Torta di limone - Italian Lemon Cake

Makes a cake 20 cm in diameter.

We use an erythritol as the sweetener. It's natural and calorie free. It doesn't raise insuline levels as well. In case you can't find it at your local grosery stores (very likely) you can use xylitol. I don't recomment stevia, as it has distinctive taste which can't be hidden in this cake.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 125 g soft butter
• 150 g of erythritol
• 3 eggs, separated
• 125 g almonds, finely ground
• 60 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Juice of 2 lemons
• grated zest of 2 small lemons
• sugar powder

Method of preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C
• Blend butter with erythritol in a bowl until creamy
• Add the egg yolks one by one and mix each yolk until well incorporated
• Stir in the ground almonds, sifted flour and baking powder
• Add lemon juice and zest and mix everything well
• Whip the eggwhites until stiff and stir them into the dough
• Grease the cake mold 20 cm in diameter with butter and slightly sprinkle it with flour
• Pour in the batter
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until it is slightly browned and a wooden stick put in the cake comes out clean
• Let it cool slightly before sprinkilng some sugar power on top
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm or cooled to room temperature.

Italian Chocolate Cake

Makes a cake 24 cm in diameter.

Ingredients:

• 200g good dark chocolate (at least 70 % cocoa)
• 6 tbsp almond milk
• 100g butter
• 4 eggs separated
• 150g xylitol
• 50g gluten free flour
• 1 1/ 2 tsp baking powder

Preparation :

• Preheat the oven to 180 C . 
• Grease the cake mold with butter and slightly sprinkle it with flour.
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the milk and the butter in a small pot that is put in a bigger pot with hot water.
• Mix egg yolks with the Xylitol in a bowl to form a thick cream.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix everythig energetically.
• Sift flour and baking powder in.
• Bit the eggwhites until stiff and gently fold into the batter.
• Pour the mixture into the the mold and bake for about 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Check with a wooden stick the cake if it's ready. If the stick is clean after you put it int he cake - it is ready.
• The cake should be soft and moist, so it could sink a little in the middle after cooling.
• Serve decorated with grapes and sugar powder.

Chocolate and Grapes Cake

Ingregients (for a cake 18 cm in diameter)

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup flour gluten-free
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa
• 1/2 cup of Xylitol
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2/3 cup plant milk (such as almond milk)
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• a few drops of vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups of red grapes 

Ingredients for topping:

• 1 dark chocolate bar (min. 72 % cocoa)
• almond flakes to decorate

Method of preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
• Grease the pan with fat.
• In a medium bowl, Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.
• In a small bowl, whisk together milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract.
• Pour the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly combine with each other.
• Add the fruit to the dough and mix.
• Pour batter into the mold and bake for 40 minutes.
• During baking melt the chocolate. To do so, you need two vessels - one large with water and the other smaller. In a large pot boil the water and keep on medium heat. Break the chocolate bar into small chunks and throw them into the smaller pan. Dip the small pan in the large pan and wait until the chocolate melts.
• When the cake has cooled, pour melted chocolate over it and sprinkle with almond flakes.
• Cake tastes best when chilled in the refrigerator.

Tomato and Fennel Cream

It is one of the best tomato soups that I've ever eaten and has quite unusual taste - all thanks to the fennel.

Ingredients for two servings:


The soup:

• 2 fennels - approximately 400 grams
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

The nut-and-cheese topping:

• 60 grams of walnuts
• zest of one lemon
• 40 grams of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fennel stalks

How to prepare the soup:

• Wash the fennels, separate stems from tubers and cut the tuber into thin strips.
• Peel the onion and cut into cubes.
• Peel the garlic and cut into slices.
• Prepare the vegetable broth.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil, add the fennel tubers, onion, garlic and fry for a few minutes.
• Add canned tomatoes, broth and cook about 20 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, blend it until smooth, season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with nut-and-cheese topping (see below for instructions on how to make it).

How to prepare nut-and-cheese topping:

• Chop the walnuts and roast in a pan.
• Chop the green stalk of fennel.
• Mix nuts, parmesan, lemon zest and a chopped fennel in a bowl.

Orzo, feta and cherry tomatoes salad.

That's one damn delicious salad! Try not to eat everything at one go, I dare you.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• cup orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup pine nuts - can be substituted by other cashews
• handful of fresh coriander or parsley
• large handful of cherry tomatoes
• 150 grams of feta
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method of preparation:

• First - prepare the orzo pasta - cook it in a large amount of water - it took me about 25 minutes. Drain it well.
• Dice cheese into small cubes.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
• Peel the garlic and chop finely.
• Brown the nuts in a frying pan.
• Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and coriander in a bowl.
• Add feta, tomatoes, peanuts, salt, pepper and gently mix.
• Add the orzo and mix again.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes big 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 125 g + 1 tablespoon butter (warm)
• 200 g xylitol
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablepoons gluten-free baking flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 egg (bitten)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Method of preparation:

• Mix the butter and erythritol in a mixing bowl.
• Add flour, baking soda, almond flour, agg and buttermilk, mix again.
• Add cocoa nibs and goji berries, mix some more.
• Form 12 round cookies on a baking paper, leaving gaps between cookies (they will grow a little)
• Bake for 12 minutes in an over set to 180 C.
• Take out from the oven and leave to cool down for several minutes.
• Serve.

Banana and Nut Loaf Cake

Number of servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 big ripe bananas
• 115 g butter (warm)
• 1/2 cup + 1 ts erythritol
• 2 large eggs
• 130 g gluten-fee baking flour
• 1 ts baking powder
• 5 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons ground cinamon
• 2 handfuls of nut mix (I used brasil nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts mixed 1:1:1) coarsly chopped

Method of preparation:

• Smash bananas in a bowl with a fork.
• Put butter and erythirtol in a mixing bowl and mix until creamy
• Add eggs (one at a time) and mix a little bit after adding each one
• Add bananas, flour, buttermilk, cinnamon and nuts and fold until the dough is evenly mixed
• Put the dough into the mold and bake in an oven set to 180 C for about 25 minutes
• Check at regular invervals (every 2-3 minutes) if the cake is done. Insert wooden sticks (toothpicks are good for it) in the cake and check if it comes out clean. If so, the cake is ready.
• Put the cake aside until it cools down a little before serving.

Currant and coffee mascarpone dessert

It's a nice mixture of bitter-sweet and souery-sweet in one cup. If you like it sweeter add 2 tbs of either Erythritol or Xylitol to each paste. Gives 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 500 g mascarpone cheese
• 125 g currants
• 5 tablespoons Erythritol
• 3 tablespoons Xylitol
• 1/4 cups cocoa
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon water

Method of preparation:
Currant paste:

• blend all currants together with 2 spoons Erythritol and 1 tablespoon Xylitol until both sweeteners are dissolved
• add 250 mascarpone and blend until the paste is smooth

Coffee paste:

• mix 3 tbs Erithritol, 1 tbs Xylitol and 1 tbs water
• blend the sweeteners together with coffee and cocoa
• add 250 g mascarpone and blend all until the paste is smooth.

Finishing tough:

• Transfer both pastes to two cups (each cup should have both flavours, of course)
• You can garnish the dessert with chocolate shreds

Cocoa-Banana Cocktail

Ingredients for 1 serving:

• 1 and 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 medium-sized bananas
• 5 large strawberries
• 1 tablespoon Mesquite Powder
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 3 tablespoons cacao nibs 

Method of preparation:

• Blend all ingredients until smooth. 
• Best served with fresh fruit.

Cocktail from almond milk, banana and mint

Here is my breakfast today. The best cocktail I have ever done :)

 

Ingredients for one person:

• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method of preparation:

Blend all the ingredients thoroughly. Pour into a large cocktail glass, sprinkle with cacao nibs.

Strawberry-Almond Muffins

Some of the best muffins I've ever done. My son ate 3, me 2 and the rest gorged my hubby. That means, it had to be good :)

 

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 185 grams of self-raising flour - I've used a gluten-free
• 65 grams of ground almonds
• 130 grams of Xylitol
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• zest of half a lemon
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 120 grams of butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 apple - I used sour
• 6 very large strawberries
• 50g flaked almonds
• 180 ml hot water

Method of preparation:

• Melt butter in a saucepan.
• Peel the apple and cut it into cubes.
• Cut strawberries in half.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds, sugar, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt.
• In another bowl, mix the melted butter, vanilla extract, eggs and 180 ml ​​of warm water.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix everything.
• Add the diced apple and mix gently again.
• Put the dough in muffin molds, put half a strawberry on each muffin and sprinkle with almond flakes.
• Bake the muffins in an oven at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Raw strawberry nut cake - gluten free, no eggs, butter, milk, flour and baking

Ingredients for one small cake (4-6 servings)

Ingredients for the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups pecan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 dates

Method of preparation:

• Blend all ingredients.
• Divide the resulting paste is divided into two parts.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 3 cups cashews - they need to be pre-soaked for at least 4 hours
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup agave syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of whole strawberries
• 1 cup strawberries , sliced

Method of preparation:

• Blend cashews, water, lemon juice, agave syrup, coconut oil, salt and vanilla extract untill it's creamy.
• Divide the resulting paste into two equal parts.
• Transfer one half into a bowl and set aside, put the other half into a blender, add whole strawberries and blend again.

Ingredients for peanut topping:

• half of the crust paste
• 1/4 cup pecan
• 1/4 cup coconut shreds
• a few tablespoons agave syrup or honey

Method of preparation:

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Putting it all together:

• Grease the mold with coconut fat and form the crust.
• Form the first layer with the filling, the half without strawberries.
• Make another layer with sliced ​​strawberries.
• Form the next layer with the filling, the half with strawberries.
• Decorate with the topping.
• Cool the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Gluten-free chocolate - banana muffins

Muffins can be done in an instant. Delicious, moist, soft and sweet. Without addition of white flour and table sugar.

Ingredients for a dozen muffins:

• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 very large, very ripe bananas - bananas are the best of a large number of brown spots
• 1/4 cup almond milk - may be replaced by rice , soy and even ordinary
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs - you can substitute chopped chocolate into small pieces

Ingredients for the  honey-and-nut topping:

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts - I've used pecans
• 2 - 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cacao nibs - you can replace the chopped chocolate

Method of preparation:

• Add honey, coconut, vanilla in a bowl and process it with an electric mixer until all the ingredients are combined well.
• Next, add the eggs, cider vinegar and mix again until you get smooth paste.
• In another bowl, mix flour, coconut and almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to wet and mix everything thoroughly.
• In a medium bowl, crush the bananas into a pulp with a fork, add milk, stir, pour into the paste you've done in the previous steps and mix again.
• Prepare the honey-and-nut topping by mixing all ingredients.
• Transfer the dough into molds and sprinkle with honey-and-nut topping.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes .

Raw food version of Nutella

A very good dessert for kids and adults alike. Without the addition of cow's milk, eggs, sugar and flour.

The preparation is incredibly easy - just put all stuff in a blender and blend :)

Ingredients for one cup:

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method of preparation:

• Blend all ingredients.

White chocolate with pistachios or other nuts

Very good chocolate in raw version. The chocolate is pretty big - no way you could manage it in a single sitting. Depending on how sweet your tooth is, I'd say this will give you 4 - 8 servings. Best with coffee.

Ingredients for a chocolate :

Chocolate mass:

• 1 cup butter ( fat) chocolate
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1 cup almond flour
• pinch of salt

Method of preparation:

• On a very low heat melt the chocolate and coconut fat - best to do it in a small saucepan - and let stand for a few minutes, until the mixture reaches room temperature. Be careful - if the fat gets too cool, it will start to solidify again.
• Add the agave syrup, almond flour and mix everything properly.
• Chocolate mass should be thick and smooth.

Nuts:

• It can be any nuts - hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds - you name it - use 3 cups.
• If you add bigger nuts, like brasilian or walnuts, break them into smaller chunks.

Method of preparation:

• You have to roast them in a frying pan.

Putting it all together:

• Put nuts to a mold, add the chocolate mass and mix it. 
• Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt
• Refrigerate the chocolate for half an hour.

Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

Very easy to prepare and very tasty cake - without addition of white flour and table sugar.

This will give you 4-6 servings.

Ingredients for one cake:

• 3 cups of hazelnuts flour - if you don't have the flour just blend the nuts and you have it :)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey or agave syrup
• teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup honey or agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil

The method of preparation is trivial:

• In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt properly.
• User a  second bowl to crack the eggs, add the vanilla, honey or agave syrup, grape seed oil and mix everything thoroughly.
• Add wet ingredients to dry, mix everything again, put into a mold and put in the oven preheated to 170 degrees for 30-35 minutes. After removing the cake from the oven and pour chocolate sauce, you can decorate it with hazelnuts or walnuts.

How to prepare frosting:

• All ingrediends blend until fine.

Banana Nut Cake with Chocolate Cream - gluten free and no baking

This recipe will give you one medium sized cake (4-6 servings).

Ingredients for the crust:

• 2 1/4 cups pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 fresh dates
• teaspoon agave syrup

Method of preparation:

• Blend all the ingredients untill smooth.

Ingredients for the nut cream:

• 1 1/2 cups cashews - they have to be pre-soaked for at least 4 hours
• 1/4 cup coconut water - you can use mineral as well
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup honey or agave syrup
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method of preparation:

• Blend all the ingredients untill smooth.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce:

• 1 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup honey or agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil

Putting it all together:

• Grease the mold with coconut fat and form the crust.
• Spread the nut paste on top of it.
• Garnish the cake with sliced bananas and walnuts.
• Chill the cake for a few hours in the refrigerator.
• Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate sauce.

Raspberry and Nut Cheesecake - gluten free, no baking

This recipe will give you one medium-sized cheesecake (4-6 servings).

Ingredients for the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts - can be mixed with walnuts
• 8 fresh dates
• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• pinch of salt

Method of preparation:

• All the ingredients blend untill smooth.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 3 cups cashews - they have to be pre-soaked for at least 12 hours
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup honey or agave syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method of preparation:

• Blend all ingredients.

Ingredients for the raspberry juice:

• handful of fresh raspberries
• little agave syrup

Method of preparation:

• Blend all ingredients.

Putting it all together:

• Grease the mold with coconut fat and form the crust.
• Spread the filling evenly over the crust.
• Pour the raspberry juice over it.
• Refrigerate the cake for about an hour.

Chocolate and Nut Cake with Strawberries

This is the cake that I made today for my son.

This recipe will give you one medium sized cake (4-6 servings).

Ingredients for the crust:

• 1/2 cup of Brazil nuts
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• some fresh dates
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method of preparation:

• In a food processor, grind the ingredients thoroughly.

Ingredients for the top:

• 2 cups cashews - they have to be pre-soaked for at least 4 hours
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 cup chocolate butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• large handful of strawberries

Method of preparation:

• All the ingredients - EXCEPT FOR STRAWBERRIES - blend untill smooth.
• Transfer the mass to a bowl, add the chopped strawberries and mix gently.

Putting it all together:

• Grease the mold with coconut fat and form the crust.
• Cover the crust with the chocolate - strawberry paste (the top).
• Decorate it with whole strawberries (you can also add blueberries).
• Cool the cake in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Cocoa and Avocado Truffles

Perfect addition to five o'clock tea or coffe in the afternoon. Ony one tablespoon honey, but sweet like heaven.

Ingredients for about 15 balls:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa
• 200 grams of butter of coconut
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 10 drops of liquid stevia extract
• 10 mint leaves
• 15 large blueberries

Method of preparation:

• Chop the mint until fine.
• Peel avocados and cut it into pieces.
• Heat the coconut butter until it has the consistency of sour cream.
• Put mint, avocados, coconut cream, coconut milk, honey and stevia into the blender and mix until you get a thick paste.
• Refrigerate the paste for at least an hour.
• Next, form small balls from the mass - each arund one blueberry and coat them in coconut shreds.
• Serve and eat :)

Pecan and macademia cake - no baking

This is a raw food recipe that is without the addition of flour, sugar, milk and eggs. No cooking, strictly vegan, the only sugar there comes from fruit. Very testy, but beware - it is quite caloric because of the large number of nuts and fresh dates.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup pecan - they have to be pre-soaked for several hours
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 cup agave syrup
• 1 1/2 cup of fresh dates
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

How to make the filling:

• Chop the nuts in a food processor.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the chopped peanuts and mix everything until you get thick paste.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups macadamia nuts
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

• Blend the ingredients untill fine.

Putting it all together:

• Form the crust by spreading makademia blend evenly in the mold.
• Put the pecan mass on it.
• Decorate the cake with whole pekans and cranberries.
• Prior to serving chill it in the refrigerator for several hours (e.g. overnight).

Raw pistachio cake with no milk, no flour, no eggs and no baking

One of my favourite raw food desserts. The only sugar here comes from dates (pretty sweet) and agave syrup. The syrup is 90% fructose, so be careful - it's sweeter than table sugar. The good thing is that the fructose doesn't raise insuline levels that high as the regular sugar.

The receipe is pretty simple. All comes down to blending and spreading layers of blended dough. Enjoy!

Crust ingredients:

• 1 cup pistachios - they have to be pre-soaked for several hours
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 10 fresh dates

How to make crust:

• In a food processor, grind the pistachios into a flour
• Add the dates and process until well combined.
• Add the grated coconut and salt and process until the mixtures starts to stick together

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews - they have to be pre-soaked for several hours or preferably overnight
• 1 cup avocado
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 cup agave syrup
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa

How to make it:

• Combine cashews, avocado, lemon juice, lemon zest, water, agave syrup, salt  and vanilla extract in a high - speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. It should looks like a smooth paste.
• Add the coconut oil and blend for another minute.
• Divide the mixture into two parts - one of them transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• To the remaining filling mixture add cocoa powder and blend it until smooth.

How to make the cake:

• Transfer the crust to a 7 - inch pie plate lined with parchament paper. Make sure you press the mixture firmly.
• Pour half of the cacao filling over the crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
• Sprinkle it with chopped pistachios.
• Put the rest of the cacao filling on top of it and again spread evenly.
• Very carefully pour over the cashew mass.
• Decorate the cake with pistacios
• Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hour or overnight until the filling has set.

Our daily sugar-coated cake

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sugar has definitely very bed press in recent years. It's not without reason. Most of recent research reveal that it is sugar that is the main culprit behind the obesity epidemic, not fat. Overuse of sugar – and more generally – all carbohydrates is responsible for excessive insulin production, which in turn, if prolonged, can have disastrous consequences on human body. To adverse side effects of hyperinsulinism belong among others:

• diabetes Type 2
• obesity
• pancreatic cancer (insulinoma)
• metabolic syndrome

Although complex carbohydrates carry part of the blame for the poor health of those who follow western diet, the simple sugars like glucose, fructose and sucrose (compound made of the first two, aka table sugar) are the real menace.

All the carbohydrates are eventually broken down to simple sugars – monosaccharides. There are several different forms of monosaccharides, chief among them is glucose which enters blood stream incredibly fast triggering insulin response. Excessive consumption of glucose causes so called insulin spikes – secretion of the hormone, which in turn initiates rapid glucose uptake by tissues either accumulating it as glycogen (reservoir of quickly available fuel for muscles) or utilizing it for energy production.

Those of you who have a sweet tooth (join the club!) have no doubt experienced so called sugar high usually followed by sugar crash. The former is an energetic state characterized by very good mood and relaxation, the latter can be compared (and by some even felt) like a hangover. This comparison is not a coincident – glucose is one of the nutrients that is essential to proper functioning of our bodies, but in excess is a poison. While for a short time it gives you happy feeling, it also wreaks damage to your blood vessels and provokes body to secret insulin which helps remove glucose from blood stream and helps transform it into glycogen or in case there's too much glucose is present, into fat, stored for future usage in – surprise, surprise – fat cells.

Raising insulin levels in response to sugar can be measured for each saccharide. This property is called glycemic index. The higher the index, the more potent insulin response of our bodies to a given substance.

Other monosaccharides are not to be taken lightly either. Take fructose of instance. It has comparatively low glycemic index, but it's processed almost entirely by liver and can contribute to fatty liver disease.

As far as complex carbohydrates are concerned, they all end up as simple sugars when digested. Fortunately, it takes more time for the body to convert a complex carbohydrate molecule to simple ones. This evens out the destructive swing of sugar high and crash – the insulin levels do not need to be raised so high and generally the inflow of glucose into the blood stream is much more steady. This doesn't unfortunately mean that one can consume any arbitrary amount of starches, pasta or bread. Carbs are carbs. Slow digestion will help the body balance the insulin levels, but all the carbs will end up as either energy used up by muscles or as fat. The good thing is that if you do some sports (especially cardio workouts or weight lifting) or take physical effort on a daily basis, you can indulge more complex carbs with little to none adverse consequences.

But going back to the sugar, it's very addictive and is thought to be the main reason why people form habit of overeating. Sugar is at least partially responsible for some behavioral problems as well.

Remember this the next time you eat a sugar coated muffin from your favorite bakery next door.

OK, enough with this scaring. We humans are the only species intelligent enough to be able to eat a cake and have it (pun indented). While sugar is definitely the bad boy that should be shunned by us most of the time, there's no reason to avoid sweets altogether. This blog is dedicated to help you gain necessary information about how to indulge in the world of desserts but keep the damage to minimum (or even to avoid it at all).

Here, you will find a series of articles about:

• sugar, its different types
• alternatives to sugar
• other dietary traps (gluten anyone?)
• alternative eating habits and diets
• and of course lots and lots of recipes

Enjoy.

Sources:

Mark's daily apple (Paleo / Primal Blueprint website)

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sugar/#axzz2kYeXRwQ7

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Obesity_and_diabetes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_crash

World Sugar Research Organisation

http://www.wsro.org/

Raw orange cheesecake

Serves 4 - 6

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 6 pitted Medjool dates, soaked until soft
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

How to make crust:

• In a food processor, grind the almonds and pecans into a flour.
• Add the dates and process until well combined.
• Add the cacao powder and agave nectar and process until the mixture starts to stick together.
• Divide the mixture into two parts.

Filling Ingredients:

• zest of 4 Oranges
• 2 cups cashews - soaked for 2 to 4 hours and drained
• 1 1/4 cups melted coconut oil
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2/3 cup raw Agave Nectar

How to make it:

• Combine all ingredients in a high - speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.

How to make the cake:

• Transfer half of the crust to a 7 - inch pie plate lined with parchament paper. Make sure you press the mixture firmly.
• Pour half of the cashew filling over the crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
• Sprinkle rest of the crust over the cashew cream.
• Very carefully pour in the remaining filling mixture.
• Top with the zest oranges.
• Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hour or overnight, until the filling has set.
• Serve cold.