert.
Merry Christmas! The ingredients say 3/4 stick of butter but the instructions say 1-1/2 sticks. Could you clarify please. Thanks!
Opps, only 3/4 of a stick. I cut my cake recipe in half and I forgot to change the direction section. Sorry!
Happy Baking!
Does the filling have chocolate too?
No, I just fixed it…sorry about that!
Could you use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the filling? Your recipes all look so wonderful!! I can’t wait to get your cookbooks!
Yes, but make sure you use full fat no sugar added yogurt. 🙂
Hey Maria, this looks amazing!! I’m a sucker for cheesecake and nobody could believe their eyes when I passed on dessert during a recent visit to the Cheesecake Factory 😉 Plan to make this one soon. One question (for this, as well as your brownie recipes): which brand of chocolate do you use? I cannot find any unsweetened baking chocolate or cocoa powder in your Astore.. could you put some of your favorite brands of those there, please? 🙂
Thanks! Way to go!! That is how I am able to pass on restaurant dessert; knowing I have something healthy at home. 🙂
I added the chocolate I use here. Thanks for your support!
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20/detail/B000E1FY8I
Hi Maria,
I’m planning to make this tomorrow for parents’ anniversary. A question: I’ve been having trouble with the combination of chocolate and almond milk that frequently called for in your recipes (most recently your “twix” bars from lowcarbing with friends)
The whole thing seizes up and I end up with a paste (tasty, mind you). Can you pass on any tips as I tackle this one?
Thanks much,
–nat
The almond milk shouldn’t be the problem. It acts just like milk. What are you mixing it with when that happens?
How big of a pan do you use?
For the part where you say “For cake:” …may I insert the word crust instead of cake?
Thank you for all of your effort/trials so the rest of us can benefit…
…You are a blessing!
Thanks.
Updated above. Thanks!
Is there an alternative to using the chocoperfection bars? I want to make this tomorrow and have none on hand. 🙁
You can try a chocolate sauce like this. 🙂
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/peanut-butter-donuts-and-chocolate-sauce/
Hi Maria, I made this and it turned out delish, however it wasn’t quite sweet enough and I seem to have this problem with most things I use sweetener in, so I’m thinking it’s my sweetener, right now I use Truvia as it is what I can afford, on the package it says to sub out 1 cup of sugar for 1/2 cup Truvia so I assumed it would be the same with other sweeteners as well so I’ve been using 1/2 of the sweetener recommended in recipes. Can you please tell me if I’m supposed to use the full amount of sweetener called for when using Truvia in your recipes? I know this seems like the obvious solution, but the ingredients are expensive and I just want to confirm. Thanks
Hmm, I thought Truvia was 1 for 1 with sugar (and thus would be one for one sub for my sweeteners). 🙂
Not according to the bag, however I just made your lemon poppy seed muffins and used the exact measurement of truvia for the sweetener listed in the recipe and they came out perfectly sweet. (liked them very much btw) So from now on I will be using the amount stated in your recipes. Thanks for all you do and for replying so quickly.
Hi Maria!
The ingredients for filling says 3 pkg (8oz), 3 pkg would be 24oz wouldn’t it?
Linda
Yes, that is correct.
So when you cook the cheesecake layer you are cooking the cake layer again?
Yes
I just cant understand baking the cake in a 9×9 pan and then cooling out of the pan on a rack.. then you put the cream cheese filling in a springform pan.. it never says how to add the cake part to it as you bake both together..????
Use a 9-inch springform pan, not a 9×9 cake pan. You can leave the cake part in the springform pan to cool if you want, then add the cheesecake layer on top of that before you complete the baking process. Then, once the cheesecake layer is baked and cooled completely release the springform pan, add the chocolate sauce and enjoy 🙂