Payday Candy Bar

Payday Candy Bar

“HEALTHIFIED” PAYDAY CANDY BAR:

Caramel Layer:
6 tbsp butter
1 cup Swerve
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go – the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Work fast or the sweetener will burn. Heat butter on high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart (2 L) or 3-quart (3 L) saucepan. As soon as it comes to a boil, watch for specks of brown (this is brown butter….so good on veggies!). Immediately add the Swerve and the cream to the pan. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, and then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Drizzle all over the cheesecake just before serving. You can also top with pecan pieces.

Swerve: Again have everything ready. Wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart (2 L) or 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, heat sweetener on moderately high heat. As it begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as it comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. As soon as all of the swerve crystals have melted (the liquid should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note that when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Place 2 TBS of cooled caramel in each slot of an ice cube tray lined with foil or plastic wrap (so you can remove it easily) and freeze.

Nugget Layer:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Swerve confectioners
1/4 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein
1 cup cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
Peanuts

NUGGET LAYER: In a saucepan boil 1/4 cup of butter, sweetener, and 1/4 cup protein powder together for about 5 minutes. Take off stove and add 1 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. Cool slightly.

Remove the caramels from the ice cube trays. Using your hands, form a layer of nugget around the caramel. Then roll the candy bar in salted peanuts. Place in the fridge to ‘set’ for at least 30 minutes (overnight would be best, but you might have too many dreams about these tasty little delights!) Makes 16 candy bars.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per bar)
Hershey’s Payday = 240 calories, 27 carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein
“Healthified” Payday = 240 calories, 3.5 carbs, 1.2 g fiber, 7 g protein (MORE IMPORTANTLY…NO TRANS-FATS!)

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 2 TBS)
Traditional Caramel Sauce = 130 calories, 24 carbs, 0 g fiber

“Healthified” Just Like Sugar = 51 calories, 12 carbs, 12 g fiber

JUICING

 

I often hear complaints that it costs too much to eat this way, but seriously check out the costs of these juicing diets where you don’t even get to chew your lunch!

Suja is $8.49 for a bottle!
The Juice Works $65 for 6!!!

Hormones run our metabolism

When I start talking to clients about our hormones and our weight, they usually get a surprised look on their face. What do hormones have to do with our weight? A hormone is a chemical messenger from a cell in the body. A hormone is produced by almost every organ system and is secreted directly into the bloodstream. Hormones signal certain cells to perform certain functions. Hormones are in charge of so many important pieces of our everyday life; our monthly mood swings, sex drive, blood sugar levels, muscle tone, fat burning ability, metabolism, immune system…the list is huge! Hormones play a role in everything from good sleep and good sex to headaches, stress, fatigue and weight gain.

The struggle to lose weight can be very difficult, and many feel that there has to be a reason that the weight is not coming off. It is true that hormonal imbalance affects some overweight individuals. Hormones do play a role in weight loss and gain, but the role is dependent on the individual, and his or her dietary and exercise choices.

Hormones can affect our mood and energy amount. We, however, affect hormones. Our way of life plays a huge role in the hormonal makeup inside us. For example, if a person is inactive, certain hormones decrease, such as testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone that works to increase metabolism, and therefore regulate weight and encourage weight loss. On the other hand, a more active person will have a greater number of chemical reactions in the blood, and help enhance the body’s hormonal balance. This happens so the body can cope with its own need to adapt to the stress during physical exertion. As a result, the body will create balanced hormones, which boosts metabolism, and lead to weight loss. By exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and eating the right foods, the body can create harmony with your hormones.

 

Ghrelin, sleep and liquid calories!

Scientists believe they have discovered why people get hungry at mealtimes, why dieters who lose weight often gain it back, and why stomach surgery helps obese people lose a great deal of weight. One main reason is the hormone called ghrelin, which makes us hungry, slows metabolism, and decreases the body’s ability to burn fat.

Ghrelin levels increase before meals and drop afterward depending upon what you consume. Volunteers given ghrelin injections felt extremely hungry, and, when turned loose at a buffet, ate 30 percent more than they did previously. Dieters who lose weight produce more ghrelin than they did before dieting, as if their bodies are fighting against starvation. By contrast, obese people who have gastric bypass surgery to lose weight end up with low levels of ghrelin, which helps explain why their appetites decrease noticeably after the surgery.

People who fail to sleep properly over-stimulate their ghrelin production which increases the desire for food. Lack of sleep also reduces the production of leptin which is the body’s appetite suppressant. So in short, if you don’t get enough sleep, the hormones in your body get all out of whack and you think that you’re hungry when really you don’t need that food.

Getting the right amount of sleep can be the first step to making sure that you’re getting the ghrelin and leptin balance that your body needs to naturally maintain a healthy weight. Getting 8 hours of quality sleep every night will help you naturally balance out your ghrelin and leptin levels …not making up for it on the weekends. I say “quality” because many people suffer from sleep apnea and don’t know it. If you have been told you snore, kick, talk, or stop breathing in the night, have your doctor check for sleep apnea. Sleep disorders will keep you from getting into REM sleep which is when our hormones are balanced. Allergies are a main cause of sleep apnea. You don’t have to be overweight to suffer from it.

This information has helped scientists harness information to assist people in losing weight. Scientists have created an anti-obesity vaccine which reduces the production of ghrelin which helps reduce cravings. Yes, these drugs are on the market, but instead of putting a huge dent in your wallet, you can start to balance ghrelin by following a few easy steps.

Ghrelin creates our ravenous cravings for food. Our bodies increase this hormone before eating, whether it is when your clock strikes 12 noon at work or you walk by a bakery and the smell of doughnuts stimulates the production. Read more in Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism which is now on sale! Click HERE to find. There are charts included in the book on which foods to consume and food to steer clear of. Follow the steps in Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism to keep your ghrelin levels in check, but I’ll give you a hint, I do not recommend liquid calories to balance your ghrelin levels!

Testimony of the Day

“5 days into Keto and I’ve lost five pounds! Even staying grain/refined sugar free, I indulged in some paleo baked goods over the holidays and then stayed mostly paleo for the first few weeks of the year just to experiment with how it made me feel. Well, cystic acne returned, joint pain in ankles and wrists and a four pound weight gain immediately let me know that your way is the right way for me! No worries for spring, I’m already back in my skinny jeans. Thank you!!” – Julie“

To get the results like Ashley, click HERE for easy to follow keto-adapted meals.