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Impromptu, Organic Substitute for "Chunky Bar"--all healthful stuff with yummy taste!

I was doing great foodwise today. Had no overt cravings until about a half hour ago. I was eating small meals, watching my F/Vs and nutrients, counting calories.

After dinner, I still had a few hundred calories to use, so I thought I'd have some more fruit, maybe a treat.

But a bit ago, I got this urge for a CHUNKY. Now, I remember I had a CHUNKY craving around early October and after a bite, I threw it away. It didn't taste as good as I remembered. It didn't taste chocolatey enough and it tasted too sugary.

That memory didn't stop me from wanting one.

So, I scrounged around in my kitchen for:

1. organic, unsalted peanut butter that I got from a local farm
2. organic Thompson raisins
3. organic raw cocoa powder

I smooshed a couple teaspoons of peanut butter, a teaspoon of raw cacao powder, and tossed in some raisins to my taste--about 12. I stirred it up and I'm eating it off the spoon. Under 120 calories.

It's not pretty visually, but the flavor is AMAZING. Using quality ingredients makes a difference. The burst of the flavor combo on my tongue is delightful. It's got a CHUNKY vibe, but better--more chocolatey, more nutty, more raisiny. And this is much more healthful than a candy bar--all the components are good for me, no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no bad oils, heart-healthy fat, minerals, vitamins.

But for my craving tongue, the most important part is: Ahhhh. Yum.

I'm sure there are all sorts of ways to make this prettier and tastier, but for something that is treating the craving without falling into a candy stupor, I can't complain.

Oh, my! Oh, yum! And 100 calories...whoo!

If you're one of those folks who avoids 100 calorie snack packs cause you can't just have one, skip these. Seriously. Skip em.

If you use those 100 calorie packs as your special treat for a bag lunch or with your coffee or tea time at home, then listen up: Newtons fruit crisps rock like nobody's business!!!

I tried the apple cinnamon one, and they are AMAZING. It's like having a crispy apple pie, only much less fat and fewer calories. Delicious.

I love to have something sweet with my afternoon tea and protein, and fruit doesn't always cut it. These do. With tea or coffee, it feels positively self-indulgent. And you get two really good-sized crisps (like 4 inches long) in each pack, 50 calories each. (If you have great self-control, you can have one and it's really a nice fruity/cookie-ish treat.)

Mmmm. Thanks Newtons.

Easter Challenge: Small Progress Continues

Well, I did have a bit of a splurge at my Saturday birthday party. Some healthful stuff--chicken fajitas, organic fresh salsa, organic fresh guacamole, whole grain tortillas (low carb), fresh fruit salad, avocado slices, fresh pineapple juice, red wine Sangria.

But I also had fried corn chips and two birthday cupcakes--one orange, one lemon--that my niece and great-niece made for me. The apple pie I baked up was finished before I could get a slice, so a small mercy for my waistline. :)

Today, Mr. Tanita says:

269.4

It's been really nice seeing the 260's on the scale. Very nice. I can officially say I did lose, and am not just doing maintenance fluctuations.

I have really been enjoying my food. More than ever. I think because I've focused on eating WELL, and really have not obsessed about calories, I am doomed to small losses, but I am blessed by really just having oral Paradise. I'm buying top-notch fruits and just sighing over the juiciness. I'm buying top-notch vegetables, and finding better dressings to bring out the flavors. Yesterday, I munched four organic mini-peppers--raw--and they were so sweet and crunchy, it was a special treat.

My hairdresser (who hadn't seen me in almost three months) noticed my hair was looking better, my eyebrows looked great (no more bald spots, beautifully filled out), and my energy was improved. My hubby is enjoying the rediscovery of my waist, and having three home-prepared meals a day (you have no idea how revolutionary that is in our household, where we used to eat everything take-out or at restaurants, practically, including breakfasts.)

I hope some of my other chronic issues can be alleviated by just eating wholesome foods.

But it's nice to have the pleasure. I think all those pre-packaged, preservative-doused, frankenfoods are convenient and, in some cases, easy to count pointswise, but they shouldn't be the mainstay of a diet. I shudder at some of those WW items (I rarely bought them even when I did WW formally) with a gazillion weird items in the ingredients list that are just not food. FOOD.

Today, I"m craving an arugula salad. I have none, and my car is at the mechanic's (since Thursday, she may be on her last legs), so I'll make do with some nice watercress. But man, I really WANT arugula.

The fact that I'm craving that and not cookies or pie or a pizza is pretty amazing.

Oh, and I was craving pizza Sunday. So, I got an organic whole wheat crust (with flax seed oil and olive oil) and made my own with part-skim mozzarella. I couldn't eat as much as if I'd ordered some large one, but I got that lovely pizza taste.

Yesterday I ate vegetarian: egg white omelette with a sliced organic tomato with olive oil for breakfast (fresh-squeezed juice and a pear on the side). And rice and beans (organic) with steamed vegetable dumplings for lunch (with a whole egg on top for protein). I had a red plum (organic) and organic vegan chocolate-covered raisins and almonds for dessert. I also made a vanilla egg cream with club soda, organic milk, and Starbuck's sugar free vanilla syrup. (Yeah, it's a fake crap food, but it's part of the "treat" factor.) That was one yummy "egg cream."

Tonight we're having cajun pork tenderloins (organic pork, organic spices) for supper. Maybe organic potatoes (mashed with organic oil and milk or baked with organic low-fat sour cream) and green beans and carrots (organic all). I've got gorgeous organic Ambrosia apples and organic Bosc pears that we can munch on for dessert.

And I"m gonna feast and enjoy it like nobody's business.

Onward and DOWNWARD...with joy and the pleasure of real food at all times!

Yeah, Baby! And a bit of a PSA...

Those raw lunches must be helping. Today, the scale said: 268.4

My lowest yet. I won't officially call my mini-goal of 269 met (and surpassed) unless I can stay in the 260's. I'm too familiar with ups and downs due to dehydration, hormonal changes, etc.

I better enjoy it before those salty food fluctuations sneak in. ; ) Especially since it's my birthday week coming up with dining out and feasting in the works. (My party is tomorrow, to facilitate family attendance, but it's not until next week. Still bummed I couldn't get a chocolate banana tiramisu raw cake.)

Just to clarify, btw, because of my previous couple posts: I'm not on a raw foods diet. I simply add raw foods now more consciously to my diet. I've always liked having something raw at every meal, just cause, but now I am doing it mindfully, in order to maximize eating "clean."

I still eat meat, eggs, and dairy. In fact, I am a bona fide cheese junkie. Me loves the stuff. I just eat organic cheese, eggs, and meats now. Although, I really don't like the grass-fed beef, so, I may try to find a "wellness" category beef (ie, humanely raised, no antibiotics or hormones, etc.) I do very much like the organic chicken and pork. Lovely. And I'd been buying (and paying more) for cage free, vegetarian diet, omega eggs for years. I simply now focus on ORGANIC fed ones, too.

I will say that the low-heat pasteurized, grass-fed, organic milk is very nice. It spoils faster (a week in the fridge, pretty much), but it has a very nice flavor, and, hey, happier cows. I'm a latte fiend, so I've been using this organic milk for those coffee treats.

I do notice my appetite is calmer (post period), which is the norm. Crazy hunger pre-period, nice and calm with no chocolate cravings after. I walk right by those truffles and organic choco-covered almonds without so much as a sigh. Give it two weeks and I'll be insane for 'em.

I hope y'all had a satisfying and healthful Valentine's Day. Impress on your loved ones to buy you non-food treats, when possible, on such occasions. Or, if chocolate is in the cards or stars, to buy fair-trade treats and flowers, and organic when possible. Better for communities globally and better for your body, er, locally. :)

I've long supported aid to third world communities via donations, but I figure it's time I buy more consciously, too. I shouldn't support slavery or abusive pricing just cause I want something to eat. I shouldn't support poor farming techniques that ruin the land just cause I want roses in my vases.

Just like I watch my water usage in and out of the house. (I pretty stopped watering my lawn when we got into a drought. I maybe add water once every 8 weeks if the grass is very yellow.) And just like I try to remember to switch off lights, etc. Every little bit helps overall.

It costs more to buy fair trade and organic, but it's easier on the conscience...and the world. And if your budget only allows partial "conscience" buying, then that's better than nothing. (If you eat berries, pears, an any other fruit or veggie where you consume the skin/husk/outer, focus on those. If you have kids, don't give them meats and milk with hormones. It's just really bad for growing bodies. It's not evolution that girls are getting their periods years and years sooner than their grandmas. It's hormones in food.)

PSA over. Let the lunch munching begin...healthfully!

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Do You Like Hot Cocoa?

If so, I gotta heartily recommend Scharffen Berger's natural cocoa powder, unsweetened.

Oh, man. I am so digging this. Been having a cup every night (with Splenda and skim milk) and I've been sleeping sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Plus, the taste rocks my mouth.

I've tried a lot of cocoa powders for hot cocoa, including Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Droste. I've grated my own chocolate from imported bars. I've even used baking chocolate bars, like the amazing Valrhona's (melting them to mix with milk.) Just recently tried one from Netrition.com that was organic, but didn't have me in ecstasies like S-B.

I find the bitter edge that some cocoa powders have is not there in Scharffen Berger's powder, and that's nice. It's dark, it's got great flavor, it makes killer hot cocoa. I like it so much, I just ordered five tins from the company's website. (The vendor at amazon.com charged 12 bucks for shipping one tin, and more for extra. Forget that!)

If you're ever in the supermarket, look for it. Williams Sonoma carried it (I got it at the mall last Monday.)

This is the real thing--no alkali, no Dutch processing, no sugar. It's got the heart healthy benefits of cocoa powder sans alkali. But, really, aside from that, don't we really drink it cause it's comforting and delicious and just makes us feel young and warm inside? Yeah. I thought so. And for dieters, it gives you that dose of chocolate aroma and taste without oodles of saturated fat and calories. It's a diet treat with health benefits and soothes the soul.

The Princess' product recommendation for the day: Scharffen Berger's cocoa powder (natural, unsweetened).

MmmmMmmmmMMMMmmmmmmMmmm.
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The Easy, Anti-Hunger Oatmeal "Cookie"

I was reading the latest NUTRITION magazine, fall 2007, and it had this little (really easy) recipe for Oatmeal Cookies provided by fitness model Maggie Diubaldo.

Well, I tried it today when I got the afternoon noshies. As I mentioned in an earlier post today, I've been feeling really hungry. This recipe included stuff I have on hand (oatmeal, PB, protein powder, cinnamon, Splenda), so I made it. Surprisingly, it was satisfying. I will add more Splenda next time.

Here is how I made it, which is slightly altered from the recipe, cause I don't make the special mixture the model does (something called "Maggie Love" which has cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and stevia, all to taste.) It's ready in 10 minutes, and it makes two cookies.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. oats
1/2 scoop choc protein powder
1 tsp natural peanut butter
Cinnamon and Splenda to taste (my improvisation for Maggie Love mix)
Water, as desired (I used exactly 1/8th of a cup)

Directions:
Mix oats, protein powder, PB, spices (use whatever you wish if you don't like cinnamon), & sweetener with just enough water (about 1/8 c. or less) to make a thick batter.

Pack it into a hamburger shape and cook in a frying pan over medium heat until it is fully cooked and slightly crispy, about 4 mins per side.

Nutrition stats: Calories 85, fat 3g, carb 8g , fiber 1g, protein 9g

On my stove, it got slightly scorched at medium-heat. But stoves differ. I know I need to use a slightly lower heat.

Next time, besides more cinnamon and more Splenda, I'm gonna use vanilla protein powder and see how that tastes.

It kept me full for three hours so far (had it with water and coffee). And it's much safer than having cookies in the house. Plus, hey, fiber and protein and healthy mono fat! (The stats will differ depending what protein blend you use. I used the Melaleuca chocolate one, but I keep Designer Whey in the house and have a few sample packets of Myoplex. Use whichever has the nicest flavor for you.)

If you try it, let me know if you enjoyed it. As a cookie, I'd rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. But as a satisfying mid-afternoon snack with protein, one that killed my hunger pangs without too much caloric damage, one I had to CHEW, rather than just DRINK...I give it a tummy-happy thumbs up. (I might add some raisins next time, or walnuts.)

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Tastes Like Family--"Preserved" Memories

The Grumpy Chair dieter's Thursday post made my mouth water and my "preserved" food memories float around a bit more insistently. Fig preserves..mmmmm.

But figs don't have a strong nostalgia factor for me.

What flavor of fruity spready thing tastes like "family" to you?

For me: guava

I have this vivid series of images: I and my pop spreading guava paste. He bought a brand that came with a thin (maybe 1/4 inch) strip of guava jelly down the middle of the rectangular bar of paste. I'd usually pull out the jelly strip and eat it like candy. Then I'd spread the paste on Cuban or Italian bread or Cuban-style water crackers. With cream cheese added--we're talking absolutely divine splurgey combo.

That is a flavor that's "family" to me. It's got our culture and the remembrances of innocent, shameless eating by the young me, a Princess free of worries about sugar, fat, calories, etc.

Also, my fave Cuban pastry treat is a guava pastry (and they use guava paste in the middle of the flaky, phyllo-ish crust). We call it a "pastelito de guayaba." Lord, but I love those things, fresh, warm, in the morning with some cafe con leche (our version of cafe au lait). The last time I had one was August, at my brother's birthday. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

When my hubby and I were dating and newlyweds, there was this place we'd go to several times a week for Cuban food. And I'd have the guava shells in syrup with cream cheese for dessert (a very typical Cuban dessert). See it in THIS RESTAURANT'S menu. And the pic at right shows how it's served.

Oh, I better stop. I'm getting horrible cravings!

:::serenity now, serenity now:::

Second would be the home-made marmalade mom used to make--grapefruit, orange, papaya. Mainly the citrus, though. It wasn't my favorite thing, but it sticks in my mind as being "mom" when spread on those Cuban crackers.

When I hit my next mini-goal, I just might splurge on a breakfast of guava paste and cream cheese on a huge Cuban cracker.

Princess Dieter Discovers: As Promised, An Update on ChocoPerfection

I'd mentioned that I'd let you know if the yummy low-carb, dark chocolate bars I ordered from ChocoPerfection caused trouble.

Nope. The Princess has not had gastric distress.

This is good, since I really enjoy the flavor of this bar and I really love that it's high-fiber.

Come on. Be honest. How many of you are getting to the recommended 25 to 30+ grams of fiber per day?

I make it almost every day since I went on a healthier eating plan due to my increase in eating veggies--I always ate lots of fruit and whole grain bread--and almost daily consumption of oatmeal and legumes. Beans will really up your fiber intake. But on days when you fall a bit short (say, didn't have your beans or high-fiber cereal), then you can get 14 grams from a bar of ChocoPerfection.

That much fiber means SATIETY. Yes...you feel fuller.

But it's all about taste, isn't it, chocolate lovers? Taste is king. Or in my case, Princess.

Proof that my mouth digs this: I WILL be reordering.

But make sure you look carefully at the calories and saturated fat and see how it fits into YOUR individual eating plan. A definite plus for low-carbers, and useful for chocoholics with sugar issues. Thanks, ChocoPerfection

Review of Low-carb Chocolate: CHOCOperfection

The Princess Dieter (ie, ME) has insulin resistance.

At one point, a couple years ago, my sugar was edging into diabetic territory. Scared, I changed how I ate and what I ate. (Not for weight loss, principally, but to control blood sugar and maximize insulin.) I didn't lose much--about 5 pounds--but I totally got a handle on my sugar. It went down to normal levels without drugs , a step that my endocrinologist was prepared to take if I couldn't improve my lab numbers on my own with diet and exercise.

Basically, I stopped having simple carbs by themselves; I always paired fruit or crackers or bread or pasta with a protein and a bit of fat, for instance nuts or some cheese. And I drastically reduced my white flour/sugar intake. I still ate huge quantities (my main diet pitfall), but I upped my veggies and legumes and began adding cinnamon to whatever I could.

Later, I added cinnamon extract and alpha lipoic acid supplementation, which I continue to this day. I also occasionally add fenugreek and Syndrome X powder, particularly before a high-carb meal like pasta marinara.

Those changes, without losing significant weight, fixed my sugar problem. For then and the time being. My last A1c was 5. I had been nearing 8. I do need to lose weight, obviously, but this goes to show how the body responds to improvements in diet, even with minimal weight loss from said diet. What we eat does matter, not just how much or when.

I learned that.

But I still consumed sugar in chocolate. I love chocolate. Dark chocolate. And at those TOM, the urge for it is pretty intense. My fave is Valrhona's CARAIBE, dark and with a lovely "feel" to the teeth. It has fiber, like most good dark chocolates, but it also has plenty of sugar. It's a gourmet chocolate. Local top-rated chefs use Valrhona in their desserts. But, alas, the white sugar. I don't really need that.

When I saw the ad for ChocoPerfection over at Melting Mama's blog, I spent some time reading reviews. Convinced it couldn't taste horrible and have that many people raving, I ordered.

Here's what's in it:

It's not cheap. Twelve bars of dark chocolate will set you back 40 bucks plus a cool pack charge for these hot weather months. (You could wait a few months to order and save the $3.50 for the cool pack--unless you live in the tropics.) That's $3.33 for each 1.8 ounce bar (about 200 calories per bar.) That's 5 WW points per bar. (Although, if you have it in half-bar portions, it comes out to 2 points per half bar.

Hmm. For tasty chocolate, I'll allot 2 points a day.)

I just had a half-bar. I have to agree, it tastes good. It's not Valrhona. But for a chocolate bar that doesn't spike your sugar, that doesn't cause that "crash", that offers healthy cocoa (for the arterial benefits), and that satisfies the need for that deep chocolate taste (which this does), it's very nice.

It feels a bit more rubbery, perhaps, than my usual fave dark chocolates (Valrhona, Valor, Dove, etc.) But it's smooth, it's creamy, the darkness lingers on the tongue and roof of the mouth. It's pleasant, but not perfection. The lack of sugar is evident in the loss of a certain "completeness." However, it's not a huge, huge loss. This is good chocolate. Very good. Quite enjoyable. I can recommend it on teh basis of its flavor, yes, absolutely.

If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, want to avoid sucrose, can't tolerate the usual sweeteners in low-carb products so far--try it. If your budget allows.

I'll post later if I sense any unwanted side effects.

Do take note that this is an altered product. It's low-carb. It has a non-sugar sweetners: Oligofructose and erythritol. I don't know everything about these products. Always research before trying.

I do know that I've tried other low-carb chocolates, including the Atkins ones, and they consistently gave me gastric distress, even in modest quantities. (I love chocolate, but I don't tend to go hog-wild binge-o on it. I binge on cheesy/salty/crunchy stuff, not candies or cookies.) Honestly, I'd rather go for the real thing, sugar and all, with a meal when it's not going to make my blood sugar go all whack, rather than have to suffer through icky gas and nasty bowel movements.

Note also that the CHOCOperfection site offers a money-back guarantee: They promise you will like the taste and packaging. I like guarantees. It feels less of a risk to sample. :)

I have to admit, it really is packaged nicely. Mine arrived a half-hour ago--still cool, with a pretty look to it: red, gold, with one of those gold stretchy things that candy boxes are sometimes bound with.

And while there isn't the complete, total, full chocolate roundedness of my usual imported French fave chocolate, this is not at all a disappointing product. In fact, I can see myself buying it again, definitely, as long as I suffer no gastric distress from these sugar substitutes and my budget gives me wiggle room for pricey chocolate. (I can get a bar of my Valrhona that's twice the size of CHOCOperfection for less than half the cost at the Italian Market down the street.)

So, kudos to CHOCOperfection for a tasty product. I think the low-carb and diabetic community will really enjoy this addition to the treats list.

(Final Note: I'm not making a cent off this blog. Not a cent off this review. This is just what I think, nothing more.)

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