Desserts & Sweet Treats
Who doesn't love a dessert, or look forward to it after a meal. Most of us have a sweet tooth, and if we don't typically eat desserts, we may reach for a candy bar, pastry, doughnut, or other sweet snack during our day.
The only desserts we should be putting anywhere near our mouths are the ones that come from whole food ingredients. These desserts are not only highly nutritious, but also provide us with the sweetness that satiate that sweet tooth. Let's take a look at what type of ingredients these desserts have:
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The variety of different desserts and textures you can create with these ingredients is truly endless. At a health retreat I visited recently, I ate the best piece of strawberry cheesecake of my entire life. What was even more amazing was that this was a raw food dessert, made from fresh strawberries, almonds, cashews, vanilla beans, coconut oil, and other fresh, raw ingredients. No cooking involved, and the taste surpassed even the best gourmet cooked cheesecakes.
Two Points About Fruits
- Avoid Cooking Fruits
One of the worst things we can do with fruits is cook it. The nutrients in fruits (especially the antioxidants) are very heat sensitive and are destroyed when cooked. - Eat Fruits First, Not Last
Thinking of having fruit for dessert after dinner? Think again. Eat your fruit as an appetizer before dinner instead. The reason for this is simple. Because of their high water content, fruits digest far quicker than any other food type. They take 30-45 mins to digest when passing through our system unhindered. But when we eat fruit after a heavy meal (or after proteins and/or heavier carbohydrates which take several hours to digest), the fruit remains in our stomach for a much longer period of time. It begins to ferment, causing a variety of gastrointestinal distress.
This is the main reason many people experience indigestion, heartburn, or stomach issues when eating melon or other fruits. It isn't the fruit, it's the way they are eating the fruit.
Delicious Dessert Ideas
When it comes to making desserts, let your imagination run wild. Play with chopping or blending your favorite fruits and nuts and see what ideas you can come up with. Mix in fresh cacao or carob for a chocolaty flavor. How about adding a few drops of vanilla or almond essence to a pineapple and mango smoothie? Here are some ideas to get you started: